Welding Table - what am I looking at to get this cut.

[hotponyshoes]

Watching this with much interest. i could use more than a small plate. but is 6mm thick enough for a welding table? most seem 10mm+

Depends what exactly you want to use it for and the level of precision required from it.

If you are jigging up go-cart frames to the nearest mm and just tacking them together with the tig before taking them off and brazing them up then 5mm should be flat enough and fine.

If you want to weld 100x100x6mm box section with mma and keep them square and flat to the same mm tolerance over 1.8m then no, 5mm is not even close.

If you want it full of nice, evenly spaced, holes, what are you using the holes for?
If it's just to drop pegs/jig plates into then 5mm if fine for locating stuff against to make layout quick.
If you want to use the drop-in clamps and actually clamp stuff down firmly then 5mm is useless again.
If the clamps even hold in 5mm the holes will wear really quickly.
I think the tip thickness wants to be the same as the clamp peg diameter.
Ie, a table top with 16mm holes should be 16mm thick for serious use as a hold-down table.

Problem is, a sheet like that is costly to start with. Then add cutting and delivery costs..
This takes you well over the price of buying a used surface table with a 1"+ thick top and a mag drill...

 

[metalmatt]

If the clamps even hold in 5mm the holes will wear really quickly.

can confirm this, they do hold in a 5mm top and certainly well enough to keep 2mm box & 3mm angle in check but a couple of holes are not as good as they used to be - there's a couple visible in the background of that pic i posted on the first page - those rusty blue ones in the background are the cheapest f-clamps on the internet treated with some delicate angle grinder surgery to chop the bottom off & welded on shoulder bolts in place to act as the pegs

 

[Craig-S]

Depends what exactly you want to use it for and the level of precision required from it.

If you are jigging up go-cart frames to the nearest mm and just tacking them together with the tig before taking them off and brazing them up then 5mm should be flat enough and fine.

If you want to weld 100x100x6mm box section with mma and keep them square and flat to the same mm tolerance over 1.8m then no, 5mm is not even close.

If you want it full of nice, evenly spaced, holes, what are you using the holes for?
If it's just to drop pegs/jig plates into then 5mm if fine for locating stuff against to make layout quick.
If you want to use the drop-in clamps and actually clamp stuff down firmly then 5mm is useless again.
If the clamps even hold in 5mm the holes will wear really quickly.
I think the tip thickness wants to be the same as the clamp peg diameter.
Ie, a table top with 16mm holes should be 16mm thick for serious use as a hold-down table.

Problem is, a sheet like that is costly to start with. Then add cutting and delivery costs..
This takes you well over the price of buying a used surface table with a 1"+ thick top and a mag drill...

Personally for me 95% TIG welding, but id like to clamp stuff, i also dont want to hijack the thread though

The problem with buying anything used is its going to be stupidly heavy and picking it up or delivery isnt the easiest thing. let alone getting it in place. I reckon as I have a 4" thick wooden frame, probably a thick steel top might be the way forward

 

[chip]

Personally for me 95% TIG welding, but id like to clamp stuff, i also dont want to hijack the thread though

it's fine with me Craig it's all good related info