Welding tables, just like work tables, are essential to achieve good results in our work. It is also important to have different fasteners fit for that task.
The question that many amateurs and professionals ask themselves is which ones to choose; the offer is diverse, but not all fasteners They serve the same task. Similarly, there are no welding tables universal: there are rotary and fixed, gridded, smooth, screened, etc.
The correct selection of both work elements will determine the success of our projects. Let’s see what each one is about and the uses that can be given to it.
welding tables
The welding tables They are divided into two large groups: fixed and articulated. The fixed ones in turn can be separated into smooth, slotted or screened. The articulated ones, in turn, turn into swivels, tilting, etc. Any of the tables —fixed or articulated— can have wheels or adjustable fixed legs; Generally, the most basic and small ones include wheels to move them, while the largest and most complex ones require, by their very nature, adjustable fixed legs, which allow them to be adapted to any irregular or uneven surface.
Each one fulfills a purpose determined by the type of work to which we will use them.
fixed
are those welding tables that offer a rigid support surface, which cannot be moved, and are indicated for all those jobs where the angles are right or easy to obtain using construction squares.
The most common are those with a smooth surface, although there are also screened and grooved ones.
Smooth
Smooth welding bench Solter
The work surface has no holes or slots. Are welding tables They are indicated to carry out the simplest jobs, for which it is enough to use some of the fasteners which we will see later.
In general, it is a rectangular table, with orthogonal angles, with an upper surface lined with iron sheet, and an optional lower surface, destined to store accessories and other accessories. tools such as files, rasps, brushes, etc.
The upper work surface is arranged in such a way that it allows you to freely place fasteners such as clamps, vices and vise grips, making it ideal for Weld pieces larger than the table itself, and arrange them as you like.
Screened or crosslinked
The welding tables screened, or reticulated, are similar to the smooth ones, but the work surface contains holes (screens) where it is possible to fix elements such as supplements, spacers, squares and other instruments that allow the pieces to be held and positioned.
screened table
Are welding tables They usually have a work surface made of plasma-nitrided steel, which gives them hardness and resistance to corrosion. The holes, standardized in standard diameters and with metric threads (generally 10 or 12), are spaced 100 mm apart, making it easy to locate and fix any group of parts to Weld.
Slotted
Grooved table for welding
These tables of welding They have slots —equidistant from each other and perpendicular to each other— that allow T-nuts to slide (commonly called dices), used to hold supplements, brackets and other fasteners by means of metric thread and Allen head screws.
They are used for work welding where it is essential to have precision in the angles and where it is necessary to avoid by all means that the pieces move.
Given 2
articulated
Are welding tablesIn addition to having some of the aforementioned characteristics, they allow the work table to be moved or rotated, which allows reaching places that are difficult to access. There are three different types: rotating, tilting and adjustable in height. There are models that combine these three degrees of freedom.
tiltable
They have a system that allows the pivoting of the welding work table on its transverse axis; something that makes the task of Weld complex pieces where it is necessary to reach nooks and crannies that are difficult to access.
Many models have a working angle indicator dial; Although it is not essential to have it, in some cases it is useful.
Rotary
Rotary slotted table for welding
At first glance, the most basic models resemble the indexing plate of a milling machine. However, they are welding tables of radial movement, which allow welding circular parts more easily.
Tiltable rotary slotted table
There are models, like the one seen above, that in addition to pivoting the table allow it to be tilted, combining two degrees of freedom.
height adjustable
Adjustable height tiltable rotary slotted table
The third degree of freedom is the one that gives us the regulation of the height; useful when parts to be welded they overlap vertically.
There are models that include the three possible movements: height, rotation and inclination. In the photo above you can see one of them.
Welding fasteners
As a complement to the welding tables, we have the clamping and positioning elements. These are responsible for fixing the pieces to be welded to the table, and, optionally, allow them to be positioned at certain angles or separated by a certain distance from each other. We will see below the most common of these tools and devices.
T-Nuts
also called dices, are an important element when locating the different fastening elements to the welding tables slotted. These are blocks of iron, aluminum or, rarely, steel, in the shape of a T and with a hole with a metric thread in the center, which slides through the slots in the table, keeping the hole free to screw the screws into them ( asparagus) that will allow to hold various elements on the table.
bench vices
also called walruses, conform to the welding tables and allow the pieces to be held directly through their jaws, which can be hard or made of softer materials —aluminum, lead, brass, among others—.
welding vise
There are different models, although they all operate in a similar way. Some vises allow their attachment to the welding tables slotted using the T-nuts (photo above).
Parallel clamps
When it is required to hold two pieces together guaranteeing their level and parallelism, it is necessary to use the morsets parallels. They are two flat steel bars, joined by two screws arranged in parallel. In this way, the parallelism of both bars is ensured, with which the pieces that are placed between them will remain at the same level.
Sergeants
welding sergeant
The sergeants They are made up of a fixed piece —generally cast iron— in the shape of a C, which has a screw on one of its ends that allows the pieces and the table to be adjusted against the other end.
They are used to fit a single piece against the table or two or more pieces against each other. Its maximum opening is specified with a number. The higher the number, the larger.
columns
Together with the T-nuts, it allows vertically fastening any piece or pieces to the work table, guaranteeing that the pressure is always maintained perpendicular to them.
squads
They are plates andsquared with grooves on both sides, which allow them to be attached to the welding tables slotted by means of T-nuts.
They greatly facilitate the task of squaring the pieces, and keeping them square while welding is carried out.
Welding fasteners
Clamps and supplements
It is necessary to have several of them in the drawers. They come in different sizes and shapes, but they all serve the same purpose: to allow subjection of the parts by using bolts and T-nuts.
Welding Supplements
