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You shouldn't make your table so tall, (35") that you can't wheel the frame out the garage door with the rollbar in place. (Don't ask me how I know)

Lenny

I used a single 4' x 8' (49" x 97") sheet of MDF and as I got to the back of the frame I added another 2' x 4' section giving me a total size of 4' x 10'. This seems to work out pretty well as it is the length of the car and isn't too wide to get into the center comfortably. I framed this out with 2x4's that I straightened on the jointer to make a flat top. I don't see the advantage of adding a second piece of MDF to the bottom other than to make it heavier and more expensive.

I ended up with a height of 30". I used one 8' 4x4 cut into four 24" lengths. I then put 4" casters on the bottom to give me the 30" height. I think the height is subjective as people differ in size.

Cross bracing isn't too important when it's just a frame but ass you start adding on to the car it gets heavy pretty fast.

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"Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead. "
Mac McCleary

Speak fer yerself, Mr. Rear-Bias Taylor

-dave "I like big butts and I cannot lie" hempy

ps. Hey...we ain't got no dancing bananas here. What kind of forum is this, anyway?

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...nowadays people are so intellectually lazy and lethargic that they can't build ANYTHING with their hands. They'll spend hours watching whiny people marooned on an island, but won't spend a second adding anything to the world. -weconway
Visit my [Locost 7 build log]

I really like the way my build table turned out.. The second time after I modded it. It's a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 MDF (I'd preffer steel, but I'm cheap) with a 2x2 extension for under the engine. I also learned the hard way that if you put 4x4 posts inset of 2x6 frames, you can't get an engine hoist between the legs, they are too narrow. So I cantilevered the legs to the outside of the frames with some extensions. The 2x2 extension on the front allows you to turn the wheels at ride height to check for clearance etc. If I had it to do again I'd pretty much copy the design I have but use 2x2 steel for the frame, as the table does have a minor sag to it after holding up the chassis/engine for over a year. Here's some pics to show what I mean.

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MG midget bodied Locostish car in progress

Dancing bananas eh?



their wil bee know speeling erurs.

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"Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead. "
Mac McCleary

I would guess Kurt wanted the six inch thick studs to make a flatter table with less sag etc.

For metal, the setup I liked was two long stringers upon which several 1x4 steel tubes were laid . The rectangular tubing can be moved around to where ever you want at the time. It seemed flexible in how you would use it. There are pictures somewhere on this site

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Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
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Yea mine will serve as a good table for beer pong... or for girls to dance on... either way it will be put to use

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2007 R1 Powered Mid Engine Street & Track Car
Build Log: viewtopic.php?t=4970

The T-slot table is called just that,

The large ones were on Planers (very large metalworking equipment), so they are sometimes called planer tables.

There are also very nice welding tables called Acorn tables, which are very spendy, but might be my ultimate build table.

-James

If you live anwhere around cleveland< or go around here, there's an industrial supply place that sells stuff like that. My old neighbor had a nice metal welding table he got for 50 bucks... Check HGR Industrial Surplus

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"Most restaurants these days are as noisy as a drum-and-cymbal factory invaded by two hundred chimpanzees intent on committing percussion."

Dean Koontz

I was given a mold for a helicopter med floor.
3/4 or 1" aluminum 5 foot wide with a length of 12 foot or so. attached to 4" box steel frame, with currently no legs.
It is the ultimate buid table, it just needs to go on a severe diet, and lose a little length.
weighs in at somewhere over 600lb ish.

the only nice thing about it in it's current state is that it was manufactured to a surface tolerance of .005" across the entire surface.

Rob

I don know about ultimate, but I use "on hand" materials as much as possible. In this case, will be using either 4" or 6" C purlin and have metal frame and weld upper cross bracing turned edge ways flush with working surface. This way one can get under and around-and the whole table is "hot" for welding purposes (just have to attach ground cable one time-to table leg.) And there is less tendency to catch something afire. Above mentioned bracing in addition to angled supports on 4 sides down low.
I have not seen it mentioned in this thread, but be aware that very few concrete floors are level.
C purlin is not much heavier, if any, than wood, and does not burn very easy.
And when is all said and done, can fit sheet of MFD on later.
Anything larger than 4 x 8 would seem a little bulky for me as would not be able to reach far enough comfortably to warrant larger size.
Tom

Now that's the pot calling the kettle black, Mr. "Lets pick up the car by the shifter handle".

Mikey Bynum

There is something to be said for an "open tabletop" that you can weld through. Wasn't intentional, a surplus piece of walkway frame followed me home from work one day.

Since this thread has been bumped back from the dead I'll throw in my "revised" $.02 on table height. I first made my table pretty tall, my logic being that I could store more crap beneath it, and have the work up closer to eye level. It worked OK, but getting up and down on and off the table required more climbing than it should have, and I almost slipped and fell a few times jumping off it. I also had a hard time getting my Mig gun to all the places it needed to be since everything was up so high.
Recently I built another frame, and before doing so I cut several inches off the height of the table. I cut it down from 40" to 32" high and it is so much easier to work on and around. I can lean over across the table and reach things that before required a walk around. I can reach things with my Mig gun that before would have required me to drag the welder to the other side of the table. I also can scramble up and down off it with ease, just one big step.

So, there's my advice based on working on a table set up at two different heights. I'd say the ideal height for most anyone would be about an inch or so higher than their legs are long. This allows you to lean across the table and be stable leaning against it at the same time. (if that makes any sense)

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He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.

After I reached a point where I didn't think I needed the solid table any longer, I took a cue from Raceral and built this "stand" or "dolly". So far it's worked out nicely. It's much easier to move around and work around. It's relatively collapsible so when I get rolling I can put it away when not needed. In the pictures I haven't secured the stands to the base yet.

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RacerDan
+442 Chevy 2.8
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the
Ark, professionals built the Titanic.