Welding Tips and Tricks

I've been struggling to come to a decision regarding a new welding table to replace my Harbor Freight beauty. I considered building my own and buying a Fabblock. Today I decided to get an interim table: a Klutch job from Northern Tool.

This is a 2' by 3' table with a 4mm top full of 16mm holes. It comes with a bunch of clampy things. It's very similar to a table made by Strong Hand Tools.

I chose this thing because they keep reducing the price from $379 to $179. They also sent me an email offering a $10 coupon for ordering online (code 268178). On top of all that, I think I'm going to move next year, and I figured this table would be very easy to move or sell. I still plan to buy or build something a little bigger eventually.

I'm wondering if anyone else here has tried this thing. It gets great reviews.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools ... _200712274

A bit thin, but a great deal! If you use it to position and tack stuff up, and limit the amount of direct, high heat, I think it would be fine.

I am here with my premature review, which means I put it together but have not used it.

1. The top is very nice. Not far from 3/16". It's supported by two rectangles of respectable steel tubing. Assuming my cheesy aluminum yardstick is straight, there is a crown about 1/32" high in the middle. I think I can get over that.

2. There is a weird frame that goes around the legs partway down, to brace them. It is only held on by friction. Little hooks on the frame pinch holes in the legs. I am not very impressed with it. I guess if I want to stabilize it, I can drill a few holes and run screws through it. I know a welder should weld everything, but that would eat the powdercoating.

3. The legs have M10-1.5 holes for the leveling feet. I am going to look for casters that will screw into those holes, but I am concerned they may make the table too tall.

I haven't tried the clamps. I assume they work, or people would be raising hell about them all over the Internet.

For the price, it's a phenomenal table.

If you follow the directions, assembling it is a one-hour job. If you do it by guessing, it will be more like 15 minutes.

I can tell it's going to fit into my shop well. I'm already using it to store objects instead of putting them away.