Welding table design/build

[4x4mike]

Well in the spirit of copying Bob I brought something home today. It required me to put the baby seat in the passenger seat, the cargo shade on the roof and drive home with the tailgate open. For those concerned I did bungee the cargo shade to the roof rack. Oh and the baby was already home and I only drove about a block in my neighborhood.

Anyways here is what I hauled home.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/House/DSC07085.jpg

Aren't they nice?
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/House/DSC07086.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/House/DSC07087.jpg

Plan is to make something like Bob did for his welder. I'd like to make something that can be wheeled under my work bench, about waist high, and that I can weld on top of. I'd also like to keep my box of welding supplies on board as well. I don't have a lot of time to build this so It's going to take awhile. I need to grind off all the rivets and measure out the amounts of metal I have, then I'll start drawing. I'm not in a huge hurry which is nice. I guess I'll make time to cruise the internet and the metal yards for a table top as well. If I wait until I have the top it'll be nice because I can build the rest around it.

[4x4mike]

After looking at the pictures I think I'm going to save all the silver support mesh stuff. The wife already claimed some for her garden but I think I can use some to make "shelves" to hold my stuff. This will make it all metal and customizable.

[Crinale]

are those hide-a-bed frames?

[4x4mike]

Not sure. A neighbor was getting rid of them.

I hope to hit up the steel shop today to look for a top and maybe some legs.

[paddlenbike]

Those look like they would make great gear lofts to hang from the ceilings in a garage.

[4x4mike]

Finally had time to grind all the rivets off. Those things were put in there so they would never come out. We have a baby at home so any noise is too much noise. Let's just say the ladies of the house did not like the air chisel, die grinder or angle grinder. Everything was loud but today the wife left for a little so I went to work. It took about 2 hours to get everything separated and sorted out.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Welding%20Table/DSC07113.jpg

I made lots of sparks.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Welding%20Table/DSC07110.jpg

I began to cut pieces for the top and sure as shit doing so makes too much noise. I sure hope I can finish this before the year is over. I think I'll do the top and work down. I've got a piece for the top but I think I'm going to add wood beneath it for thickness. I'm pretty sure there won't be any fire issue as the top will seal everything.

I've got the casters so I know how tall I can make this thing and still have it roll under the work bench.

[reggie 00]

Good luck,

Might want to talk to the wife about the noise thing.

With my kids i made all kinds of noise. there was no way i was going to be tip toeing around my house all day.

Vacuumed, cleaned watched TV in the same room. Ran air compressors in the garage, Table saw.

I would keep it to a dull roar till they feel asleep good and then would clean or do what ever. They got use to it easy enough.

[4x4mike]

The baby was fine when she was awake and playing with my wife. It was when she was asleep. Everything would be going fine then the door to the garage would open and she would say I woke the baby up and that I'm on baby duty. The noise would startle her and wake her up. I have always made a lot of noise in the garage and I think I'm going to have to get used to keeping it down for a while. The one piece of metal I got around to cutting today was cut with a hacksaw :shake:

[Crinale]

The baby was fine when she was awake and playing with my wife. It was when she was asleep. Everything would be going fine then the door to the garage would open and she would say I woke the baby up and that I'm on baby duty. The noise would startle her and wake her up. I have always made a lot of noise in the garage and I think I'm going to have to get used to keeping it down for a while. The one piece of metal I got around to cutting today was cut with a hacksaw :shake:


I overheard some advice from my girlfriends dad (given to her cousin who has a newborn baby) make lots of noise, while they are awake and while they are asleep. They will get used to it, and it will make them heavier sleepers..

[Bob98SR5]

mike,

i cant see the pics from work, so im guessing you bought or acquired some bed frame. one of the things that really surprised me is how long my welding cart took to make. but not b/c i redesigned it, but the time it took to cut all the pieces perfectly. if you want, i can take measurements of mine so at least you have a reference to go by.

[4x4mike]

I'm thinking it will take a while to cut as well seeing that I'm using a hacksaw. Everything else i have to cut it with makes too much noise. I need to cut 2 more pieces and then I can tack together my top. I'm not sure on the design after that but I'm building down. The top is 27" deep and 34" wide so the bottom will be about the same dimensions. I plan on using the bottom to store all my scrap and material. Some where in the middle will be the welding machine and storage for tools and such. I'm pretty sure I have more than enough material to build what I want but I'll take it slow to make sure I don't have to redo it so thanks for the offer Bob. Another thing is that my welder is a cheapy flux core from HF so I'm not going to be doing any big projects. The cart thingy will double as a work surface I can move around and work on doing other things.

[Bob98SR5]

mike,

i forget what the technical name for bed frame metal is, but i recall many folks calling it "dirty iron" b/c it is really the worst of the worst scrap melted down iron you can get. thus, its quite a challenge to cut, esp w/ a hacksaw. i only cut a few pieces just to try b/f i decided i could do more in 2 wkends cutting them at lance's place than mine :)

dimensions:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3416/3503802192_35a62ea3a6.jpg?v=0"

imho, this cart is probably a little too small for most. but i designed it to fit within the small confines of my small-ish garage. if i had a bigger garage, i'd probably design it wider, but keep it the same length.

[slosurfer]

I'm thinking it will take a while to cut as well seeing that I'm using a hacksaw. Everything else i have to cut it with makes too much noise.

