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greenhunter
08-09-2005, 11:40 PM
my friend just got a welder and we're getting started on building and practicing. one of the things we need (because welding on the ground hurts after a while) is a table. we want something metal so we can weld small stuff and ground the table itself, and whlie we know that electricity always takes the path of least resistance, we don't want to take a chance and get shocked. any thoughts (other than 'don't touch the metal')?

i have a couple tire racks and big metal signs from work that i can use, are these ok to make a table? if we need to, we can double up the signs on thickness so we don't have to worry about burnthrough.

Kraqa
08-09-2005, 11:47 PM
metal tables are pritty much standard in any fab/welding shop.


there is no harm in this. unless you get your bare finger caught between the wire and the peice yoru welding together you wont get shocked.

ATL ZJ
08-09-2005, 11:49 PM
Yeah just make sure it's thick enough and something that you can ground to. You can make a table with pretty much anything, but the nice ones require a good bit of money and time. I usually will just pop small stuff I am welding in my vise and ground to the handle, but yes a table would be nice sometimes.

ZJake
08-10-2005, 08:19 AM
Aluminum is groundable.

nmzj
08-10-2005, 08:25 AM
i have a couple tire racks and big metal signs from work that i can use, are these ok to make a table? if we need to, we can double up the signs on thickness so we don't have to worry about burnthrough.

You don't have to worry about burning through, but warping the metal. Plan to replace signs a lot. I would recommend atleast 3/8" I have a practically unlimited source of 1/4" and replace it quite often.

JeepinHank
08-10-2005, 11:23 AM
I built a 2' x 4' welding table with rollers. I made it 35" tall so I can roll it under my work bench. The legs and frame is made of 1/4" angle. I put a shelf on the bottom to hold my chop saw and some other ad-hoc tools that I come up with as needed. The shelf is 1/8" plate. I also made my table top with the 1/8" plate, and as others have said - that's not nearly enough.

Its fine if you're just welding stuff on it, but if you decide to use the top to set up a jig or set something really heavy on it, you'll end up warping / bending it really quickly. I build a lot of artsy stuff (wine racks, dog dish stands, signs, that kinda stuff) to help finance my tools, and I needed to make a really elaborate scroll for a dog dish stand I was building. I couldn't do it with my scroller, so I made a jig on the table top, and heated the bar with a torch and bent it around the jig. It worked out really nicely, but the table top is warped to hell now. I don't think 1/4" would have had that problem.

Just my .02

ATL ZJ
08-10-2005, 04:29 PM
Aluminum is groundable.

That is true. Got me.. :rolleyes: I must have been thinking about using it with a magnetic ground clamp, it is nice to have a ferrous ground in case you don't have the means to litterally clamp.

Kraqa
08-10-2005, 05:24 PM
you can't tac weld to aluminum with steel tho. dissimilar metals. if your goign to buidl a weldign table half the benifit is to be able to tack weld your projects to them to hold them down.

greenhunter
08-11-2005, 12:26 AM
thanks for the ideas and comments, guys. lots of good information :supz:

i don't know what my friend had in mind, but i figured we'd use the rack-n-signs table just to elevate whatever we're practicing on and make for easier grounding. plus, the matierial is free, and he's planning on getting a new place soon. no point in makeing a serious table if we'll have to lug it around and don't really need it just yet. if we actually get around to serious stuff like sliders and bumpers, the driveway will work fine.

JeepinHank
08-11-2005, 10:56 AM
Here's a good writeup in progressive farmer. It's a lot more than you want but it gives you an idea of what a well designed table should consist of:

http://progressivefarmer.com/farmer/tools/article/0,19846,1083659,00.html

There's also a good writeup on the Lincoln Electric website that is probably better suited to your level of fabrication:

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/knowledge/articles/content/howto_weldingtable.asp

ZJake
08-11-2005, 11:23 AM
you can't tac weld to aluminum with steel tho. dissimilar metals. if your goign to buidl a weldign table half the benifit is to be able to tack weld your projects to them to hold them down.

True. I wasn't advocating aluminum. My choice would be 1" cold rolled steel plate. :weedman:

greenhunter
08-19-2005, 09:43 PM
a couple other questions:

those small tinted googles that just cover your eyes, are they good enough for welding? i wouldn't use them when i'm doing the welding, but it's really irksome to keep turning away when someone else welds.

what's good for cutting metal? i was thinking about something like an angle grinder. would a 4.5" suffice? another option could be some sort of attatchment for an air compressor. the welder is at his place and the compressor is at mine, so i'd like that to be a last resort.

thanks again

OverkillZJ
08-20-2005, 12:29 AM
a couple other questions:

those small tinted googles that just cover your eyes, are they good enough for welding? i wouldn't use them when i'm doing the welding, but it's really irksome to keep turning away when someone else welds.



Only if they have a #10 lense, most don't, thats what a lot carry for trail repairs. It doesn't protect your face from splatter and you will get sunburn if it's your only mask though.

JeepinHank
08-22-2005, 11:18 AM
In terms of cutting metal, it really depends on what your planning on cutting (thickness, material, etc.).

My tools of choice are a 4.5" angle grinder with a metal cutting wheel, and a jig saw with metal cutting blades. I used to have a chop saw, but I killed it the other week. If I had it to do again, I probably would have foregone the chop saw, ponied up the extra $100, and gone with a horizontal / vertical band saw. Quieter, less mess, and you can set it up to cut and walk away.

I also have a torch, but don't use it all that often. If I'm trying to make a round cut, I'll often cut angles, with my grinder, then shape it on the bench grinder.

HTH

JH

BigDaveZJ
08-22-2005, 11:27 AM
a couple other questions:

those small tinted googles that just cover your eyes, are they good enough for welding? i wouldn't use them when i'm doing the welding, but it's really irksome to keep turning away when someone else welds.



Just find a cheapie hood for watching. I have an uber bling auto darkening hood when I'm welding. If Pam's welding, she gets the auto darkening and I get the "watcher hood." It's about 30 years old, and it makes me look like Bender from Futurama.

Jim311
08-22-2005, 05:52 PM
a couple other questions:

those small tinted googles that just cover your eyes, are they good enough for welding? i wouldn't use them when i'm doing the welding, but it's really irksome to keep turning away when someone else welds.



Just find a cheapie hood for watching. I have an uber bling auto darkening hood when I'm welding. If Pam's welding, she gets the auto darkening and I get the "watcher hood." It's about 30 years old, and it makes me look like Bender from Futurama.

http://jovan.ru/pics/even-more-crap/Bender.jpg

http://www.jeepcrew.com/gallery/albums/album25/welding1f.jpg


:supz:

Ken L
08-22-2005, 06:01 PM
How bad was the sunburn on your knees after that?

ELLLLLIOTTTTT
08-23-2005, 01:57 AM
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a349/Puma297/axle%20swap/f53dd16b.jpg

greenhunter
08-24-2005, 08:41 PM
hank, i've been eyeing the angle grinders at lowes and hd for some time now, you've helped me make my decision :rock:



If Pam's welding

that's kinda hot.

Jim311
08-24-2005, 10:27 PM
How bad was the sunburn on your knees after that?


Haha.. I was a little pink :mrgreen:

JeepinHank
08-25-2005, 09:28 AM
hank, i've been eyeing the angle grinders at lowes and hd for some time now, you've helped me make my decision :rock:


Glad I could be of help. It sounds like you're in the same situation I was in a few years ago.

If you buy it from Lowes - when you go in to buy it, wear a shirt and tie. When I'm in my work clothes (suit) they always offer me that "no questions asked" (IIRC) lifetime warranty - like $5 for an angle grinder. When I'm in my "Jeep Clothes" they never offer me that. I've had my angle grinder replaced twice under that warranty - I laugh the whole way across the parking lot every time.

When looking at angle grinders - look for one with a paddle style switch and not a trigger. I've got two - one with a trigger and one with a paddle switch. I always find myself grabbing the paddle switched one. IMO they're safer, and a lot more ergonomical if you're doing a lot of cutting / grinding since you don't have to hold the trigger the whole time.

I always prefer the 4.5" grinders basically because wheels for the 4" vs the 4.5" are almost always the same price. The 4.5" has more varieties of wheels available, plus most wire wheels are made to accomodate the arbor on 4.5" grinders.

In terms of brands - I'm a Black & Decker kind of guy. There's a plant right up the road for me, so that's a little bit of incentive to buy their products. I also have a makita grinder. Of course, Milwaukee and Dewalt are great brands, but substantially more expensive.

HTH

nate
08-27-2005, 04:28 AM
If you take teh retarded guard off teh grinder you can run 5" wheels and they last longer. Same price as 4.5" stuff. At least here they are.

AprilzWarrior
08-27-2005, 10:08 AM
If you take teh retarded guard off teh grinder you can run 5" wheels and they last longer. Same price as 4.5" stuff. At least here they are.

Been there done that... I cant keep m knuckles out of the way... just holding the grinder my knuckles just about touch the disk on a 4.5"



AW

Jim311
08-27-2005, 10:27 AM
If you take teh retarded guard off teh grinder you can run 5" wheels and they last longer. Same price as 4.5" stuff. At least here they are.

Been there done that... I cant keep m knuckles out of the way... just holding the grinder my knuckles just about touch the disk on a 4.5"



AW


I can't tell you how many tips of gloves I've worn off doing the same thing.

frankenstang57
08-27-2005, 11:37 AM
I usually will just pop small stuff I am welding in my vise and ground to the handle

:rolleyes: Oooh, that's not too good for the threads on your vice. Pulling current through moving parts causes burs and may cause a bad ground as well. I've got me one of those HF auto darkening helmets. Best $39 I ever spent!

OverkillZJ
08-27-2005, 12:02 PM
I usually will just pop small stuff I am welding in my vise and ground to the handle

:rolleyes: Oooh, that's not too good for the threads on your vice. Pulling current through moving parts causes burs and may cause a bad ground as well. I've got me one of those HF auto darkening helmets. Best $39 I ever spent!


Ummm... ya.... keep grounding to the vice, it's fine.

ATL ZJ
08-27-2005, 04:30 PM
I usually will just pop small stuff I am welding in my vise and ground to the handle

:rolleyes: Oooh, that's not too good for the threads on your vice. Pulling current through moving parts causes burs and may cause a bad ground as well. I've got me one of those HF auto darkening helmets. Best $39 I ever spent!


Ummm... ya.... keep grounding to the vice, it's fine.

Grounds fine. And the vise works perfect...