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Avoid metal warping on shop table top and legs

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scramblerj

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
After looking thru most of the shop table build threads online and building 5 or so of my own, it sounds like having the top come out flat and keeping the legs square to avoid wobbling are common issues people run into.

Thought it might be good to hear what tips others have to avoid these things. Be that thru design, order of assembly, where when and how you weld, what materials you use, etc.

Ill try to update this first post with a list of tips if possible.
 
Discussion starter · #2 · (Edited)
List of my table builds and results

1. First table I built was out of 3/16" and was about 2x4x36. I used 2.5x1/8 tubing for the legs. Top slightly warped after being cut by torch, but not much. Welded a piece of angle iron under the middle of the plate before welding to help keep it straight. I think this really helped, because it eneded up straight. I just welded the legs together and then welded them to the top. Welded wheels on last. Seemed to be level and flat when done. I sold this one to build more.

First pic below (I don't know how to insert pictures into paragraph instead of at the end)

2. 2x3x34 table with 3/8" top. I bought a whole 4x8 sheet and plasma cut it into 3 pieces to get this top. I dont think it warped from cutting. I used 4x4x1/8" for the legs. I welded the legs together and then welded them to the top. The top warped from welding/cold weather somehow. I used some angle iron clamped to the top to try and straighten it and then welded some supports underneath to try and keep it flat. It kinda worked, but wasnt perfect. I used a stripping disc to remove the mill scale off the top of this one. Was tedious but turned out nice in my opinion. I sold this table to pay for all the steel I bought.

Second Pic

3. 30"x48"x36" table with 3/8" top and same 4x4x1/8" legs. I was frustrated with battling warping on the last table so I planned to bolt this one to the frame with countersunk bolts. I did basically the same design. I welded the base together, then welded mounting plates on top of the legs to mount the top. The countersink bit was expensive. I burnt up the first style with the hole in the bit. Went to the fluted high speed design next and it worked alot better. I need to countersink my holes a little more so they are flush. This is my current fab table and is flat.

3rd pic, sorry it's dirty.

4. Another 30"x48"x36" table except this time I added a 6in backboard. 3/8" plate same 4x4x1/8" legs. To do the backboard, I took a piece of 3/16 angle and clamped it to the back edge of the table, this made the top flat and we clamped the 6in piece of 3/8" to that and welded it to the edge of the table top. I welded it on the back side so there was no weld in the table so I could have a clean corner. Adding this back board helped keep the top straight. I still need to weld the legs on. Hopefully it will stay flat once I weld the legs on.

No pic yet. Will get one when it's assembled.

5. 2x2x36" table for a buddy. 1/4" plate top 2"x1/8 square for the legs, 3/16 angle for the lower supports/shelf, no upper supports. I jigged the legs up on my fab table(#3) and welded them up. I welded the legs to the top and it had a slight wobble. I clamped a piece of angle to the top to straighten it up so we could weld a piece of angle underneath the top and it kept it flat.

4th pic

Ill post some pics to help explain these.


Ive figured I need to come up with a step by step correct way of assembling a table as opposed to just clammorong around in the garage and welding shit together and hoping it ends up square.

Would you say its best to tack the whole table together and then weld it or what order does everyone else use? Also what design do you use? Top and bottom supports?
 

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#4 ·
Build the frame. Weld, drill and tap some solid bar flush with the top of the legs and bolt the top down with countersunk hardware.
Or another problem folks have is they full weld all the way around the legs to the top when a few 1" long welds will do the trick AND be easier to cut off if something goes wrong
 
#5 ·
Pretty much knowing how to keep things square and plumb.

lots of clamps

cutting your material square.

Measure and use the level more then the welder.

knowing how to control the heat input.

pull pieces into the correct position by welding

Using the correct material for what the end results should be We all have times when we need to scrounge what we can get


lots of newbies are so excited to be welding they get carried away with the amount of welding they do.

welding seams solid when a few inches of stitch welds is enough.
 
#6 ·
made two benches and two roll around carts for Work's shop last week. one for welding and beating on, and the other a replacement for the wooden bench.
I finished the shelves out with expanded metal



 
#9 ·
Mine is a 5'x20' x3/4" plate top. I drilled and countersunk the top to the base so that I could avoid any distortion. I also fastened it so that if the top ever got damaged to the point of not being able to repair it, I could just unscrew it and put a new top on it.
The legs are 3x3x3/16 wall tube with leveling feet on all 12 legs. I had a pile of 4' drops of the tube left from another project so that was basically a reuse of scrap. I used a 6x8x1/2" angle the length of the table for a stiffener to take any bounce out of the plate rather than spanning 4.5' between the tops of the legs.
 
#10 · (Edited)
scramblerj said:
Would you say its best to tack the whole table together and then weld it...?
Click to expand...
That would probably put the MOST warps into the entire structure. Build in 2D so you can check flatness & squareness frequently as you finish-weld each subassembly. Use a hammer or press if necessary to re-flat & re-square each one. When they're perfect, join them & re-check frequently. When the base is built, re-check the level of the top-mounting surfaces before attaching the deck. Finish-weld from the center outward in criss-cross pattern so twisting stresses can be relaxed or adjusted.

As mentioned above: this becomes less-important as the top thickness increases. But it's always good practice.
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
Updated my 2nd post with pics of other tables. Once large, one smaller.

Having a 1 or 2in plate for the top is nice, but that is hard for me to transport, impossible for me to cut and is really heavy to move. I move my tables around alot when using them, so I want to avoid having a 1000lb table. If I recall the 4x8 sheet of 3/8 was almost 500lbs.

Is the consensus to weld the legs together first and then weld them to the top?

Do you prefer bracing under the top, or weld the legs directly to the top?
 
#12 ·
My table at work. The top is 1/4"and isn't sturdy enough for what we do. It will bow in between the c channel supports if you clamp there; it looks like ocean waves right now on all 8 we have. The design is excellent, just the top isn't thick enough.
 

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#13 ·
Angle iron supporting the sheet in the middle helps out a ton. You need to tack it heavy every 2 inches and stagger those tacks and you shouldn't have any problems. Every thickness CAN warp with enough heat though.
 
#15 ·
I came across this table a few years ago and always thought it would be a decent way ensure a flat top, or at least as flat as you can get with the tools most of us have in the shop. Thread here: New welding table. - OFN Forums

Essentially what he did was weld all-thread to the plate that attached to stringers. Once it was all together, he could adjust those studs and push or pull the plate flat.

Image

Image
 
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