A couple months ago, I discovered that "welding tables", meaning sturdy tables with thick steel tops 3/8 to 1 inch, are very hot selling items, desired by many people and easy to sell.
Right now I have several steel plates of such thicknesses and a quantity of 2 inch pipe.
I plan on making tables by just cutting off 30" or so pieces of said pipe and welding them as table legs to the plates.
My questions are
1) do they need any reinforcements, such as cross braces etc
2) What is the most optimal table height? 30 inches?
Ignoramus7601 fired this volley in news:oqCdnelME9EWkSfNnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:
Ig, 2" pipe is very strong in compression, but pretty narrow. Given its column strength, someone might be encouraged to put a VERY heavy item on the table, then attempt to move it, bending or breaking off the tiny legs.
You should gusset them or diagonally brace them. I'd also put at least one leg dead in the middle, to prevent bowing with heavy, centered loads.
I personally prefer about 32" high, but that's a highly "personalized" matter, and partly hinges on what sort of work will be done on the table. For tiny work, 36" might be better.
If it's not too much work, you could put footed telescoping rods into the bottoms of the tubular legs, and drill a few holes for cross-bolts.
A couple months ago, I discovered that "welding tables", meaning sturdy tables with thick steel tops 3/8 to 1 inch, are very hot selling items, desired by many people and easy to sell.
Right now I have several steel plates of such thicknesses and a quantity of 2 inch pipe.
I plan on making tables by just cutting off 30" or so pieces of said pipe and welding them as table legs to the plates.
My questions are
1) do they need any reinforcements, such as cross braces etc
2) What is the most optimal table height? 30 inches?
I know this is almost OT, but is the pipe that you have cast iron or is it cast steel? If it's cast iron, can you still weld it well to the plate?
I am not much of a welder, but I'd be a little concerned about the plate warping where the leg welds occur. This might be a bad thing for flatness.
Also, I'd go with a minimum plate thickness of 1/2" or even more. I suppose it depends on what the user is going to do with it. My kid is a welder by trade and he tacks things to the table all the time to hold the parts in place. In that case, I assume that thicker is better.
"Pete S" wrote in message news:J8KdnaOzKvd2vSfNnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@bright.net...
Tacking things to the table is a very bad habit! Do not get caught doing that to my table. The scars have to be ground off and after a while the table is nowhere close to being flat. I have a table 1 1/4 thick astm514 (T-1) with 3x5 angle iron for legs with the heel of the angle towards the center so that a clamp can be used at the very corner of the table.
Have you researched the liability issues of fabbing to sell? I'd want that on my umbrella policy if nothing else.
Absolutely! It doesn't take much. I'd be comfy with 5/8" angle halfway down the legs on the outside, but use whatcha got. Leave room for storage and the ability to clean underneath it.
Go diagonal, too, between legs under the table. Welding tables get lots of weight tossed onto them from all angles, so build 'em beefy.
That depends on your work. If you do only small work at table height, I'd shift that height up to 40+ inches. Lots of big heavy work might indicate the need of a lower table. Since you have cranes, moving work to the table isn't a problem and doesn't affect height. To me, the ideal height is variable, depending upon what type of welding I'm doing and where it is on the project. I hate bending over for long times.
For sale, go 30". People are comfortable with sizes they're familiar with.
For yourself, why not build a hydraulic table which can stand between
18-42" tall, Ig? You have the technology. ;) If not, find some hydraulic camper jacks to make it real.
Lloyd, I read your post and at first I agreed with you. But as I kept driving, I realized that I disagree more than I agree.
2" pipe at 30 inches is very sturdy. If you load the table to the extent that dragging it can collapse the pipe, it would be so heavy that dragging it would not be practical.
i
Someone, here or on SEJW, said this: Make welding tables elbow height, period.
