Welding Tips and Tricks

My spare time project lately.

At the painting stage now. I’m using PA10 Red oxide primer. Have only put one coat on so far.

Finish coat with be a marine enamel paint made by international in Atlantic Grey.

Coat 2 primer done. Primer left over so will see how it looks before I put finish coats on.

Is that a 1" thick top?!

Oscar wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 7:57 am Is that a 1" thick top?!

Yip

Looks nice. What did you do to the plate surface?

Coldman wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 7:40 pm Looks nice. What did you do to the plate surface?

Lots and lots of stripping discs wire wheels and course sanding discs. Everything was coated in a layer of red dust afterwards.

It will have a coat of dykem blue when I’m done.

First finish coat done

how on earth are you moving that huge weight around ?

Sorry double post.

tweake wrote: ↑Wed May 18, 2022 3:53 am how on earth are you moving that huge weight around ?

I put a thread for an eye bolt in the centre of the top and will move it with an engine crane but it will only be moved from where I’m painting to where it will stay permanently or at least where it will live for now.

I have no reason to move this table once it’s finished.

For the record the table weighs at a minimum over 400kg or 800 pounds.

It might serve you well to add leveling feet to it. I’ve yet to see a shop floor that was flat and level unless it had a metal surface plate shot in.

If you ever start punching holes in the top for clamps, you will want added stringers across the width of that table to prevent any sag. Solely having a perimeter frame will let the center droop, and if you drill 5/8” holes it will reduce the strength sufficiently that your top will not remain “flat”.

Just an FYI-

cj737 wrote: ↑Wed May 18, 2022 7:10 am It might serve you well to add leveling feet to it. I’ve yet to see a shop floor that was flat and level unless it had a metal surface plate shot in.

If you ever start punching holes in the top for clamps, you will want added stringers across the width of that table to prevent any sag. Solely having a perimeter frame will let the center droop, and if you drill 5/8” holes it will reduce the strength sufficiently that your top will not remain “flat”.

Just an FYI-

Yeah there are a few future mods I might do.

Second coat. If I’m happy with it I’ll leave at 2 coats. If not a third will go on.

Looks great. With no forklift they can be a bit of a pain to move around, but it's not the end of the world.

It might seem a little overkill, but not really. Mine might be classified as that. Mine was made from a plate from an old die set for in a giant punch press. The legs go where the 4 alignment pins used to be and they're 3" schedule 40. The top is 4' by 4' and 3" thick. My Raymond lift truck groans to lift it and the forks bend down some. I try to move it as little as possible, but a recent machine purchase forced me to relocate it and I don't have a great spot for it any more. It might go on wheels if I can find wheels that would hold it.