swiss cheesing my welding table

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I got some of the clamps that Stronghand sells that goes with their jig table.  While these tooling are extremely handy when they're on the Stronghand table, they're useless on my 4'x4'x1/2" welding table.  so, seeing that i have the clamps, might as well drill some holes into my table.  These clamps goes into a 5/8" hole, so I got a 5/8" drill bit, a jug of cutting fluid, borrowed a mag drill and went to town.  I did step it up from 1/4, to 1/2, then finally 5/8, and finished up the holes with a countersink.  anyway, here's the carnage. Attached Images
Reply:more pics(wrap some spent sand paper on a 1/2" bar and chuck it into a drill to deburr) Attached ImagesLast edited by oxy moron; 12-04-2011 at 10:00 PM.
Reply:Very very nice!  Wish I had one 4x4 pattern?  Looks like a good spacing for those clamps!I would have expected the closer spacing to be around the perimeter.Seems most of my welding and fine work is closer to the edge of the table than the middle.
Reply:Add the fan and you'll have a steel air hockey table!I'm guessing you ran standard bits. I'd have probably invested in an annular cutter to fit the drill, and punched them thru all in one shot. Borrowed a friends mag drill and annular cutter last year and it made short work of punching holes thru even the 5/8" wear edge on the plow, so I could mount corner protectors..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:Nice work! I have a table the same size, wish I had the clamps.
Reply:Nice, and just what I intend to do. How much were all the clamps
Reply:Most of my welding is on the edge of the table as well.  The reason I didn't drill around the edge is the edge has 4 inch over hang, and can be reached by normal clamps. I ran regular drill bc I wasn't sure I could use annular cutters.  Since the drill had a standard chuck.  Also, according to the manual, it (a Milwaukee mag drill, the big one) said to only use a standard drill.   I had planned to step drill up to half inch and bore it out to 5/8 with my 5/8 end mill.  Alas, I didn't have a single ended end mill.  Someone should make a mag drill that takes R8 collets.
Reply:Definitely good work!!  Jealous of that 1/2" top too hahaJoeMiller 140 Autoset (2010)Miller Syncrowave 250 (1996)
Reply:You can just chuck 'em in, or buy the adaptor for it for around $30 iirc. I have a thread around here discussing the different adaptors actually.. I'll edit this post with the linkMiller: 200dx, Bobcat 225, Passport, Powermax 45, Milwaukee: Dry Saw, MagDrill, grinders
Reply:can you use that clamp on a thicker table ie: 1 inch table? or they have to be 1/2 inch to make this clamp work?Looks great..
Reply:How do those clamps attach to the table?  Did you weld nuts on underneath?   In case anyone else is wondering; it doesn't appear that Stronghand sells those clamps individually... but Summit Racing does.  $30 and $37 for the two larger sizes.__David Hillman
Reply:There's nothing holding them in there.  Only thing that view into the hole is the 5/8 stud.  I'm sure it will work with tops thicker than half inch.  I've only tried the clamp with half inch and 7/16.
Reply:Stronghand doesn't seem to sell these clamps directly.  for what it's worth, weldingsupply seems to have be the one with better price, albeit, their customer service was just crap.  I made a very big order, still received crappy customer service.  there was another site that had better price than weldingsupply, but their site looked really sketchy.  Summit also sells these clamps and other stronghand tools, but their prices were higher.
Reply:The clamps just wedge in there when you tighten them they lock up from the side preasure  Ive made them out of any clamp you can cut off and weld a lug on.  with holes in the table you can also use Hair pins to clamp with. they are angle shaped pieces of 5/8 spring steel and you just drive them down on your work. Mac
Reply:Looks good.  I did 5/8" holes in my top for the same reason.  I plan on making some fixturing clamps, but figured it would be nice to have stuff that would fit if I wanted to buy anything.
Reply:Neat idea. I need to do that!!!I had never heard of a mag drill. Thanks for posting. Is the table 1/2 thick?Dave ReberWadsworth Ohio
Reply:Originally Posted by oxy moronStronghand doesn't seem to sell these clamps directly.  for what it's worth, weldingsupply seems to have be the one with better price, albeit, their customer service was just crap.  I made a very big order, still received crappy customer service.  there was another site that had better price than weldingsupply, but their site looked really sketchy.  Summit also sells these clamps and other stronghand tools, but their prices were higher.
Reply:Originally Posted by ReebsNeat idea. I need to do that!!!I had never heard of a mag drill. Thanks for posting. Is the table 1/2 thick?
Reply:Yes, the top on that table is 1/2 inch thick.Affirmative on weldingsupply dot com
Reply:So did you actually get the stuff you ordered then from weldingsupply?  Issues with the product or just the service?
Reply:Originally Posted by oxy moronAffirmative on weldingsupply dot com
Reply:That  a really nice setup Oxy. Do the clamp mounts work like an old wedge style bike stem? But with the allen bolt from the bottom?200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:Originally Posted by bert the welderThat  a really nice setup Oxy. Do the clamp mounts work like an old wedge style bike stem? But with the allen bolt from the bottom?