Now, having said that, my elbow height is 48", which is a high table indeed, so I made my table 42". Now, let me tell you, am I glad I made that table 42" instead of effing 30 or 36".... 30" for a welding table, unless you are ALWAYS going to SIT (like, for jewelry), is just ridiculous -- put your chiropractor on retainer. Only someone who doesn't weld (or NEVER welded) would entertain such an idea.
BUT, perhaps the sales advice is sage: make them 30" for people who don't know any better.... lol
AND, I may well have appreciated the 48" ht, but I just didn't have the nerve....
Also:
Thicker is better, but portability/economy may also be an issue. I have a 4x8+ welding table, made from 2x4s, 3/4 ply, with 1/8 steel on top -- in pieces, at that. Yeah, I know, a sissy welding table if there ever was one, but it is heavily braced for flatness, and for a Lincoln 225 or Miller equiv (I have the Miller Econotig), such a table is MORE than adequate, esp since, well, I don't do oodles of welding.
AND, an easy, inexpensive diy solution. Humping 3/8 plate is no joke, and not all steel houses will cut it for you. Heh, a 4x8 sheet of 1/8 steel is no picnic either, but there are a few options for cutting/shearing it, including 7.25 steel cutting blades for a circ. saw. But, if you are going to make a 4x8 table, you don't need to cut it, anyway. That's a nice size table to have, which can be used as a universal table, as well -- just flop wood (or even carpet) on top of that, if you don't want the steel surface.
The neat thing about using pieces of 1/8 steel is that if you manage to damage an area, you can eaily replace it. A quiltwork welding table?? lol
But even when I was TIGing away with some prolificity, 1/8 steel on ply it was more than adequate. If you have a really high-heat situration, you can alway keep a 1x1 pc of 1/2 steel around, and use that for the heat.
Yeah, I know.... fire.... then use 1/4 sheetrock between the 1/8 steel and 3/4 ply.
Anyway, just some idears.... 3/8 is great, thicker is greater, but 1/8 was enough for me.
Think about it again. You are standing in front of the table and you are holding a welding rod holder and a 14 inch welding rod.
Where do you want the table to be? At your elbow height? Or lower?
Yea, and they can put them on 6x6s if they want to.
I just use the plates I have, which are 3/8, 5/8, and 3/4 inches. I do not buy new plate, I just try to make money from whatever I can get for scrap price or less. I have an assortment of plates, including street plate, ground plate etc, and that is what I want to make into welding tables and sell.
Except for when the welding rod is NOT 14", which is most of the time -- heh, virtually by operational definition.... lol.
The length of the rod/holder proly makes the full 48" height too high. But even 42", with a full 14" rod, causes me to bend somewhat, and I"m barely 6' -- 44-46" mighta been better. But the diff. between 30" and 42 is phenomenal. Just put a milkcrate on a
30" table, and go thru the welding motions, to see for yourself the tremendous ergonomic diff. Unless you plan to sit.
Of course, the suggestion to make the legs telescoping would make all of this moot, a very good suggestion, simple to implement.
I try to never underestimate the depth of stupidity in the world. There are idiots everywhere who hurt themselves and try to get someone else to pay for it. Far too many succeed. (see SawStop story, etc.) Ladders have 27 different warning labels on them nowadays, each the result of someone being stupid while on one.
If nothing else, put perimeter bars around the leg bottoms so they can't splay.
32 5/16" tall and yes..they need cross bracing so you can put a lower shelf covered with Norwegian A grade fir plywood covered in a shellac made of virgin Columbian Blood Flower juice and genetically engineered shellac berries..(from Vladovostoc only).
What kind of craftsman are you if you didnt know this!?!!
Gunner
The methodology of the left has always been:
Lie
Repeat the lie as many times as possible
Have as many people repeat the lie as often as possible
Indeed. I far and away prefer 4" pipe. Properly welded and while I do like the idea of a center post..that sorta precludes a shelf or welder stable under the table.
Gunner
The methodology of the left has always been:
Lie
Repeat the lie as many times as possible
Have as many people repeat the lie as often as possible
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