Gareth J
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- 3,330
- Location
- North Cornwall
I'm cobbling together a "new" welding workbench. I've used mega steel left over from the electricity board for the frame. It's like 4"x4" and 10mm thick. Was all finished but I've realised the 10mm sheet on the top has pulled with the tacks used to attach it to the frame.
Didn't use a lot of tacks so I've undone them and separated top from frame. It is now flat enough again.
The trouble is, the angle frame has pulled a tad, leaving a slight gap around the very edges where the plate sits. Put some weld in in and the amount of pull on the slab is unacceptable. I'm not expecting a surface plate but would like it flat and level enough that I can't see under the spirit level.
Now, I've been thinking I'll bolt the frame down shimming as required to get the bearing edges level and put the top on after.
I could shim the top to the frame and re tack it hoping that with no gaps the pull will be minimal.
Or, I could try using some sikaflex I have here. It might support the top plate nicely, ensure full contact with the frame do a bit of damping between frame and top and let me get things as flat and level as I'd like.
Of course the obvious reason not to is that it might get too hot but I don't think the heat will be outrageous through 10mm plate... will it??
Edit, it would help if I gave an estimate of how much heat I'm likely to put into it. Worst abuse would likely be a concentrated heat source dumped on there, like something red hot after it's just been heated in a vice. Unless the radiation from welding close to the plate will get the underside melty in a short space of time...
Didn't use a lot of tacks so I've undone them and separated top from frame. It is now flat enough again.
The trouble is, the angle frame has pulled a tad, leaving a slight gap around the very edges where the plate sits. Put some weld in in and the amount of pull on the slab is unacceptable. I'm not expecting a surface plate but would like it flat and level enough that I can't see under the spirit level.
Now, I've been thinking I'll bolt the frame down shimming as required to get the bearing edges level and put the top on after.
I could shim the top to the frame and re tack it hoping that with no gaps the pull will be minimal.
Or, I could try using some sikaflex I have here. It might support the top plate nicely, ensure full contact with the frame do a bit of damping between frame and top and let me get things as flat and level as I'd like.
Of course the obvious reason not to is that it might get too hot but I don't think the heat will be outrageous through 10mm plate... will it??
Edit, it would help if I gave an estimate of how much heat I'm likely to put into it. Worst abuse would likely be a concentrated heat source dumped on there, like something red hot after it's just been heated in a vice. Unless the radiation from welding close to the plate will get the underside melty in a short space of time...