Welding Resources and Tips

Indoor/Outdoor Bench Welding Project

From your garden to your mudroom, a sturdy metal bench can serve a wide variety of purposes while providing the durability and strength that furniture in these locations requires. While a wooden bench may rot over time or the screws may give way, a welded bench made of one inch square tube steel is a simple welding project that you can custom-design for your particular needs at home.

Image Source: Lincoln Electric

The bench in this particular project posted at Lincoln Electric has some key strengths that are worth observing.

Make Sure Your Welding Project Has Support

If you look at the bottom of the bench, the welder did a great job of adding enough support to the legs with an H-shaped support system. Many wooden or metal tables and chairs that are often sold at big box stores go cheap on the support along the bottom that keeps the bench held together. Appropriate support will keep the bench from wobbling and will keep the rest of your weld joints from being exposed to too much stress or pressure.

Use the Right Materials for Your Welding Project

One inch square tubing is sturdy enough for a bench and all of the stress that it will experience. In addition, this tubing is wide enough to support weight. You could mix wood and metal for a project like this, however, keep in mind that you’ll need to use a particularly durable kind of wood if you plan on keeping your bench outside.

Use the Right Welder for Your Welding Project

This particular bench was created with a MIG welder using a wire feeder. This minimized the amount of clean up required since the welder needed to grind, sand, and paint the final bench. Thankfully a thinner metal project like this one doesn’t require a lot of power in order to create strong welds that will support the weight on the bench, and therefore many basic MIG welders have more than enough power for a project like this.

What You Need for a Welding Project

Don’t forget to pick up a chop saw or grinder that can cut the metal for a project like this, in addition to grinding the metal for the finished bench. A wide variety of clamps are also essential for a welding project where you’ll need to create very precise welds so that every surface of the bench is smooth, comfortable, and level.

Learn more about MIG welders and welding projects at Baker’s Gas and Welding. 

How to Weld a Dining Room Table

A dining room or kitchen table is one piece of furniture that every home needs and that just about any welder can make. Tables are very easy to weld since they only require a series of tacks and finishing welds in order to create a sturdy structure. However, the big differences will come with the quality of your plans and your ability to line up a solid table leg design.

Image Source: Sporkist on Flickr

The concept for building a dining room table is a lot like building a coffee table. You can make it as ornamental or simple and modern as you like. The main difference will be in the size of the materials. The plans for a dining room table don’t have to be extremely complicated.

Here are some basic guidelines to follow, though you’ll need to plan according to your own needs and the material you have on hand.

• Table height: 2 feet, six inches.
• Table width: 3 feet, 2 inches
• Table length: 7 feet

The materials you’ll want to use should include:

• Square steel for the legs and for the frame that will support the table top.
• Wood or glass to build a table top.
• If using a glass table top, use angle iron to hold it in place.
• Screws for connecting a wooden table top to the metal legs
• A drill for making screw holes
• A cutting set up or saw
• An angle grinder
• A MIG or TIG welder

Constructing a Table Frame

Some tables have legs right up to the edges, while others set them back about four inches from all edges of the table. As you plan your table design, keep these variations in mind. A simple table could have legs welded together with a frame that sits back from the edge. Other tables have legs right up to the edge, but the two long supports are set back from the edge.

There are many other table designs available online with plans and videos. Be sure you review your options before making your final plans and cutting your metal. Use a square to line up your welds and clamp your pieces together so that they are joined together properly.

As with most welding projects, begin with a series of tack welds on each joint and then follow with finished welds. Use your angle grinder to smooth the welds.

Attaching a Table Top

After constructing your table top, you’ll need to attach it to your metal frame without drilling through the table top. Measure the width of your metal and drill a series of holes about 6-8 inches apart from each other.

Place the table top with the bottom side up on a work table or on the floor. Line up the legs and frame with the edges of the table and mark off each edge with a pencil. Drill your screws through the frame into the table top and make sure it doesn’t shift while you work on it.

Finishing Your Table

You can use a clear finish or a wood stain on the wooden table top. Most paint their table legs black, but there are a variety of finishes and colors to consider. Then again, being able to customize the details is why you’re probably building a table on your own in the first place. In the end, the table will reflect your creative touches and attention to detail.

Learn More About Welding and Welding Projects

• How to Weld a Plant Stand
• How to Weld a Coffee Table
• How to Weld a Futon
• Welding Projects

 

Useful Welded Art

Art means different things to different people. Perhaps you've already read The Art of Welding. There are plenty of beautiful pieces being created everyday by artists who weld. Today's article focuses on art that is useful, practical. Welders can make doors, gates, signs, lighting fixtures, railings, and countless objects that are both useable and aesthetically pleasing. Please enjoy a few of my favorite artists that fit this category.

WeldersOfArt.com

Out of McKinney Texas, The Welders of Art do it all and have been for 24 years. They do custom wrought iron designs, gates, balconies, ornamental fences, spiral stair cases, chandeliers, stair rails, furniture, and more. They also do custom cut outs with a plasma cutter. You'll have to check out their custom gates. The horse one is amazing! Check out the detail on their one-of-a-kind doors. Customers design it and choose paint/glass options. Welders of Art fabricate and install.

