Alternative for shop table top other than plate steel?

[aggie97]

several years ago I was doing an interiors job for an adult education project and they sent me the wrong doors. Ended up with a 3'x7' solid core wood door. Weighs a fuckin' ton but made a great work bench I made up out of 2x6's and 4x4 posts. Has lasted very well now for nearly 10 years. It does catch fire every now and then but you could always cover it on some thin sheet metal. Look for demo jobs and you can likely get similar doors for free. $30 in wood for the legs and supports and you have a great work bench.

[Darren M]

Find some 1/4 or 1/8 stainless plate at a scrap yard. This worked great on a welding table I had. You'll need to bolt it down, or if you have TIG.... Either way, it works if you can find it on the cheap. (I guess I got lucky) My little brother has it all now. He loves it for just this reason. (Farm implements though..)

[projectPONY]

put your back in to it!

Lol!

[Big Thumper]

I did some online searching yesterday, a 3/8" A36 steel 4'x8' plate......350.00.

Anyone know of a better deal out there? I figure steel is going to keep going up...might as well start buying stuff I'm going to need.

Thanks

[projectPONY]

I've said it before, Liberty Metal in W. Dallas off Singleton.

[greenbullitt]

i would think 1/4 would be sufficient...???

[turbostang]

I'd like to know why you couldn't weld on a stainless top.

It's not that you can't weld on it, but more the reflective-ness of the stainless is tough to weld over. (for me at least). The secondary reflection is tough to work around on most bench work - not to mention, it reflects UP your helmet, and any innocent bystanders are also affected.

my table for chassis crap has a 1" blanchard ground top, you need the thickness to keep stuff from pulling. call commerce grinding in dallas

..because that's real practical for a general purpose welding table?

put the bow up and bolt/weld it down.

Good idea, but doesn't always work. It depends on where/how bad the bow is. I'd prefer the bow to be near the corners- that way you only have to work the outer eges. If it's in the middle, you have to work the WHOLE plate.

My work table is about 4' square, and 3/8" thick - for the work I do, it's great. I've had wood tables, I personally don't like them for fab work and really don't have a place in the welding shop. For example: you're welding, cutting or whatever - and a nice rolling ball of molten steel gets under a wrench and you don't see it, but you smell it - and dismiss it as the "table's on fire again, lol".. You go inside for the night and while your asleep, it smolders and eventually catches fire and burns your shop down... Extreme yes, but you get the idea.

Edit, if you cruise the scrap yards you will find ALL kinds of metal that's perfect for shop use. Also, you can ask the metal suppliers for their drop section. Alot of the times you will find burnouts that are great for what you want. (the previous customer paid for a full sheet, so they sell it for scrap weight)