Welding Table

Was down at the welding shop last Friday morning making a winch mount for Clint's truck and bought one of their old welding tables. We had talked about building one for a long time but for $350, much much less than the steel for the top alone cost I couldn't let it get away. It's a little over 5' x 10' and will make a nice welding and work table once it's all cleaned up and painted.

James (the owner of the welding shop) came up to his shop last Saturday when he's normally closed so we could do some work on it. It already had storage boxes on one end, a large turn table and a swinging chair on it. We added 8 -1/4" pieces of 2 1/2" steel tubing and made 3/4" locking bolts for them so we can slide 2" tubing inside of them for use as saw horses, extra tables, quick mounting any accessories, stools, or whatever we decide to make. We also added about 15' of small square tubing to hang clamps and other things on. It should be a really nice table when we get it done this week and will sure make a nice big workspace.

Making some progress, the top is smoothed out and it's going out to the pressure washer after lunch to knock some grease off of it and see how much old paint and grime will come off.

The pressure washer did a lot better than I expected. Too bad it won't take weld off. :rolling

I'm still trying to figure out if someone thought it was a table to practice welding on, like welding on the table itself for fun... It's gonna take a lot of grinding to make it smooth again.

It's been a lot of work and grinding but it is finally smooth and ready for paint.

A little more progress finally. I used all the 1 1/2" angle the welding shop had and still need a little over 10' to finish the picture frame around the outside. The steel truck should bring it tomorrow so I can finish it up. I wanted the outer frame not just for looks, but to have a good straight edge and square corners inside to line things up quickly and easily when we are doing fab work.

The outer frame is notched and the mag vise is mounted. I used it to finish the bottom shelf on the roll around cart I made the end of last year. Now that we have the big table it's time to finish up some old projects starting with that one. Things go really quick with the right workspace and equipment.

Finished up most of the vise for the new table today. I've had this heavy old Olympia vise for over 20 years and it has taken a lot of abuse and never failed so instead of buying another heavy vise this one is getting cleaned up, blasted, and reworked. I can put it back together Monday and work it another 20 years or more. It's also not gray this time lol.

The steel truck didn't make it's 2nd run this week, I think Columbus day messed it up so maybe I will have the 1 1/2" angle to finish the frame on Tuesday.

Wow - Nice table you have there Geno!

It's waiting for you to come down and put it to use. :rolling

I couldn't wait to put it together so I snuck out here for a little today.

Cool, yes. Overkill, maybe...

I dug out some good old almost 30 year old IHC red implement paint with lead in it that I had from back in the painting big tractor days. Still a little more work to do and attachments to make but it is painted.