Author Topic: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table  (Read 6833 times)

Offline Steamer5

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #15 on: April 16, 2019, 02:20:05 AM »
Hi James,
 On the sticky out bits at ankle height, take a visit to Supercheap, hunt round for a couple of towbar knee protector rubber gizmo’s, I’m sure you will be able to sort out how to hold them on, beats hopping around on one leg!
A flapper wheel should clean up the table reasonably quick, watched a YouTube vid on building a table & that’s what he used, he then sprayed it with anti splatter spray. No idea how long that would last. Only watched the vid as youngest son is thinking of getting a welder, & has limited space to store it, the table design was a nice folding storage cart / table all in one.

Cheers Kerrin
Get excited and make something!

Offline Joco

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #16 on: April 24, 2019, 06:18:55 AM »
A little more done on the welding/work table.

First off was to add some fixture holes. I'm using the standard 16mm hole so I can use some purchased tools as well as home made stuff.  The spacing is 180mm.  I didn't want to turn my top into swiss cheese so I felt this was a reasonable balance.  I also only did holes on half the table top.  Again not wanting or needing to have the swiss cheese effect.  I also wanted a part of the table I could work at without having the risk of small bit going down a hole and risk being lost.

So ... pics.

Everything marked out and the borrowed magdrill ready to rock and roll.


The first of 16 holes with the ejected plug.  Very cool how these gadgets work.


And on the 6 day there were holes!


Right now for clamps.  I already had some cheap Warehouse F-Clamps that I thought I could convert.  So step 1 was to cut off the fixed jaw as that was no longer needed.  These clamps did not have a pin in the jaw.  It was a press fit, so much easier to just cut off and not muck about with heat etc. The "pin" that goes into the table is turned on the lathe.  I have seen people using long M16 bolts with the thread cut off. But I had the right sized steel and a lathe.  The pins are total length 40mm.  30mm at 15.8mm as this gives a nice close but still easy sliding fit into the 16mm holes.  The top is 25mm by 10mm thick.  I then milled a 5mm wide by 3.5mm deep slot which nicely held the stem of the clamp. Then zapped things with the MIG. Super fast and east. Job done. The welds are not works of art. If I wanted that then TIG would have been the answer.  This was about getting them built and done with no fuss.


Two clamps "doing the business". I'll expand the collection and add in a few larger sizers (i.e. more reach).  These ones are 75-80mm but I will get some that are in the 100-120mm range.

James
Wellington - NZ

Offline Admiral_dk

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #17 on: April 24, 2019, 10:58:05 AM »
I like your clamp solution - simple and functional + a nice improvement  :ThumbsUp:

Offline Joco

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #18 on: April 25, 2019, 07:19:36 AM »
Another clamp for the table.  This one using a modified C-Clamp.





James
Wellington - NZ

Offline Joco

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Removable Vice
« Reply #19 on: April 28, 2019, 10:23:30 AM »
Table update - pretty much gotten the vice mount done. Some cleaning up to do like closing in the ends with some caps.  But funcitonally it done.

The receiver fabricated from 12mm mild steel and MIG welded outside joints.


Tacked up under the table ready to full weld up.  After this it got a bit ugly.  I spent quite a bit of time practicing and finding the correct settings for uphill welds.  I got there ... sort of.  Biggest issue was access to these with a mig gun was horrible.  Couldn't see what the heck I was doing.  The overhead weld ended up being cleaned up with multiple TIG passes.


The mounting frame for the vice tacked up and in place as a proof.


Vice mounted and ready to rock and roll.  Of course if its in the way and I need to remove it then just unlock the bolts and pull the whole unit out.


Showing the locking bolts. The plan is to add some T handles to these so they can be snugged up by hand instead of needing a spanner.


One removable vice.
James
Wellington - NZ

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #20 on: April 28, 2019, 02:22:10 PM »
Quite a neat arrangement James, and I assume you will just pull the vise out and store it away when not needed.

