Work table coating

[Martin Britton]

Im making a workshop table - frame is steel, top is a sheet of marine ply, 2.4m x 1.2m
Any advice as to what I could coat the ply with to stop it being burned by spatter ?

 

[Parm]

A sheet of steel

 

[Martin Britton]

A sheet of steel

It had crossed my mind Parm - but was thinking a) cost and b) accidentally sticking stuff to it.

 

[skotl]

It had crossed my mind Parm - but was thinking a) cost and b) accidentally sticking stuff to it.

It doesn't need to be massively thick (aka expensive). I hammered a sheet of 3mm over and round my worktop and it did solid service for six years until I replaced it with a 10mm sheet last month.

Never did stick anything to it (and I'm hardly a competent welder) but if I did, that's what grinders are for. I suspect there's a much greater chance of charring or smouldering (which is probably dangerous) your wooden worktop if you weld on top of it.

 

[Parm]

It had crossed my mind Parm - but was thinking a) cost and b) accidentally sticking stuff to it.

You'll be fine. Go for 3mm and it will be ok. As mentioned just watch out for excessive heat and charring

When you've finished welding stick around for 30 mins or so to watch out if anything takes alight

 

[Martin Britton]

ha ok thanks guys :-)

 

[Memmeddu]

My bench has been made using angle iron to make the top frame ,then box sections to make the legs ,some pipes to make the diagonals .
The top it's just some lumbers covered by a 3mm thick steel sheet

 

[bricol]

Mines 3mm thk sheet, folded up at the rear 8" or so as a back. Sits on an angle frame, with angle stringers front to back under it at foot or so spacing. Well, they all are - three of them spanning width of a double garage. All bolted down, one carries my vice pretty much over one leg, one is clear and one carries my small mill and small Chester Comet lathe.

Withstood engine builds, some serious hammering, useful to tack stuff to when making stuff. Quick whizz over with a flap disc and its flat again.

 

[tom2207]

Mines 3mm thk sheet, folded up at the rear 8" or so as a back. Sits on an angle frame, with angle stringers front to back under it at foot or so spacing. Well, they all are - three of them spanning width of a double garage. All bolted down, one carries my vice pretty much over one leg, one is clear and one carries my small mill and small Chester Comet lathe.

Withstood engine builds, some serious hammering, useful to tack stuff to when making stuff. Quick whizz over with a flap disc and its flat again.

wouldnt be tacking stuff to a 3mm table top over a wooden base , as the op has ... just saying. hot works time is there for a reason.

maybe bung some flags on it then the steel if your legs are strong enough ,, just dont like the steel over wood thing.

 

[Memmeddu]

wouldnt be tacking stuff to a 3mm table top over a wooden base , as the op has ... just saying. hot works time is there for a reason.

maybe bung some flags on it then the steel if your legs are strong enough ,, just dont like the steel over wood thing.

There's no air between the wood and the steel
It will never catch on fire

 

[Munkul]

Steel over wood works fine, it sounds dodgy but it just works.

 

[tom2207]

There's no air between the wood and the steel
It will never catch on fire

Steel over wood works fine, it sounds dodgy but it just works.

Ill stick with steel over a frame , ,as for the wood thing once theres a few holes in it from just drilling a quick hole etc , a bit of oil from that last mower service or all the two stroke oil i spilt has soaked in etc etc ,,, be as easy to make a steel bench , and bung on a ply wood top if your the saw dust manufacturing type .

 

[stuvy]

Bin that ply and get steel as mentioned above

if you do stick stuff to it just grind it off

When bench welding I always clamp my Earth to the bench and it doesn’t pull or twist your work piece

 

[bricol]

wouldnt be tacking stuff to a 3mm table top over a wooden base , as the op has ... just saying. hot works time is there for a reason.

maybe bung some flags on it then the steel if your legs are strong enough ,, just dont like the steel over wood thing.

Only time there's wood anywhere near mine is when loose bits get placed on top of it. My benches are all steel - my point was the 3mm steel, supported by angle stringers, was plenty strong enough.

Welding on flags would worry me - when they crack or "blow" from the heat and shoot concrete bits upwards . . .

 

[Lazurus]

I have steel over wood with some 25mm x 25mm box spacers, not singed anything yet, I needed the top to be rmoveable. I did a quick tack job on my wooden bench last week and the splatter has burnt it, lesson learned.

 

[tom2207]

Only time there's wood anywhere near mine is when loose bits get placed on top of it. My benches are all steel - my point was the 3mm steel, supported by angle stringers, was plenty strong enough.

Welding on flags would worry me - when they crack or "blow" from the heat and shoot concrete bits upwards . . .

with the flags under the steel , and over the wood , i wouldnt think so ,,

 

[skotl]

Bin that ply and get steel as mentioned above

if you do stick stuff to it just grind it off

When bench welding I always clamp my Earth to the bench and it doesn’t pull or twist your work piece

That's a good point - I have a sticky-outy bit on my bench that I earth the welder to, so I can weld anything that's lying on the bench or sitting in the vice.

 

[Memmeddu]

Ill stick with steel over a frame , ,as for the wood thing once theres a few holes in it from just drilling a quick hole etc , a bit of oil from that last mower service or all the two stroke oil i spilt has soaked in etc etc ,,, be as easy to make a steel bench , and bung on a ply wood top if your the saw dust manufacturing type .

Did you ever watched some videos made by Andrew Camarata?
He made his bench out of concrete.

 

[tom2207]

Did you ever watched some videos made by Andrew Camarata?
He made his bench out of concrete.

Ive seen polished concrete used as a floor , it was great sort of like terrazzo crossed with marble ,,

 

[optima21]

dont do like me and use melamine coated chipboard.......its been going for 20 years, think I might have to replace it soon