care of a welding table

[Robert1998]

Hi everyone.

I´m going to buy a welding table. I´ll use for TIG mainly, but sometimes I´ll use for stick welding and I´m thinking that is possible that the drops (I´m not sure if that´s the name for the metal drops) ruin the surface, because I understand that the surface must be flat, right?

How do you do stick weldding in the table? Do you cover it with a metal plate?

Thank you

Kind regards

 

[roofman]

Hi everyone.

I´m going to buy a welding table. I´ll use for TIG mainly, but sometimes I´ll use for stick welding and I´m thinking that is possible that the drops (I´m not sure if that´s the name for the metal drops) ruin the surface, because I understand that the surface must be flat, right?

How do you do stick weldding in the table? Do you cover it with a metal plate?

Thank you

Kind regards

i keep mine well oiled and the spatter or splatter or even batter just rolls off

 

[Barking Mat]

Anti splatter spray? For migs?

 

[brightspark]

any you get on just chip it off with a sharp cold chisel or use an angle grinder

 

[Robert1998]

Thank you for your answers. Now I understand that they don´t stick very much to the table.

I´m also going to buy a vise. Any recommendation or aspect i should pay attention? I´ll use for small jobs, and hobby.

 

[AndersK]

Spray it with Esab Jig & Tool Protection

Resist spatter really well.

 

[Barking Mat]

Thank you for your answers. Now I understand that they don´t stick very much to the table.

I´m also going to buy a vise. Any recommendation or aspect i should pay attention? I´ll use for small jobs, and hobby.

Depends what you're doing.

You can fit small stuff in a big vice, but not vice versa. (Vice versa pun).

 

[Robert1998]

Thanks for your answers.

Ok, size matters, but they don´t have special features isn´t it?

 

[Robert.]

Thanks for your answers.

Ok, size matters, but they don´t have special features isn´t it?

Quick release is nice to have .

 

[Shox Dr]

Best advise I can give you is don’t use the table as the earth return.

Clamp directly to the item to be welded. Or you’ll end up with a pockmarked table

 

[Tangledfeet]

Best advise I can give you is don’t use the table as the earth return.

Clamp directly to the item to be welded. Or you’ll end up with a pockmarked table

That makes perfect sense!

(The is for me, btw!)

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

A good waxing, or wax and linseed oil will allow the splatter to bounce off.

I must listen to my own advice.

 

[Munkul]

I use boiled linseed oil on my jig table, it has worked well for a few years now. Keeps rust away, even when it's soaking in moisture from a freeze-thaw. Dries in a thin layer and still allows electrical contact without arcing (probably some micro arcing, but nothing visible to the naked eye). I mostly TIG weld with a small amount of MIG.
A good thick layer of mill scale does a similar job, but my plate came with a useless thin layer that just about rubbed off to clean metal, so something else was required... and it's working really well for me Just top up the layer now and again, a few times a year.

I'd say don't use the table as a welding return, but I'd never get anything done if I was clamping an earth clamp to every bit of steel What I will say is, either don't use it as a return, or make sure the electrical contact is really good.

My bigger concern is with MIG welding, you need a high quality return contact or you'll get bad arc starts and more spatter etc.

 

[Shox Dr]

Don’t get me wrong I’m as bad for using the table for the earth. But do it with Stainless Steel or Aluminium and it could ruin the job.
Been there. Got to do it all again

 

[Robert1998]

Thank you for all your answers. I will have in count all your advice about the table and the vise.