Aluminum Welding Table

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I am starting my plans for a nice sized welding/project table.  it's probably going to be a 4x8 table.....and I'll have a steel top on it.  I suppose 3/8" thickness should suffice for the table top.Here's where I wanted some thoughts.  I was planning on making the table out of 2" square tubing with the legs being 2x3" tubing.  I think I'll have 6 legs on the table.......After pricing out steel, I quickly realized that in the same size, profile and thickness, I can purchase 6061-T6 Aluminum for less than mild steel.  for example, 2"x3" (.125" wall) runs about $.05 cheaper per foot than steel.  Since I 3/8" thick 4'x8' table top weighs just under 500#, 1/4" wall tubing is well strong enough for such a task.  I can go up in thickness, and the aluminum price starts getting significantly cheaper....about $.50 per foot less than steel when I jump up to 1/4" wall thickness.anyways....what do you think about an Aluminum table?  (properly braced of course.)
Reply:I'd still want steel.  If you use the aluminum for the legs and steel for the top you'll have to figure out someway to bolt that together.  Plus, I personally want a welding table to be heavy so it doesn't move around very easy, the extra weight of the steel is a plus in my mind.Miller 250x & Lincoln V205-TSmith Oxy-Prop torch
Reply:That seems to be the case here as well....  Pricing varies due to widths and thickness'.As Chuck said, I would definitely stay with METAL vs Aluminum when it comes to the legs.  Not only for welding them to the table, but also when it comes to 'Adding shelves, cross-members, hangers, whatever...'Also, why 3" x 2" ?  I'm no engineer, but I'm pretty sure that 2" x 2" 1/4" tube x 6 legs is going to EASILY hold up that table top and just about ANYTHING you put on it.  The added cost of going to 3" is definitely costing you more and COMPLETELY unnecessary IMO.  I would bet that you could easily get away with .188 with extra lengths for bracing, just to be sure...Cheers,/J....Miller Diversion 165120 amp Buzz BoxVictor Oxy/Ace Oxy/LPGSmith "Little" Oxy/LPGHypertherm Powermax 30Lot's of Misc. tools n' crap....
Reply:the 2x3" is more of a design "look" for the legs.  I have some other tables in my workshop that have 2x3" legs.
Reply:As long as they are just the legs then why not?Forget 6 legs stay with 4...Much easier to level...Maybe put a brace from each leg to each other about 4" from the floor.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I'm building my 4' x 3' x 1" steel table with 2x3x.120 tubing. I read somewhere on here that the .120 was adequate for even a 1" top.
Reply:I don't know where you are located but I am in the process of building a table too, except I am going with 1/4" top for weight reasons but if your in Los Angeles area, Action Metal Sales in Wilmington has 4x8 7/16" sheet for only 240 bucks, thought I'd pass on the good deal to anyone on here that could use this metal it's half the price of 1/2" and almost as thick"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal"   -Henry Ford
Reply:If you can get aluminum cheaper and you don't mind drilling and bolt it together go for and anchor bolt it to the floor.Tough as nails and damn near as smart
Reply:Originally Posted by tresiIf you can get aluminum cheaper and you don't mind drilling and bolt it together go for and anchor bolt it to the floor.
Reply:Originally Posted by BurningMetalI have an AC TIG....so I plan on welding the table together.I would love to find a cheaper source for steel and stainless, but I haven't yet.  I figured out who my local metal supplier buys their aluminum from.....and now, I buy from them!!!    Half the price!!!
Reply:i would say it depends completely on what you do. are you a hobbyist welder or are you planning on making money doing this? do you plan on mostly welding aluminum or do you plan on doing a lot of steel??we stay away from aluminum at my shop because we do mostly ag-related contruction and aluminum isnt always as tough. it looks great and is strong - but in the longrun aluminum cant take a beating like steel cani do alot of work with reject drillstem and scrap so im prone to dropping large pieces of steel on the cutting table at our shop - if you plan on putting anything heavy on the table if you drop it your probably going to nick the aluminum. and where do you order steel? aluminum up here in east texas is way more than steel. out here you only buy aluminum if you have money to blow.I break things for a living...
Reply:Make it completely out of steel forget the aluminium. And why on earth would you want 6 legs on a table theirs no need for that, if you make the table frame strong enough those extra 2 legs are just going to be for show they wont be supporting any weight whatsoever. The 4 cornors is where all the weight distribution is going to be transfered.
Reply:Steel is not a good conductor of electricity when compared to aluminum. Yes, it does conduct electricity but aluminum is a much better conductor.
Reply:the 6 legs is more of a design look....again.  The workbenches along the perimeter of my shop are 6 legged tables.  I am planning on building smaller carts/tables to fit underneath and into each compartment that is sectioned off by the legs.  for example, a cart for my dry saw....another for the mig and the tig, etc.my shop is only 900 sq.ft.......and the office takes up about 250 sq.ft of that.  So, I am left with about 650 sq.ft to work with........and I have a 2-post lift by the bay door (so that area isn't for welding use, etc).  the space gets eaten up quickly and I'm trying to maximize the area I have.I have no problem working with steel, but I like aluminum better and I can get great pricing on it.
Reply:Steel has a few advantages. You can weld your steel projects to it for grounding and support. It's magnetic so you can use magnetic clamps on it, and store them on the legs mid project if steel. If you're set on aluminum go for it, but steel is more practical unless you only work aluminum.
Reply:Originally Posted by 65535Steel has a few advantages. You can weld your steel projects to it for grounding and support. It's magnetic so you can use magnetic clamps on it, and store them on the legs mid project if steel. If you're set on aluminum go for it, but steel is more practical unless you only work aluminum.