oxy-acetylene torch work surface

How about one of the insulating pads that go under wood heaters. Probably inquire at most any hardware store, Lowe's, etc.
This *may* be too flexible for some accurate work as it contains a tin type top, but has an insulating pad beneath it. The insulating pad may allow the metal covering to flex a little.
Al
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Ken Ehlert wrote:

For oxy-acet I prefer firebrick. Get the 4"x8" pieces about 1" thick. 3 or 4 pieces is plenty, available where ever then sell wood stoves and accessories. If you are working on a wood bench you may want to put down a automotive oil drip pan for a bit more protection. They sell some 24"x36" ones that are a good fit for the average bench. Work well for disasembling small engines too.
Ken Ehlert wrote:

2 folding sawhorses and a piece of 1/4" steel plate, or a folding work table and some steel or a Black+Decker Workmate with a piece of steel on top.

Been torch-welding for 30 years... effort into a table. Rather, spend a few $ on a wide range of vice-grips. Get a pair of those big sheet-metal type, and a few regular sized (no rubber-grips). Collect cookie-sheets and other pots/pans your wife disposes of. These are good for heat-shields and also easily improvised for a work-surface when needed. Whenever you do need a flat surface the cookie-sheet (or any flat piece of steal that you can find) works with anything you can set it on. My favorite surfaces have been: 1. Vice-grip to anything. 2.. a 2gal metal bucket (Maple-sap-type) with a cookie sheet on top. (good flat surface w/ water handy) - good for small-type projects 3. a 55 gal drum (upside-down) - a couple of standart bricks on top (never needed the fire-brick-type but would grab one if I saw it). 4. a square metal frame w/o a surface that I found curb-side (good for vice-gripping to). 5. Jack-stands (w/ vice grips again). 6. C-clamps. Not as good as vice-grips for little stuff, but for big stuff they might be - again project dependednt. Used the C-clamps more for bigger project such as a few truck-racks. 7. "welder's magnets" - Maybe one or two - but again the big vice-grips can out do them forever. Maybe you can find some metal ones - mine melted and cuaght fire cause they had a rubber outer-coating (guess they were for arc-welding). Happy welding! Elliott

"Welder's Handbook" recommends using firebricks. They say avoid regular bricks b/c they 'may' explode when heated too far. I don't know the validity of this statement, but I'd use firebrick just in case.
-Mike
-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Flowmaster 40 Series mufflers (self-installed woohoo) Hi-speed fan switch 255/60R-15 rear tires Subframe connectors Aluminum adjustable clutch quadrant

I have a nice rolling work table with a formica-type top. The top is 3 feet wide and 4 feet long. We do a lot of sheet rock work (commercial 5/8 fire code rock). Whenever there is an appropriate scrap of rock, it gets cut and stacked in the rack. Throw it on the table top before welding/painting/etc. Change as required. That top is as pretty as the day we appropriated it off a desk that was being discarded.
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Would Hardi-board or Wonder board work? This is the cement wallboard used as the wallboard in bathrooms...

I haven't rried it but I'd be leery of the cement board 'popping' (pieces of the borad expolode out) at you.
Emmo wrote:

I have to agree with mike firebrick is the way to go. I have a small metal welding table that has a fire brick top. The bricks are loose so that i can wash off the excess flux.

About bricks, rocks, concrete, asphault... Fire-briks work even with a rosebud directed at them. Regular bricks work as long as you don't directly aim the flame at them, especially if they are dry (they are formed w/ heat, and it's the moisture that can explode them). Rocks pop/explode even w/ indirect flame. Concrete (welding against the driveway surface) pops/explodes too. Asphault melts/burns and stinks linke burning oil. Note that the popping of the rock/concrete/brick is not a dangerous explosion, but just a little painful. Kinda-like you get when new at welding and putting the torch too close to the puddle. The pieces are about the same size but not melted (moving a little faster maybe). Over the driveway, definately use something to prop your work off of the ground - a rock or brick, board, v-grip, helps - anything that adds a little distance (you only need a few inches to avoid pop-rocks). If you're driveway is asphault, then you'll need to kick the pieces you cut into the grass quickly to avoid burned-spots. And depending on where you live and the time of year, watch out for causing grass-fires with the weeds where you kick the cut pieces. Elliott
Matthew James Lewis wrote: