Welding table that folds...

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or why isn't every welding table painted white?Like a lot of folks here, shop space in my old chicken coop is at a premium.  I always wanted a proper welding table, but could not spare the floor space when it is not used day-in and day-out.  Then I came up with a brainstorm to use metal leftover from other projects. And that's how the dimensions came to be what they are.Attachment 11025Attachment 11026Attachment 11027Attachment 11028The top is 5\16" A516 plate, 36" x 54" leftover from my bullet trap project.  The main beam is 4" x 4" x 3\8" square tube, leftover from my mailbox post project.  I welded 1" x 3\8" bar stock under the table top to prevent it from bowing under its own weight across the 54" span.  The folding legs are 2" x 2" x 1\4" tube.  I welded a 5\8" NC nut inside the bottom cap plate, screwed in a 4" length of all-thread and welded on a 2 1\2" adjuster plate to makeup for the unevenness of my floor.  The $6 HF wheels are welded to 3\4" x 4" x 16" bar stock.  The small gussets are of the same material.  The large gussets are A36 3\8" plate.  Neither of which was probably needed, but I was having great satisfaction using my new plasma cutter, so I thought, "What the hell."  I wanted plenty of weight down low to counter any chance of tipping over while folded and moving.  If it turned out that it was prone to tipping I was going to fill the main beam with steel scrap or lead for added weight.  When that wasn't needed, I capped the ends with 1\8" plate.  The hook you see attached through a hole in the top is for lifting it from vertical to horizontal by my 440# (double line) cable hoist.  The hook is not permanent.I don't get much use from my mig welder, mainly because it only has a 12' gun cable.  But I used it for this table; .035" ER70S-6 at the max voltage and wire feed speed suggested by the Hobart table inside the cabinet.  I have no idea what the real parameters are.I didn't want swivel casters so all 4 wheels are inline only.  They do tend to skid if I have to move it other than in a straight line, which is good.  I boxed in the folding legs less they kick out before I get the linkage pins installed to keep them vertical.  It only takes up 16" of floor space when folded.  That's much more practical for my infrequent needs.I'm not sure what this thing weighs.  I tried setting it on an old bathroom scale, but it pegged the needle which refused to return to zero again!  Oops, but no big loss there. Now for the paint.  I intended it to be 1966 Cadillac blue firemist poly acrylic lacquer but the primer I had required only enamel topcoats. So I changed to 2000 Isuzu Dupont Centari with catalyst left over from painting a sweeper truck.Now for a question.  Never having a bare steel welding table before, what is a suggested anti-rust agent?  I sprayed on a coating of mig nozzle anti-spatter.  I wonder how long it will last?WeldingWeb forum--now more sophomoric banter than anything else!
Reply:Awsome idea for a table, even better for a second table when you need that extra work area. Some nice plannning and design in there 69! Kudos!Latest Toys Miller 180 Mig and Elite Mask!!Wright Welder 225ACShop OutFitters 20/20 Bending SystemHypertherm 380 Plasma30 Years of Sparking (Electrical & Welding)
Reply:You put some serious thought and detail into that for certain. Great table.
Reply:Now for a question. Never having a bare steel welding table before, what is a suggested anti-rust agent? I sprayed on a coating of mig nozzle anti-spatter. I wonder how long it will last?
Reply:wow, thats awesome. definitely practical. "Ask not for whom the bone bones, it bones for thee" - Bender
Reply:Great idea and nice looking table!Sure, I can fix it... I got a welder!!!
Reply:thank you for posting. i was thinking about something like this the other day. i'll have to start gathering my pieces. don't know about white, i'm too big of a messy hobbist for that. lol
Reply:Very nice design.  That should give great service for a long time to come.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:I like the folding table idea and it's a great design.  I work out of half a two-car garage and my portable welding bench consists of a B&D Workmate w/ a 2'X2' 1/4" plate.  Got me thinking....Hobart 140 Handler w/ gasHyperTherm Powermax 380 Plasmaoxy/acetylene
Reply:Nice job and plan!The white color does help to make it look all clean and bright.   For wiping down the top surface to prevent rust, use pretty much any non-stink oil.  WD-40 on a rag works fine.  Anti-spatter would work fine.  Spray-on cooking oil (Pam) would work in a pinch, don't leave it on for too long though because it will start to get gummy.  Just clean the table of grease or oil before using it.  It stinks to clean your workpieces nicely before welding and crud them up when you put them on a greasy table top.  And if you ground to the table top, the crud can muck up the circuit enough to make you say %^@#$ as you are welding and your arc comes and goes.If you are going to 'oil' the table top for storage and then wipe it down a little before use, you can pretty much go with any non-gummy or non-stinky or non-sticky oil.  Wipe it down with 20W-50 if you want, no need to use Mobil-1 though!
