Welding bench material

[hogster]

Newbie here,got most of my kit together so I'm ready to start practicing,big hand to Weldequip for sorting me out with everything
Thinking about making a welding table(not from scratch!)I've got an old metal framed bench in my workshop but it has a wooden top which will obviously need to be removed,what's the best type of material to use for the top and what sort of gauge?
I'm assuming mild steel sheet will be ok and cheap but then it will rust over time which could cause problems with conduction etc plus it will look bloody awful,so theres stainless (££££!) or galvanised steel are all these ok to use.
While I'm here what sort of gauge material is best to use to practice with,I'll be buying off-cut stock from where ever I can get it but I don't want waste too much cash getting the wrong stuff.

 

[Archie]

Mild steel is perfect. It's unlikely to build up a heavy layer of rust unless you leave it unused in a very damp place for extended periods. Also you can tack things to a M/S bench. If you're even considering going stainless put the money into buying a thicker top, the heavier the better. Mine's 10mm and though you could get away with 8 or even 6mm depending on the size I'd go bigger. Especially if you'll do any hammering on it. Of course, it all depends how much you want to spend, how often you intend to use it and what for, whether is will need to be moved, how much space you have etc etc ad infinitum!

 

[busa]

As Archie says, thicker the better, also make it as big as possible, a bench can never be too big. One other point is that if the bench is to be fixed in one position then take the time to ensure that it is as flat as you can possibly make it and that it is level both ways. This will make fabricating things much simpler as you will be building on a flat level datum. Install a couple of sockets under the bench so you don't need extension leads all over the floor around your feet, and finally, invest in a good vice.

 

[Stuggi]

I've been thinking about this, do you guys just lift the thick plate on top of a bench/frame, or do you secure it with bolts/welds? One would think that a 200 kg plate wouldn't be moving about that much...

 

[Arsonista]

Mild steel is fine, I'd say 16mm (5/8'') min thickness. If you clamp something down that's not quite flat, you want the job to bend, not the bench. Also you may want to pre-stress something before welding, again, you need to know that the bench won't bend. With a thicker bench you can drill and tap holes for hold down clamps too.

 

[Archie]

A few short welds on the underside to stop the top from sliding are ample. As you say, it won't move much anyway so no need to go OTT!

 

[NTwoO]

My table has a wooden top with a 304 piece of 600x600x8 in one corner for welding. Stainless and Mild are no good friends, so use a small sheet of copper to separate ms and ss. Two prof constructors I know have tables using Alu tops.