A couple of welding projects

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Motorhead

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 27, 2008
Messages
442
Location
Tempe, AZ
I did a couple of welding projects lately that I thought you guys might like to see. I built a welding table because I needed one badly, and I repaired an intake manifold for my buddy.

I started with a basic 4'x8' "frame". It's made out of 0.120" wall 2"x4" tubing, and the legs are 0.120" wall 3"x3" tubing.
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Sample of MIG welds:
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I like to have some adjustability in height, as well as the ability to make it level. This is what I came up with a few years ago and I've put it on every table I've built since.

I turned a few 3/4" nuts on the lathe, such that there's a shoulder to them, as shown below. The turned portion of the nut measures 1" in diameter.
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I also faced a few bolts on the lathe.
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Next step was to grab a circular piece of steel and drill a 1" hole in it. This allows the shoulder of the nut to "catch" the edge of the hole and carry the weight of the table. A small bead secures the nut to the plate.
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I don't have any other pics of the process. I added some extra bracing to the middle of the table so the table top wouldn't sag under heavy weight. I also built a lower perimeter frame that serves two purposes: 1) it will hold a shelf and 2) it would allow me to move the table around with a pallet jack. The table top is a 1/2" thick.
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A lot of people make the table frame smaller than the sheet and leave an unsupported border of roughly 6-8" so that they can clamp stuff to the table. What I've noticed is that most of the banging ends up on the edge of the table, and unless your table top is 2" thick, you end up bending it. I make my table frames the same size as the sheet and use larger "F-style" clamps.

Thanks for looking! :)
 
My buddy is building a t-bucket with an inline 6 Chevy motor in it. He purchased an Offenhauser aluminum intake manifold, but managed to tip his engine over (while on dolly) and crack the intake manifold. I welded up the cracks for him.

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The 3/8" vaccuum port had a plug on it. When the engine tipped over, the plug smashed the port and destroyed all the threads, which I have yet to fix. I have to machine out the port, make a new 3/8" NPT insert and weld it in. The quality of casting was pretty low. It was very dirty and oily. I cleaned it as best as I could, but it still contaminated the welds quite a bit. I don't know if it was the paint that had soaked into the porous cast, or if the manifold was made in China. American made castings usually weld very nicely.

Thanks for looking! :)
 
I hate you for so many reasons I can't count them all! :p

The space, the tools, the abilities.... ok, I'm really just envious! You're right about the table edge and pounding.
 
I hate you for so many reasons I can't count them all! :p

The space, the tools, the abilities.... ok, I'm really just envious! You're right about the table edge and pounding.

"Don't hate the player, hate the game!!" LOL

Thanks man! :)


Nice work, and great photography.

Thank you! I can't take a picture to save my life. It's all the camera (Cannon PowerShot A3100IS).

Great work on the table - it made me laugh how as soon as there is a place to work on, it instantly gets covered in stuff. :rolleyes:

I know, isn't that crazy?
 
That is one fine looking table! The flush edge is definitely the way to go, bigger clamps is a small price to pay for a table top that stays true:cool: Of course a 2" top would also be nice :D My son in-law had to pass up a 6' X 10' slab of 1-1/2" a couple years ago because of a "VERY tiny window of opportunity" .....the worst part was it was FREE:eek:.....but the timing and logistics just wouldn't let it happen....we still tear up just thinking about it :(:(
 
Very nice work and nice shop. I would not even have room to put a table that size,but it sure would be nice to have.Thanks for sharing.
 
You just want the "eye wash' Station.:)

Nice table and shop!1

Thanks! The eye wash station is awesome! Hahaha

That is one fine looking table! The flush edge is definitely the way to go, bigger clamps is a small price to pay for a table top that stays true:cool: Of course a 2" top would also be nice :D My son in-law had to pass up a 6' X 10' slab of 1-1/2" a couple years ago because of a "VERY tiny window of opportunity" .....the worst part was it was FREE:eek:.....but the timing and logistics just wouldn't let it happen....we still tear up just thinking about it :(:(

Thenks bud!

Oh man, you did pass up on a good deal. On the bright side, moving a piece of steel that big would have been a pain. Getting this 4'x8'x1/2" sheet out of my truck took a 2 post lift and 3 guys. A 6'x10'x1.5" sheet would have really sucked to move! LOL

Very nice work and nice shop. I would not even have room to put a table that size,but it sure would be nice to have.Thanks for sharing.

Thanks a lot bud! :)
 

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