Reply:Very nice table and ingenious design to save space.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:nice table i bet if needed you could adapt some knobie casters for off road use good job 350P 30A spool gun cut master 51  syncro 250 other stuff " take a dog off the street and make him prosper and he will not bite you sad the same cannot be said for man" i didnt use punctuation just to piss you off
Reply:Solid setup man.  Very nicely executed.Lots of toys.
Reply:Nice design.  The table I have at home doesn't get used much since I mostly use the one on my welding trailer and it still hasn't got any rust on it.  It just stays dry.  But it ain't gonna hurt nothin if ya want to spray some WD-40 on it.DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools
Reply:very nice table littlefuzz has a good point about the wd-4063' Lincoln SA200 2008 miller trailblazer 302fibre-metal pipelinermiller camo BWEand all the guns and ammo a growin boy needs
Reply:Many of us home/hobbyist types have space issues and your table is one of the slickest ideas I've seen. Great idea and excellent build."All that is required for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing"
Reply:I think you've got the quintessential homework project! From the first picture I thought it looked to clean for welding, maybe for lunch or barbeque! The table top will stay clean with regular doses of projects and elbow grease. If you slow up on using it, well... a good tool never likes to rest!  I love that design! Good job!City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Very nice.  May chop my little table up and put it back together to look something like that.Various GrindersVictor Journeyman torch200cf Acet. 250cf oxygenLincoln 175 plus/alpha2 gunLincoln v205t tigLincoln 350mpEsab 650 plasmaWhen you can get up in the morning, Its a good day.Live each day like its your last.
Reply:Very nice table! Here in the Chicago area the humidity gets pretty bad in the summer, so if I'm not going to use the table for a while, I'll give it a light spray of WD40. Then next time I use it, I just wipe it down with a rag before I start.Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 Stick Linde HDA-300 MillerMatic DVI MIG Miller Dynasty 200DX Hypertherm Powermax 1000
Reply:Originally Posted by usmcgremlin littlefuzz has a good point about the wd-40
Reply:Hey 69 chevy,Top notch setup and forethought to design for optimum use and space-saving configuration. I also try to maintain as much space as I can....allows for more "toys". Personally, with the design you incorporated, I would have chosen to use (2) locking swivel casters to really have ease of movement. I do agree with all those who choose WD-40.....it's the best. Great post......DennyComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:You couldn't even buy a piece of junk table for $140, ain't it nice to be able to build your own stuff.DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools
Reply:Very good design. You were definitely thinkin' outside the box on that one!!  As for self erecting, do you think a long reach bottle jack like HF sells could be adapted to that use?               MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:I wonder if cleaning the surface real good and giving it a wash of cold gun blue would work.  It would need to be touched up every once in a while, of course.  Also, you might have to see how it changes the way it conducts current, but I don't think it would make that much, if any, difference.  The white frame and black top would sure look cool, plus you would be saving yourself the task of wiping off a coating that might contaminate a weld.  Just pondering out loud.cricman
Reply:This is one of the, if not THE most awesome small welding project table I've ever seen.  The work is incredibly well done.  I may have to modify my plans to incorporate some of these great features.  An idea for the counterbalance--maybe weld a receiver type tube underneath and use an angled piece of tubing/square/pipe/round, etc as a lever to help raise the thing, then remove the lever when it's done.  It might be a little heavy for that, but a long lever that can be removed can do a lot of work.  Or, maybe consider some type of ratcheting mechanism so that it can be raised a little at a time and set down as gently.  It would make for a longer set up time, but the top is pretty heavy.Well that is one of the more innovative designs i have seen as of yet.  I am getting ready to build a table for work (us army corps of engineers)  and i think that i may go with that style as it will be less cluttered when not in use.  I do have a couple of ideas i would like to run pas you all.1)  do you think it would be possible, strong enough, to make the top out of 1/8" diamond plate steel with some reinforcements on the bottom2)  if the diamond plate wasnt a feasible solution grating could be made with    1"  1/8"thick flat stock (or even angle iron) every 2 inches or so apart.as for your table and the problem with lifting it up, maybe you could mount a 110volt cheapy winch (hoist) on the back with a 3way switch mounted mounted somewhere convenient.  Or if you were looking at a simpler solution maybe a come along on there   im not sure if this is the right solution or not but i do think it might work out for you.Glad i found this site as i have began welding more and more at work and home.*edit*   when my dad had his large metal table built   he heated the table up with a propane torch and rubbed it with oil (im not sure what oil)  but there are no signs whatsoever of any rust and it has been 5-10 yearsLast edited by rebel102285; 07-08-2007 at 12:48 AM.
