One of the most basic welding projects to work on is a welding table. But, wait a second. Do you really want to put in the effort and money to construct a table for welding while you could be in a position to purchase one that is foldable, portable and cheap? gasfjedre  I’m all for building things from scratch whenever I can make a few dollars. However, it can be depressing when you struggle for a week with the welding task only to realize that you could have bought the equipment and used your time on a more productive project.

Let’s explore some options to assist you in making the right choice regarding welding tables. They range from the cheapest and most simple, to more costly and efficient.

3 possibilities for a table with light duty:

  • A 30″ 20″ metal table that folds up specifically designed to be used for welding and can fold to store it, can be purchased ready to use straight from the box. The approximate cost is $140, plus shipping.
  • The cheapest and simplest option might be a set of DIY sawhorses that are made using sawhorse brackets and an 11 gauge steel to make the table top for welding. If not being used, the steel can be stored against the wall, and the sawhorses are removed and put in a safe place. You can even laminate a 16 ga sheet into the size of a piece of plywood measuring 3/4 inches, if you wish. It could be used in the event of a need as a table to join small pieces. The approximate cost is around $80 ( $20 on sawhorse braces, $20 for a half-sheet of plywood and $10 to buy two fours, and $30 for top sheet of sheet metal.)
  • A stainless steel table is available for purchase which is able to be put together quickly. (If you’re welding stainless food service components this is an excellent choice because stainless steel isn’t a good choice for becoming contaminated with iron particles which will eventually cause staining and corrosion.) The approximate cost is around $130.

Two options for a heavy table that is designed for heavy

  • Get a whole sheet of 1/2″ 1/2 inch and 3/4 ” steel plate and three inches of square angle iron or tubing and make a very heavy duty welding table that is hammered onto or heated, welded and clamped onto, etc. The approximate cost for entire steel is about $800.
  • Buy a heavy-duty welding table that is made of 6 individual steel plates, CNC-machined using 5/8in. holes that are drilled into a 2in. grid pattern, which will allow you to clamp almost everything of any shape. Costs are around $2200 with shipping.