Welding table build, fixture, jig, flat? Need advice.

I finalized the deal on the 12'x6' 3/4 thick table. Seeing as how the 8x4 1/2 plate I was going to go with was going to run me $350 at the lowest, paying $440 for this table seemed like a no brainer. That's Canadian money BTW, so about $2.50 USD after currency conversion.



The 6 "legs" if I dare call them that, are 8"x8" 3/8 thick. Shes a solid girl, that's for sure. The plate is about 2200# and the legs are about 100# each, so Id call it 2800#ish.

Also in the deal I got a new UniWeld Argon Flowmeter, bunch of Walter sanding and cutting discs along with a bunch of Weldcraft gas lenses and cups and collets ect ect. I was happy.

So, as much as I'd love to have welding table the size of my car in the garage, it was a bit over kill and the wife was a hard sell. I decided to cut it up into 3 pieces, each measuring 6x4, keeping the best for myself and selling the other two. The legs would be cut up into 8in wide strips for some poor mans flat bar and scrap the rest.

I took the truck and trailer up to work. My Miller 375 was not up to the task of cutting this plate in half, nor did I want to pay someone else to do it for me. I was going to use the Plasma at work, but apparently the plug on the Plasma is a 600V 30 AMP and all I could not find the adapter to 600V 20AMP which is what was on the wall. Oh well.

I wanted a clean edge, so, out came the Milwaukee Metal Cutting Circular Saw!
After cutting fine for the first 15 inches, the saw started to slow down HARD and kept kicking the thermal overload. Blade was roached. Off to get a new blade. I was going to just get one, but I got two, and I am happy I did. $100 and two 50T metal blades later, we were back in business, and flying! If from the start I had used one blade per cut, I'd of been at 15 minutes per cut, more or less. Thats 48 inches per cut of 3/4 plate. That saw is a beast. I am happy I did this at work, because the plate and trailer would not fit in my garage, so I'd of been doing this outside from 7-12PM, and since I had to return the borrowed trailer tomorrow morning, I am glad I could make as much noise as I wanted at work.

Everything cut down, sweaty, dirty and tired, I went home and went to bed. Work up this morning and go back to business. Now I had to get the plates off.... I decided on pulling them sideways off the trailer, using the truck and using 12' long 2x12's to act as ramps. An hour later I was done. And not a moment to early too as the garbage guy was coming down the alley and I had to move the trailer!



Pretty clean cut. I was very happy with how well the saw cut it.



This picture makes the table look really small. Perhaps the 8x8 legs throw off the ratio.

Going to use 2x2 3/16 square for the frame. Why? It was free. Standard rectangle top, 2 braces inbetween to support the plate. Frame will be pretty standard but will feature a kickout inwards so I can get under the table to TIG.

Gonna start working on the frame tomorrow. Should take a few days, then pay someone $50 to show up with a Mini Excavator to mount this sucker and I'll be happy. Then I can start the project list.

Shit or get off the pot as my grandma used to say.I finalized the deal on the 12'x6' 3/4 thick table. Seeing as how the 8x4 1/2 plate I was going to go with was going to run me $350 at the lowest, paying $440 for this table seemed like a no brainer. That's Canadian money BTW, so about $2.50 USD after currency conversion.The 6 "legs" if I dare call them that, are 8"x8" 3/8 thick. Shes a solid girl, that's for sure. The plate is about 2200# and the legs are about 100# each, so Id call it 2800#ish.Also in the deal I got a new UniWeld Argon Flowmeter, bunch of Walter sanding and cutting discs along with a bunch of Weldcraft gas lenses and cups and collets ect ect. I was happy.So, as much as I'd love to have welding table the size of my car in the garage, it was a bit over kill and the wife was a hard sell. I decided to cut it up into 3 pieces, each measuring 6x4, keeping the best for myself and selling the other two. The legs would be cut up into 8in wide strips for some poor mans flat bar and scrap the rest.I took the truck and trailer up to work. My Miller 375 was not up to the task of cutting this plate in half, nor did I want to pay someone else to do it for me. I was going to use the Plasma at work, but apparently the plug on the Plasma is a 600V 30 AMP and all I could not find the adapter to 600V 20AMP which is what was on the wall. Oh well.I wanted a clean edge, so, out came the Milwaukee Metal Cutting Circular Saw!After cutting fine for the first 15 inches, the saw started to slow down HARD and kept kicking the thermal overload. Blade was roached. Off to get a new blade. I was going to just get one, but I got two, and I am happy I did. $100 and two 50T metal blades later, we were back in business, and flying! If from the start I had used one blade per cut, I'd of been at 15 minutes per cut, more or less. Thats 48 inches per cut of 3/4 plate. That saw is a beast. I am happy I did this at work, because the plate and trailer would not fit in my garage, so I'd of been doing this outside from 7-12PM, and since I had to return the borrowed trailer tomorrow morning, I am glad I could make as much noise as I wanted at work.Everything cut down, sweaty, dirty and tired, I went home and went to bed. Work up this morning and go back to business. Now I had to get the plates off.... I decided on pulling them sideways off the trailer, using the truck and using 12' long 2x12's to act as ramps. An hour later I was done. And not a moment to early too as the garbage guy was coming down the alley and I had to move the trailer!Pretty clean cut. I was very happy with how well the saw cut it.This picture makes the table look really small. Perhaps the 8x8 legs throw off the ratio.Going to use 2x2 3/16 square for the frame. Why? It was free.Standard rectangle top, 2 braces inbetween to support the plate. Frame will be pretty standard but will feature a kickout inwards so I can get under the table to TIG.Gonna start working on the frame tomorrow. Should take a few days, then pay someone $50 to show up with a Mini Excavator to mount this sucker and I'll be happy. Then I can start the project list.