I want to build a welding fixture table, Cast iron ones are out of my budget, so I am going to design one of these in CAD and get it laser cut. All the tutorials I've seeen end up MIG welding them together, however do you think it would be possible to use some sort of epoxy/JB weld to hold it togeether to avoid any sort of distortion? My goal is to make it as flat as possible in order to achieve the same accuracy as acast and machines table surface, but being affordable like a laser cut one.
My plan is to hold it together with squares and clamps while the epoxy hardens, maybe design it so that once it is square the epoxy can be injected into the braces and cure, that way you can square it first and then add the glue so it doesn't distort.
I made mine out of expanded metal and 1/2" square tubing I salvaged from work and I've never had an issue with it being level or anything. I just moved my clamp as I tacked the expanded metal the tubing so it would stay flat, and used a shitload of tubing
>expanded metal weld table
what the hell, how do you make sure the working surface is flat?
Well, the expanded metal is flat, and the tubing is flat
If you're actually serious then just get a laser cut one and weld it like a semi normal person would. There are steps you can take to minimize distortion to negligible amounts. Not to mention your welding projects aren't accurate enough to warrant a super accurate fixture table anyway.
While it is true there are ways to minimize distortion while welding it, I would assue gluing it together with ultra strong epoxy might make it even more accurate.
Epoxy welding table…the frick?
What…tired of the what drill should i buy threads
instead of welding the seams I would use epoxy glue
>First off, you do realize that sheet and plate metal you laser cut isnt even close to flat right?
I know, ideally I would machine the steel plate after it was laser cut and chamfered, it would still be cheaper than buying a cast one.
> suspect the first time you weld something on your epoxy joined table the welding distortion is going to rip your epoxy joints apart as if they were not there.
I don't think this would be the case, as you can lift the piece off the working table by using shims and then clamp it down
>a flat sheet of steel, maybe 3/4" thick and welding legs under it. Spot weld your assemblies directly to the plate.
I've worked like this before and it sucks, that's why I want a fixture table.
>I don't think this would be the case, as you can lift the piece off the working table by using shims and then clamp it down
I'm not quite sure how that is relevant. Lets say you have a steel member clamped to your table with shims or not. you weld on that member causing distortion, that force gets transmitted to your table through the clamps. You expect your table to be strong enough to resist those forces and maintain flatness. You can assemble your table with 70ksi weld beads or 10ksi glue joints.
I say no way will your glue joints hold up. You can turn an I beam into a potato chip by padding beads on it. Are you just planning to just do spot welding while work is clamped to your table?
First off, you do realize that sheet and plate metal you laser cut isnt even close to flat right?
Its not flat before its cut, and its even less flat after its cut.
It will have warps and it will easily bend/deflect to anything it stands on.
Yes, if you do not properly brace your welds it could cause a some distortion. But its really not hard to brace and mitigate that.
What you need to actually worry about is making the frame it sits on as flat and even as humanly possible.
Your top will bend and form to whatever flatness your frame is.
This is going to be 100x more important than the minor distortions during welding.
Also stop being a moron and weld it.
You will never touch the accuracy of a ground cast iron table. But the good thing is, you dont really need to for welding.
This seems like a bad idea. When you weld things, they pull as the nuggets freeze. Its largely unavoidable. Even if you can clamp things rigidly, you are still putting stresses in the work and it can flex when the clamps are removed. This means that a perfectly flat welding table (although fawned over in certain welding youtube channels) is less important than you might think. If you want a truly flat weldment you have to take it to be stress relieved in a large furnace then put it on the bed of a big milling machine to have whatever critical surfaces you have machined.
I suspect the first time you weld something on your epoxy joined table the welding distortion is going to rip your epoxy joints apart as if they were not there.
I purchased one of the 4x8 build pro tables plus all the trimmings and I like it. Probably out of your budget right now.
I have not done this, but have seen it done, and I suggest just buying a flat sheet of steel, maybe 3/4" thick and welding legs under it. Spot weld your assemblies directly to the plate. Get the assembly tacked up enough to get some rigidity,
then cut the spot welds. Play the old game after that about adding welds across the structure symmetrically to prevent distortion. You will have to develop this skill anyway. Grind down your spot welds with a flap wheel on the table surface when done. You may be able to find one of these home made welding / shop tables on craigslist or something.
>building a WELDING TABLE
>not going to WELD it
jesus I think this should be a PrepHole bingo square
>jb WELD
it's right there in the name buddy.
>OP is high from heat transfer to his welding table
>Forgets to soap bottle his gas lines
Natural Consequences
How do people even get a welder?
buy a cheap MIG/Fluxcore one from ebay.
Walk into Harbor Freight