Time for a work bench

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I've been moving along on learning to stick weld and wanted to take on my first project. Being I've been working on an old wooden bench and thought a proper table would be in order. I've cobbled together enough material together for one about 2' x 5'. I'll use 4" and 6" wide "c" channel for the top and most of the table structure will be 1/8 wall  2"x3" tube. I just finished milling the ends of the "c"channel to length and should be ready to start welding soon. I also have a great Idea for some table mountable clamps.I have a question; Do I need to remove all the cutting fluid before welding? Is it a health risk? I'm still new to it and just don't know.I'll get some pictures up as soon as I get started.Gizzmo
Reply:Yes, it would be a good idea to get all the oils off before welding. It will weld and smell a lot better. Let us know how you are making out and post pictures.www.georgesplasmacuttershop.comPlasma Cutter and Welder Sales and Repairs--Ebay storeTec.Mo. Dealer Consumables for the PT and IPT torch's
Reply:Well I had a good day on the table today. I started with prepping everything. The biggest think for me was to keep it square and flat. I squared up the first piece and checked as I went and I used a straight scrape tube on the diagonal to keep it flat. I used a plate and clamps to keep the edged even and it seemed to work out nice.I intend to us the opening for a welding grid. I didn't support the legs beyond the welds that attach them. I figure the 2"x 3"  tubes are plenty rigid enough. I still need to add the casters and do-dads but I'll get there. Well what do ya think?  It's a far cry from the wooden yard table I've been learning on !Gizzmo Attached Images
Reply:Some more shots Attached Images
Reply:just my 2 cents id add some angle iron on one end to make an area to hold some pipe if you want to weld pipe or tube
Reply:Nice job, everything lines up nicely. One suggestion is to add another piece of angle on the ends of the table, too so that you have a clamping flange there as well (360 degrees), cope the ends so you have free + clear corners and then grind them round so no sharp corners (how do I know this? ). What's the size of the spaces between the C-channel? That's the start of one heck of a clamping system! Now for the shelf down below, if you keep it behind the edge of the table, your shins will love you and a chair will fit under (more how do I know!!). Add some grinder + clamp rails and maybe a power outlet and you're set. What about vise/tool attachments? What kind of wheels/levelling have you chosen? Good job gizzmo, those stick welds sure are better than mine.   Last edited by bearston; 08-26-2013 at 08:01 PM.When a welder tells you to "stick it", what do they really mean?"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell
Reply:Wow, some absolutely great suggestions! Thanks for the kind words. I wanted to add the angle to the ends but ran out of material. The whole bench was made from salvaged stuff. I was going to add a cabinet under the bench away from the side with the welding grid. I thought I could have a pullout tray laying on top of the cabinet that extends to the welding grid to catch the debris that falls thru. I was going to use the leftover space under the welding grid to store clamps and such. A place for a vice is a great idea I'll be glad to use Thanks! For pipe I was just going to keepa spare piece of angle around that I can lay in one of the slots to act as a cradle for clamping down pipe. I don't know if it will work, but that's what I was thinking anyway. As for the clamping system- The spacing is 3/4" . If you look close you will see I milled the bottom edge of the last 6" "C" channel down to the height of it's 4"neighbor. That will allow my clamps to work no matter what set of slots I use. The clamp consist of a piece of 3/4 " SS rod taped and treaded to accept a bolt  on the bottom and milled to a hex on   top. I'll add a collar to the bottom to add support to the base of the bar.A bolt ( full thread to the head ) will pass thru a 1/2 x11/16 x 1 1/2" bar that has been drilled and tapped in the center of the 11/16 face. I'll mill a lip on each end of the bar so it will only turn 45 deg. before fetching up against the inside edges of the "C" channels. That way I won't have to stop the bottom plate from turning by hand as I tighten the bar. I'll get some shots of it when I get one done.Gizzmo
Reply:I had a chance to make up my first post for my table clamps. I started by putting a shoulder on the rod and pressing on a disk of air harden drill rod. The rod was then taped and had a stud threaded in. I made a clamping nut from a pc of 1/2" bar stock by taping and notching it. I still need to mill a hex on the top of the post to finish it up.Gizzmo   Attached Images
Reply:Looks Great. I love my C channel top table. I used all 4" and spaced them 1.5" apart to slide a bessy style clamp through.If you cant fix it with a hammer, it must be an electrical problem."Boy, everyone starts with a full bag of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before the bag of luck is empty."-Grandad circa 1990ish
Reply:Good looking table."The reason we are here is that we are not all there"SA 200Idealarc TM 300 300MM 200MM 25130a SpoolgunPrecision Tig 375Invertec V350 ProSC-32 CS 12 Wire FeederOxweld/Purox O/AArcAirHypertherm Powermax 85LN25
Reply:Bearston mentioned Levelers and casters and that got me thinking. I had a set of casters ready to go but hadn't given the levelers much of a thought.I think I've come up with something that will work so I went and spent $25.- for two Irwin bar clamps, two screen door springs and got started. I started with the clamps and pulled the screws and handles off. Then I drilled out the stamped button at the end that held the slide on.I then cut the slides nose short and drilled it, taped it and set it aside. I then made some guide plated from a scrap pc. of "C" channel.I'm sure this could be done by stacking some 1/4" plate and welding  but I had the mill and chose to do it this way.Next I straightened out the spring ends and made a hoop one one end and a hook on the other. I did make a stud on the lathe but I'm sure it could be done other ways.Last thing was to make a drilling jig as a guide to drill the holes for the guide plates. With the parts done I went outside and cut the needed slots and pockets into legs of the welding bench. I wish I had thought of this BEFORE  I welded the legs on but I didn't - lesson learned.The assembly was a bit tough because of the order the parts needed to go in but some creative work with some strings and it all came together. So what's it all about? Well, with the casters mounted to a cross brace ( I still need to weld one in) I can roll the table into place.Then step on the ends of the clamps until the casting hit the ground. With the ratchet/slide reversed like this it just slides down and stays there.  The pins in the slots are to be connected to a lever that will press down on both pins at the same time Lifting the table about one inch. The table should be stable now. To release - Just reverse the lever and step on the chrome release plates poking thru the window in the leg. The spring will pull the levelers up into the pockets in the leg. I'll get some more shots up when I get the lever done and the casters on. Attached Images
Reply:The rest of the photo'sGizzmo Attached Images
Reply:That's a great idea! I may steal it.
Reply:All very awesome ideas!  Wish I had the room to build such a sweet table...POVERTY...is the Mother of InventionMillermatic 211Millermatic 140Miller Thunderbolt XLArcOne 100STS inverter w/TIGThermal Dynamics 38XL Victor Oxy/AcetyleneJancy Slugger Holemaker IIJet 5x6 BandsawNever enough time & sleep.
Reply:Gizzmo, creative ideas and  nice execution. Looking forward to seeing the levelers and casters in action.Lincoln 180 MigLincoln 225 TigHypertherm 65My Welding Table BuildVideo describing the Table
Reply:That is one nice and well thought out table. I like your design of the work clamps. You do very good machine workTOO MANY TOOLS & NO MORE SPACE
Reply:Well the parts are done and tomorrow I'll get them installed. I did have to made a few changes mid stream. One was the pivot points for the bar. I was going to use pins in the ends of the bar and holes in the legs. That would have required me to set the arms on the bar at an angle to let the linkage clear the pins. I wasn't happy with that so I decided to use mounting plates having holes the size of the bar. The mounting plates are bent to wrap around the inside of the leg were they will be welded on. The bar is short enough for the slotted linkage (pictured) to swing past the ends of the bar's arm's when in the up position.This is a much simpler method and should work well.I smoothed off the head of a cap screw and welded it to the linkage plate to act as a pin.The linkage is also slotted to allow for the excessive travel created by having arms that are too long. These arms have the linkage hole 1 1/2" from center. That's far more than is needed so I ended up with slots to let the lever travel some distance before pushing down on the levelers pins. If I had it to do again, I would have made the arms on the bar far shorter.Welding the handle with 3/32 60100 was a bit tough but it came out pretty good for my first try at something like that. I'm not sure about painting it once it's all together but I'll do something. Maybe a spray can will do it. I've been toying with the idea of doing the other legs too but I just don't know if its necessary.If I don't do the other end, I'm thinking I should have the none leveler set of casters set 3/4" higher so it will be more level when the levelers are down. This is turning out to be a fun project and one that I truly needed.Gizzmo Attached Images
Reply:Originally Posted by jamesyarbroughThat's a great idea! I may steal it.
Reply:More changes! As I was mocking up the lever for installation I felt it was too low so I made longer linkages and raised the bar. Now the lever bar can double as a place to hang clamps and it's easier to use. I like the way it works BUT, the levelers do come out quite a ways and that allows them to flex some. It's not bad but raising the cross member or putting the casters on the inside of the legs would keep the bottom of the legs closer to the ground and would be even more stable. I'm glad I did this because as soon as the casters were on, the table was all over the place. Without the levelers it would have been a pain to work on. I'm most likely going to do the other end too. On a different note, I have been thinking of a place for my tools and such. I have an old Sears 3 drawer tool box in the basement. I've had it since I was a kid and don't use it other than to stack stuff I don't need on-top off. Its 18" deep X 28"h X 28"w and will fit nicely if I take the old casters off of it. I'll add some new drawer glides to spruce it up a bit. I should be able to mount it with a gape between it and the top so I can slide a tin tray under the table top to catch the stuff that falls thru the gaps. It will leave some unused space near the welding slats area but I can always add on to it later if need be and it's an easy solution.Gizzmo Attached Images
Reply:Building the table has been fun but it's getting in the way of practice/learning. Today I made a quick bracket to hold my vertical practice pieces. It's a bit crude but does the job. I was surprised how well it holds on to the bar. I still need to get the tool box mounted under the table but that should be a quick project.Gizzmo Attached Images
Reply:Interesting design on using the clamps for levelers. However I am not sure those are going to hold up to any side to side strain. Keep it simple man. Here is what I did to keep my table semi permanent.  Put a fixed wheel caster at the bottom facing out on each leg on one end. Levelers on the bottom. I simply used 3/4" bolts. To move I simply lift one side with a floor jack until the feet are clear and the wheels touch. If the thing was light I could just lift it by hand and wheel it like a wheelbarrow. Someday I am going to incorporate a set of swivel casters attached to a scissors jack on the other end. Then I can just crank the jack up until it is rolling.If you cant fix it with a hammer, it must be an electrical problem."Boy, everyone starts with a full bag of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before the bag of luck is empty."-Grandad circa 1990ish
Reply:I took a break from practicing and spent some more time on the work bench. I used my old Craftsman tool chest and also installed some pans to catch the stuff that falls thru the gaps. I wanted to get it in my shed but my syncrowave was still on a stationary stand. I took some scraps and made a dolly for the syncro so I could move it around. Well It all fits in my little 8' wide shed.I'll give it a coat of paint soon and give some more thought to add-on's.Gizzmo Attached Images