Bill

Offline bruedney

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #21 on: April 28, 2019, 07:38:58 PM »
Bill,

He will then take a trip to the hospital to get his hernia fixed  :lolb:

Looking good my friend - thinking where I can put a similar sized vice in my new workshop

Bruce
‘Results! Why man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won’t work.’ — Thomas Alva Edison

Offline Joco

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #22 on: April 28, 2019, 07:47:55 PM »
Not too much of a hernia.  All up this 125mm vice and support is about 21kg.   :ThumbsUp:  Much better than the 31kg if I had used a 150mm vice.  That WOULD have been hernia material. 
« Last Edit: April 28, 2019, 07:52:39 PM by Joco »
James
Wellington - NZ

Offline Joco

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #23 on: April 28, 2019, 07:55:27 PM »
Quite a neat arrangement James, and I assume you will just pull the vise out and store it away when not needed.

Bill
Bill - plan is to leave it in place but be able to remove it when i need to.  The next step is to make a removable plasma cutting extension that uses the same receiver.

J.
James
Wellington - NZ

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #24 on: April 29, 2019, 12:09:03 AM »
Great idea ..a multi purpose receiver!!

Bill

Offline Jo

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #25 on: April 29, 2019, 08:16:12 AM »
I like that :ThumbsUp: .

I assume the two bolts on the side are for locking it in place. I was thinking an additional quick fit pin might be a good idea in case the bolts vibrate loose  :thinking:

Jo
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Offline bent

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #26 on: April 29, 2019, 08:58:26 PM »
I like the idea of leaving the surface scale alone...but would it block the ground path enough to affect welding?  Clean steel is obviously better for welding current paths, and avoiding contamination of stainless or alum. welds...but maintenance would be a pain.  What about a plated surface coating (zinc?) for corrosion protection?

Offline Joco

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #27 on: May 01, 2019, 10:23:53 AM »
Bent - I don't think zinc on a welding table is a good idea.  Too much risk of over heating it and getting zinc fumes.  But perhaps I am being paranoid.

At the moment I am grounding directly on what I am welding.  I have also had luck with grounding off the table but its not perfect.  Still experimenting and figuring out what is the best approach.

Cheers,
J.
James
Wellington - NZ

Offline Joco

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #28 on: May 01, 2019, 10:34:07 AM »
Started on the plasma table cutting extension.

Base frame built.  I didn't get the welding sequence quite right as after welding up I have about 4mm warp in the frame between opposing corners.


Added in the straps that will stop the slats from falling through. I had a good think about how this would work and the tensions that would be created.  I figured if I did this right and had the frame clamped down to the table I should be able to lock things in and get rid of the warp.




Net result is a table that is now dead flat, no warp!   :whoohoo:

Will post more progress as I make it.  Only doing this after dinner in the evenings at the momement so not going to fast until the weekend.

Cheers,
James.
James
Wellington - NZ

Offline Joco

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Re: Workshop addition - 1" thick welding/work table
« Reply #29 on: May 04, 2019, 08:03:11 AM »
Finalising the plasma extension as well as adding some handdles to the locking bolts.

Simple addition to the locking bolts.  Handles from 10mm round. Cut to length then cleaned up the ends in the lathe.  A quick blat with the MIG and done. Really easy to use and large enough to get good torque.




Started putting in the slats.  Used 10mm rounds to hold the slats in place but to also allow them to be replaced.  The box section is 35mm square.  Cut the rounds 30mm long and the slats are 3mm thick by 40mm wide.  So they protrude 5mm above the box frame.  You can see the spaces I cut. They are 2.75 inch.  That spacing with the 3mm thick flats worked out as the best mix without having way more slats that necesary.


All welded up.  Next stop is attaching it to a receiver.


The bracket welded to the receiver and supporting the frame.  Its made from 6mm steel so should be strong enough for this job.


All done and seems to be sitting nicely.




The current storage spot for it while not in use.


All in all a good little addition. I have used it already. I actually cut the bracket pictured above on the table while I had it clamped in place as part of a test fit-up.

Cheers,
J.
James
Wellington - NZ

 

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