Reply:Super-Post!  Innovative - got a lot of people admiring & thinking... hmmm, "Hey, I'd like one of those!"ThanksRick V
Reply:Nice work! I have some old garage door springs that I could probably adapt to my table.
Reply:By my calculations the top is approaching 400 lbs. if i'm not way off. Maybe you could weld some eyelets behind the pivot for the solid legs and attach a spring somewhere down the leg for assist. Don't know if you can counteract that much weight but might work. I wouldn't want a bulky contraption on such a nice table.MmmmmmmmmmmmBeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrGooooooooooo  oodddd!!!!
Reply:This may sound stupid but how do you raise the top i worked out the top plate alone weighs 170lb.no need to go to the gym then Marky
Reply:Originally Posted by marky2This may sound stupid but how do you raise the top?
Reply:love the table... permision to build it sir... Unit in my fab shop dept:my good hand and team that trust me...A lone welder make art... a village full of welder make Miracles...
Reply:My way of estimating steel weigh is to remember one thing, one square foot of 1/4" plate weighs 10 pounds. It is actually a tiny bit more but 10 is good for government work. Just about all thickness of plate, flat, and angle can be figured pretty close by remembering that and one thing is about all I'm capapable of remembering and sometimes not even that much. Using that I came up with 168.75 pounds for the table top.That said, that is one of the best designed folding tables, folding anything for that matter, that I've ever seen. Really good job.I've seen all kind of suggestions for keeping a table top from rusting. One I haven't seen mentioned is wipe it with plain ol' Johnson's paste wax when you finish welding. It is a very good rust preventave and there is no need to wipe it off like oil or WD-40 when you use the table the next time. I've been using it on firearms for over 40 years with no rust. It even neutrilizes fingerprints, something oil won't do.
Reply:Really nice table.  Have you thought about using the vertical area on the rolling section for hanging tools?Also, I wonder how much weight those gas compression tubes on vans will lift?  Just a thought.Jim
Reply:just put behind a truck with a crane attachment... its always the way for me...Unit in my fab shop dept:my good hand and team that trust me...A lone welder make art... a village full of welder make Miracles...
Reply:Thanks, excellent inspiration for those of us with small spaces. Art is not bound by convention...Airco 300 squarewaveMig welding center...Powcon sm300/LN 25Powcon sm200/PD lHypertherm PM 1100Miller AEAD 200LE W/LN25 FCand now another sm200 pd l combo.
Reply:Originally Posted by westlawn5554xlove the table... permision to build it sir...
Reply:Great table 69Chevy! Thanks for sharing. For those of us with limited space this is a really nice solution. I like to clean looks of the white paint as well. I am currently using a piece of  1/2" on top of two saw horses and am finishing my copy of Yorkiepap's chopsaw stand. I think my next shop project will be an adaption of your table. Other places in this forum there has been much talk about using an aluminum top. I think I may try using aluminum as a top, which will make lifting it up considerably easier plus will help keep the rust problem to a minimum. Now to find an inexpensive piece of aluminum.Thanks again......Sign on East Texas payphone: Calls to God 40 cents......it's a local call...
Reply:Oops, one other thing I meant to ask is do you have any pictures of your mailbox project. I have to change mine and I'm looking for ideas......you seem to have some good ones!Thanks.Sign on East Texas payphone: Calls to God 40 cents......it's a local call...
Reply:Mailbox is just a length of 4" x4" square tube with some expanded metal flared out and welded on to grab as much of the Sacrete concrete mix as possible.  A small rectangle plate welded level on to the top where the plastic rural mailbox is riveted to.  So simple I never took pictures.
