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Welding Table Help

12K views 25 replies 19 participants last post by  nick leone 
#1 ·
Here's my situation:

I have a 18'x24' shop but with shelves, jeep, parts, etc. it's pretty crowded. I have room for a good sized table but not in a position that would be good to work in.

What I was thinking of doing is building a table on casters. It would be ~3'x6'x1/2" and the casters would be threaded in the bottom of the legs. Later, when I get a bigger shop the casters would be replaced by plates and it would have a permanent home.

The table would stay in it's hole until I get ready to use it. Then roll it out, adjust it to level, and work away.

My question is, is there anything wrong with casters on a welding table (assuming they are rated for the weight)? I haven't seen one with them before and maybe there is a good reason for that.
 
#2 ·
I`m using casters on my welding table.

IIRC the caster overall rating is around 4,000lbs. They are quality casters that don't rely on the bolt to hold them to their mounting plate, and IIRC they are expensive.

ENCO has a decent deal right now on the next level down casters, they rely on the bolt to hold them but they are 50% or so cheaper. I plan on getting ~16 or 20 to make EVERYTHING else portable in my garage.

In a 2 car garage you really need to move the tools out of the way and into storage when you work on them... well if you have as much crap and tools as I do you need too ;)
 
#4 ·
These @ Enco with an enco coupon. (The last one worked for me, the others did not.)

Those casters are rated for 1200lbs each, so x 4 your welding table should be stout. With the poly lining you can keep 2/3 of rated weight on them for months w/out making a flat spot.

Since they are not the heavy duty models and rely on the bolt in the middle I wouldn't side load it by throwing an axle up on it hard/fast or any other heavy object. It should easily be able to handle an engine or axle or two sitting on it.

I did order 20 of them for various tools around the shop to make roll. Even my 3'x4' sheet/plate steel holder will get these.

Making shit mobile makes my life easier I can just push it out of the way, I may even put my upright compressor on casters, and make a shelf next it to for storage.

Lot of possibilities.
 
#7 ·
I will be using the type of casters that have the plate on top. I will bolt this plate to a plate with a large stud welded to it that threads into the leg. When the table finds it's permamnent home the casters will get unbolted and used on something else.

Oh, and I'll be using 6 of them.

Thanks for the help and keep the caster links coming.
 
#8 · (Edited)
My question is, is there anything wrong with casters on a welding table (assuming they are rated for the weight)? I haven't seen one with them before and maybe there is a good reason for that.
Nothing wrong with casters. As you've now seen lots of us built our welding tables with them. My only advice is to make sure you use casters with a brake so you can lock the table in place.
 
#9 · (Edited)
http://productpage.3dpublisher.net/3dproductpage/QSvalidlogin.asp?GUID=1166537371737

Get the 5 series casters with performa rubber flat grey tread. I have a 2500+lb toolbox with the 8" ones under it, and NOTHING will stick in the tire. Literally. I have pulled nothing out of them in the 5 years I've had them on. You roll right over a screw or rivet, etc., the rubber "absorbs" them, rolls right over it, and then the rubber pops right back out and flings the screw/rivet back off the wheel. It's great.

They're relatively cheap, too. My 8" pair of 4 with brakes cost me $130. The other style wheels get loaded up with junk and won't roll, or they scratch up the floor. There's a reason that over 100 mechanics at work have these wheels on their boxes.
 
#10 ·
I built a frame and put casters on my big table saw, but even with locking casters it moved to much. I added a lip on each side that I can hook a jack to. Now I roll the saw into position, lock the casters and jack up one side. I then put small block under that side keeping the casters 1/8" off the floor and repeat on the other side. Saw won't move nomatter how hard I push.

I use the same basic idea on my heavy bench so I can pound on things. Load gets transfered to the floor not the casters and it won't move while I pound, OK at least not alot. For general work I don't bother jacking it up and just work on the casters.
 
#15 ·
With stuff like this where your gona be pounding on or might take side loads
I build the table to sit on legs and then add non-swivel casters at one end sitting about a mm off the floor when you lift the other end your casters touch and you can wheel it round like a wheel barrow
If its heavy I set up a lifting plate on the oposite end for my trolley jack so I can take all the hard work out of it.....

Cheers Reece
 
#16 ·
Personally I would not use any sort of rubber/plastic wheel on a welding table, steel wheels only. No matter how careful you are something is going to melt the rubber/plastic, or get embedded into the wheel. Then it will roll like schiznit.
 
#18 ·
I put steel casters on mine. The table is so heavy, I never have any problems with it moving unless I try to move it. Personally, I like having a table you can move around, and would not want my table to be in a permanant position.



Specs...
The top is 30"x42" x 3/4" plate
Legs are 2x2 3/16 wall square tubing.
It weighs somewhere around 450 pounds. I cant remember the specs on the casters. They are not huge, but they work well.
 
#21 ·
True unless you got the bracing cheap like I did :flipoff2: I am making my frame and bracing from 3"x3"x5/16" and the top will be 3/8". The thing is going to be a beast, and weigh like one too. I don't think I`ll have to worry about denting it or bending it to much. :D

I was originally going to use my 3/16 then I was going buy some 1/2" for the top but decided to use the leftover piece of 4'x5' 3/8 we had (ah free) for it.

Now I have 2 pieces of 4'x'10 of 3/16 to do something wtih.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Well this is what I did. I have the same problem that you do, shop is too damn small so I wanted to make a table that I could move around. I got the casters from Grainger, rated at 2K lbs a piece. all the tubing is 1/4 wall and the top is 3/8. Don't be too over confident with the 3/8 its alot easier to warp that you would think. For the casters I bought some 1.25" inch all thread, and some rod ends http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/125-12-tpi-Tube-Adapter_p_7-1406.html then I drilled 2" holes through the cross braces and welding in 1.75 dia pipe. then put the tube adapter in there. ran the all thread through welded it to the casters then welded nuts to the top. even with about 500lbs of shit on the bench it adjust pretty easy using pipe wrenches. The nice thing is I can set the bench down on the legs then use the casters to get everything nice and level. anyhow that was my solution to the problem hope it helps. Oh I also left the front open so I can roll stuff underneith it, welder, plasma cutter etc. Its also nice to pull up a chair and have leg room under it if you are doing tig or just want to sit while your working. Hope that helps
 

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#24 ·
for the top search out a trench plate company to see if they have old street plates that are no longer of use:smokin: metal wheels are a must. when i build one i thought anout getting 4 pin on style trailer tongue jacks so i could raise and lower the unit and roll it around.:D
 
#25 ·
Keep 'em coming.

A friend had a cool welding table.... bottom had a "X" brace with a pad in the middle of the "X". The sucker was perfectly balanced on that center pad. Roll a floor jack under it, lift if up an 1/2" roll across the shop. Set down. :smokin:

He is one of the guys that drives me crazy... holds his fingers up, measures a distance... goes to the drill press and drills holes, then reams to 0.375" and walk backs and two snug 3/8" bolts fit perfectly. :eek: I'm measuring three times, double checking, and still pulling out a rat tail file! :flipoff2:
 
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