subject: How to build a metal welding table part three [print this page] 2. Welding the two frames for the table top and shelf: Use the square on the outer edge, place one piece of 30-inch angle iron and one piece of 18-inch angle iron together, mitered side down and perfectly square. Attach work clamp to one of the pieces of metal. With welding face shield in place, tack weld the corners on the inside edges.
Use another piece of 30-inch angle iron and another piece of 18-inch angle iron. Repeat this step creating the opposite corner of your frame. Weld the opposite corners first to ensure right angles and a perfect fit.
Join the two sections of your rectangular frame together and tack weld the remaining corners.
3. Welding the tabletop to the frame. Position your frame flat side up. Place one of the pieces of steel plating on top of the frame and center it. Attach the work clamp to a piece of scrap steel and lay it on top of the table. Tack weld around the plate. Do not make full welds at this point to minimize distortion caused by heat. Tack the corners and one or two tacks per side. When all tacks are complete, weld over each tack weld placing a weld with a finished length approximately 3/4-inch long. Finish welding the corners from underneath. Both shelves should be assembled the same way.
4. Squaring the shelves and attaching the first leg. Stand up one of the shelves on the long edge. Using the square to make sure it is at a 90-degree angle to the ground, attach one of the legs to the shelf with a C-clamp to hold it upright, like a kickstand on a bicycle. Position the second shelf parallel to the first and attach another one of the legs in the same manner. The shelves on welding table are 28-inches apart. Adjust that distance to accommodate your specific needs.
Place one of the legs on the bottom shelf corner and place the top of the leg in the inside corner of the table's top. Tack weld it in place. Next, weld both edges of the leg and shelf. Each weld being approximately 1-inch long. Weld each side.
5. Attach the remaining legs. Repeat step 5. Complete all welds on both sides of each leg before standing the table on its own weight.
Note: The distance between each leg is larger at the bottom of the leg than at the top.
6. Attaching the caster coupler nuts and casters. Place a coupler nut in the inside corner of the angle iron, flush to the bottom of the leg. Make a 3/4-inch weld on each side of the nut. Repeat this step on each leg. Let cool. Place a standard nut onto each caster stem as far as it will go. Place one lock washer on each caster stem and thread the stem into the coupler nut attached to the table leg. Adjust the height of the casters to level the table. Then, tighten the nuts to lock the casters vertically in place.
7. Attach the welding gun holder. With a clamp, attach the 3-inch length of steel tubing to the right front corner of the top shelf of the table (if right-handed; be sure to switch to the left side if you are left-handed). Attach it at a 45-degree angle with the front facing up to accommodate holding a welding gun. Tack weld the tube and remove the clamp. Make a 1-inch finish weld on the top side of the tube.
8. Stand back, admire your handiwork and start on your next welding project. Painting the welding table is optional with a rust-resistant paint, but DO NOT PAINT THE TOP OF THE TABLE. You will want this to remain bare steel so metal parts placed on the table top for welding are in contact with the work. Before painting, clean the entire table with a cleaning solvent to remove machining oils. Mask off the top with masking tape and newspaper. Paint.
