Ideas for surfacing an old road plate (my TIG table)

Evan LaCava · May 28, 2017

Any good suggestions for removing all the pits / dips in my TIG table top?

It's an old road plate. 3/4" Thick I think...I forget it's been years since I got it.

I used an angle grinder with a hard grinding wheel then a flap wheel. It took forever to do a small section, made a mess, and isn't great lol

No clue on material. I got it from a scrap yard for like a Hundo a while back. Dirt cheap for the size (roughly 48" x 30" or so).

Ohh and it's in place, legs welded on. So no throwing it on a big ass mill or grinder

I could get a thinner top of alum or steel plate I guess, but just wondering if anyone has clever ideas. I'll post a pic later.

Thanks!

dgfoster · May 28, 2017

Evan,

Random thoughts: Hate to say it, but is that cheap piece of steel going to turn out ot be expensive after the fact? (we all seem to bite that bait once in a while) Also wondering why a person would want such a thick table for TIG welding. Being able to drill and tap holes for work-holding in the top would be a plus in my view.

If it were mine, I would first try drilling it and tapping it. Good chance it is just plain hot-rolled low-alloy steel which should machine fine. (If it is a pain to machine, tiime to just buy a piece of 1/2" hot roll which should be plenty thick for tig work.) If it is machinable, and you are certain you want to use such a heavy piece for your table top, torch the legs off it and have it milled, planed, ground or whatever. Then drill and tap a grid of 1/2-13 holes on maybe 4" centers so you can use a standard hold-down set on it for work holding. Deeply scibe (I used a stationary single-point in my mill and traversed the table like a shaper) a grid on 4 " centers on it to allow quick and aproximate squaring and 45Deg of weld parts. Then I put longish legs on it so that work height is more up at chest level (seated on a stool) as that reduces craning of your neck and bending your back. Finished it off with a shelf and a bottle holder just 3/4" above floor height so that you minimize wrestling with that awkward 80 pound bottle. A couple of skookum drawers and heavy duty caster set and you will have a very functional table. Made a space along side the bottle to hold ten or so tubes of filler metal. I really like that setup.

Denis

swatkins · May 28, 2017

dgfoster said:
Evan,

Random thoughts: Hate to say it, but is that cheap piece of steel going to turn out ot be expensive after the fact? (we all seem to bite that bait once in a while) Also wondering why a person would want such a thick table for TIG welding. Being able to drill and tap holes for work-holding in the top would be a plus in my view.

If it were mine, I would first try drilling it and tapping it. Good chance it is just plain hot-rolled low-alloy steel which should machine fine. (If it is a pain to machine, tiime to just buy a piece of 1/2" hot roll which should be plenty thick for tig work.) If it is machinable, and you are certain you want to use such a heavy piece for your table top, torch the legs off it and have it milled, planed, ground or whatever. Then drill and tap a grid of 1/2-13 holes on maybe 4" centers so you can use a standard hold-down set on it for work holding. Deeply scibe (I used a stationary single-point in my mill and traversed the table like a shaper) a grid on 4 " centers on it to allow quick and aproximate squaring and 45Deg of weld parts. Then I put longish legs on it so that work height is more up at chest level (seated on a stool) as that reduces craning of your neck and bending your back. Finished it off with a shelf and a bottle holder just 3/4" above floor height so that you minimize wrestling with that awkward 80 pound bottle. A couple of skookum drawers and heavy duty caster set and you will have a very functional table. Made a space along side the bottle to hold ten or so tubes of filler metal. I really like that setup.

Denis

If it were here at my shop I would turn it on it's side and plane the surface. It would fit on my open side Rockford planer table. Maybe someone in the area has one?

Wild West · May 28, 2017

dgfoster said:
Evan,

Also wondering why a person would want such a thick table for TIG welding.

My welding bench top is 1-1/4" T 72" x 42" and blanchard ground flat to within .01" overall. It weighs 1700# with the vise and is rock solid. It makes a difference.

Anyway, this trench plate he has is probably HRS and after being run over by cars and trucks is not too flat. Me? Get another plate and use that.

dgfoster · May 28, 2017

Wild West said:
My welding bench top is 1-1/4" T 72" x 42" and blanchard ground flat to within .01" overall. It weighs 1700# with the vise and is rock solid. It makes a difference.

Anyway, this trench plate he has is probably HRS and after being run over by cars and trucks is not too flat. Me? Get another plate and use that.

Nice looking table and surely not "going anywhere." Almost too pretty to use

For my purposes, a mobile cart/table setup is most useful as not every job can fit into my shop (like my son's aluminum camper frame that needed modification) and I like having the welder/bottle/ table as a mobile unit. Depends on needs of course. I suppose there must be hundreds if not thousands of solutions and preferences for setups. Hopefully a good number of people will put their's up and the OP can pick and choose what works for him.

Denis

plastikdreams · May 28, 2017

you didnt say what size grinder you were using, but if its anything under a 6" you are gonna be there for a month of sundays! Honestly, id go to harbor freight and grab their 9" grinder for 65 bucks and a 5 pack of wheels for 13 and have at it...

Wild West · May 28, 2017

dgfoster said:
.... almost too pretty to use

Well, that picture was when it was new a couple of months ago. The top does not look that good now but I knew that when I built it.

Evan LaCava · May 28, 2017

It's already built in my shop. I can use it as-is...but I figured I'd clean up the top a bit.

If it's gunna get pricey I'll just cover it with a piece of HRS or alum.

Ive already drilled and tapped it years ago, so I'll assume it's HRS?

I don't really care about flat to .001" over 4 feet. I just wanted it to look a little better and be smoother.

