Welders use high heat tools to melt and bond metals and thermoplastics to create joints and seams that connect pieces of various components, accessories, machinery, etc. Because welding involves the use of incredibly high temperatures, the average workbench or table can’t handle the strain and could be burned or destroyed by the process, creating a fire hazard and generally unsafe and unproductive environment.
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To accommodate the heat of welding, welders use welding tables as work platforms to safely bond metals and thermoplastics.
Welding tables are platforms designed to withstand high temperatures, regular impact, and plenty of friction. Typically waist height like an ordinary workbench, welding tables range in size from 20” x 40” to more than 6’ x 4’ depending on need. Some welding tables consist of only a heat-proof platform and detachable legs, similar to a saw-horse, while more heavy-duty varieties include additional accessories like shelving, squaring tools, and clamps.
Welding tables are carefully designed tools that make the tough job of welding a little safer and a little bit easier. While welding tables can vary in terms of exact dimensions and composition, most consist of the same basic parts:
Welding tables should be placed in a well-ventilated area of your facility, preferably in an area away from other personnel to prevent accidental exposure to noxious fumes and gases. Additional ventilation may need to be added to your facility to draw gases out of the general work area, and help to prevent hazardous conditions from occurring or personnel from incurring injury.
Welding tables are used for many tasks, including the preparation of components of larger projects, and the completion of smaller projects in their entirety. In addition to general welding functions, welding tables are also used for squaring counters before welding them together, mounting components and pieces for a secure hold, bending jigs, grounding, measuring, and much more.
Before you settle on a welding table and make the final purchase, there are a few key considerations you will want to make. No matter what your unique needs and preferences are, knowing what you are looking for before you begin to shop will help you to narrow down your options to make the right choice.
Not all welding projects require the use of a 6-foot table, and many welders that work on small components find that smaller tables, around 2 feet in length, are more than adequate in terms of space. To determine how large or small your welding table should be, consider the nature of your work and the constraints of your facility.
If you are working on large projects, you will need a larger table, but it will still need to fit comfortably in your facility with plenty of space surrounding it to prevent creating a fire hazard.
Built-in clamps are a common feature of larger welding tables and can help to secure larger pieces and heavier objects for welding. Smaller tables without built-in clamps can be used with removable clamps, though these may not be able to withstand the same weight or pressure as built-in clamps.
If you can give your welding table a portable home and will be using it daily to accomplish tasks, a larger table may be the best option for you, though this will limit its portability. Thankfully, even large welding tables can be outfitted with locking casters to assist with easy transportation throughout the facility. If you will need to move your welding table regularly, a smaller option with removable or adjustable legs may be your best option.
Raw steel is the standard choice for welding tables, so don’t compromise in this category. Other materials won’t work nearly as well, can become discolored, can warp, or may degrade quickly, so stick to steel to ensure you are getting the best possible quality.
Need extra storage? Want to add special features for your specific work? Be sure any welding table you choose comes from a source that is willing to customize your purchase to accommodate your unique needs.
At OnePointe Solutions, every piece of furniture we design and build is tailor-made to fit the needs of our customers, from dimensions and materials to accessories and color selection. Our welding tables are no exception and can be fully customized according to your exact specifications. Why choose to design a welding table with OnePointe Solutions? Are our welding tables that much better than the competition?
The design team at OnePointe Solutions works directly with each client to create a preliminary design. Once you’ve settled on your perfect welding table, we’ll send the design off to our manufacturing team, where your table will be built using the highest quality materials right here in the U.S.
We don’t outsource anything, which means you won’t have to worry about clarifying your needs with a third party company, or losing even an ounce of quality. Upon completion of your welding table, the OnePointe Solutions team will personally deliver your purchase and help to install it to ensure it is the perfect fit.
When customizing your welding table, you’ll choose everything from color (we have more than a dozen options) and size to accessories and foot types. We offer dozens of options that can create a virtually infinite variety of finished welding tables and are happy to work closely with our clients to develop the most practical, affordable, and high-quality solution for their facility.
Visit OnePointe Solutions online today or request a quote to find out how we can help furnish your lab or industrial facility.
Admit it: You’ve always wanted to learn how to weld. This easy project will teach you how.
Welding intimidates a lot of people, even some of us hard-core DIYers. And that’s a shame because welding opens up a whole new world of household repairs and cool projects. We asked a pro welder to demonstrate some basic techniques by building a welding table. She’ll walk you through each step and provide helpful tips along the way.
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A metal welding table is the perfect project to start with because you can build all your future welding projects on it. The materials will cost about $160, and this is one of the best welding table designs we’ve seen!
This table was built using a Lincoln 210MP. This machine can function as a MIG (metal inert gas/wire feed) welder, a TIG (tungsten inert gas) welder and a stick welder, but we used the MIG wire-feed function.
