Aluminum work surface?

[BillC]

Why are the work tables built with steel tops? Is it durability? Ability to tack the workpiece for fixturing? Cost?

I would thing the aluminum would be lighter and a lot easier to clean...

Thanks!
Bill C

[Guest]

Aluminum table top

Hi Bill,

Steel tops are for arc and MIG welding mainly because they can be welded to for tooling or poundng on to straighten something, and they make sliding something, like a steel project, slide easy. You can also clamp a weldment onto a steel table to help keep it's shape whle welding
Aluminum, is hard to slide something heavy on. Also, I use the aluminum top for heliarc. Although I try to avoid it, I find that it will pit when an arc forms on a piece that I'm welding, that has some dirt under inhibiting the ground.
My welding table at work is 10' x 6' x 2" thick, and I have a 36" x 30" x 1/2" aluminum plate just laying on one end of the table where I do my GTAW work.
This picture shows the SMAW, GMAW end of the table. On the far end is where I do heliarc. You can see the 300 Synchrowave with the rod holder mounted on the side of it. Pardon the mess, I was in the middle of a big project. I'll have to get a good picture when everything's cleaned up. The white square you see is a folding shield to guard against wind and lookey-loos.

[BillC]

Aluminum work surface?

Now that's a welding table!

Thanks Rocky...

Bill C

[BillC]

Aluminum plate for GTAW???

Rocky,

What advantage does the aluminum plate give you for GTAW?

Bill C

[Guest]

Bill, The aluminum plate allows me to clamp small pieces to it, it's flat and it stays clean for doing small details and most of all gives me good ground contact, necessary for Hi-freq hot start. Ever get zapped with hi frequency? Here's a picture of mine. Notice the chair with a torch holster built in. Been jabbed with tungsten one too many times. The round circles are for point of use tools. hammer, pliers, side cutters, etc.

[BillC]

Originally posted by Rocky D
Bill, The aluminum plate allows me to clamp small pieces to it, it's flat and it stays clean for doing small details and most of all gives me good ground contact, necessary for Hi-freq hot start.

Makes sense to me...

Ever get zapped with hi frequency?

No, and it is still amazing to me that my desire to learn welding overrides my phobia of getting shocked... I know it is inevitable, sooner or later, regardless of how careful I am...

Here's a picture of mine. Notice the chair with a torch holster built in. Been jabbed with tungsten one too many times.

Looks like a comfortable workspace... Do you get shocked when you get jabbed?

The round circles are for point of use tools. hammer, pliers, side cutters, etc.

I'm jealous... Great ideas for those of us that are still planning our tables!

Thanks again, Rocky!
Bill C

[Guest]

Originally posted by BillC
Makes sense to me...

Looks like a comfortable workspace... Do you get shocked when you get jabbed?

Thanks again, Rocky!
Bill C

You get jabbed when you are sitting down and you constantly throw the torch over your leg to use your hands on something, there's always that one time you misjudge where your hot tungsten is going to end up. I remember one guy who got it right in his male part! OUCH! There's no shock, unless you stomp down on the foot pedal at the same time.

[JPCWELD]

cherry tungsten burn

Some of the last posts in this topic remind me when I was working for a company that did not care about employees or have tools to do the job. I had to tig a 1/4" wire rack overhead in a parts washer and needed a hand holding it up there to tack it, so I went to my boss and told him I need a hand and told me to get the drafter to help me., So I go get him and he helps I got one side tacked, go to the other but I just could not get in there I tried every thing repositioning ect. I decided to get a narrow cup ,boost up the cfm. and sick the tungsten out 3/4" sounds funny right. I could then get in there to the joint but I will have to weld it because I need the DRAFTER to hold a lens over my eyes since there is no room for a hood and hit the pedel for me because I am on my back, I complete the weld and try to tell him "done" but he wont stop foot on the pedel ,I try to get up with a live torch and I nailed him in the leg with a 3/4 stick out cherry hot and the cup was hot to. Niether of us work for that **** hole any more but he still has a tit scare on his leg...JPC

[BillC]

Re: cherry tungsten burn

Originally posted by JPCWELD
[Bon the pedel ,I try to get up with a live torch and I nailed him in the leg with a 3/4 stick out cherry hot and the cup was hot to. Niether of us work for that **** hole any more but he still has a tit scare on his leg...JPC [/B]

OUCH!!!