Welding Tips and Tricks

After practicing since mid-Oct, I felt it was time to actually MAKE something I've been using my woodworking bench with a piece of 3/16" plate on top as my makeshift table but had scorched it in a place or two. My welder was sitting up top of my tablesaw.... needless to say, it was time. I have a small 2-car garage which is packed not only with two cars, it also has a fair amount of woodworking tools, kayaking gear, weightlifting stuff, paddleboards, etc. Yes yes too many toys but they all get used.

I needed a setup with a small footprint for my TIG machine and a plasma cutter. I also felt learning sketchup would be a nice skill to have for future projects. I wasn't sure if I could build what I wanted without a MIG so this project was my test. I'm pleased with the outcome.

Table Height is 38" (I'm 6'2"). Top 24"x48"
1.5" 11 gauge square tubing. 3/8" diamond plate top.
The bottom shelf holding my plasma cutter is 3/4" above the ground, lowering the center of gravity and making the narrow cart more stable. The cart can be placed on the end while I'm working and it can be stored underneath while not being used. Obviously the tank and the filler rods won't fit under the cart.
I plan to add a folding end leaf for cutting and hopefully limiting cleanup in the garage.

Nice work.

Well done - very neat.

Loved scrolling down and seeing the Sketchup plans become the real thing, in the metal.



Kym

Nicely done!!

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Thanks! I feel I have a pretty good handle on Sketchup. I can doodle around with ideas, visualize the results and then build it.

I still need to add a method for attaching a vice and add the cutting wing. I'm thinking about using some DOM sq tubing to allow the quick removal and stowage of vice when not needed.

The cart is a bit odd but i had a few design constraints. The need to store under the table and the overall height of the cutter and TIG without having a 40+" table pointed me towards a dropped/lowered bottom shelf. The cantilevered side-entry shelves were my solution to dealing with the interference of the casters and the supporting cross-members. It also gave me the flexibility that if I found that I 'needed'/wanted a MIG, I could widen the caster support and add a shelf for it on the other side of the center tree and still fit. Luckily I didn't need that fallback setup.

I'll post pics of the wing when I put it together.

steve

Nicely thought out.
Mind if I steal it?
I have similar storage area issues, ie I've filled most of them and this has a lot of the ideas I've been thinking about but with a better layout.

Merry Christmas.

Thanks! I will post pics onceI get the cutting wing and vice mount(s) added on the table.

I have an espresso machine with a procon pump sitting in the garage. Thinking I may cannibalize it and integrate a torch cooler setup into my cart.

Thanks for looking.

Outstanding work.

I finally got back to my welding table project and have added a fold-down cutting "wing" to the end of the table. With the wing down there's still room to store my welding cart underneath the table. The wing has a sheet metal (0.050") funnel which collects the cuttings, filings, etc. when I use my bandsaw or plasma cutter. The gap in the middle bars is to allow my SWAG bandsaw table to drop in.

Works like a champ. It keeps my garage so much cleaner. Really like it.

thanks for looking.
steve

My only change would be a metal container under the cutting table, but thats just my ohs nazi comming out
Nice work

Like

Pretty cool idea!

Thanks Pete. I know what you're saying. There's a possibility for a problem (hot plasma vs. cheap plastic bin) but so far I haven't seen any issues even after a fair amount of plasma cutting this weekend. I love the way the funnel/bin catches everything. The garage was sooooo much cleaner after a week of projects.

steve

sru_tx wrote:Thanks Pete. I know what you're saying. There's a possibility for a problem (hot plasma vs. cheap plastic bin) but so far I haven't seen any issues even after a fair amount of plasma cutting this weekend. I love the way the funnel/bin catches everything. The garage was sooooo much cleaner after a week of projects.

steve

Excellent work and planning on your project. A real professional look.

Maybe cap off the ends of the square tubing so a wasp doesn't make its home inside I know you have plenty of them in the Lone Star state.

Thanks LtBadd. I spent a fair amount of time planning and have multiple versions in sketchup. I'm super happy with how the flip up cutting wing finished out. Extremely useful. gives me extra workspace that is hard to come by in my garage and keeps it super clean.

I agree that capped tubes give a more refined finish (plus gives me more welding practice which I desperately need). Actually I'm hoping to come up with some sort of light-duty removable vice mount to slip into the open tubes. If I come up with a different approach the ends will get capped.

wasps? nah.., mud dobbers perhaps certainly palmetto bugs (cockroaches) splat.

steve

ex framie wrote:My only change would be a metal container under the cutting table, but thats just my ohs nazi comming out
Nice work

I think so

Love it! You're very good at sketchup. I would like to use this software, but I don't know where to start. Can you advice me videos or anything else? Thanks

welderst wrote:Love it! You're very good at sketchup. I would like to use this software, but I don't know where to start. Can you advice me videos or anything else? Thanks

I'm in this situation also, came across this discussion on another welding forum and this link was given, granted it's for woodworkers, but that shouldn't matter

welderst,
I was already familiar with SolidWorks from a previous job so I understood the basics of CAD. I used Sketchup's tutorials to get familiar with it.

LtBadd's link looks like an awesome resource. I might have to work through it as well.

steve

Very nice and also nice to have CAD program to better visualize it all.