A lightweight welding bed is a necessity when you are working with delicate metal surfaces. The right material can protect your table from abrasion and keep delicate surfaces safe. In this article, you’ll learn how to make your own welding bed or purchase one from eBay. In addition, you’ll learn how to protect delicate surfaces with a welding blanket.
Making a welding table
A welding bed can be made of many materials. For example, you can buy rebar at the hardware store or purchase a used metal bed frame for a few dollars at a garage sale. The process can take just a few hours for a decent welder. Once you have the materials, you can cut the rebar into segments of twenty inches for the table surface, twenty-one-inch segments for the legs, and a fifty-seven-inch segment for the rear cross-support.
While steel is the most common material used for a welding bed, many sheet metal fabricators use aluminum. It is soft and lightweight, and is also much easier to work with than steel. Furthermore, unlike steel, aluminum does not oxidize. Another advantage of aluminum is that it can be pre-coated or painted. For example, the sheet aluminum used for the projects in Chapter 4 was pre-coated with red paint. Once the paint dried, it was backed with a protective plastic sheet to prevent blemishes.
Buying a welding table on eBay
There are a few tips to keep in mind when purchasing a welding bed. First, don’t buy a used one. These tables can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. They may even require freight truck delivery and require gas. But there are some ways to cut the cost, and make your table more affordable.
Buying a lightweight welding blanket
Welding blankets are an important part of any welding job. Not only do they protect the surface of the welding bed from excessive heat, but they also protect surrounding equipment and materials from splatter and sparks. While these blankets are traditionally used for welding, you can use them in many other applications as well. In fact, many people use them to protect their grills during cold weather. They help stabilize the heat and reduce the fuel consumption. They are also great for protecting lawns and wooden decks from burnt fuel.
A lightweight welding blanket is a good choice for light welding jobs and is best suited for projects that do not create excessive amounts of sparks and spatter. If you do not use a blanket, you risk creating glass splatter and pitting the surface. Fortunately, there are a number of lightweight blankets available that will prevent this.
While some lightweight blankets are made of wool or other natural materials, others are made of carbon and other synthetic materials. Carbon felt, for example, is a high-quality material with a high temperature resistance. It is also soft, so you don’t have to worry about burning yourself. However, these blankets will not hold up as long as more durable materials. You may want to invest in a heavier-duty blanket if you do heavy welding.
Protecting delicate surfaces from abrasion
If you are planning on using your welding bed for a long time, you need to protect delicate surfaces from abrasion. There are several steps you can take to protect your delicate surfaces. For example, you can purchase a welding blanket that is 54″ x 60″ that will drape over uneven surfaces. It will protect the surfaces and prevent them from abrasion and damage.