What welding projects are you working on? Are you proud of something you built?
How about posting some pics so other welders can get some ideas?
aland
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Ok, I should update this thread.

My LWS gave me some Harris Super MissleWeld...I used it to weld Chrome nuts to mild steel angle iron.

That got me the casters, then looking at it I decided to put a cross member from the front to back. I intentionally left the sides open, that way I could put my welder under the table if I wanted. I may do that for the interim. But the problem is the argon tank won't fit under there, and I want the argon together with the cart, that's the way it was meant to be. 8-)

I still need a torch holder, haven't decided what to do...was going to just use pipe, but the stubby kit doesn't seem well suited for that...the pipe I have is also pretty heavy. I think I may do something with a magnetic base. I have an idea to use an S hook I forged, cut it in half and use the two loops spaced to hold the torch. Mag base would probably be best in case I want to move it.

Alan
Last edited by aland on Sat Feb 24, 2018 3:13 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Looking good Billy Ray! (what movie did that come from)

Go with the mag base.

Have you ever thought of finding someone who has a water jet to cut you a certiflat table top? I have a friend who has one and charges 90 bucks an hour. If you do the CAD drawing. I wish i knew this before ordering my Certiflat table.

BTW...My 3' X 4' Certiflat table wasn't flat. It had a 1/4" bow running down the center of the longest length. It even pulled and bowed the supports underneath! We solved it by ordering another 1/4" top ( the original top is 3/16") then I shimmed the outer edges and screwed the top down. This allow me adjust the bow as it settles. So now I have a top that is just short of being a 1/2"
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CJ737
cj737
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tungstendipper wrote:Looking good Billy Ray! (what movie did that come from) Trading Places

Have you ever thought of finding someone who has a water jet to cut you a certiflat table top? I have a friend who has one and charges 90 bucks an hour. If you do the CAD drawing. I wish i knew this before ordering my Certiflat table. Besides water jetting the slots, you still need to mill both sides of the material to insure "flatness". A water jet can't do that. It can be done by Blanchard Grinding, but that costs extra money.
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cj737 wrote:
tungstendipper wrote:Looking good Billy Ray! (what movie did that come from) Trading Places

Have you ever thought of finding someone who has a water jet to cut you a certiflat table top? I have a friend who has one and charges 90 bucks an hour. If you do the CAD drawing. I wish i knew this before ordering my Certiflat table. Besides water jetting the slots, you still need to mill both sides of the material to insure "flatness". A water jet can't do that. It can be done by Blanchard Grinding, but that costs extra money.
Certiflat tables aren't ground either. That's a luxury I dream about. I'm grateful just to have a 3" X 4" area that is level and some what flat. For years I had nothing, except for a 4' X 4' particle board table with a 1/2" bow in it. I don't understand the advantage for going with a ground table for welding. For machinist work it would be cat's meow. In a welding environment don't you have to worry about welding and grinding spatter? Then how do you clean it? I would be afraid of grinding on it, not mention welding on it.
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aland
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tungstendipper wrote:Go with the mag base.
Yeah, the more I think about it the better it is...I might have a an old Crapsman, I have 2 or 3 Nogas, but I think i have another older style with just pivot rods. I just need to adapt something with 3/8" pin.
tungstendipper wrote:Have you ever thought of finding someone who has a water jet to cut you a certiflat table top?
Well, they're certainly not the only game in town, and the StrongHand BuildPro tables are pretty nice as a couple others I've seen. But at the end of the day the Certiflat gives the tab-n-slot, it's the frame that allows you to secure it and weld it flat. Even if I was to make the plates, still needs the frame.

Most of the decent tables are like 5x (or more) than the Certiflat. Ideally I would like a 2'x2' fabblock. Maybe this will allow me to wait a bit and get that. The ProTable is what I was thinking, they have a 2'x3' table that is only $200. The 2'x2' FabBlock is $400. It has a lot of advantages, IMO. You can add FabWings to it, so you could extend the 2'x2'. some of the fixtures fit into the sides, like the Adjustable FabSquare, you can bolt it to the side of the table. The wings and squares seem pretty reasonable priced as you also weld them as well.
tungstendipper wrote:BTW...My 3' X 4' Certiflat table wasn't flat.
My understanding is that none of them are flat, it's when you clamp it all together when you weld it is what make it and keeps it flat. You can do that with u-bolts.

