The Ultimate Welding Table

[bobs409]

The ultimate welding table! (or at least my version)

Everyone on you tube calls their welding tables the "ultimate" so I'll follow the pack. lol

I've been working on this unit for a long while now. I've kept on adding things so it's been putting off the photo shoot but today is the day!

This welding table starts out with a 2' x 4' Certi-Flat top that I purchased. (beautiful piece too!) I made the main table base frame myself from 1-1/2" square tube. The bottom shelf has expanded metal. I opted for a table height of 40 inches. (everyone seems to have their own preference on that)

I added a pull out wing to the back of the table made of 2 inch angle which I drilled matching 16mm holes. This is useful to support longer projects and the ability to use the clamping fixtures.

I opted for pneumatic tires on mine because I do all my welding/cutting outside my garage so I don't damage my antique cars. With these, I can roll over just about anything. (wish I had that dedicated dream fab shop so I could do all my work indoors but I haven't won the lottery yet!)

The Evolution cold cut saw I recently purchased resides on the lower shelf and has left and right pull out extension wings to support long pieces of stock when needed. (future plans are to make a revolving base for the saw so you can turn it and use the wings while doing angle cuts)

I have (4) electrical outlets to run the chop saw and various hand tools. A cord wrap of some type to be added soon. I also have a plastic bin on bottom shelf for keeping various grinders and other tools nearby but out of the way.

I've also been very busy making different clamps and fixtures to go with my new table. Everything from Harbor Freight F style clamps that I modified down to stops and fixture nuts and magnetic aluminum riser blocks made on my lathe. I've also made some "tributes" of a few popular commercial angle squares and such.

This is one of those things that will never be completely "done" but I'm happy with it so far.

[DIYer]

Thanks bobs409! We've added your Welding Table to our Welding Tables category,
as well as to your builder page: bobs409's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Welding Table by bobs409

tags: welding table

[Crusty]

Funny you should mention it. I'm right behind you with my welding table build. I just got an Evolution cold saw yesterday and I was quite happy to find that it made a nice cut on the end of a salvaged 6" I-beam, which I will be using to build my table. I'm going to cut 5 lengths of I-beam and weld them across the support arms of a rolling work table that I salvaged after removing the melamine top surface. I'll space the I-beams apart far enough that my mill's clamping kit will do double duty to hold work pieces down using the T slots formed by the I-beam flanges.

But first I have to get the High Frequency arc stabilizer that I added to my Horror Freight transformer welder working properly. I pinched a wire in my first attempt and I had HF/HV going everywhere in crazy places. D'OH!

That's a nice table you made, BTW.

[neilbourjaily@gmail.com]

Useful, problem solving, elegant. Wins a design award!

Watch those mixed units: 2" tube with 16mm holes. Could be a crash landing (tongue-in-cheek)

[IAMSatisfied]

Bob, thank you for sharing your efforts on this... you've thought it through thoroughly and have done a beautiful job!

I've been collecting parts & materials to build a welding cart to hold my welder (w/shield gas cylinders), plasma cutter, cold cut and abrasive saws, and a tool box for misc. welding/grinding tools... the problem is that it keeps getting bigger and heavier. I think I'm going to opt for two carts (maybe three)... one set up like yours as a welding table with pivot bases for my saws, another for the welding & plasma machines + toolbox, and a third cart as a manual plasma cut table with a slag funnel. I, too, am limited on space and do my welding work outside, so at this point carts are mandatory.

Again, beautiful work!

[Toolmaker51]

I agree; "Ultimate" is highly over used. Yours though really is, some are bigger, some are horribly over built or questionably featured. None have that array of clamping and fixturing, few have serviceable extensions. Too some, 'Ultimate' means more tricks than a monkey in a mile of grapevine.
I prefer connecting that with ' utility ' instead; rather than a catalog-like goodies list.

[Jon]

Congratulations bobs409 - your Welding Table is the Homemade Tool of the Week!

Good job - it gets harder and harder to win this award with tool tables (we have over 100 welding tables alone indexed on this site), but this is a very well thought-out example.

Some more nice picks from this week:

Powder Coating Oven by mastersdlm
Horizontal Bandsaw by Making Stuff
Concrete Lathe by ramswarnak
Power Hammer by fix it with biskit
Log Splitter by djrobilliard
T Post Puller by katy
Angle Grinder Attachments by HandmadeCreativeChannel
Retractable Workbench Seat by Maszynotwór
Bench Vise by djrobilliard
Disc Sander by liberal
Motorcycle Valve Removal Tool by theeddies
Doweling Jig by Didpoolhall
Low Cost Portable Sink by rgsparber
Dado Jig by Christofix
Bearing Puller by Kwandotechnic
Gouges by Philip Davies
Tick Tweezers by TilenThaler
Key Rack by Kovanca Polock



bobs409 - we've added your tool entry to our All Homemade Tool of the Week winners post. You'll be receiving a $25 online gift card, in your choice of Amazon, PayPal, or bitcoin. Please PM me your current email address and gift card choice and I'll get it sent over right away.

This is your 4th Homemade Tool of the Week win. Congratulations and well done.

Here are all of your Homemade Tool of the Week winning tools:

Bead Roller Modification by bobs409

tags: bead roller, drill, modification

Square Hole Punch Press by bobs409

tags: press, square, punch

Bandsaw Fixture Plate by bobs409

tags: bandsaw, fixture

Welding Table by bobs409

tags: welding table

[hilerioal@outlook.com]

Very,Very nice, Now all you need is a 1 1/2" sq. trailer receiver to mount under your table to slide a small swivel vice (HARBOR FREIGHT) for many holding

positions, then remove & store under. Good Luck AL

[bobs409]

Very,Very nice, Now all you need is a 1 1/2" sq. trailer receiver to mount under your table to slide a small swivel vice (HARBOR FREIGHT) for many holding

positions, then remove & store under. Good Luck AL

The thought had crossed my mind believe it or not! LOL The problem with something like this is you can just keep adding and adding... My original plan was to put my mig welder on it too but I felt that was going overboard. It's quite heavy now in fact but still moves nicely.

[hilerioal@outlook.com]

Good Morning, My point was A receiver hitch slides in & off, So only used as an add hand to hold. I also work outdoors & have a mobile cart . The receiver only adds

two lbs.at best, & bolts under the table. When not in use I store the small swivel vice under table or back in the shop. Just an idea. Good Luck AL