Weldor's Table

I've got a fair bit of metal working ahead of me to do, I have the new welding space, but the table I have it a piece of 1/4" thick plate metal sitting on top of a cheap workmate copy, it is not a very good solution.

I have the steel, and I'm making the time to build a good weldor's table.

This will be a fairly small table because the space is fairly small, I also don't plan on doing any huge jobs, so a smallish table should work well. The plate steel I have is 1/4" thick, and 18" deep by 36" wide.

I want a vice but I want to be able to remove it, I also want to have the top in two pieces so I could slide them apart if I need to clamp something down in the middle of the bench.

I saw a guy that had a really slick set up, he had the vice mounted on a plate with a piece of square tubing welded to the bottom of the plate, this went into a larger square tube that is part of the bench, much like a receiver hitch, but vertical instead of horizontal. When the vice was removed he had another plate the same size with another piece of square tube welded to it that fit into the table to make one flat surface. The heavy vice then went into a hinged mount that swung the vice out of the way under the bench, it was really slick, but I cannot find the page anymore!

Does that ring a bell with anyone?

I've seen one, but don't remember where. There are some good ones on the hobart talk site, other sites to search may be the Miller welding, or Garage Journal.

I don't think you have a plasma cutter (yet), but I liked this idea of having a grate slide out from underneath for cutting plate...


Also doing the receiver hitch type of thing and being able to mount grinders and even the metal dolly's for forming like the one above would be useful, plus not eat up work space on the welding plate.

Yeah a plasma cutter is on my list of WANT for sure, and now that I'm out of the Dungeon proper, I could use one and not worry nearly as much about starting a fire!

I too like the reciever hitch idea, now I need to find someone who sells the steel....

Well i am following this post for sure. Welding is one thing i really want to get set up to do. Got my eye on a welder. But table is just as important in my view.
Hope you find what it looked like Stu. I will try from our end.

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I'm just setting up my welding station and have been lurking over on the weldingweb. Lots of folks using receiver tubes from Harbor Freight to mount vises and grinders on their tables. I didn't see any with hinges though. If you have time to poke around over there you might find some inspiration.

Well Stu you got me searching and this is what i came up with. Nothing specific exactly like you mention but there are some ideas

The miller welding forum seems to have a few. This one has removable items using square tubing like the trailer hitch arrangement. Saw another now cannot find it with a vice removable like that.

http://www.millerwelds.com/resource...php?24499-Welding-table-wheel-questions/page2

Then this site shows some tables for purchase with all sorts of cut outs etc for holding down.

Looks like if you can get some plate with say 3/4 holes in like we would do on a woodworking workbench, then that could be handy to put a piece in. Could then be used to secure work but also different fixtures.

I was also thinking what about a place to secure a tube bending dies arrangement. Having holes in the bench would allow this kind of flat configuration.

There was one image i thought worthwhile to consider
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c96/PortPirate/weldbench2.jpg
It shows the table shelves and base being cut out for standing. I thought that might have merit in this case.

Stu watch this and wait till you see what he does with a skateboard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOEqiUkN1PQ

Be real interested to see what you come up with given your limited space and ingenuity.

Lots of good info there guys, thanks!

Just to show you the space I'm working in....



Sorry, not great pics, but you can see I'm seriously space limited.

My table will be the size of that piece of 1/4" plate, which is 90cm x 45cm. I can't really go that much larger, both on space restrictions and on buying a piece of steel that big! Well maybe I could go a bit wider and deeper, but I'm having trouble finding a steel supplier and I have to buy at the home centers, and they don't have a huge selection.

I will put a couple of receiver type mounts on the front of the bench, maybe three, one left, one right and one in the center, that way I could mount the vice where I want it and have a place to mount other things too, but be able to remove the vice and have just a flat bench.

I'm also now looking at getting a plasma arc torch, they have really come down in price, and sure would be a nice toy....errr, tool to have

Well Stu I am envious of you being able to weld and welding but.....I certainly am not envious of the space you constantly have to work in. Man thats tight. But hey i am getting used to working in a small space now too.
You do amazing things in a tight space.
I agree plasma is the tool we need. errr must have. First i got to get a welder lol.


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I was pretty spoiled when I lived north of town. I had a steel supplier on my way home from work. They were about 1/3rd the price of the borg prices. I try to repurpose what ever I come across as well. I doubt I've thrown out (take for recycling) more than a bucket full over the past 5 years.