Thread: Tig welding bench

No, but be sure you are sitting down when you get the price cos it won't be cheap. 2mm is more than adequate and I am guessing that will around $70 - $80.

If you google "copper merchants" under google australia you should get something.

Grahame

Pretty big plate. What are you welding?

Originally Posted by chips63

Also does anyone know where I can get a piece of copper plate approx 300 x 300 x 6mm to use as a backing for welding thin aluminium

Edster

Not building anything at the moment, just teaching myself to tig aluminium.

A lot of the information I have been reading and DVD's I have been watching have been using copper as a backing material when welding thin guage aluminium.The size just looks around 6mm that they were using.

A copper plate that big and and thick would simply act as an enormous heat sink and drain a lot of the heat your trying to put in.

Either they DVD blokes don't know what there on about or they using a really big big tig torch -high amps & water cooled.

I have seen some of the self styled "instructional videos" and really there are poor quality self made video rubbish with some erroneous info thrown in cos it sounds good.
If worried about burn through 2mm will do just fine.

grahame

A 1200x 900 FOLDUP bench is a pretty ambitous project as well especially with a 6mm plate top.

That would work out at 75KG for the bench top alone.

It would be a "safety boots on" job when assembling / disassembling.

Benchtops are usually 600 wide as that's the limit of average reach for ergonomics etc!

A light frame work and a 3 mm steel top,would that work for you?

Stainless is a bit over the top unless its work for Nasa.

Grahame

My work bench at work is 1200x2400x8mm, I wish it was thicker as it has warped. At home I have a 900x600x8mm piece that I weld on, it is great.

Keep an eye on Grays online, you'll find a bench there for bugger all cash that you'll be able to cut down. I've seen 1200x2400x20mm benches go for under a hundred!!! Wish I had easy access to Sydney/Melbourne to pick some of that stuff up!

Grahame

I imported the DVD's from Miller in the US and one of the best one's was called Tig Welding the Basics by Ron Covell (you can see shorts on the Miller website), he looks like he welds on a S.S bench and uses around 6mm copper for backing.

I already have made a big bench for general Mig welding but it is a stand up job, I am running out of room as you do in the garage and this is why I want to make it fold up, I think I might tone it down a bit to 900 x 600 that's is good news about the copper as I have come across some 3mm plate at my local scrap merchant who will cut it to size for $8.80 kg.

Leave the Stainless top off ?

Regards, Bruce

Originally Posted by BenM78

My work bench at work is 1200x2400x8mm, I wish it was thicker as it has warped. At home I have a 900x600x8mm piece that I weld on, it is great.

Keep an eye on Grays online, you'll find a bench there for bugger all cash that you'll be able to cut down. I've seen 1200x2400x20mm benches go for under a hundred!!! Wish I had easy access to Sydney/Melbourne to pick some of that stuff up!

Thanks for the reply Ben, I am only going to use this bench for Tig so I think 6mm will be thick enough.I have some steel left over from other jobs, thanks for the heads up though.Regard,s Bruce

Funnily it is tigging that has warped the bench!

We frequently tig Sch 40 10nb tubes into 150 to 400nb flanges which means big amps and a lot of heat is generated. It can take a good couple of hours for a finished flange to be cool enough to touch. Unlikely though for a home tig bench so 6mm would be great! A 400nb flange can have 96 tubes welded in!

Hey Bruce,

My cousin gave me 10m of 33mm stainless wrapped benchtops for my workshop. They are 600mm deep and I put legs on them 900mm high. I have a stool that slides under the benchtop near my welder and this is what I TIG on. Works a treat, and price was a bargain too (nothing).

I have a Ron Covell video which he TIG welds in, the man knows his stuff. He runs some very nice welds.

I have a Ron Covell video which he TIG welds in, the man knows his stuff. He runs some very nice welds.

What does he use the massive copper backing plate for though? I'm not really seeing where it would be appropriate. It's like buying a big block of ice to put in your drink: you could do it but you wouldn't usually.

Hi Guys
Perception is everything I suppose,welding benches included.
To be honest too many of the American experts ?? I have seen doing the instructional videos are self promoting show ponies,but hey that,s only my opinion.
I tend to get around a bit in industrial circles .I have never seen a stainless steel topped welding bench as yet.

Food preparation and surgical tables are great applications for stainless steel .
I have seen it on a hydraulics bench where contamination in a new work would not be helpful.
In welding the cross contamination from work surfaces is really not an issue. Even in aluminium,cleaning should be immediately prior to welding-as .

Like these bloody homeshows where these characters have access to every tool,machine and accessory known to man and build the project in the half hour,
when you and I know it ain't gunna happen. I will bet the stainless bench is probably a idea in presentation from the producers/directors or like people involved in video /cable DVD production,who have no idea of welding .

The big issue with a welding bench is too keep it clean, uncluttered and flat.

If you weld on the bench surface instead of the job it will buckle a little bit each time from welding and subsequent grinding.

Welding practice beads should be done on a disposable scrap starter block.
A stainless steel top while it looks great will offer little to the quality of your welding.

If you look at what the operations are carried out on a bench, it is really to offer a flat surface for assembly and tack up and finally to support the job
and a comfortable position while welding. None of those require a stainless top.

Don't let me sway you if you have the money and it makes you happy fine, but I really hate to see hard working people waste their hard earned coin on stuff which is not necessary.


Grahame

Gday
I picked up this bench on ebay for 189 bucks and then made a few mods to accommodate my tig welder under the bench and can be safely locked away when not in use ,here are a few pics
1200x2400x10 mm