OurWorkbench

A Trip To The Welding Shop

This may seem a bit off-topic for some readers but it's not. This is all about my effort to make a better swing frame for the sewing machine workstand . I've located a welder who is willing and interested in helping me to get the welding done. He's a very nice fellow to work with. He agreed to let me take some pictures of his shop and his welding setup. I thought I'd post them here for any who are interested.

(Welding Setup)
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The interesting table he uses can be seen above with the welding apparatus in the background. This special table, which weighs almost two tons, is made of steel about a foot thick and has square holes in it. Welding produces a lot of heat, which would be absorbed by the table, building up over long periods of use. The holes are vents, allowing the heat to dissipate. The table surface is perfectly flat and serves as a good work surface. An electrical connection to the table may be seen at the bottom of the frame below, eliminating the need to clamp an electrical connection onto the piece(s) being welded.

(Welding Table)
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I need to make a jig for the welder to tack weld the frame pieces together precisely, something I did not do for the first swing frame. I'm planning on building the holding jig early this week, weather permitting. I'll post pictures of the jig here when I get it done.

More soon,

John