Welding table

[joshuab]

I want to share with y'all some photos of a project I did recently: a welding table. Until I built this table, I had been welding on a pair of sawhorses. It was hardly ideal, especially when I accidentally lit them on fire once or twice.



This photo is of the nearly-finished table, getting ready to be painted. The top isn't on yet.



I ground down the welds on the handle, since they would be getting touched a lot.



I left all the other welds un-ground, taking the perspective that if it's too ugly to see, I'll just grind it out and try again. This one is a tad cold, I think, but overall one of the better ones on the job.



Before I started this project, I did almost all my work with 7018. Unfortunately, 7018 really stinks when fitup is poor and there are gaps. I switched over to 6011, and frankly, it's been mostly all I've used since then. I used to be pretty bad with 6011, but I've gotten better. All of these welds were done in the flat position, so don't let the fact that they're photographed vertical fool you.









Finally, a few pics of the finished table, after painting and installing the electrical outlets. I found some "tamper-resistant" outlets that have a plastic gate across the receptacle. I thought that'd be helpful for keeping grinding dust and such out of them. Also, I put a GFCI on the table, because nothing's worse than having 120v across your metal welding table.



Here's a photo of the table in use. Casters are also on in this photo.



After I got my PA160-STH, I added a holder for my TIG torch. It's a little bit of overkill, but it was made out of scrap that I had laying around. I tried to think of clever ways to attach it to the table, then I just tacked it on and figured I'd grind it off if I changed my mind.

[redbeard]

Looks good, I really need to move a table up on my priorities list.

After I got my PA160-STH, I added a holder for my TIG torch. It's a little bit of overkill, but it was made out of scrap that I had laying around. I tried to think of clever ways to attach it to the table, then I just tacked it on and figured I'd grind it off if I changed my mind.

If you have a dead hard drive around, you can scavange some pretty potent magnets out of it and make the torch holder movable.

[joshuab]

If you have a dead hard drive around, you can scavange some pretty potent magnets out of it and make the torch holder movable.

Eeenteresting. I probably do have some old hard drives around. How do you attach the magnets to the holder?

[joshuab]

BTW, in case anybody is wondering, the cart is made from 2" square tubing, with 2" angle iron. Both are 1/8" thick. The top is 1/2" plate. The cart as a whole weighs about 300 lbs. The only complaint I have is that the top is a little bit cupped in the middle, but other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.

[redbeard]

Eeenteresting. I probably do have some old hard drives around. How do you attach the magnets to the holder?

The magnets are usually epoxied to a small steel plate. They vary in size and thickness so either welding without much heat or bolting might be an option. That actually makes me wonder if heat would be effective at getting them off, most people try and remove them with a chisel and many wind up breaking.

[Mr120]

The magnets are usually epoxied to a small steel plate. They vary in size and thickness so either welding without much heat or bolting might be an option. That actually makes me wonder if heat would be effective at getting them off, most people try and remove them with a chisel and many wind up breaking.

I've taken a bunch of magnets off of some "older" hard drives and they weren't even epoxied into place. If you can find an older one that might save you some hassles.

[redbeard]

I've taken a bunch of magnets off of some "older" hard drives and they weren't even epoxied into place. If you can find an older one that might save you some hassles.

There is such a thing as too old though, I went looking for magnets in one and found a stepper motor instead!

[Rambozo]

The magnets are usually epoxied to a small steel plate. They vary in size and thickness so either welding without much heat or bolting might be an option. That actually makes me wonder if heat would be effective at getting them off, most people try and remove them with a chisel and many wind up breaking.

Neodymium can not take high heat without irreversible loss of magnetism. Welding would not be a good plan. Mechanical fasteners or adhesives are the way to go. I used to just press round ones into bored holes in aluminum as a quick and easy way to retain them.
You can get all the gory details HERE. Along with formulas and online calculators for all things magnetic.

[joshuab]

Neodymium can not take high heat without irreversible loss of magnetism. Welding would not be a good plan. Mechanical fasteners or adhesives are the way to go. I used to just press round ones into bored holes in aluminum as a quick and easy way to retain them.
You can get all the gory details HERE. Along with formulas and online calculators for all things magnetic.

Thanks for the link. I kind of assumed that, "Just weld the magnets on," would be too simple to work.

[joshuab]

There is such a thing as too old though, I went looking for magnets in one and found a stepper motor instead!

Now that's funny right there, I don't care who you are.

[Mr120]

There is such a thing as too old though, I went looking for magnets in one and found a stepper motor instead!

Cripes! I forgot that they used those at one point ...

[redbeard]

Neodymium can not take high heat without irreversible loss of magnetism. Welding would not be a good plan.

You can get all the gory details HERE. Along with formulas and online calculators for all things magnetic.

I figured that welding directly to the magnet was a no-no, but I didn't realize that the temperature to damage them would be so low. Even with a fairly beefy slab of steel(I had one that was about 3/16 thick), it would still be a challenge to keep it cool enough.

[ljdm1956]

Just reading your post about the 1/2" plate being cupped. Did you get it that hot, was it like that when u put it on? I am going to put a 1/2" plate on my cart, but don't want to cup from normal use