table questions

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I want to make use of this table for welding. It is made of 1/8" angle and the legs are 1/4" angle. I would like to put a 3/8" top on it, I can get a piece cheap. It will be 56" X 44" and weigh almost 300 lbs. My first question is will the 1/8" angle be strong enough for the 3/8" plate top? I also was thinking of adding some channel across the top spaced about 12" apart to help with support of the plate.I have some 6" casters and I want to weld some pieces of 6 x 2  box beam (1/4") to the legs and bolt the casters onto the box beam. This will give me the height I want for the work surface.Do you think it is doable, or do I need to build a heavier frame?Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.
Reply:It seems light weight for my taste. I'd make the frame and legs out of 4" x 4" x 1/4". Add channel across the top is a must if you want your plate to stay straight. With welding tables you can't go thick enough for the top plate. I have a welding table which as a 1-1/2 top plate and it now has a small bend in it. I'm not about to trying to straight a 4,000lb table. It's there to stay.20yrs Welding ExperienceArc, Tig, Mig, Brazing, and sometimes I just beat metal together the old fashion way.www.steelworks-online.com
Reply:I'd like to go thicker but I need it to be somewhat portable. Do you lay the channel across the top rails or do you butt weld it inside the angle to be flush? Or weld it under the angle then space it with flat stock to be flush?Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.
Reply:how did a bend get there in a 1.5" thick top!!??miller syncrowave 250hobart handler 140home made 400 amp engine driven in progress...
Reply:keep in mind a lot will depend on what you plan to do with the table. A table for small projects, light fab and art work doesn't need to have any where near the strength of a table you plan to sit a 900 lb excavator bucket on, or say a V 8 motor. If you plan to pound on a table, you better plan on it being fairly sturdy. That table as is should support the weight of 2 people easily, as long as the top has enough  support to keep from bending in the middle. With 3/8" plate, I'd say 2 similar sized cross rails would do the trick. I',m guessing that's 1/2" ply on the top from the picts. If the 1/2" has held up for what you plan on doing, 3/8" steel will do just fine.The only down side to a light weight frame, will be the ability to resist warping. Say your plate has a bend in it and you want to straighten it out with the frame, or you plan to do a lot of heating on the surface. Thicker steel really isn't the answer completely. Taller steel will give you more strength with less weight. Say stepping up to 2x2 1/8", or better yet going to 3x 1 1/2" rect tube, say 1/16" wall. Thicker isn't always better. Taller usually is..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Add a piece of Hardie backer to your plywood table (I would use good plywood not cheap chipboard) and you can leave the plywood and use thinner plate.Lincoln Weld Pak100Lincoln Weld Pak 140 HDLincoln Weld Pak 175Lincoln Precision Tig 185Miller Millermatic 210 mig.
Reply:[QUOTE=bigb;590130]I want to make use of this table for welding. It is made of 1/8" angle and the legs are 1/4" angle. I would like to put a 3/8" top on it, I can get a piece cheap. It will be 56" X 44" and weigh almost 300 lbs. My first question is will the 1/8" angle be strong enough for the 3/8" plate top? I also was thinking of adding some channel across the top spaced about 12" apart to help with support of the plate.I have some 6" casters and I want to weld some pieces of 6 x 2  box beam (1/4") to the legs and bolt the casters onto the box beam. This will give me the height I want for the work surface.Do you think it is doable, or do I need to build a heavier frame?IMHO, it depends on what you have in mind.  If you just need a nice flat place to put stuff while you weld it and your project doesn't weigh half a ton, you'll probably be just fine.  If, on the other hand you want a rigid, heavy table you can use as a welding jig base, you're gonna need some more meat.  Most of us DIY types don't need the heavy, heavy stuff.  If you put a couple of stringers across the width of the table, a 3/8" plate will be all the top you will probably ever need.  Oh, and weld ends on the 6X2 to make em bear more weight.  Good luck and keep us updated!Contrary to popular opinion, I do NOT have a pet turkey that craps molten steel.  It's a goose.
Reply:Well after hours of sanding and $$ spent on belts I would have been better off buying a new top instead. Anyway when I put the top on I put a couple pieces of 4" x 1/2" angle across it and clamped them down tight, then I went around welded the underside to the edges and to the channels I put going across. I used mig and kept the welds brief so as to prevent a lot of heat. Anyhow upon finishing I laid a straight edge on it and I see I have a slight bulge.  It shows to be about 3/32" The high point is exactly over one of the pieces of channel. Do you think I can fix it, or is it even worthwhile to try?Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.