Tyrone Ferguson

Ferguson was apprentice to an artist-blacksmith in his own family. Perhaps the beautiful setting of the Bahamas helps to inspire his functional doors, gates, railing panels, furniture, chandeliers and signage. He works with iron, bronze, copper, stainless steel, aluminum and found materials. Enjoy Longbranch or his Girls from Brazil doors. Look at the aluminum gate, Isaacs. The railings show a lot of diversity. Though very different I like both the Aberle and Whittingham.

Countryside Welding

Countryside welding has some of my favorite custom light fixtures. They can do both indoor and outdoor lighting and wall sconces that really look like they belong in Montana (where you'll find the craftsmen at countryside). Who knew fire screens, grates, and tool holders could be works of art? And why not?

CSC Welding and Fabrication

CSC makes some really beautiful custom wrought iron and metal signs. Signs like this are beautiful and attention getting. They'd be perfect for a business or a gated community. When you work with a welding and fabrication company like CSC you can order all your railings, gates, and signs from the same place. I also like their wine racks and cellar gates. The craftsmanship of Scott Boatright is obvious, just what you'd expect from a fourth-generation blacksmith/welder and fabricator.

Texas Iron and Interiors

It is up to you to decide if novelty signs count as art, but looks at Texas Iron and Interiors drapery rods, tapestry finials, and browse the custom design gallery. The showroom in Dripping Springs is open six days a week.

Do you have a favorite welder that does functional furniture, lighting fixtures, gates, or staircases? Share in the comments below. Or tell us what you do. We'd love to hear about it.

Simple Christmas Welding Projects

Holiday ornaments are the perfect welding projects for Christmas vacation, especially if you’ve just received a new welding machine or a new helmet that you’d like to test out. If your children are home from school, a simple Christmas tree ornament or lawn decoration is a simple and inexpensive introduction to the welding process. Here are some ideas from welders who have the holiday spirit.

Welded Nail Christmas Tree Ornament

Image Credit: Instructable

By using flat nails, you can easily tack together a wide variety of ornaments and other decorations for around the home. One popular item is a manger ornament for a Christmas tree. According to one Instructable,

“Square cut concrete nails are now available in the USA as a standard item at Lowe's and Home Depot stores.  These nails are heavy enough to weld without burning them away.  I have made this ornament using 1/16" #6013 rod on a 220 volt stick welder and also at a setting for 1/8" stock on a flux core wire feed welder.”

Check out the directions at this project's Instructable in order to learn the step by step procedure for making this ornament.

Lawn Ornaments

 Image Credit: Cincinnati.com

A high school project that started out as a fundraiser soon turned into a small, thriving business for a group of high school students in Kentucky. The teacher shared, "We have a four-and-half to five foot angel and it's $30. It's wrapped in all white lights and the halo is in gold. We have the four-and-half foot stars that come in white lights or multiple lights and they're $25," said Welding teacher Terry Buckler.”

The students created a variety of ornaments that range from a simple star to a more complex snow flake using simple tack welds that would be extremely easy for new or young welders. The Kentucky Post also shared a video of the students at work so you can learn more options for this project.

Part of the joy of welding is finding projects that you can enjoy with others and that you can continue to enjoy for years to come.  

Find more welding projects: Welding Projects at Baker's Gas and Welding

9 Welding Project Videos to get you Inspired

Whether welding is your passion, your occupation, or both - sometimes a little inspiration is needed when you get in a rut. Check out these welding project videos for pictures, how-tos, and live action shots of welding projects. Some are done in home shops, others at their place of business, but they're all pretty cool.

Bill Bry's Welding Projects from billbry.com show more on-location welding projects than I can count. It's even tolerable to watch without sound. And be warned, freelance welders, you might just covet his welding trailer.

Here is a short video, homemade chopper, East Elgin welding project Part 1, that shows a bike that started in a high school class.

As a gift MrMldillman builds a podium in Home Welding Projects For Beginners: How to Make a Teachers Podium.

Best Welding Video How To – Workbench by RC Experimental is a simple project. He shows you what materials are needed, tack welds the frame, shows how he grinds down the welds, and attaches the legs.

Jason Hobbs Welding projects video is more of a slideshow of projects, but features a pretty impressive snow basket that attaches to a CAT.

Wyogabe's Fire Pit Project has a very cool swivel option and you can also cook over it! It has a grate holder that you can adjust just like an oven rack.

Bobby's Farm welding projects video shows a patio table, rack for behind the camper that is large enough to carry three coolers, and corn hole tables (like bean bag toss).

Welding artist Zann Jones' Welding Project - Little Guy is a creative project.

Here is a simple pencil holder project Art Home Welding Project by ArtStdTransylvania. It is a longer video, but includes basic welding tips, techniques, and tool info.

If you've done a project that you'd like to share, make sure to link to it in the comments below.