Sheet metal over plywood/wood top

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I just welded my first table. Im going to stack a couple of sheets of plywood on it (8feetx2) and mount it along the side of my shop for bench tools, storage underneath. I don't plan to use it as a primary welding table, but who knows...Getting some thick plate steel to my house and to the table would be a challenge for me and expense at the moment  I priced some 1/8 mild steel as a possible laminate , or some 16-14ga SS would be nice too. However, beyond logistics, how would thin sheet goods like this hold up to some light abuse? I don't plan on beating it with a hammer. Is SS harder and more durable than mild steel of the same thickness?ThanksSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply:I'm not sure I completely understand what you're saying in your post, but I have seen and worked in shops that used thin metal as spark guards over top of wooden tables / shelves, etc.  It worked fine as long as direct heat wasn't applied.  However, if you ever plan to be working with direct heat on the table, my advice would be to bite the bullet now and use the sheet as the top instead -- do not incorporate wood under the top at all.  Build a suitable light support framework underneath of the top and leave the plywood off completely.  As far as how 1/8" thick stuff will handle heat - it isn't going to take a lot of abuse and you're going to want to keep large doses of direct heat off of it if you want to keep it from warping.  If you're not being hard on it, though, it will work OK.  Stainless, especially the thin stuff you're talking about, is going to be more prone to warpage than regular steel.If you're wanting to do a lot of non-welding work such as carburetor or engine work, a stainless top makes more sense -- never gets rusty and parts are easy to see against it's light color.  I built a stainless-topped workbench in my shop for that exact purpose, but it never sees heat from a torch / welder, and I don't do any heavy work on it.Hope some of this helps.
Reply:Light steel on work surfaces that see a lot of oil/grease makes a lot of sense from a cleaning stand point as well. The top is easy to clean off, but inexpensive.As far as welding, it would depend. I do plenty of small jobs where the top really doesn't get exposed to too much heat. For this a laminated top would work well as long as you are grounding to the work and use reasonable care. I'm not a big fan of hidden wood however for hot work. It's too easy to have the wood start to char and smolder unnoticed only to later flare up after you left the shop. For this reason if I have no choice but to do hot work on wood, I prefer to keep it uncovered. This way I know what areas might have charred and need to be addressed. I have a wood stump that I use for dishing hot steel when forging. The wood chars and flares up with small flames every time I use it. However I can easily see the charred area and know to wet it down well after use, and check it by hand to make sure there aren't any hot spots before I leave the shop..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:If you decide on light gauge metal covering the top , maybe consider having the edges bent to cover the exposed wood. As DSW stated wood below metal with concentrated heat can cause problems. Work smart and return maybe a hour or so later to CHECK that all is well and recheck again later.
Reply:Many Years ago I worked for a small engine shop that had the work benches covered in heavy gauge galvanized sheet metal.  They were very durable for dragging engines around on and very easy to keep clean.  We never did weld or heat on them.Dan D.Manipulator Of Metal
Reply:Great thanks for the great advise as always. Yes, having a stain free top for occasional oily parts, cutting oil etc is the primary reason for me wanting to go with steel laminate. if I go with 11ga mild I will try and skip the wood with a lattice support frame underneath then. If I decide to go with SS, 16-14ga, I was planning to have the sides bent of the steel yard has a brake. The light color like you said would be nice for the occasional wood work I do as well. If I were to weld on it, I would put a pice of heavy plate underneath. And if I do it would. Light duty MIG or TIG only as I work with mostly 11-16ga material. I never considered aluminum due to hardness and expense. I don't know if that's also a viable option. I thought it might have un wanted heat sink properties for me as well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk