my ultimate fabrication table

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I'm slowly setting up a little hobby type fabrication shop in my home 1 car garage. space is very very tight but I want everything I need in there to build whatever I want to build. so far everything is as compact as practical. I really only need space to build one thing at a time but I also need space for all the equipment needed too. I have the dynasty 200dx welder and a pm30 plasma cutter, misc power and hand tools of course. I just picked up a nice southbend heavy 10L lathe and a pretty nice import vertical knee milling machine. it's 3/4 the size of a bridgeport, but it is more than great for my use considering I couldn't ever even fit a full sized bridgeport in this garage without it just dominating the whole shop, so the more compact mill was the best choice for me even though I did originally consider a bridgeport.the next thing on my list of must haves in this shop was a really good fabrication table. I already have a craftsman 5' wide by 24" deep stainless steel benchtop in the back of the garage. it's not bad to work on sometimes but is somewhat restrictive. it's at a good height I guess for the smaller stand up type work, think baseball/headlight/ car mirror sized stuff. the stainless top is nice and pretty flat but it is way to high for me at 42" for most bigger stuff, plus the less than 24" depth before you hit the backsplash is very limiting. half the times I almost need a stool to work on larger stuff and there are no good clamping methods for anything big either. I do really like this bench for small light weight everyday work, but I also really want a much better heavy fabrication table for the more serious stuff.. ... space is very very tight, but I really wanted some sort of real deal modular fixture type welding table. after much considering there were 2 that were at the top of my want list. first was a 2 1/2' x 5' acorn table, but, like a bridgeport, it would really dominate and cram up the whole shop and is just a little too big for my little garage. I also really don't think I need something like an acorn for the lighter fabrication type stuff I will be doing, there's no denying they are sweet though, and I almost did get one for ~ $1,500, but in the end I decided it would just be a bad choice.and just too much for my little shop. it was about 6" too deep and about a foot too wide for the maximum space I want to dedicate to a some time use fabrication table...the second one I really wanted was the strongarm pro modular table. yeah, they are sexy... fully machined precision, pretty damn flat, plenty of modular fixturing and stuff... it's like a big lego set for welding setups...  there small one starts at ~$2,100... but, the problem is there 3' X 4', just too damn big... that's even wider than the acorn... no way I can fit it under the SS bench or anywhere else for that matter, under the bench it'll stick out way too much for the SS bench to even be usable anymore, the maximum depth I can have is around 30" or so, 30" is already about 6" past the outer edge of the SS bench top, but not really so much in the way for stand up light bench work so the top bench stays fully functional and usable. 6 inches more can make a big difference when you working in tight spaces, it's the difference between something fitting or just not fitting, the strongarm weldpro just wouldn't really fit well in my small garage. plus then were starting to get really up there $$$, then when you look at the fixturing kits and adapters and accessories that you almost kind of need to really make the thing useful, you're looking at thousands of more $$$. like 2k for a minimal assortment and over 4k for a nice assortment of all the steel lego attaching accessory stuff. this may be cost effective and beneficial for a commercial fab shop but considering many of my things I'll do will be one off fab stuff I don't really need the whole lego type ability to instantly recreate any exact setup in 10 minutes type stuff, but I def do want a versatile and easy clamping system and a way to build modular general fixtures to hold common stuff in place and I want a very flat precise surfacefor a while I planned to build my own copy of the strong arm table, but I would build it to the dimensions I want... I would have each slot drilled with the hundreds of precise bored 5/8* holes on 2" centers, even keep it compatible with the weldpro table's accessories too, some of there clamps and brackets and stuff are pretty cool. I designed and considered a 2 1/2' x 4' with 4 slots on the top and I was going to add a fold down front panel too. kind of like a fold down leaf type setup,  I would have each of the 5 1/4" x 48" slots first machined square on all 4 sides, then drilled, bored and surface finish ground... then the whole frame I would have to weld together first, then get this welded structure machined flat on the many little mounting pads for the panels, copying the precision of the weldpro design, but by the time I finished specing and pricing the materials and  all the machine work required it would have been cheaper to just buy the weldpro table and just cut the 6" off from one side of it I considered many options. I searched around for cast iron platens that might be able to be cut down but the large square holes just seemed too much for the smaller stuff I'll be doing most of the time, I'd wind up just having it covered most of the time and in the end I think it would not be so useful for me. another thing I started really looking at was cast iron T slot tables.... the kinds for very large mills or shapers or other industrial machinery. T slots are cool because there easy to clamp to with so many different easy and readily available accessories. there machined perfectly flat, and that's flat even from a machinists point of view. there flat enough that you can measure from them like a surface plate. there also heavy cast iron so no flexing or bending... the right size cast iron T slot table can make a really nice fabrication table. add a grid of 5/8" holes in between the slots too? hmmm, maybe....     I winded up finding a machinery recovery place in Ohio that had some really perfect T slot tables for what I had in mind. one thing that I really like about these particular ones is there designed to pivot and create a variable angle, going from flat horizontal to straight up 90deg vertical. the pivot point is cast right into the t slot platform. this is going to be perfect for my idea... they had 3 of these, all matching each other in style and design, but 3 different sizes. I bought all 3  the 2 larger ones are what I will build the main fabrication table from. these are them here:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/390395918872...ht_1086wt_1263   and here:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/390395920159...ht_1086wt_1263  the third one I got is about the same but only  24" x 16" and it will be on a small cart that will also mount my main big vise. it could be exactly the same height as the main fab table so it can support overhang stuff if ever needed maybe, haven't designed the vice table yet   I'm going to remove the very heavy cast bases and just use the cast t slot tops on my own steel frame with my own steel hinge tabs. here's a few sketches of what I have in mindI have a 6" step at the back of my garage which sticks out from the wall 15", I had to cut the rear legs of everything on the back wall 6" short so I can ignore the step and go to the wall but this table will be on locking castersthe 2 filler slots in this pic will be machined  for a perfect fit to cover the hinges and form a perfectly flat and square block or with filler #2 a perfectly flat plane across both surfaces when the outer leaf is raised.  it will also be adjustable for any angle really...I will try to keep the 2 surfaces square and true to each other, probably wind up building in fine adjustment at the pivots so it can be fine tuned with a dial indicator to get them really square and true to each other. there's more to the design, like the supporting stuff for the tables while tilted and the extending legs that extend front and rear for stability when opened up and in use... the possibility of eventual air or electric actuation of the folding table surfaces, but this is the basic design.... what do you think? I'm not sure if I want to also add grids of holes for extra clamping and fixturing...miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:Looks pretty clever! If you decide to go a different route keep in mind that you can buy the table slats individually from Strong-Hand and all the fixturing parts are avaialable individually as well. I have one of the bigger tables and love it. "Anybody can talk $h!t behind a monitor, I let the quality of my work speak for itself"Lincoln Square Wave 255 and 355 Tig Lincoln 255 Power-Mig w/ spool gun Koike 5 x 10 CNC plasma Hyd-Mech DM-10 bandsaw Ineco QB-76 NC tube bender
Reply:Looks good! And clever as well. What's the name of the place in Ohio you found?
Reply:You stole those fixture plates! Good find. I think they will make a great table. Be sure to keep one for your mill when you get one. I grabbed the image from the auction because the urls won't last forever. You have three like this? Attached Images
Reply:I just looked at the auction...are you going to be able to fold those...and or move them in your small shop? The auction states they are 884 pounds each. Seems like a lot issues could arise from the weight, especially the way its cantilevered on your sketch. Great buy on them, just be careful you dont lose a foot if they fall. "Anybody can talk $h!t behind a monitor, I let the quality of my work speak for itself"Lincoln Square Wave 255 and 355 Tig Lincoln 255 Power-Mig w/ spool gun Koike 5 x 10 CNC plasma Hyd-Mech DM-10 bandsaw Ineco QB-76 NC tube bender
Reply:these things are hinged, the top part is seperate from the cast iron base. the cast iron base is what attaches to whatever machinery this came from and that's what connects to the X and Y axis movements so I'm guessing the bases are probably ~ 60% of the total weight.... I do not plan on using the cast bases at all, just the tops on my own steel tube frame, so what starts out as 884lb's on a pallet for the largest one may wind being a top that's around 350lb's or so, the smaller 38" by 18" hinged front leaf may wind up being  a little over 200lb's... I'm guessing my whole table with both plates framework and whatever motorization or air pistons set up to hinge open the plates the whole table may wind up being ~1,000 lb's or so give or take... should be very manageable on some nice big heavy casters...also, my diagrams show the base in it's compacted retracted folded away configuration but I will have supporting legs that extend out foward when the front leaf is raised and I will have rear extending legs too for when this thing is pulled away from under the bench, it will be very stable and safe... worse case may be that I may need to add some ballast to the base if it's a little bit top heavy but I think the weight should be centered fine and when the legs are all extended will be very secure.they originally had these listed at $450 for the 48" x 24" one, $250 for the 38" x 18" one and $209 for the 24" x 18" one.I originally only enquired about the 38" x 18" one and the shipping cost on that one alone was $337, that was a pallet of 540 lb's. one thing I've learned is that the pallet and the shipping make up most of the shipping cost, and adding a lot of weight to a pallet only increases the total shipping by a fraction compared to the total weight. I figured the way to get the shipping costs down was to buy multiples shipped on the same pallet,  the pallet with all 3 of these,now totalling well over 1,500 lb's winded up being $527 to ship from Ohio to NY,  so the per unit shipping went way down, plus by buying multiple I was able to negotiate the price down on all 3 pieces too, I winded up getting all 3 for $600 which is why they show as sold for $200 each on ebay. after we negotiated a total price for all 3 he asked me to make an offer on each for $200 and then he accepted all these offers and added the $527 combined shipping, making my cost $1,127 total to my door. I plan to recoupe a few bucks for the scrap value of what I will be removing, which may wind up being  at least 7-800 lb's of scrap in the 3 bases alone.when the table is folded closed and the front insert/hinge cover is in place the table will function and be very much like a large one of these things which are NOT mine, they do tilt but cost $3k each used as you see them and can't change from the fixed 90 deg and are a lot smaller than my overall table too :forhire, thanks for linking that picture for me, here are a few more of the actual items I got. the 48X24 and the 38X18 look exactly the same and this is what they look like:and this is the smaller one that will not be part of this main fab table at all, it's 24" X 16" and only has 2 T slots instead of 3:even that little one ^^ by itself, on a pallet is a whopping 352 lb's. I picked up this one because by the time I negotiated the other 2, this one winded up costing me not that much more to add really...here are a few pictures of the tiny space I have to work with, here is the knee mill I picked up:and here in my new to me lathe on the other wall :here is a very cluttered picture of the workbench this fab table will park under... don't mind the mess I was in the middle of moving stuff around and have crap all over when I took this shot. the mill is just to the left of this shotLast edited by turbocad6; 06-07-2012 at 06:08 PM.miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:Thats a lot like my shop extremely cluttered
Reply:Thats just the way shops are by the time you get everything to make it a nice shop the shop is too small. Our our 30 by 40 is the same way every time you want to do something you have to tuck all the toys and parts in every nook and crany to get te project inMillermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:Love the mill, mind if I ask what it cost?  I'd like more info on it also.Thanks.Lincoln SA 200Esab Caddy 160Thermal Arc 201TSMiller Dialarc HFI don't like making plans for the day because then the word "premeditated" gets thrown around the courtroom....
Reply:that mill is made by a company in Taiwan that makes these things for over 35 years now and makes them for several companies, including jet, grizzly, enco, select, heres the same basic mill,  more modern VFD from the factory and a one shot oiler included but about the same really. mine was built around 1980 or so, they made them pretty much same basic machine since the mid 70's really. http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-x-...cal-Mill/G0678heres a few more links on same mill, different names. new there all around the $4,000 mark but used older ones like this should be anywhere from $800-$1,500 depending on condition and wear, mine is in very nioce condition and cost me $1,100 from the same guy I got the lathe from. I went to look at the lathe and seen the mill and winded up buying both http://www.ozarkwoodworker.com/15HP-...Asian_p_1.htmlhttp://www.penntoolco.com/catalog/pr...categoryID=238http://groups.yahoo.com/group/10x34M...nes/message/40http://bridgeport.askmisterscience.com/smallmills.htmhttp://www.cnczone.com/forums/knee_v..._retrofit.htmloh and coupebuilder, I did consider buying strong arm slats, there $330 each but there all 3' x 5.25" which wouldn't work great for me, 3' is too long to face against the wall and too short for total width, when I considered building my own I was going to build 4' slats which would have worked much better for me. my whole shop is only 10' X 12', I'll put up a picture of the layout to show the floor plan and equipment in there. I did this to try different configurations without having to actually move the lathe and mill and everything else all around to try different layouts, actually think I found a better layout for my equipment and may swap the mill and lathe positions, gives a little more room all around when this fabrication table is pulled out and in usemiller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:heres my garage layout, this is done in turbocad sketchup  not a lot of space to work with... this is how it is right now:I made this sketch to scale so I can play around with different layouts and try what fits best, all the extra lines around the mill show me the full throw of the X & Y and the rotation of the head for clearances this is what I will wind up doing,, gives me more room once the fab table is built... heres a few different configurations I can use depending on the size of the job. everything is on wheels and can be shuffled around easily to make room for the job at hand miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:TC6,thanks for the mill info.........one of these days, one of these days (I wish there was a "dreaming" face thingy)Good luck on the layout, looks like you're havin g fun with it though.RE: that 15"x6" concrete step in your 1st pics, that very likely is covering drain pipe, so be carefull if you anchor into it (you didn't say you were, just thought I'd mention it jsut in case).Lincoln SA 200Esab Caddy 160Thermal Arc 201TSMiller Dialarc HFI don't like making plans for the day because then the word "premeditated" gets thrown around the courtroom....
Reply:thanks, I was wondering what that step was for but a drain pipe I guess makes sense... no plans to attach anything to it but thanks for the heads up...I recieved these things yesterday, man when they say 1,800 pounds they really mean 1,800 pounds ) these things are very heavy.I did seperate the smallest one so far... and as I guessed the base is quite a bit heavier than the top T slot plate, the small one was over 300 pounds but once seperated I was able to pick up and move around the top plate by myself, I'm guessing it to be ~130 pounds or so.. this makes me think that my original guesses of the middle one being a little over 200 and the big one at around 350 pounds or so is probably about rightthen I decided to hit the tops of them t see how they will clean up, the smallest one is a little dinged up but the bigger 2 that I'm building the table from are pretty cleanshould make a nice really flat heavy table, these things are pretty cool with the bases and all but waaay too heavy for what I have in mindthere set up like a sine bar in that all they had to do to get a precise angle to machine to is use the proper thickness shim under the hinged top.I also cleaned my bench area and rearrainged stuff to make more room for this thing to fit undermiller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:oh, and as far as the layout, man, drawing everything to scale and then playing around with things in different spots has really made a difference with the amount of space I have to work with... I did this same drawing to scale and trying different configurations when I redid my shop at work and it really helps to see how everything fits without actually moving everything around to try it, I now switched the lathe to where the mill was and vice versa, def gives me more room all around...miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:turbocad6... I know your shop is really tight but please do yourself a huge favor and keep the angle plates together... simply bolt them to your frame work. Once you take them apart they are ruined as invariably the parts get lost or broken. You never know when they might come in handy or you need to raise some cash. Nice shop by the way.
Reply:I know, I really like these things  as they are, but the truth is there only this extremely ridgid  and heavy because they were designed to hold heavy stuff and fight the forces of machining,  I'm repurpousing them as a folding fabrication table and have no real need for the extra 750 or so pounds of the 2 bases nor the extra strength the provide and really don't want the bulk that will add, my table will be much sleaker and more compact by using a steel frame directly hinged to these plates and much more usable and practical for me. I hear you, it does kind of feel like I'm ruining them by throwing away the bases. I thought the same thing when I seen how nice these things are as an assembly, but in the end I will wind up with a much better fabrication table without them. that is my main goal, to build the ultimate fabrication table for my available space, and I can't really do that and keep these things intact. I think the bases are going to just go for scrap. I also don't want any of my mechanical arms or hinges visable or external so I'd have to cut up the bases to facilitate the lifting mechanisims anyway, just not practical to keep them intact. in the end I know I'm sacrificing these things but it's for a better causenow I'm trying to decide what size tubing to build the table base from. I want something strong and heavy that won't flex even when the fold down leaf is extended. I do realize that much of the ridgidiy will be determined by the design. now that I have these tops I can design the rest of the table frame. it's going to be complicated, still trying to sort out how I want to build the retracting mechanisims. it's heavy enough that I really think I'd like at least the main leaf to be motorized, I intend to flip this table up and use the leaf for most smaller basic stuff and then pull the whole table out more for just the larger stuff I think.Last edited by turbocad6; 06-12-2012 at 07:09 PM.miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:Pick up your butts
Reply:been too busy to do too much with this but I've been working on the base frame design. I need to order up the materials just been tied up past few weeks with other projects in the garage, got a bandsaw that I'm setting up and I'm building a belt grinder, set up my drill press... trying to decide now if I'm better off building the table before the grinder and then building the grinder on the table or build the grinder first and use it on the table build  the base will now be a 2 piece nesting design with front and rear halves, v groove cast iron pulleys as wheels between the 2 to have the 2 halves track parallel to each other, as it expands forward the front leaf will lift, the front casters will also follow the front edge of the leaf out so it will always be supported.miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:Great thread!! Looks like some great ideas and very efficient use of a small space. Thats a sweet mill & lathe, I'd like to have those myself. The welding bench design looks very clever...will be watching this thread to see how it unfolds...Thermal Arc Fabricator 2101970 Lincoln RedfaceMiller 150 STLStill need a Syncrowave and a plasma and a milling machine and a lathe and a bigger shop and a....
Reply:thanks... I winded up finding a place to get some steel yesterday, as soon as I walked in the place I seen a shorter piece of 4"x6" 1/2" tube that would be perfect stand for my belt grinder..I winded up buying that and a bunch of 1/2" thick steel and started to build the grinder.I got some 1 1/2" x1/2" and some 2" x 1/2". also got a few pieces of 3" x 5" 1/2" angle iron took it al home and started cutting it up... I decided to add 2 receivers for tool arms, the tool arms are 1 1/2" square solid bar.I want to eventually add a screw feed and vice to use it as a notcher too, the second tool arm should support that.I also added a third receiver that fits a 1 1/2" x 1/2" bar. this receiver can be used for a lighter tool rest arm or to attach an adjustable catch shield...   of course I can use only one or 2 of the tool arms, don't have to use all 3 at the same time but at least there there, so I could use them if needed.I studied and looked at many different types and styles of grinders...I def decided that I want something that wil flip from vertical to horizontalI started out with the basic idea of the KMG grinder and the many different variations and clones out there then added my own ideas to thatthis is the kmg setup, around a grand, I almost just bought one but figured I could def build way more for way less...I also took some ideas from the tw-90 it's a nice setup but a little light weight. this thing costs like $3,400+ the prices I see on some of these belt grinders is just crazy, you almost HAVE to just build one yourself... and this is my version mocked up and in the same orientation, verticaland here it is flipped to the horizontal position. the head will be hinged to the base and lock in either positionI already found a 2HP 3 phase wash down motor for it last week, gotta get the rest of the parts now and weld it up Last edited by turbocad6; 07-23-2012 at 03:40 AM.miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:I am so jealous of those T slot tables.  that's incredible.  dont crush yourself.  I bet in time you'll use it in the all flat position the most.   setting and working on corners with the parts flat will be more convenient than tilting the tables and working on the outside corners.   unless you mean to cope lots of funky joints that are not flat.
Reply:I'm expecting my main use of this is going to be just the front leaf more than anything else, the 36" X 18" fold up part. that one will fold up and out to become a working surface and can be used without pulling the whole table out from under the bench. I'm sure most smaller things will work fine on that.second most common use will be to roll the whole table into the middle of the shop and use it in the closed position. that will give me the 48" x 24" top to use with one side being able to clamp vertically to while the table is still in the closed/down position.I think it'll be rare for me to open it up to full flat or play with angles but it's nice to know I can when I do need to.I'm still undecided as to what material to use to build the base from. my problem now is that I only have good cutting ability up to about 2" x 2" with my cold saw. anything bigger and I'll need to cut it more crudely with like a plasma cutter then grind the edges to where I need them, that's one of the reasons why I decided to build the grinder before the table, I can see the grinder being used to help build this table in a lot of ways, even when it comes to the hinges too.I think the base would be better built from larger tubing like maybe 2"x4" at least, and ideally 1/2" thick but my cold saw can't handle that large at all. maybe I can build a support to hold the tube up so I can finish cut the ends on my vertical band saw... still have a few ideas in mind but I'll start really playing with the table after the belt grinder is donemiller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:Originally Posted by turbocad6thanks... I winded up finding a place to get some steel yesterday, as soon as I walked in the place I seen a shorter piece of 4"x6" 1/2" tube that would be perfect stand for my belt grinder..I winded up buying that and a bunch of 1/2" thick steel and started to build the grinder.I got some 1 1/2" x1/2" and some 2" x 1/2". also got a few pieces of 3" x 5" 1/2" angle iron took it al home and started cutting it up... I decided to add 2 receivers for tool arms, the tool arms are 1 1/2" square solid bar.I want to eventually add a screw feed and vice to use it as a notcher too, the second tool arm should support that.I also added a third receiver that fits a 1 1/2" x 1/2" bar. this receiver can be used for a lighter tool rest arm or to attach an adjustable catch shield...   of course I can use only one or 2 of the tool arms, don't have to use all 3 at the same time but at least there there, so I could use them if needed.I studied and looked at many different types and styles of grinders...I def decided that I want something that wil flip from vertical to horizontalI started out with the basic idea of the KMG grinder and the many different variations and clones out there then added my own ideas to thatthis is the kmg setup, around a grand, I almost just bought one but figured I could def build way more for way less...I also took some ideas from the tw-90 it's a nice setup but a little light weight. this thing costs like $3,400+ the prices I see on some of these belt grinders is just crazy, you almost HAVE to just build one yourself... and this is my version mocked up and in the same orientation, verticaland here it is flipped to the horizontal position. the head will be hinged to the base and lock in either positionI already found a 2HP 3 phase wash down motor for it last week, gotta get the rest of the parts now and weld it up
Reply:ha, on this forum when pictures are too large the text can get cut off because the text follows all the way to the edge of the images. I make up for this and prevent my text from getting cut off by keeping the sentences short or by hitting enter...<in the post to return to the left margin when adding pictures that are too largewhen you quoted with my pictures this also created the problem with your text in your post, so all it reads now is :" I now use the TW-90 grinder you also have pictured. It is a..." I did figure out how to read the cut off text though and I see that you say the tw-90 is absolutely incredible. that tilting sideways just has to be awesome. it looks like a really nice piece of work. wish it was more affordable, I think I'd be very happy with it but not really in the budget I've wanted a belt grinder for a while now. actually the day before I bought the steel to build mine I was really considering to just call up Beaumont Metal Works and order a KMG with platen and 10" wheel, but I still would have had to build a base and motor mount and stand with hinge, in the end I just decided to build it from scratchI thought about copying the tw-90 design but I'm building mine heavier to handle bigger things more easily, heavier items can be used on the platen and I really want to eventually add more accessories to it, that's where the extra tool arms come into play, plus I'm flirting with the idea of maybe also making a quick changeover to a 4" belt setup too. I don't really have space for 2 grinders and I'd want the 4" mainly to cope pipe, the 2" is limited to maybe 1 1/2" pipe but the 4" will allow coping 2", 2.5" & even 3" and more no problem. this may be something I'd do in the future but I'd like to at least keep it in mind as I build this thing... I want the tool arm and stand to support a vice and I'm also thinking about making a sliding track accessory for surface grinding eventually, I can think of so many things that can adapt to a setup like this. this thing can be way more versatile than just different size wheels and platens. I'm now thinking of adding more tool arm receivers to the base design too. extra tool arms can't hurt to have. for example a 4" pipe coping setup might be heavy, so I could use a double tool bar to support that, making it supported by a 1.5" x 3" toolbar, should be much more rigid and still have available receivers for the feeding vice arm. I'm now thinking 4 tool arm receivers,  I want this thing to be a beast  Last edited by turbocad6; 07-24-2012 at 01:15 AM.miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:Turbo,Make the table fold out from the wall with a few hydro pistons.   Now THAT would be awesome.  Would love to see a pic of you anvil setupTA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum2x2x1/4" is all you want.   that's even excessive for the task of holding the top up from a structural standpoint.       2x4x1/2"   wtf?   Why not go solid then?  they don't even roll 1/2" into that small a shape I think.    I think you must under estimate the stiffness, strength, and weight of steel.but thats a really nice compact shop.
