Doubling up 3mm plate?

[skotl]

Darn. 3mm plate is not very thick. Approximately 3mm, in fact...

Just been to the wholesaler and bought a 1m x 2m x 3mm plate for my shiny new welding table (they don't do 1m x 1m which was my preference).

I knew 3mm would be pushing it but now that it's on the back of the truck I can see just how flimsy it is.

So, here's a thought... Given that I have 2m x 1m of it, and the table was going to be 1m square, should I cut it in half and put both halves onto the table? Or would that make it even springier?

((I know the answer would have been to buy 6mm or thicker, but my budget didn't stretch that far, unfortunately ))

 

[sardine]

If you plug / spot weld the two together it will distort all lumpy , you could epoxy sandwich it, but I would save the 3 for a future project, and get some 10 or more. If you can't afford a small sheet for a table top I would give up now. Or are you being overcharged for your steel ?

 

[waddycall]

You could double it up and drill holes in a grid pattern in one half an weld it to the other half through the holes to give it some strength. If you were careful and allowed it to cool between welds you could get it nice and flat that way (if you have a decent straight bar to clamp it to).

 

[skotl]

Thanks guys. The sheet was £50 (£100 for a 6mm sheet), plus another £50 for the box section steel for the frame. Yeah, in hindsight, I should have waited till I could splurge on the thicker steel.

Still - I'm going to go ahead with a single layer as it's still better than the angle-iron monstrosity that I have now. I can always fit a better top at a later date, either grinding off the tinfoil or laying on top.

Was just looking to see whether doubling up was a go-er, but it seems like too much faff.

Cheers!

 

[chunkolini]

For years I had my table skinned with 1" marine ply with a layer of 1.6mm sheet on top. I driled holes all over the place and screwed it down.
Not properly flat but it did the job.
Now it is the ply plus 6mm.

 

[sardine]

I have the solution..... Get hold of some galvanised grating, which is pretty flat, and lay the sheet on top, you could park a tank on that stuff. My bench is made of it, under the 3 foot of tools and junk somewhere. However I got mine from the scrappy, and its not cheap to buy.

 

[Bill Edwards]

How about a sheet of good quality, thick plywood underneath - better than nothing?
Crappy 1/2 may help, if you got some 1" marine stuff then you'd be laughing.

 

[skotl]

For years I had my table skinned with 1" marine ply with a layer of 1.6mm sheet on top. I driled holes all over the place and screwed it down.
Not properly flat but it did the job.
Now it is the ply plus 6mm.

Actually - that's a thought... I have some old kitchen worktop taking up space in my garage - might fit the 3mm on top of that

 

[chunkolini]

Using a plywood base also helps absorb impacts when you start banging your head on it.
You dont get everything jumping off all the time.

 

[Mr shiney]

Just increase the bracing underneath it. My welding bench is 3mm long and made from 3mm plate. The frame is made from 25x25 box section and its braced at regular intervals. I have had a Landrover engine on it without so much as a creak. Remember strength does not have to come from brute force and ignorance. Do you think the wings of an airbus are made from thick materials?

 

[waddycall]

Have you seen how Airbus wings bend?

 

[BrokenBiker]

I used a worktop as my first table, some angke iron frame work and just dropped it into the gap. Worked well, didn't catch fire when I eventually put a sheet of steel on top

Actually - that's a thought... I have some old kitchen worktop taking up space in my garage - might fit the 3mm on top of that

 

[Mr shiney]

Have you seen how Airbus wings bend?

Thats because they are designed to....... I probably realise I am out of my depth on that discussion being a Commercial Pilot and all that.....

 

[waddycall]

Yep, you've got to sit next to them to really know!

 

[Mr shiney]

Yep, you've got to sit next to them to really know!

If that scares you, you should come and sit in my seat.....

 

[chunkolini]

Not sure about airbus wings but dreamliner wings snap easily.

 

[Welderpaul]

Mine's 30mm plate, and 7m x 3m.

Got a nasty bend in it now and really worn in the bottom left corner - been eying up some bed plates but they are daft money

 

[skotl]

Mine's 30mm plate, and 7m x 3m.

Got a nasty bend in it now and really worn in the bottom left corner...

I'm not sure that I'm going to be able to compete with that

 

[Kent]

Nothing wrong with 3mm as long as you build the bench right. I have one 40x40x4 SHS frame with plenty cross members the plate is then stich welded to these from the underside.
Got plans to do a far heavier much larger one, but to be fair I don't do a lot of the sort of batch work that really requires such a thing (gates and such). So I am hanging on until I find a bit of 1/2" going for the begging

 

[the snooper]

Mine's 30mm plate, and 7m x 3m.

Got a nasty bend in it now and really worn in the bottom left corner - been eying up some bed plates but they are daft money

have you tried a panel beating set from ebay