Are you saying that your table was not flat after you assembled it? If so, could be faulty parts. You should contact them.
tungstendipper wrote:So now I have a top that is just short of being a 1/2"
That's another thing with the fabBlocks, they have options for thicker material. Even still, I haven't heard of anyone complaining, unless it was assembled wrong. I've seen several videos of people welding them up, they seem very flat, even the ProTable and I think it's only 1/4". The frame is only 2" thick on those, where the fabBlock is 6" I think. But the 2x2 block will allow a lot of expansion and additions that work with the table.

For me the bottom line is that I won't be able to beat their cost. As it is, my freight might be less than other people as I'm in CA and much of their product ships UPS. Bigger stuff needs to go freight.

Alan (going to use this little table for a bit while I try to decide what to do)
cj737
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If you want to fixture up something, having a table thats flat to a tolerance is important as everything you do during setup is based upon the table. But that's dependent upon what you're doing. Weld splatter is controlled with sprays or surface treatments.

Plate steel is not flat. Not by a long shot. Having it blanchard ground to within a reasonable tolerance is a great idea if your needs dictate. I had mine done to 0.01 because that's as critical as I wanted it. I have just always made my own tables because I want a larger surface than they sell for a reasonable price. And I want a much thicker slab for rigidity due to surface size.
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My understanding is that none of them are flat, it's when you clamp it all together when you weld it is what make it and keeps it flat. You can do that with u-bolts.

Are you saying that your table was not flat after you assembled it? If so, could be faulty parts. You should contact them.
I did contact them. They told me my top came off the end of the roll of steel, and their reverse rollers did not take out the bow. The u bolts you are referring to makes the top strait when clamped to the stiffeners provided. My top bowed their stiffeners! So I shimmed the low spots a clamped the high spots. This got it half way. So the then they told me to place the top with the stiffeners welded on, between to 4x4's and use a sledge hammer to beat it level.
That's NOT how I do things :x !! So they gave me a deal on a 1/4" top and to my amazement all the holes aligned up perfectly. I rented a MAgdrill and drill and tapped, and shimmed the top.
Attachments
clamp top.jpg
clamp top.jpg (113.93 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
This is how much I had to shim the top the first time, the second time was about 1/16"
This is how much I had to shim the top the first time, the second time was about 1/16"
shim top.jpg (58.06 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
Lincoln MP 210, Lincoln Square Wave 200,
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" Anything that carries your livelihood wants to be welded so that Thor can’t break it."
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cj737 wrote:If you want to fixture up something, having a table thats flat to a tolerance is important as everything you do during setup is based upon the table. But that's dependent upon what you're doing. Weld splatter is controlled with sprays or surface treatments.

Plate steel is not flat. Not by a long shot. Having it blanchard ground to within a reasonable tolerance is a great idea if your needs dictate. I had mine done to 0.01 because that's as critical as I wanted it. I have just always made my own tables because I want a larger surface than they sell for a reasonable price. And I want a much thicker slab for rigidity due to surface size.
I would love to see your shop and learn more from you.
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cj737
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tungstendipper wrote: I would love to see your shop and learn more from you.
Bring a pack of matches with you. Everything I can teach you, you can write on the head of a wooden match and still have room to sign it :oops:
aland
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tungstendipper wrote:The u bolts you are referring to makes the top strait when clamped to the stiffeners provided. My top bowed their stiffeners!
td,

From what I've read that is a defect if so. Seems that once you weld the top to the stiffeners it should stay flat.

They didn't say that was a defect if the top bowed the stiffeners?

Just curious...you're one of the few I've even seen complaining about fit/finish/flatness...
cj737 wrote:Bring a pack of matches with you. Everything I can teach you, you can write on the head of a wooden match and still have room to sign it :oops:
I don't know about that, you've been pretty helpful to me, and I've seen quite a bit more info than would fit on that match head, just in the time I've seen you posting here. :roll:

Alan
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They didn't say that was a defect if the top bowed the stiffeners?
They did say it was a defect. That's why they gave me the 1/4" top at cost.
BTW... They are great people to deal with.
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aland
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tungstendipper wrote:They did say it was a defect. That's why they gave me the 1/4" top at cost.
BTW... They are great people to deal with.
All that said, I still think they provide a pretty good value for what they offer.

I see you have the ProTable also, don't those come with 3/16" normally? I didn't know they could make a 1/4" top, I don't think they offer that option on their website.

I did mentioned the FabBlocks have 3 sizes, as I recall, but I considered that a plus with the blocks. I guess if they would upgrade the ProTables that would be a plus also. the real value in the blocks and mix/match what you like, lots of options.

Even still, does the Adjustable Fab Square seem like a good value at $39.99 ? I was considering getting it with the ProTable when I order it...I would spend more time and money reproducing the same wheel... :roll:

https://weldtables.com/products/8x8x3-a ... u-weld-kit

Alan
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aland wrote:
tungstendipper wrote:They did say it was a defect. That's why they gave me the 1/4" top at cost.
BTW... They are great people to deal with.
All that said, I still think they provide a pretty good value for what they offer.

I see you have the ProTable also, don't those come with 3/16" normally? I didn't know they could make a 1/4" top, I don't think they offer that option on their website.

I did mentioned the FabBlocks have 3 sizes, as I recall, but I considered that a plus with the blocks. I guess if they would upgrade the ProTables that would be a plus also. the real value in the blocks and mix/match what you like, lots of options.

Even still, does the Adjustable Fab Square seem like a good value at $39.99 ? I was considering getting it with the ProTable when I order it...I would spend more time and money reproducing the same wheel... :roll:

https://weldtables.com/products/8x8x3-a ... u-weld-kit

Alan
I didn't want to sound like Certiflat tables are bad. My table, now that I have used it, and flattened it, using all my different home-made clamps, is one of the top tools I've have ever bought. I now can clamp my work to my new table that I've never been able to do. Everyday, I'm amazed how precisely the table and clamps holds the work in every configuration. I would recommend a Certflat to anyone!

The 3/16 top is what it came with and I added a 1/4 top on top of the 3/16". I wanted the FabBlock 3'x4' but I had no way of flipping it over to clamp and weld the bottom. It was just to heavy weld without an overhead crane. The fab block is what I would recommend to you because of the wide sides and the ability to clamp work to them.

The adjustable square looks great, and a deal for 40 bucks. For tacking it's fine; I don't know if it could stand up to the forces of a welds pulling.
Attachments
here's an example of tacking a cap on a tube using a clamp from a miter saw and a stop. Without my new table this would be a little harder.
here's an example of tacking a cap on a tube using a clamp from a miter saw and a stop. Without my new table this would be a little harder.
end clamp.jpg (119.18 KiB) Viewed 2460 times
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aland
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tungstendipper wrote:I didn't want to sound like Certiflat tables are bad. My table, now that I have used it, and flattened it, using all my different home-made clamps, is one of the top tools I've have ever bought. I now can clamp my work to my new table that I've never been able to do. Everyday, I'm amazed how precisely the table and clamps holds the work in every configuration. I would recommend a Certflat to anyone!
I think I misunderstood where you were coming from, but I want one and couldn't agree more about being able to clamp things straight and flat and be able to build $#!T in general. That is what it's all about at the end of the day... :D
tungstendipper wrote:The 3/16 top is what it came with and I added a 1/4 top on top of the 3/16".
Oh, I didn't realize you have both. Did they make special tabs for the bottom structure to extend through both layers of the top?
tungstendipper wrote:I wanted the FabBlock 3'x4' but I had no way of flipping it over to clamp and weld the bottom. It was just to heavy weld without an overhead crane. The fab block is what I would recommend to you because of the wide sides and the ability to clamp work to them.
I would do it with an engine hoist. I have a 8,000 lb. rough terrain forklift, but it's not at my house... :roll:

I don't want something so big, a 2'x2' would be good for me and I could still add FabWings on it after the fact.
tungstendipper wrote:The adjustable square looks great, and a deal for 40 bucks. For tacking it's fine; I don't know if it could stand up to the forces of a welds pulling.
I thought it looks convenient for small stuff. I wish I had one now that I could use to use for practice welding. My little table will do and I could always weld something at an angle so I could simulate the same thing. When i order my table I'm gonna get one.

Alan
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Oh, I didn't realize you have both. Did they make special tabs for the bottom structure to extend through both layers of the top?
You need to read my past posts on this. :D
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aland
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tungstendipper wrote:
Oh, I didn't realize you have both. Did they make special tabs for the bottom structure to extend through both layers of the top?
You need to read my past posts on this. :D
Ok, I will dig that up...this little table I made is working out good for me so far, but I want to get a Certiflat eventually, like I said.
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