I'll check general flatness with a big level, I don't have anything extremely flat that's that big.

adama · May 28, 2017

IME nothing beats working on a slat type table, would not go back to a solid plate irrespective of thickness ever. Just too restrictive clamping wise.

DDoug · May 28, 2017

30" x 48" is a bit much for only 3/4" plate, un-reinforced.

Suggest you remove the legs (just burn them right off) weld 6" channel
all around and one thru the center. Or source a new piece of plate 1" to 1 1/2"
thick.

Then send it out for Blanchard grinding.

Set this on a set of legs

gbent · May 28, 2017

A 3/4" thick table is not worthy of machining. Clean it up with a grinder and use it, or just use it as is. If you must make a home made unit thick enough to be machined, look at 1 1/4 minimum, 1 1/2 even better. I will disagree with digger doug and say do not weld channel around the outside. Set it in by 2 to 3 times the table thickness. This allows you to use heavy clamps to secure workpieces to the table. You can then chase the table around the shop with a big hammer to bend or straighten workpieces.

If you need a large, stable table you can look at Weldsale platens (still available new USA made), or Acorn as well if you want to look for used. Have one of them ground if you need it. For even higher dollar, look at Bluco.

Joe Rogers · May 29, 2017

Have any reputable body shops around? You could have a good body man bring his 10" or so body grinder in and he could make it pretty and reasonably flat in an hour. A good body man and a disc grinder can do amazing things with metal. You would be amazed the precision they have in their hands. They can feel imperfections and high/low spots I can't see. Stuff that only shows up under gloss paint and a strong light.
Joe

DDoug · May 29, 2017

gbent said:
A 3/4" thick table is not worthy of machining. Clean it up with a grinder and use it, or just use it as is. If you must make a home made unit thick enough to be machined, look at 1 1/4 minimum, 1 1/2 even better. I will disagree with digger doug and say do not weld channel around the outside. Set it in by 2 to 3 times the table thickness. This allows you to use heavy clamps to secure workpieces to the table. You can then chase the table around the shop with a big hammer to bend or straighten workpieces.

If you need a large, stable table you can look at Weldsale platens (still available new USA made), or Acorn as well if you want to look for used. Have one of them ground if you need it. For even higher dollar, look at Bluco.

I agree with you, I quickly typed "around the edge", but in my mind, meant
"bump the channel in a bit for clamp clearance" which is standard procedure.

Mark Rand · May 29, 2017

digger doug said:
I agree with you, I quickly typed "around the edge", but in my mind, meant
"bump the channel in a bit for clamp clearance" which is standard procedure.

Not just that, but allowing you to get your knees under it if you are sitting on a stool whilst TIG welding. Just had to get an 18"x 60"x3/8" sheet to extend the top of my bench that is otherwise ok for arc and MIG welding for this very reason :drool5:

HuFlungDung · May 29, 2017

Evan LaCava said:
Any good suggestions for removing all the pits / dips in my TIG table top?

It's an old road plate. 3/4" Thick I think...I forget it's been years since I got it.

I used an angle grinder with a hard grinding wheel then a flap wheel. It took forever to do a small section, made a mess, and isn't great lol

No clue on material. I got it from a scrap yard for like a Hundo a while back. Dirt cheap for the size (roughly 48" x 30" or so).

Ohh and it's in place, legs welded on. So no throwing it on a big ass mill or grinder

I could get a thinner top of alum or steel plate I guess, but just wondering if anyone has clever ideas. I'll post a pic later.

Thanks!

Reminds me of an old story I heard from the blacksmith days, when a customer wanted to buy an axe head, but wanted it ground all over to be nice and shiny. The blacksmith replied, "Aye, you supply the might for turning the grinding wheel and I'll grind her shiny for ye". The customer toiled long and hard turning the wheel (via a foot or hand crank, I suppose) and asked the smith freqently, "Is it done yet?" to which the smith replied "Nay, but press onwards and presently, she'll be nice and shiny to your liking". After 10 more minutes of painful torquing, the customer finally said "That's enough" but the smith replied "But she's not done yet, there are still speckles of hammer dents here and there". The customer replied "Aye, but I think I like a speckled axe best!"

Moral: it's a welding table. Grind it up a little with a flap wheel and get back to doing productive work on it.

Wild West · May 29, 2017

A body grinder will take all the mung off the plate but it will not make it flat. Just sayin'

Joe Rogers · May 29, 2017

Wild West said:
A body grinder will take all the mung off the plate but it will not make it flat. Just sayin'

I thought it was a given it already wasn't flat...
Joe

CalG · May 29, 2017

Flat?

A welding table doesn't need to be flat. All work that is to be welded is set OFF the table on suitable pads so you don't end up welding to the table!

It's not so hard to use a straight edge and have an assortment of pads to set work on.

And then there is the small detail about how a weld PULLS the work. If it's flat when it's placed prepped and jigged, the work is certainly NOT FLAT after welding.

So get over the "Blanchard ground "flat to .01" requirement. That is just horse pukky!

DDoug · May 30, 2017

Mark Rand said:
Not just that, but allowing you to get your knees under it if you are sitting on a stool whilst TIG welding.:

I personally would not hang 3/4" plate out that far, lower your chair a bit
for knee clearance.

Mark Rand · May 30, 2017

Trouble is, the bench in question doesn't have an overhang at all. That's ok for MIG and stick, but not so good for TIG:-

Picture of bench

Ideas for surfacing an old road plate (my TIG table)

Cast Iron

Diamond

Titanium

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Cast Iron

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Similar threads