Not all knowing, just pointing out the fallacy of something that's promoted as accurate but will not maintain it's accuracy for a myriad of reasons. The main focus here is machining H-M. Machinists take a piece of material that isn't precise and work to make it so, or at least that's the intent. If you want the table and think it's the best thing for you then please spend the money. Welding isn't a precise process, even with precise fit-up.
You said this, I didn't. When it's all said and done at the end of the day will anyone know, or can they tell that your weldment was clamped up on a $2,500.00 table or a piece of plate. Sure enough, the more accuracy you have when you begin your welding project, the better chances are that you may end up with a better product.
No, I'm pointing out the obvious that you don't see due to your lack of experience so you call it opinion. If you say you lack welding experience and need all the help you can get, I'm in your corner. I'm not going to banter with 4gsr over machining techniques, procedures or the probable outcomes because this is his field of expertise. When he comments on using flux core wire as an electric fence, I know he's deep in the forest without a compass and it's just opinion, and that's really okay too.
I don't know it all, but I do know quite a bit about my trade and I was attempting to point out a few things which were obvious to me in which you seem to take offense. My main point was a table stated to be within .004" flat in 12". 1). What's going to keep it flat to those tolerances when you clamp up a part, let's say a piece of 2" x 2" x .120" x 36" tube which happens to be out of square or twisted coming from your supplier...as delivered to them from the mill? 2). When you clamp the part does the part move towards the table or does the table move towards the part, or both? 3). I never stated you shouldn't buy it, go for it if you feel good about it, so that's just my opinion. 4). I like the products I fabricate to be accurate too, and I've been doing this for 50 years, and in business for 30+. 5). I stated that I would like to see the weldment turned over and clamped up again after you tack up one side of your project. Take the clamps off after welding and see what you have.
I enjoy my trade and have many hours invested in education and application. I shear and bend metal to .030" tolerances on manual equipment. My friends and acquaintances shear and bend to .002"-.005" tolerances on CNC equipment, and of course their machining is within .001" or better. What we both know is you don't weld, can't weld to the tolerances you're being sold. The simple act of incorrect tack-up creates a losing game. This is what I work with every day and many times (most of the time) the weldments are too large to clamp to a table. How do I weld them up and keep then square or dimensioned per plan is an every day challenge and it begins with the material I'm working with.
The nitrided top has it's positives, but what is the thickness of the nitride finish? Is it .002" or .010", and what's the core hardness of the plate? In reverse, tacking accidently (if your skills are poor) to the plate would cause more induced stress than a table top without nitride treatment. The series of 5/8" holes would make the plate weaker than a solid plate. This isn't opinion, it's fact. Drilling or slitting a plate to facilitate bending is a fabrication technique that's used often and is very common in lighter materials.
