Screw,rivet or weld steel bench top to steel workbench frame?

[ELL]

So I have a box sextion bench frame, 3mm thick, with a 2mm thick mild steel sheet for the bench top. What is the best way to join the sheet to the bench frame? Screw,rivet or weld?
Surely there will be distortion if I weld. That's why I ask.
Thanks.

 

[tom2207]

normally I would say bolt it , then if you ever have to you can loosen the bolts and shim the surface flat ,,, but with 2mm wont matter as it wont be flat and it wont stay flat , it will end up like a skinny cow. so whatever suits you will be grand , if you ever plan to take it off , bung a few rivets in , probably alloy ones as they will be easier to drill out in the future ,,, you could always put a sheet of 3/4 ply under the top to beef it up a bit , but dont weld on it directly

 

[tigdlo]

Countersink rivets would be my choice.

 

[Dapph2]

Save up for an 8 or 10 mm top plate then weld the bottom one on at North South East & West points say an inch weld every nine inches of frame and tack the edges of the two together then beg, steal or hire a mag drill and a 19 mm cutter so you can make a reasonable network of holes for over-center bench dogs/clamps. This will allow you to have a vise free bench with second to none fixing /clamping points.

https://www.bing.com/aclk?ld=e8qI0X_jFy7E5lushO6tg-qDVUCUxOteL71zNm5Clrq-fAE02C73sOCBqRno5u8wyfwsiRuCGbz94d3aMukMamnZymRdgb8-Xt9MB5YeYJSGEnsWLvmIb9KBpNEZICNEUliFp9xOT6DBjXezZCnITlnK6U-D7rePMYaWCeY9zzuUjy98IAFs_0XU1SCw-_9HwlDitDsA&u=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&rlid=fb635a105a2a1f8a67d732f41c4c15cd&ntb=1

 

[Dozzer]

If the workbench is to be used for anything heavy i would weld, unless you are talking old school heat and swage rivets they come lose real quick, bolts are better, but with such a thin top countersinking will be a PITA

 

[roofman]

plug weld would be my choice

 

[Gareth J]

Csk screw onto decent 18mm ply. 2mm is too thin on its own unless you're a jeweller or something.

 

[addjunkie]

Ct1 sticks everything

 

[Pond frog]

It’s a homemade bench made from lightweight materials, you’ll never get any precision so don’t worry too much. Just a few tack welds to stop the top sliding off job done.
There is a lot of obsession on the internet for the need for super heavy duty high precision fixture tables but a lot of people including myself just need a reasonably flat surface at a convenient height for there welding projects.

 

[tom2207]

It’s a homemade bench made from lightweight materials, you’ll never get any precision so don’t worry too much. Just a few tack welds to stop the top sliding off job done.
There is a lot of obsession on the internet for the need for super heavy duty high precision fixture tables but a lot of people including myself just need a reasonably flat surface at a convenient height for there welding projects.

and three ball bearings , work off three points and everything that you do will all be perfectly flat ... its not the fastest way , but its always true.

 

[indy4x]

Csk screw onto decent 18mm ply. 2mm is too thin on its own unless you're a jeweller or something.

That was my bench, steel frame, although I had 4x2 timbers and then Csk a steel worktop onto them

The steel worktop got swapped out a few years ago for a stainless jobbie that I acquired when a local school were chucking out some kitchen tables