Homemade Welding Tables

A welding table is more than a place to hold your material--it is a tool. Without a proper welding table, the metal being welded will twist and warp from the heat generated during the welding process. Welding tables must have a metal top that is no less than 3/8 inch thick. The thick metal table top is designed to pull the heat away from the weld, effectively reducing the amount of warping caused during welding.

Materials Required to Build a Proper Welding Table

Homemade welding tables need to be fabricated of heavy carbon steel. You will need to build a table frame to support the metal top, four legs and a shelf to hold tools and supplies. The table frame and legs can be made from either box steel or schedule 40 round pipe. The size of the steel or pipe will be determined by the size and weight of the table.

A small welding table will need 2-inch square box tubing with a 1/8-inch wall thickness for the table frame and legs. The shelf frame will also be built from the same square box tubing as the table frame. The shelf frame will act as a stabilizer to keep the legs of the welding table sturdy.

The welding table top needs to be at least 3/8 inch thick. Metal thinner than 3/8 inch will warp under the heat of welding. The welding table's under-shelf should be no thinner than 16 gauge, but 14 gauge is preferred.

Tools to Fabricate a Homemade Welding Table

Fabrication of a homemade welding table requires tools that are designed to cut and weld steel. To cut the tubing required to build the table frame, legs and shelf frame, a band saw will be required. A band saw will produce quality square cuts that will make fit-up and welding easier. Another cutting tool is required to cut the table top: either an oxyacetylene torch or a plasma cutter.

The last two tools needed are the most important. A grinder will be used to prep the weld joints on the square tubing, and flatten and clean the welds. Without the welding machine you could not assemble the welding table.

Features to Consider Adding to Your Welding Table

Additional features can turn a homemade welding table into a fabrication station. Welding two pieces of pipe under the table will act as a tubing and rod bender. A bent rod can be welded to the underside of the welding table to hold the stinger or MIG gun. This keeps the business end of your welder out of harm's way.

Other common additions to a homemade welding table include a pull-out drawer, tool hooks, plasma notch, jig holes and material racks. Adding custom features to your homemade welding table will produce the ultimate welding tool.