Welding Tips and Tricks

Greetings y'all. I am trying to design and then build a wheelchair accessible table for oxy-fuel and plasma cutting with an attached fume extractor or at least an exhaust fan. I need to be able to wheel my legs under it as I can't reach much beyond the distance of my footrest without losing my balance. This means a height of around 34" on the underside to fit me. It also means the whole thing needs to be as thin as possible so that the tabletop isn't too high to reach comfortably. I suppose there will need to be a way to empty the slag, etc. out of it also. There may be an elegant solution I haven't considered. I just need to be able to cut while keeping my balance, not getting burnt and not breathing fumes. Also, being somewhat portable would be a big plus. Any suggestions? Thanks.

-Eldon

An idea that popped into my tiny little mind: I wonder if you might incorporate a pantograph into your table. That would allow you to control the cutting operation from a distance (to address balance, burn, and fume issues) and you could work at a surface or desk that's a comfortable height. Plus, by altering the joints on the "arms" you can scale up or scale down the actual cut from your drawing. Youtube shows lots of clever ideas for plasma cutting arrangements that include a pantograph.

Artie F. Emm wrote:An idea that popped into my tiny little mind: I wonder if you might incorporate a pantograph into your table. That would allow you to control the cutting operation from a distance (to address balance, burn, and fume issues) and you could work at a surface or desk that's a comfortable height. Plus, by altering the joints on the "arms" you can scale up or scale down the actual cut from your drawing. Youtube shows lots of clever ideas for plasma cutting arrangements that include a pantograph.

Excellent idea, Artie F. Emm, thanks. I knew there would be some that I would never think of on my own.
I still need a way to cut odd shaped materials such as an old air tank I sliced up to make parts for a recent project. I rigged it to a sawhorse so I could get at it but it had an nasty oily residue inside and the fumes were awful. Am I mistaken, or would a pantograph only work on flat material? Thanks again and please keep the great ideas coming
-Eldon

Argh, when I read "table" I assumed you were cutting on flat stock. For other items a pantograph is not workable.

There are 3D pantographs. Seen before but have no links, google it

For easy access make the legs like a "tilted H". Like on a desk that can be raised and lowered. Hey, why not use such chassis then you can easily alter height as it fits you best.

You could use Jodys cutting table design as a base only with the front where you access the table to have a whistle kind of shape. This part could have a door for you to access the area with slag. Just mount a radial blower to the table. I attached mine on a hinge so it is easy to remove and taped the window seal around the frame of it. I also used wheels on all four bases and two of them have got stops on them so it is easy to lock it in place.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. @Owr that looks like precisely what I need
A torch-mate is on my wish list. Right below the strong hand table. But there will always be times when you just need to make a quick cut or something and can't take the time to set up an automated machine, and this looks like just the thing.

Now to get busy fabbing