[Chips O'Toole]

I posted a thread about making a welding table, and someone mentioned buying a precision ground iron plate for a top.

My question: where on earth do you buy such things? If I wanted a 3' by 4' plate 3/8" thick, precision ground (not hot-rolled junk), where would I go to find it? I have a metal dealer, but I consider it a good day if they have angle iron.

[LtBadd]

Since you're in Florida, contact Alro metals, they have value added services. Their website lists grinding but I don't know if it's blanchard grinding...

[Chips O'Toole]

Thanks for the suggestion. I found a place in Tampa and sent an inquiry.

I'm learning a lot about this. I've been looking stuff up and doing math.

It appears that if I go all the way to a 1/2" table, the top will weigh 250 pounds before drilling holes. If I go 3/8", I will be looking at 188 pounds. Drilling the holes would remove something like 40 pounds from a 3/8"-thick table or 53 pounds from a 1/2" table.

I should be able to use 1" by 3" tubing for the metal directly under the top, with 2"-square tubing for the legs. After that, I'd just need casters.

The project isn't really that tough. Might be doable for $700, compared to $2300 for a Strong Hand table. Drilling the holes would not be a lot of fun, however.

[BillE.Dee]

going to be a great project for ya, chips. Great reason to get yourself a mag drill. Pictures of the progress.
gramps

[LtBadd]

Thanks for the suggestion. I found a place in Tampa and sent an inquiry.

who is it?

[Chips O'Toole]

Tampa Bay Steel. No answer yet. I may have to call.

[Chips O'Toole]

I'm getting cold feet on my design. I was going to make a big continuous plate with holes in it, but now I'm wondering if I should make a bunch of 6"-wide strips, put fixturing holes in them, and set them up so they can slide back and forth, allowing me to open up space between them so things can jut into the area under the top.

[VA-Sawyer]

I'm interested in what kind of price they quote you. I am in the Tampa area till after Christmas.

[Chips O'Toole]

They never replied, and now I'm back to thinking about a Fabblock.

I thought a 1/4"-thick Fabblock wouldn't hold up, but today I found a company that makes the same kind of table, and they claim it's not true. The company is called Texas Metalworks. They have an article where they say a thicker steel table is a waste of money. It seems to make sense, especially since they are happy to sell people thicker tables and make more money.

They say they use their own 1/4"-thick tables to make tables.

https://texasmetalworks.com/2020/09/24/ ... -4-vs-3-8/

Unfortunately, they sell assembled tables which are more expensive than Fabblocks, so even though I got the information from them, I would probably buy a Fabblock and save hundreds. Of course, nothing is ever simple. The Fabblock people don't offer a table in the size I want, so I emailed them to ask if they do custom sizes. I've decided I want a 2.5' by 5' table. Texas Metal Works makes one, but it's $1700. A Fabblock 2' wide is around $1250, so if I could get a 2.5' by 5' Fabblock, I would expect to pay a lot less than $1700.

[LtBadd]

David DeMoise sells tab and slot tables, he has been on the WTT podcast, you might try getting a quote from him.

[Chips O'Toole]

I contacted Weldtables.com, and I asked if they could make a 2.5' by 5' Fabblock. They said they could, and it would cost about $1200 without legs. Their standard 2' by 5' block is $885. I would have expected to pay under $1100, figuring a 20% increase in size would more or less correspond to a 20% increase in price, but it looks like that is not the case. I don't know all the factors that go into pricing.

Seems to me that if you're going up to a 5-foot table, you don't want it to be two feet wide.

[JayWal]

I priced out a top from them as well, it didn't take me long to decide. Their price was way too high in my opinion for some laser cut thinner guage material

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