Can we talk fab/fixture tables?

zmotorsports

Hardcore Gearhead
Vendor
Location
West Haven, UT
I'm not completely sold on a table full of holes for what I do. I know many who have them drilled like swiss cheese and on as small as 2" centers. If that fits your needs then I understand but I worked on a friends table that was on 3" centers and it drove me nuts. We weren't fixturing anything, I was helping him work on his small generator and he had it sitting on his table. It really messed with my OCD every time I set a tool or screw down.

My fabrication table has been "holeless" for the past 15 years. Mainly because I also use it for more than solely fabrication/fixturing so I didn't add any holes, that is until this year. Over the summer I had a job come into the shop where I was welding some large weldments and was having a difficult time clamping them down in the middle of the table. I will usually do most of my clamping around the perimeter so no need for clamping in towards the middle but this job was a bit different and it got me thinking that I wished I had a few holes spaced throughout the middle of the table for clamping.

I had also been contemplating a mag drill so when my local welding supply had them on promo I bought one and decided to try it out by adding a few holes to my fabrication table.

Laying out the table. The blue tape represents the structure under the 1/2" top.
8c57cd131855c7ad99251cc5819d2ad0.jpg


1baf66f9bfc409ab3b424922d7484851.jpg


f6a486df9d4b4d9e553440aa671d6327.jpg


96b62d4ca047bbf0490c4e118a895390.jpg


f2a1e8ce44b71cd3b874a6b62fd7687e.jpg


fd49352c554b6d235073089b6068c1cb.jpg


9b51e9986f801510db8b0bcb9d568a01.jpg


I also drilled and tapped a few holes for my axle fixtures to bolt to the table.
01aab9a92e051b6bcf2c0b928ad81d67.jpg


3ed4cb78814c4d643a354cfed9477dca.jpg


6932fb1128a23563287e22261bcda202.jpg


I purchased some F-clamps and cut/modified about a half dozen for slip fit into the 5/8" holes and so far they've been working well. I like the spacing and doubt I'll add any more holes as so far these seem about right for the work I do. I have a couple of smaller fixturing plates that I used when I was building sand drag quads and sand rails for things like suspension components that I merely set on top of my table and can bolt to them so no need to add more holes to my table at this point.

Mike
 

I Lean

Mbryson's hairdresser
Vendor
Location
Utah
I'm not completely sold on a table full of holes for what I do. I know many who have them drilled like swiss cheese and on as small as 2" centers. If that fits your needs then I understand but I worked on a friends table that was on 3" centers and it drove me nuts. We weren't fixturing anything, I was helping him work on his small generator and he had it sitting on his table. It really messed with my OCD every time I set a tool or screw down.

My fabrication table has been "holeless" for the past 15 years. Mainly because I also use it for more than solely fabrication/fixturing so I didn't add any holes, that is until this year. Over the summer I had a job come into the shop where I was welding some large weldments and was having a difficult time clamping them down in the middle of the table. I will usually do most of my clamping around the perimeter so no need for clamping in towards the middle but this job was a bit different and it got me thinking that I wished I had a few holes spaced throughout the middle of the table for clamping.

I had also been contemplating a mag drill so when my local welding supply had them on promo I bought one and decided to try it out by adding a few holes to my fabrication table.

Laying out the table. The blue tape represents the structure under the 1/2" top.
8c57cd131855c7ad99251cc5819d2ad0.jpg


1baf66f9bfc409ab3b424922d7484851.jpg


f6a486df9d4b4d9e553440aa671d6327.jpg


96b62d4ca047bbf0490c4e118a895390.jpg


f2a1e8ce44b71cd3b874a6b62fd7687e.jpg


fd49352c554b6d235073089b6068c1cb.jpg


9b51e9986f801510db8b0bcb9d568a01.jpg


I also drilled and tapped a few holes for my axle fixtures to bolt to the table.
01aab9a92e051b6bcf2c0b928ad81d67.jpg


3ed4cb78814c4d643a354cfed9477dca.jpg


6932fb1128a23563287e22261bcda202.jpg


I purchased some F-clamps and cut/modified about a half dozen for slip fit into the 5/8" holes and so far they've been working well. I like the spacing and doubt I'll add any more holes as so far these seem about right for the work I do. I have a couple of smaller fixturing plates that I used when I was building sand drag quads and sand rails for things like suspension components that I merely set on top of my table and can bolt to them so no need to add more holes to my table at this point.

Mike
I actually just picked up a mag drill a few days ago, that's kinda what spurred this whole discussion. :) And I've built a few things lately that would have been really nice to have some pre-drilled spots just for squaring/layout, as well as clamping.
 

Hickey

Burn-barrel enthusiast
Supporting Member
At $120 for a 24x12 fixture plate, these are a decent way to go.

 

MikeGyver

UtahWeld.com
Location
Arem
Here's a sweet CAD fab table I designed and got a couple of the other mechanical engineering students to help build last year as a small portion of our work on the SAE Baja capstone project at UVU.
3/8" thick top bolted down and precisely flattened with shims, all laser cut. ~430 holes tapped to 3/8" with a tap guide and cordless drill. 15 seconds per hole to tap.

table5.JPG
IMG_5031.JPG
IMG_5250.JPG
IMG_4674.JPGIMG_5252.JPG
fab table.JPG

IMG_5717.JPGchassis on table.jpg
IMG_5982.JPG
IMG_6051b.jpg
 
Last edited:

SnwMnkys

Registered User
Location
Orem, Utah
Messaged this guy on FB to buy a fab table but I was too late. He is willing to get another batch made up if anyone's interested. I told him Id spread the word.

 
Last edited:

MikeGyver

UtahWeld.com
Location
Arem
Messaged this guy on FB to buy a fab table but I was too late. He is willing to get another batch made up if anyone's interested. I told him Id spread the word.

lol is that guy just straight copying Certiflat tables and selling them?
 
Top