Another welding table question: AR500

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Have kind of a strange question. I can pick up some .5" ar500 plate steel for relatively cheap ( $.47/lb).  Would it be worth it to build a table out of this?  The plate is nice,flat, and clean. My Plan would be to have a grid of holes plasma'd in for clamping and such. iVe never worked with any material like this before so have no idea what it would be like
Reply:I don't know, but you should get it anyways and make some shooting targets out of it!  I just picked up a 4x8 sheet of 3/8" AR500 and it ran me $1,000!!!
Reply:We used AR500 for some targets in school. Made them for a police department and got to keep the scrap. The edges were affected a little from the plasma's HAZ, but not bad... We were more concerned about the welding HAZ, therefore we didn't do any...
Reply:I don't know of any reason it would not be a good choice for a table top. What size piece are you talking about? Can you get it in one complete piece or is it in smaller pieces?
Reply:I just made a table out of 4x8 .5 a36 and cut 108 1.250 holes with a Cnc plasma table. Warped 3/32 but I had it straightened locally for a very good price. Good luck with the table!Millermatic 210 & 300Miller 330 a/bp w/Miller coolmate 3Lincoln 225 ac/dc buzz box200amp Hobart 16hp portable welderCarbon arc torch, oxy/acy, plasma cutterCNC plasma table
Reply:If you can get AR500 for cheaper than mild steel, there are a whole lot of better uses for it than a table top, like rifle targets. Sell the AR500 at a profit and buy a mild steel top.Or, better yet, build a duelling tree or plate rack and really clean up.Everlast PA160-STH... and that's about it!
Reply:That stuff is like concrete compared to a36, it is supper impact and abrasion resistant. If you can get it for a deal go for it and when you want a bigger table cut this up into targets.Ranger 250 thick stuffHobart Handler 140 not thick stuffthe pane and oxy setup