So i have needed a good welding table for some time and because of time ,expenses,being lazy, I have been using a stainless steel industrial kitchen table and haven't built what I needed.So a buddy is cleaning out his garage and decides he is done with his jig table and asks me if i want it,hell yes,I want the behemoth.It is made of .25 wall everything including deck,so my plan is to cut it down to a more reasonable size(its 14.6ft x 6 ft)maybe 6x6 with a deck height of 48".I am also planning on recycling some of it to use as legs if possible.
The down side is that the 2x6 sides are welded flush with the out side edge of the deck,leaving no room(edge) for clamping.In a perfect world there would be a 2" ledge all the way around.So what would be the best end result,what do you think the most effective design would be using what i have to start with?looking for some insight into what works ,and what does not.Maybe 4x6 is more reasonable? Opinions.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e390/brokejeep/029.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e390/brokejeep/028.jpg

My next large table is going to be a channel-top or "skeleton" table - I think they work much better than solid tops especially when you get into the bigger sizes. They have slots ever 6" or so along the surface so clamping is easy. I would sell the .25" plate top you have and reuse most of the rest of the structure.

This guy made a pretty nice table
http://z6.invisionfree.com/ToolBoxTalk/index.php?showtopic=1777

Here's some more food for thought:
http://www.stronghandtools.com/pdf/brochure/BuildPro_Lit_LQ.pdf

Used Acorn tables:
http://www.weldsale.com/used_equipment.html

i would guess you don`t have room for the table the size it is now.

For the most with tables bigger is better.

you want something to clamp to weld some 2x2x1/4 along the edges with stitch welds should work just fine

If you want about a 4x6 table I'd just split it up and make 3 equal sized tables out of it. Then do like wyoming said and weld some 2x2x1/4 angle around the edges for a clamping ledge.

Then you have 3 tables! :D

Then you have 3 tables! :D

Then again, if your shop is like mine, you'd have 2 1/2 tables with crap piled all over them, and 1/2 table to work on. :homer:

http://www.stronghandtools.com/pdf/brochure/BuildPro_Lit_LQ.pdf

Never seen that stuff before. Pretty fancy. Would take a lot of $ to even get tooled up with that.

My next large table is going to be a channel-top or "skeleton" table - I think they work much better than solid tops especially when you get into the bigger sizes. They have slots ever 6" or so along the surface so clamping is easy. I would sell the .25" plate top you have and reuse most of the rest of the structure.

This guy made a pretty nice table
http://z6.invisionfree.com/ToolBoxTalk/index.php?showtopic=1777

Here's some more food for thought:
http://www.stronghandtools.com/pdf/brochure/BuildPro_Lit_LQ.pdf

Used Acorn tables:
http://www.weldsale.com/used_equipment.html

To much info to soon:smokin:I like the idea of slots for clamping.I am going to rethink my original idea altogether I also think that I could utilize angle to accomplish slotting every 12" There isnt that much framework underneath of it,so I could remove whats there and in the way. .I was also thinking that I would donate the leftover table to someone local,since I got it all for free.

it only has a .25" top? If so, I would cut it down to the size you want and just lay a piece of 1/2" plate on top and make large enough to get the overhang you want. 1/4" for a welding table top is thin, and its going to get beat up if you actually use it.

I have taken that into consideration,but I am broke right now and this is free.I think that by using some angle I can get something of an acceptable result.Just for fun today i am going to go to Curtis Steel and get some prices,those pics(see above)have given me some ideas.

Opinions.



http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e390/brokejeep/028.jpg

Cut it 2 or 3 inches past that center leg. Cut it after the second open support. Now you have a table that is about 6' x 6', has a clamping ledge and an open area for cutting or jigging. If you want it smaller, cut it so you only have one open section instead of 2.

I talked to my day boss today and he said he was cool with me using his shop and fork lift for the job.I was hoping that I wasn't going to be doing this in my driveway ,by myself,in the Vegas heat,with a Cherry picker and Farm Jack.That would suck salty balls.

Cut it 2 or 3 inches past that center leg. Cut it after the second open support. Now you have a table that is about 6' x 6', has a clamping ledge and an open area for cutting or jigging. If you want it smaller, cut it so you only have one open section instead of 2.
This is what i was originally thinking,except I was also going to cut back one of the sides(length wise)then move the 2x6 in 2" so that I would have two sides at a 90 degree angle for clamping.Make sense?

Finished,it will work for my needs.I still have the other half of the table sitting on my trailer.Dont know what to do with it.Re organized my garage while I was at it.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e390/brokejeep/015.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e390/brokejeep/016.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e390/brokejeep/017.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e390/brokejeep/018.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e390/brokejeep/019.jpg