Reply:Originally Posted by 69 chevyor why isn't every welding table painted white?Like a lot of folks here, shop space in my old chicken coop is at a premium.  I always wanted a proper welding table, but could not spare the floor space when it is not used day-in and day-out.  Then I came up with a brainstorm to use metal leftover from other projects. And that's how the dimensions came to be what they are.Attachment 11025Attachment 11026Attachment 11027Attachment 11028The top is 516" A516 plate, 36" x 54" leftover from my bullet trap project.  The main beam is 4" x 4" x 38" square tube, leftover from my mailbox post project.  I welded 1" x 38" bar stock under the table top to prevent it from bowing under its own weight across the 54" span.  The folding legs are 2" x 2" x 14" tube.  I welded a 58" NC nut inside the bottom cap plate, screwed in a 4" length of all-thread and welded on a 2 12" adjuster plate to makeup for the unevenness of my floor.  The $6 HF wheels are welded to 34" x 4" x 16" bar stock.  The small gussets are of the same material.  The large gussets are A36 38" plate.  Neither of which was probably needed, but I was having great satisfaction using my new plasma cutter, so I thought, "What the hell."  I wanted plenty of weight down low to counter any chance of tipping over while folded and moving.  If it turned out that it was prone to tipping I was going to fill the main beam with steel scrap or lead for added weight.  When that wasn't needed, I capped the ends with 18" plate.  The hook you see attached through a hole in the top is for lifting it from vertical to horizontal by my 440# (double line) cable hoist.  The hook is not permanent.I don't get much use from my mig welder, mainly because it only has a 12' gun cable.  But I used it for this table; .035" ER70S-6 at the max voltage and wire feed speed suggested by the Hobart table inside the cabinet.  I have no idea what the real parameters are.I didn't want swivel casters so all 4 wheels are inline only.  They do tend to skid if I have to move it other than in a straight line, which is good.  I boxed in the folding legs less they kick out before I get the linkage pins installed to keep them vertical.  It only takes up 16" of floor space when folded.  That's much more practical for my infrequent needs.I'm not sure what this thing weighs.  I tried setting it on an old bathroom scale, but it pegged the needle which refused to return to zero again!  Oops, but no big loss there. Now for the paint.  I intended it to be 1966 Cadillac blue firemist poly acrylic lacquer but the primer I had required only enamel topcoats. So I changed to 2000 Isuzu Dupont Centari with catalyst left over from painting a sweeper truck.Now for a question.  Never having a bare steel welding table before, what is a suggested anti-rust agent?  I sprayed on a coating of mig nozzle anti-spatter.  I wonder how long it will last?
Reply:69 Chevy:I've been thinking about your table and how to lift it.HF has an air/hydraulic cylinder and since most shops have a compressor, how about attaching one of these to underside of the top and connect the compressor to the cylinder. It would make an easy and quick way of lifting the top in almost any area of the shop.I am going to investigate this in some depth when I get started on my version of your table.Thanks for sharing you design.Glenn.Sign on East Texas payphone: Calls to God 40 cents......it's a local call...
Reply:Originally Posted by Stampeder69 Chevy:I've been thinking about your table and how to lift it.HF has an air/hydraulic cylinder and since most shops have a compressor, how about attaching one of these to underside of the top and connect the compressor to the cylinder. It would make an easy and quick way of lifting the top in almost any area of the shop.I am going to investigate this in some depth when I get started on my version of your table.Thanks for sharing you design.Glenn.
Reply:This table seems like it should be posted somewhere for people to learn and use their welders.  Something like this maybe: http://www.millerwelds.com/interests/projects/Come try it out and stay a while.
Reply:Fantastic space saver....as I have posted on here before, I am cramped for space as well.  Creativeness is necessary when trying to figure out ways to adapt a new item into the limited space we have available.....you sir, just proved that you mastered that for this project ! -Graham-Mechanical EngineerAutosport Mechanic/Fabricator
Reply:Well, it took a while, but I finally took some pics of my folding welding table.You can check it out here:  http://community.webshots.com/album/...OrIJn?start=12It's made of a 24" x 48" piece of 1/4" Mild Steel top supported by 2"x2"x1/4" angle iron. I would like to have made it larger, but it fit's nicely where it is.I have a number of hitch tubes mounted to it for tool mounting, although I do not have a vise yet!Let me know what you think. You can see other pics of the shop and my projects there as well.Lane