:lol: :laugh: I'm laughing because I feel your pain. :P

What about some metal blades on a jigsaw? Probably quieter than a grinder....

[Small_words]

Does anyone have or use a band saw that's slow enough speed to use on metal?

[Bob98SR5]

I'm thinking it will take a while to cut as well seeing that I'm using a hacksaw. Everything else i have to cut it with makes too much noise.
What about some metal blades on a jigsaw? Probably quieter than a grinder....


Jigsaw, while marginally quieter, takes twice if not more longer. personally, id have all the pieces set up and cut them like an assembly line process and be done with it...and Lance's house :)

[4x4mike]

I got the top frame welded this afternoon. I came home early from work and the wife and baby were at the store so I went to town. The angle grinder with a cutting wheel is plenty fast and makes decent noise. The mistake I made was mitering the corners. I should have made every thing at right angles. Cutting and welding would have been quicker. My corners are square but there are gaps here and there because of the miter. My remaining shelves and bottom will be right angles like Bobs. At least now I'm started on the whole thing.

[Bob98SR5]

mike,

re mitering: i made the same mistake. only took me 2 cuts to figure out how difficult it was to make a perfect miter cut w/ a grinder

[4x4mike]

Well now I have a rolling 6 sided metal cube. It's not perfectly square but I think that I can straighten it up a little and adjust the casters. It's good and heavy which is what I wanted.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Welding%20Table/DSC07125.jpg

This is an example of the welds and filling in I had to do.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Welding%20Table/DSC07129.jpg

You're looking at about 3 passes on the corner, there was a 1/4" gap that I filled in. The gap was a result of sloppy cutting and the other pieces being slightly warped. Bob you'll be happy to know I have done no further mitering. I'm not sure if all the pieces were completely straight when I started (forgot to look) but there is some warpage. It sits flat though and doesn't look like it'll fall apart so I'm happy thus far. Once I get it a little straighter I'm going to add my shelf and then the top. After that there a few odds and ends like tabs, handles and paint. Just had some time so I made an update.

[paddlenbike]

Looks good Mike! I say jump on it and I'll pull you around the neighborhood behind the 4Runner and see how it holds up! I hear casters do great at high speed. :P

[Cebby]

Does anyone have or use a band saw that's slow enough speed to use on metal?


Yes. :)

[Bob98SR5]

mike,

nice. yeah, my junk is not perfectly square. i bet it leans a few degrees in any given direction. but hey, it works and ive rolled that sucker around to where I needed it vs carrying/lifting everything to it!

how's the baby?

bob

[slosurfer]

:thumbup: Looks good Mike!

[4x4mike]

Things have been busy at the house so I haven't had much time for this project. I got my shelf in and the support bar for the welding machine. I've rolled it out in the driveway to weld it up and the ventilation is much better. One of the reasons for building this is so I have a surface I can use outside of the garage and not smoke myself out.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Welding%20Table/DSC07147.jpg

Perfect height for working or just sitting and having somewhere to put my beer.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Welding%20Table/DSC07148.jpg

Fit right where I want it to.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Welding%20Table/DSC07149.jpg

For the moment I have wood in the shelves. I'd use metal if it were cheap or free but I have a hard time finding that. I'll have to keep an eye open for shelving material but until then I'll be careful with this. The bottom is where I plan to store all my extra steel (longer stuff goes in the corner of the garage). I still need to put a handle on the side and maybe a ledge to clamp all my vise grips to. I think it looks kind of cool although I like having everything in the milk crate. When it's all done I'll finish painting it flat black.

[Crinale]

looks good mike ^_^

[slosurfer]

shipping with welder to 93402, thanks! :thumbup:

[Bob98SR5]

mike,

nice, perfect fit. looks like you'll get alot of use out of it

[Seanz0rz]

looks great man! this is on my long, long list of stuff to do!

[4x4mike]

Got a handle stuck on there today with a little help.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Welding%20Table/DSC00518.jpg

Tube handle
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Welding%20Table/DSC07164.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Welding%20Table/DSC07165.jpg

Added a tray to hold pens and such.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Welding%20Table/DSC07166.jpg

Last week I pinched the hell out of my finger sliding the milk crate in there. It was pretty heavy and got me just right.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Welding%20Table/DSC07150.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Welding%20Table/DSC07151.jpg

[Seanz0rz]

nice handle, and nice helper!

looks like you need to go pop that fingernail(warning, NSFW or easily upset): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zMNpo7h-7I

[4x4mike]

Dude! As you can see from the picture I did try to poke it with a hot needle. Hurt like hell and didn't do much but keep in mind I was too chicken to stab it real hard. It's almost been a week and it no longer hurts and the swelling has gone down. Do I still need to poke it? Can it get worse? If I went to the doctor would they poke it? Now I'm worried.

[Seanz0rz]

nah, ive smashed my finger so hard i lost the nail. never went to the doc for that.

it will slowly grow out.

[Bob98SR5]

Mike,

Ouch, been there, done that. It'll eventually fall off. The worst part is when the nail is 1/2 off and dangly. Part of you wants to just let nature take its course. The other half of you wants to rip it off and yell like Rambo while doing it. Usually the later happens after you bump the nail on something and it pushes the nail juuust right causing you to have a John McCain/Hanoi Hilton experience