30mm thick steel plate - needs cutting edge off

[Munkul]

When I look at a welding table, flatness is the first thing. Squareness of the edges is just not that important. There's all manner of ways to get something square easily, but if the surface isn't flat, then everything becomes hard work.
You might think "it's 30mm plate, nothing can bend that!" but you'd be wrong, they come out of the steel stockholders bent all the time

 

[ELL]

When I look at a welding table, flatness is the first thing. Squareness of the edges is just not that important. There's all manner of ways to get something square easily, but if the surface isn't flat, then everything becomes hard work.
You might think "it's 30mm plate, nothing can bend that!" but you'd be wrong, they come out of the steel stockholders bent all the time

Probably stupid question, but what if it's flat with little dints here and there in it? No bumps, just dints.

 

[Erie Fred]

When I look at a welding table, flatness is the first thing. Squareness of the edges is just not that important. There's all manner of ways to get something square easily, but if the surface isn't flat, then everything becomes hard work.
You might think "it's 30mm plate, nothing can bend that!" but you'd be wrong, they come out of the steel stockholders bent all the time

Same here.
However, some buyers want nice clean straight & square edges, even if they never use them.

It's a sign of quality, take it for what it's worth.

The OP, if un-able to justify a track torch, could rig up a rail from unistrut and a piece of threaded
rod driven by a drill to get the clean cuts. If the work pans out, then he can buy a proper track torch.

 

[DanZac]

Probably stupid question, but what if it's flat with little dints here and there in it? No bumps, just dints.

Corresponding reduction in value.

If i was paying good money for a welding table, I'd want it to be spot on. I can find a bit of old road plate and make one myself if I want tatty.

I think that if your going to spend time making it to sell, it needs to be spot on, or your not going to cover your costs, let alone your time and make any money.

 

[Turbo]

Cutting that with a 9" grinder will take a lot of discs. As the discs wear down they will not cut the full depth so you'll end up with a load of partly used discs.
You could cut from both sides but you'll need to flip it over. You will likely end up with a step that will need grinding using a lot more discs.

Considering time and materials it would probably be cheaper to bring it somewhere with a suitable plasma. They will be able to cut all 4 sides perfectly square in all directions.

To be a decent welding table it will need to be flat so surface grinding or fly cutting would be an idea.

By the time you do all this there will not be much profit in selling it.

 

[Munkul]

Probably stupid question, but what if it's flat with little dints here and there in it? No bumps, just dints.

Looks like an unused just rusty plate, should be good to clean up and use.
Hard to say until you clean it up with a wire wheel at least.

 

[Munkul]

Same here.
However, some buyers want nice clean straight & square edges, even if they never use them.

It's a sign of quality, take it for what it's worth.

Yeah usually new plates have at least half decent edges.
We can usually ask to "pick" the plate if we want to be super fussy.

 

[premmington]

If you want a welding table - what you need it a big cast iron marking table.

No they are not cheap - but they are flat and the welding splatter does not stick to them.

Pardon our interruption...

 

[tom2207]

If you want a welding table - what you need it a big cast iron marking table.

No they are not cheap - but they are flat and the welding splatter does not stick to them.

Pardon our interruption...

they are a lot cheaper over there than they are over here ,,, by the time that you get one here they are twice the price ,,, this bit of water is very expensive.

 

[Brad93]

15 psi

I knew it was low!

 

[premmington]

they are a lot cheaper over there than they are over here ,,, by the time that you get one here they are twice the price ,,, this bit of water is very expensive.

@tom2207 I got 6ft x 32" one - real big heavy monster of a thing - 3" top - cast legs with cast webs under table surface. It has nice lip on it as well for using G/Carver clamps.

I got it out of my Father's workshop - cast table top has not got a mark on it - no holes/slots/nothing. It came with a matching bit of 1/2" mild steel plate to sit of the top of it - if you want to tack things to it - for positioning! Top of this is not in a good condition at all - full of "grinding divots" - but bottom of this cover plate is untouched. Top plate has a bevel cut on it's upper face edge - don't know why? Plus 4x half moon lifting tags protruding from it on all four sides. Edges of the mild steel plate look machined - not gas cut. Must have been made for the table as it is a perfect fit.

Makers name is "Bonney Philadelphia USA" - so I assume Dad got if off a USAF base near us at sometime...? It has no date on it - but I bet it is very old.


Downsides:
It is a heavy pig - you can only own one of these if you got a forklift to match.
6ftx32" is not an ideal size - if I was ever to buy another one and I never will - it has got to be 8x4ft

 

[tom2207]

One place I worked in , my bench was a surface plate ,,, from memory it must have been 16 x 6 ft , it was used to make and test torpedoes on , It was far far to nice to have as a bench ,,,, the factory has gone now but Ill bet the plate ended up being broken up with a digger and sent for scrap ,,,, I could weep .
a 4 x 3 would keep me very happy , but one thing at a time , Im building a new workshop at the moment .

 

[premmington]

One place I worked in , my bench was a surface plate ,,, from memory it must have been 16 x 6 ft , it was used to make and test torpedoes on , It was far far to nice to have as a bench ,,,, the factory has gone now but Ill bet the plate ended up being broken up with a digger and sent for scrap ,,,, I could weep .
a 4 x 3 would keep me very happy , but one thing at a time , Im building a new workshop at the moment .

My welding bench in my car repair workshop is:

750x750x10mm bit of mild steel plate - tacked onto an oil drum (drum got sand in it).

Not got a picture of my welding bench - but this is pic of the matching "vice bench" after a paint up.



Oil drum is a perfect height for a bench. They are cheap. Plus you can use anything for "ballast" inside them (sand - out of date cement/tile grout - bricks concrete). Plus with a sq top - you can tilt and roll them to move them about

 

[tom2207]

good idea , looks the part too

 

[premmington]

good idea , looks the part too

I have always used drums to make benches - you gotta drill a hole in them as the "creak" a bit with a change of temp.

35" or 880mm high. Perfect height for bench.

They dirt cheap - thats free to me and you.

Plus painted up - they have sort a "garage theme" for a car repair workshop.

I have been in countless automotive repair workshops in my long life - I have never seen another on ever!

 

[tom2207]

I have always used drums to make benches - you gotta drill a hole in them as the "creak" a bit with a change of temp.

35" or 880mm high. Perfect height for bench.

They dirt cheap - thats free to me and you.

Plus painted up - they have sort a "garage theme" for a car repair workshop.

I have been in countless automotive repair workshops in my long life - I have never seen another on ever!

I creak a bit when the temp changes too ,,,

 

[Erie Fred]

I knew it was low!

Yup, it's marked on the regulators gauges over here with bright red line.

 

[E T]

This is my welding/plasma table. C-channel on 4 pipe stands. Adjustable height, easy to level and easy to dismantle in case I need the floorspace for some job. But in all the years I had this I only dismantled it ones to work on the car I think.