Reply:if I was just looking to hold the tops up then maybe, but you have to really see what I have in mind to see that no way 2" x 2" 1/4' wall would work for everything.for example the front header... the front header bar will hold the 2 hinged mounting points for both table tops, that needs to be very ridgid to keep the tables in line with each other, plus when one or both tops are pivoted that header will se a lot of strain, the header will have to be very heavy duty.then, the table will kind of extend, picture the whole wheelbase actually changing from 24" at full closed to 42" extended, and that without the rear legs kicking back when the table is pulled out. the center of this will almost be like a drawer roller type setup but with heavy duty v groove pullies riding on rails, this too will have to be much beefier than just 2x2, there is going to be a lot of bending force when the table is extended and I really don't want it to deflect or bow or flex at all. I know it's hard for you to see what I have in my head but you'll see what I have in mind when I do this...then these tops are very heavy, if the frame is light weight then the whole table will be top heavy, considering the folding and extending the last thing I want is for it to be top heavy, it really has to be a brute of a table assy...and  Al, that's really the idea, the table will extend up to use it hydraulically, well really be either electrical or air pistons, haven't finalized the design of the mechanics of this yet but it will be def be power assist expansion and contraction, most likely electric for the main table extension where the top table tilting up will probably just be air pistons...oh, an the anvil... I still need to build a nice stand for it... the wood didn't work out so well for me, I got rid of one of them right away because it was really bug infested and the second one I had sit in the garage for a month or 2 and it all cracked like crazy... I winded up getting rid of that too, now I'm thinking just a small steel tripod setup for it, I'm doing the same for my giant vice, big heavy items like these are better closer to the floor I think Last edited by turbocad6; 07-24-2012 at 04:25 PM.miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:to not cluter this thread too much I made a new thread for the grinder here: http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=144581ok here's what I've come up with as a base design for the folding table so far. this is all 2" x 4" 3/8" tube except for the large center slide sections which are 2" x 8" 3/8" tube.those center slide sections could also be done by using 2 2" x 4" pieces butted to keep it all just 2" x 4" tubing throughout.inner wheels on the slides don't show the detail in this sketchup but these will be V groove HD wheels riding on angle iron for track, each wheel itself is over 1,500lb capacity, would this frame be strong enough? I don't think they make anything thicker usually than 3/8" in anything 2" X anything if you click the picture it should show a animated view, just started playing around with google sketchupLast edited by turbocad6; 08-22-2012 at 03:38 AM.miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:what do you consider acceptible deflection?  and have you calculated what force it takes to deflect to that yet?     I can help with that.   I would enjoy the homework.    0.020" sound fair?  less, more?
Reply:I have no way of calculating deflection. I think deflection will be a non issue when the table is closed and won't be much of an issue as it starts to open, then, at some point I think the rate of deflection would ramp up a lot as the red part extends out towards the end of it's travel out of the blue part. I originally had this set up as extending open 18" travel but have reduced it to 15" travel in this sketchup because I think that will minimize deflection, the last few inches of travel should introduce the most deflection I think. I may even need to limit the open travel a bit less than 15" even, but I have no way of calculating it or seeing the actual deflection ramp up as it opens towards the end.I have considered that the center may actually be stronger and less deflection while opened if I reduce that 2" x 8" part to 2" x 6". the will keep more angle difference between the top and bottom rear roller while it is open which will help it be more rigid but I don't know how to calculate any of this. I would be very interested to know the differences in deflection based on changing the few variables such as going for 2x8 to 2x6 and deflection rates at different extensions, say from 10"- 15" so I know where the limits are and where I'm starting to introduce too much deflection, but I'm no engineer nor will I be doing anything super critical here either, but any input would be appreciated. if you need any dimensions for your calculations just let me know what you need to know and if anyone has any better ideas of extending this table open that would be a more rigid design I'm all ears at this point. I've considered many different ways to do this and so far in my head this is the best I came up with so farmiller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:any updates?....Miller Dynasty 200Millermatic 211Instagram?.... find me @ WELD_MEDIC
Reply:man I just been so busy with real work I haven't had any time to play with this.... hopefully I'll get it done this winter. so many projects and so little time miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:Originally Posted by turbocad6man I just been so busy with real work I haven't had any time to play with this.... hopefully I'll get it done this winter. so many projects and so little time
Reply:24 hours just isnt enough time for one day.......JobSmart MIG125Lincoln AC225-SLincoln Pro-Mig 175Dewalt GrindersRidgid ChopsawIR Garage Mate CompressorAny thing worth doing, is worth doing right.