Projects Building a new fab table: Somewhat budget consious

Uhhhm, wrapping up a few loose ends.

 

That is one world class table. I like the idea of being able to bolt the fixtures to it like that as I've seen a couple of them that they would weld the uprights to and then cut them off when they needed to change position.

 

Have fun in Austin guys! What an amazing table. If I ever manage to buy a house, I may have to have you cut me some less fancy legs.... If you need me to stop by the shop, and check on the table, leave it some food/water, have Chip give me a call. I'll check on the dog too.

 

Are you suggesting that the table eats and drinks, or are you just confusing the table and woody? It has happened...

 

Just judging from appearances, I would guess that that table drinks scotch old enough to order its' own scotch. I can always tell the difference with Woody, he barks just enough to make me think I must be a bad guy.

 

Steve that frame is gorgeous. Ok I totally understand the idea of being able to reach things and it makes sense for sure. I think I Need to start workin out and stretching more. haha Then I will be more flexible. I too thought of the Adjustable stand, but its a lot of work to move one up and down and keep it perfectly flat and squared. Each type of table has its own intended purpose. Buttttt A flat table like yours to me is more versatile than the others. I plan on having many fixtures to assemble parts so a flat table with jig areas is a must. Although for many an open table is perfect. You can build and mock everything up and leave it hanging off the sides or on the chassis without having to worry about it hitting the top of the table. Those tables to me are mostly for specific chassis building and dragster building. Anyhow thanks for the input. It won't be too long and My buddy Mike and I will be working on another table. Would be nice to have a water jet or plasma table too

In time things will fall into place.

 

When a man has as much pride in building his tools as he does his products, that's the sign of a true craftsman. Elpolacko proves he's a craftsman with everything he builds. Great work.

[Ass kissing/off]

 

You hit the nail on the head with this. His tools and work is with out a doubt built with love and devotion.

 

"I broke out a long straight edge to see if the plate had any wave to it. If it did, I would make the surface concave a then weld the plate to the frame from the underside."

you would make the plate concave with heat form an oxy acetylene torch?

once the plate was concave, welding the plate to the frame would force the plate to become flat?

 

Joe, please learn how to reply without linking all the previous photos. That shit is annoying and uses up bandwidth. You can cut them out of the reply box with a right-click drag, they will turn light blue and you hit backspace to delete .

 

Thanks T-Man, been trying to figure that out my self.

 

wasn't sure it was okay to do that. i went back and edited the photos out.

 

Jeeze Chip? I thought you were brighter!?!??!?!

Seriously, I learn new tips weekly. Things like when you are looking for info on Oil Squirters for the pistons, just dont type OIL SQUIRTERS in the search window! Amazing what the human body can do!

 

Ha you give me too much credit sir! Now as to the other stuff, I HAVE learned how to operate browsers the girlfriend will NEVER know about, (crap, pretty sure 'Polacko taught me that too...) and I'm sure to what you refer to has several sights of it's own...

 

I met up with Steve a couple of weeks back and inspected the table 1st hand and it is a great work platform and piece of art all at the same time.
Nice work Steve, I've learnt to expect no less from all the projects you take on, be it workshop equipment of hot rod work.

All ways great to catch up and thanks for the shop tour to boot.

 

Yes, when ever you heat steel and let it cool rapidly it shrinks. Ever done any sheet metal work with a stainless shrinking disc?

 

no, i never have. any links to information on how to use one?

 

Just type shrinking disk into the search window. MANY threads on here and the web dealing with them.

 

Tman is correct. There are several threads dealing with metal shrinking.

Try this for yourself. Set up a T joint out of scrap tube. Make it as square as possible and just tack one side with what ever welder you have available. Watch how much the weld pulls your T joint out of square.

This pull happens every time you weld, or rapidly heat and cool metal.

 

try here...

 

if the floor isn't flat, you have to build some kind of structure off the floor and make it flat and then build off of that?

 

Joe, my floor isn't flat and that is the point of having a table like this.

When you build a structure like this, you need to use good levels and measuring equipment to make damn sure what you are building is better than the surface you are building on.

 

Awesome table

 

I use machine clamps on my table when I can, but I also have a bunch of 1-1/4" holes so I use smaller C-Clamps. Machine clamps work much better though. I don't want to hijack, but mine was an old Machine Base from a specialty automotive plant that had a contract for building key tumblers. Once the economy dropped out, they lost the line thus having to offload a bunch of proprietairy equipment. This is a base off one of the machines:



1" thick blanchard ground top that is Zinc Coated. I hold my breath when I weld something to the zinc, or any time I grind on it.

 

trying to understand how a level can work if the floor is not flat. wiki wasn't much help. the last answer here helped a little.

http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=562730

"hydrostatic laws say that if unobstructed a bubble of air (less dense than colored spirit) in a container full of spirit (the tube) will float upwards. if the tube is level, the highest point will be at its center, and the bubble will settle in there. if not, it heads for higher ground (the high end of the tube)"

guess i need to accept that a level works because of hydrostatic laws and move on.

 

Level is level. I suppose it is an odd concept because we reside on a sphere. So yes,

Imagine this, just one channel iron 10' long laid on the ground. The channel is stood upright with the web vertical and the flanges horizontal. Good clean channel should be very straight in this vertical position but may stray or curl slightly. If you put a level on it and the bubble does not line up in the center, you can shim it on the side opposite of the bubble to bring it to center. Even though the channel may have a curl in it, it is level.

Everything else about how to square each cell of the structure is designed to remove the curl from the channel. So long as everything remains level and the joints are square and dimensionally identical, your structure will be very flat and usable.

 

your detailed channel iron explanation, along with the concept of once level only goal is to remove curl, was super helpful to me. thank you!

 

This is a great table, suggest you round the 4 corners to protect yourself when working, also you could use a skill saw with a metal cutting blade to deepen the center mark. Clamp a lenght of steel on it for a guide and cut it.

 

you apparently build machines on occasion. i think space has become a huge consideration for most people and i feel dedicated fixturing is a luxury. have you ever considered designing, building and selling modular fixtures like this? their stuff isn't what i would label as affordable. maybe you can come up with something more affordable and just as good if not better?

http://www.bluco.com/index.html

 

I think Steve does it out of need, I don't think if he built them they would be any more affordable. They take a lot of time.