Don’t Spend Your Money on a New Portable Welding Table
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- Опубліковано 6 жов 2018
- In this video, I take an old craftsman portable workbench and turn it into a portable welding table for my workshop. Using a couple of pieces of hot rolled steel and some angle iron, I build a new table top that retains the original clamping functionality of the old work table. This project required some light duty Mig welding to build the table top and some stove bolts to mount the new top onto the old work table frame.
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Boom! There it is! Perfect! Thank you sir. All I would add are holes like in the original wood pieces for bench dogs.
I've been welding for years. I must say, this table you've built is genius!
Since watching your video. I've scoured the web looking for one in my area.
Last night a fella posted one for, $20. I can't wait to get her built. Great idea sir.
It's one of those, why didn't I think of that; moments!
@Miles What Nots I bet you have a much better MIG welder than I have, so you should be able to do a better job of it too. Cheers🙂🍺
Workmate is originally invented by Ron hickman who sold it to black & decker. Rest are copies.
I don't know what else to say. Awesome!! I've been hunting for the right idea. Thanks!
Wow... Awesome idea... have had that table since the 80s and still use it. Now I will definitely have to convert it to a portable welding table. I'll probably add a view holes and a way to mount the original top for when I need that. Thanks for the vid!
Great idea! Been thinking about re-purposing mine into a welding table as well, but hadn't considered leaving it a two piece top, was going to make it a single plate, hmmmm... Nice job, and that's sweet vise you've got there!
I'm just starting to learn welding and thinking some kind off table for my need. And this is like perfect. Buildig one is costing like 50euros and same time learning new.👍
Great idea, I actually have a work mate that was my dads twenty years ago. Looks like a good repurpose project.
Thanks Bret! I suspect there are a lot of these kick'n around. I remember when these were popular in the 70's and 80's. As a side note, the clamping system comes in handy for bending and shaping steel too!
Really ingenious idea! As has been mentioned, I have an old workmate that will be getting this treatment. Thanks SO much for sharing!
Thanks @Dwain Lambrigger Cheers 🙂
That’s a pretty cool idea, nice.
That is brilliant.
This is brilliant! I was looking for reviews of a folding bench that I was thinking of buying and found your DIY version. I'm a competent amateur carpenter, but I'm giving in to a long-held desire to branch out into metals and learning to weld, and being able to save money on the bench means I can spend it on better equipment instead. I've used your design as a basis (because I can't help modding!), and in teaching myself to use CAD software so I can better plan for things and have the right quantities of materials etc, I've made some changes - adding ribs across the two narrow bench sections will make a thinnish 3mm top more resilient, I'm adding mountings so that I can open the narrow jaws to their full width and then drop in an additional section to give me a larger flat bench area, I'm adding mountings to the side edges and the back edge to enable me to fit windshields for welding outside (my workshop is space limited), and finally I'm adding some bolting points through the bench tops so that I can make individual bases for any of my bench tools (vice, pillar drill, grinder/polisher, steel forming tools, bandsaw etc) so that they can be easily and solidly mounted when I need them and then removed when I'm done. I've also offset the point where the tops mount to the frame for an increase in the maximum depth of the bench top. I've kind of set this up as my educational project - I came up with the design by learning to use CAD, and fabricating it will give me practice at some standard welding and fabricating techniques - it doesn't have to be pretty, it only has to work! I'm finalising my design now, and getting all the bits together - my welder arrived a couple of days ago, so hopefully once it's all starting to come together I might make a video of my own of my journey (with full credit to you for the original design, obviously).
Very good and Strong table !
good idea
Terrific idea Eric & a nice way to repurpose something that you don't really use....... :)
Thanks Steve! Sometimes it takes a few years of me being a pack-rat before I find a use for some things ; )
Hi Eric Great idea I was just looking up where to buy one of these, but I have 3 of these Work-Mates kicking around used occasionally, I think it is time to re-purpose one into a portable welding bench. I picked up some steel plate for free recently form a guy who was moving interstate, so nothing really to outlay. Something to do during the Covid-19 lock-down we are experiencing here in Oz.
Genius.
I have one of those from Harbor Freight stuck in the garage, great job of re-purposing.
Thanks Warren! I think a lot of people pick these up at some point and they eventually collect dust. I find it much more useful as a welding table.
Love this project. Great way to re-purpose something that is seldom used. BTW is the welding machine 120V or 240V?
Thanks Joseph Joe! Steel is kind of expensive these days and I like to up-cycle when I can. The Mig welder is just a 120V, so it's only good for small jobs. I'm thinking of upgrading to a 240V, once I have more space : )
Can I ask how this is holding up after being used for a bit? What thickness is the steel? Any warping? Would you go thicker if you did it again? Thanks for sharing. Cheers
Hi Shaun! It is holding up great! It's using 12 gauge hot rolled steel, which is about as thick as my little MIG welder will handle. The angle iron provides the structure so it doesn't warp. I don't think you want it thicker than that, or it gets a bit heavy for the frame.
To prevent it from warping, tack weld your angle iron to the respective table tops first and then space your welds every 6 or 7 inches, running the beads no more than 2 or 3 inches in length. By doing this, I didn't get too much heat and thus no warping.
Hello Eric. Enjoyed your welding table video. Wondered what gauge steel plates and angle iron were used?
@Gary Faulk I believe the top is 10 gauge steel. The angle iron kept it from warping.
Thank You very much, I'm going to give it a try.
What thickness did you use for the top
@thetermite72 I used 10 gauge, cold rolled steel. You could go thicker but it will add weight overall.
First to market was Black & Decker, 1972, not Craftsman.
Steven Johnson I stand corrected! You're right, it was Black & Decker Workmate. I was remembering the old Sears catalogues from the 70's and seeing the Craftsman portable around.
Dad bought one new when they were first sold in Australia. I still have it in my workshop. Great re-purpose.
Ha ha I have one of those and use it all the time, it was my dads. I’m gonna keep mine with the wood top though
@@waynemichel My Dad & I both bought the original blue Black & Decker Workmates (Australia also) when they 1st came out, Dad also bought the updated black version which has a step & flip out to the side on a 45 degree angle extension legs. As Dad has passed on I have all 3 here & are all still in use occasionally, mostly for wood, but I am going re-purpose one now.
Levisgil47
Levisgil47
il y a 1 seconde
Stupid question but why not keeping the wooden plates and build the metal sheet on top of them ? Thanks anyway for your video!
@Levisgil47 Because the heat from welding will burn it. Also, It wasn't wood, it was MDF - deadly toxic when burned.
@@EricSorensenCanada ok thanks
Why not just bend the edges on a break? It's a great idea, thanks
That's a great idea if you have access to a brake and roll machine. Otherwise, you'll have a tough time getting a decent right angle on your edge. Hence the angle iron being welded on instead.
How much was the tabletop?
You mean the steel? Cold rolled steel will vary in price depending on where you are. I think what i used was around $20 worth of steel.