Free 186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook:  
Get 2,000+ tool plans, full site access, and more.

User Tag List

Results 1 to 4 of 4

Thread: Thick Solid Steel Bars Welding Fabrication Table | Mill Scale Removal

  1. #1
    Supporting Member tiger carpenter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Posts
    42
    Thanks
    26
    Thanked 52 Times in 21 Posts

    tiger carpenter's Tools

    Thick Solid Steel Bars Welding Fabrication Table | Mill Scale Removal



    I always wanted to have an ultimate welding / fabrication table, built using thick solid steel flat bars.And I always dreamed of having a welding table to not only be as solid as it gets, but I also wanted it to look very elegant and presentable.

    I made the table frame from rectangular but thick hollow profiles, and welded together to the total length of 6 feet = 1828 mm, and 2 feet wide = 610 mm. The step of making a frame is not part of this video, to keep it short, and focus more on the solid steel bars top.

    The top of my welding / fabrication table consists of 10 solid mild steel bars 610 mm x 150 mm x 16 mm = 2 feet x 6 inches x 5/8 inch thick.
    I envisioned the beautiful solid steel bars top to be smooth and flat, therefore I decided not to have any through holes showing on the top surface. This decision made my life miserable, as it was extremely difficult to maintain the precision drilling of all the holes both in the frame and in the individual solid bars, to all align perfectly together. It was very hard but I achieved this, and obviously now I feel super cool about it. But if I had to make another welding table, I would probably drill all the way through the solid steel bars to make the assembly swift and easy.

    The first part of the video puts a strong emphasis on how to remove the mill scale from the solid steel bars, because once you have solid steel 5/8 inch = 16 mm thick table top, you definitely want it to look exquisite. I didn't want to use any mechanical / abrasive action on the surface of the solid steel bars, as it would have damaged its beauty and leave dents and scars. I had to remove the mill scale using the chemical approach.I used vinegar in two 20 hours long rounds, which did the job nearly perfectly well. The remaining mill scale I removed using Scotch & Brite purple strip disc.

    Finally I spent many hours flattening the steel bars using 3 grits of the diamond stones.

    In the end I sealed the mild steel solid bars with the bees wax, to protect them from the elements, as my welding / fabrication table is stored outdoors, and I live in tropics on top of that.

    I couldn't be more happy with my final outcome. I think my welding table stands out, and also is very functional. The thickness of the solid steel bars really helps with the heat dissipation and overall makes the welding / fabrication jobs a real pleasure.

    This project required a lot of effort, but it filled me with real satisfaction and accomplishment.


    186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook
    At Tiger Carpenter I use both hand and power tools. I put a lot of thought into the design and optimization. I like to come up with the improvements of the tools or jigs that are already out there, and share my ideas or findings with the community so that we all can benefit from each invention.I also implement the principle of aiming for perfection. I learn from the mistakes I made, and I raise the bar for every next project.

  2. The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to tiger carpenter For This Useful Post:

    asterix (Mar 1, 2021), cogentia (Feb 28, 2021), johncg (Feb 27, 2021), Jon (Mar 5, 2021), kboy0076 (Mar 1, 2021)

  3. #2
    Content Editor
    Supporting Member
    DIYer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    3,056
    Thanks
    772
    Thanked 1,850 Times in 1,652 Posts


    Thanks tiger carpenter! We've added your Welding Table to our Welding Tables category,
    as well as to your builder page: tiger carpenter's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:




    2000 Tool Plans

  4. #3
    Supporting Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    12
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
    Love hearing of one's quest to improve the status quo, or build a better mouse trap. I build or rebuild all of the fixtures and tooling we use in our manufacturing process. So understand the gratification that comes with it. We have large signs hanging that depict our goal, "0 DEFECTS". We can all improve the process we use and the quality of what we produce. Thank you for your sharing.

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to bwpigeon For This Useful Post:

    tiger carpenter (Feb 27, 2021)

  6. #4
    Supporting Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Posts
    5
    Thanks
    314
    Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
    Thanks Tiger Carpenter! Very nice welding table and the vinegar technique is something I am going to try.



    186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook

  7. The Following User Says Thank You to hardlylook For This Useful Post:

    tiger carpenter (Feb 28, 2021)

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •