Cutting Bench

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Setting up a High School Manufacturing Shop, currently have steel benches with good overhead ventilation fans. What material would you use on top of these metal tables to act as heat shields. I was thinking Heat resistance bricks or slate 12" X 12" floor tiles.Thanks Tech Teacher
Reply:Hello and welcome to the forum. If the table is for cutting then I would use a slat type table with a catch box under it to collect the sparks. Set it up so that you can replace the slats after they get cut up to bad. A flat top table will have you wearing all that slag and sparks as you cut.If it's a welding table for O/A welding / brazing, then I would go with fire brick as it will stand up to the flame and not pop or explode.
Reply:Well I can tell you from actual experience that slate is not the way to go. We tried it in our shop and when the high heat hit the slate it exploded. We use fire brick cause we can get it almost anywhere.Co-Own CNC shop:Miller :1251 plasma cutter, MaxStar 700 TIG/Stick, & XMT 456 Multiprocess Welder.&  2 Hypertherm HPR260's Plasma CutterSorry I had a bad stroke but now I am back.
Reply:Well thanks it will be for welding, I have seen some shops with the slate and I was just wondering how it works, problem with the fire bricks is that students like to smash it with a hammer and you are constantly replacing it.Tech teacher
Reply:slate breaks just as easy. Except slate shatters into sharp pieces. We also have a slatted steel table in our shop that has last many years and yes it has a few cuts. easy to replace or repair.Last edited by specter; 02-16-2009 at 04:31 PM.Co-Own CNC shop:Miller :1251 plasma cutter, MaxStar 700 TIG/Stick, & XMT 456 Multiprocess Welder.&  2 Hypertherm HPR260's Plasma CutterSorry I had a bad stroke but now I am back.
Reply:Should I use the soft bricks or the hard bricks. My dealer has both, but I would assume that I should use the harder, more dense material for an O/A table. A steel table top alone just sucks the heat out and wastes O/A.Hobart 140 Handler w/ gasHyperTherm Powermax 380 Plasmaoxy/acetylene
Reply:Originally Posted by Tech TeacherSetting up a High School Manufacturing Shop, currently have steel benches with good overhead ventilation fans. What material would you use on top of these metal tables to act as heat shields. I was thinking Heat resistance bricks or slate 12" X 12" floor tiles.
Reply:Originally Posted by Pipeliner...put a piece of steel floor grating over the top of the entire surface....