Home centers and hardware stores carry a small variety of sheet metal and common steel stock. The selection and prices are fine for smaller welding jobs, but for larger projects like this table, shop at a metal supplier. Metal suppliers charge up to 50 percent less, and most will be able to cut your sheet metal to exact dimensions.
For more information, please visit Precision 3D Welding Table.
Each type of welder is different, so read your operator’s manual. Achieving a good weld comes down to combining the right voltage with the proper wire speed, and this requires practice. Fine-tune the settings on the welder by practicing on the same material you plan to work with.
The wire should protrude about 1/2-in. from the gun, and the gun should be about 3/8-in. away from the surface before you pull the trigger. When you’re working on horizontal surfaces with wire-feed welders, you want to push the gun forward. The gas creates a containment-free environment, which improves the welding process. If you pull the gun, it could outpace the gas.
The speed at which you move the gun will also affect how hot the metal gets and how much wire you lay down. One popular welding technique is to move the tip slightly forward and back as you go. Called “whipping,” it helps control your speed, creates good penetration, and results in a narrower bead than you’d get by making tiny circles as you moved along.
The welding process shouldn’t produce snapping or popping noises. If a welder is adjusted properly, you should hear a consistent buzzing or sizzle, like the sound of bacon frying. This all may seem complicated, but in just a few minutes you’ll be creating solid welds.
Fourteen-inch metal-cutting saws like this, outfitted with an abrasive blade, cost $100 to $200. These saws can cut bricks and pavers as well. A large metal-cutting saw with carbide teeth cuts metal like butter and with less burrs, but it will set you back more than $250. Never put a carbide-tooth blade on an abrasive saw because this saw runs at twice the rpm, a speed that could destroy the blade or worse. Miter saws designed to cut wood also spin too fast for metal-cutting blades, and since their motors aren’t sealed, the metal chips and shavings can destroy the motor.
Smooth rough edges with an angle grinder. It’s also important to grind away any paint or rust. Wire-feed welders work best on clean metal.
Metal from the wire is being added to the weld and will mound up a bit. If you’re welding a butt joint that you want to look good, leave a small gap, at least the thickness of the wire, to minimize the buildup. Grinding right angles into the abutting surfaces will also create room for the wire and lower the profile of the bead. This wasn’t a crucial step on this project because these welds are on the bottom of the shelves and won’t be seen.
Work pieces need to be grounded in order to complete the circuit and create an arc. If your workspace is a metal table, the ground clamp can be attached to the table, but if it’s a wood table, the clamp needs to be attached directly to the work piece. Note: You may want to build your table on the ground to avoid burn marks in your workbench top. We didn’t mind the marks.
Line up the shelf braces on the surface of the table and clamp them together. Tack each brace corner to the table and to each other before welding the whole joint. This will allow you to make corrections if something gets out of alignment.
Welding too long in any one area creates excessive heat, which will expand the metal so much that the whole project could warp when it cools. Weld a few inches on one side, rotate the assembly, weld a few inches on another side, and so on. There is no reason to weld the whole joint between the table/shelf surface and the braces. Note: Fume extractors start at about $1,200 but are unnecessary if you’re welding in a well-ventilated area.
Follow the same procedure you used to assemble the table and shelf: Be sure everything is square and fitting together properly before welding all the joints. Tackle one leg at a time. Square the leg to the shelf horizontally and vertically before tacking it into place, and then square, clamp and tack the leg to the tabletop. Follow the same procedure for the other three legs. There are magnets available to help hold pieces in place, but a framing square and C-clamps will also do the job.
Buy casters that have threaded stems (bolts) so you can replace one if it gets damaged. Weld the nut in place while it’s attached to the caster. That way, the caster will line up perfectly with the bottom of the leg. Whenever you weld near nuts and bolts, always protect the threads with tape.
You’ll always be looking for a safe place to set down your welding gun, so a gun holder is a must-have accessory on every welding table. A simple pipe works great. You could also add a box at the end to hold your hand tools.
Welding from the top down works best, so whenever possible, try to keep your welding surface in a vertical position. The arcing process turns the metal into a liquid, and gravity pulls it down, resulting in a smoother bead.
Grind down the sharp edges of the table and any ugly beads you want to smooth out. Clean the surface of the metal before you paint. Start with a household degreaser/cleaner and then wipe down with acetone. Don’t paint the tabletop or top rail; you won’t be able to ground your next welding project through the table with the ground clamp.
The nozzle and the tip on the gun will get covered in splatter, so it’s important to clean them off periodically. Welding pliers are the perfect tool for the job. They’re also designed for cutting wire and removing bushings, tips and nozzles, and they can work as a hammer in a pinch.
The company is the world’s best Cast Iron Welding Table Top supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.