# Certiflat Fab Block table



## akjeff (Aug 24, 2020)

Recently finished putting together a 24"x48" Certiflat Fab Block table. Pretty happy with the quality of material, and fit. Clamped the daylights out of it before tacking it together, and tacked it all the way around before finish welding. Worth the effort IMO, as the largest gap I could find using a straight edge( it's spec'd at .003") was .010". I went with the 3/8" thick option, as 1/4" seemed kinda thin to me for using clamps in the 16mm holes. Also went with the alternating 16mm holes and tapped 1/2-13. Made the mobile base with some scrapped battery stands from work. Added leveling pads, to fine tune the top, and compensate for my uneven shop floor. Haven't played with it yet, to see how much it twists/warps due to uneven leg adjustment. I'm sure it will get out of whack some. Going to be used for layout, fixturing, and TIG welding only. For MIG and stick, it will get covered with a 14ga topper. Look forward to trying it out, once work slows down a bit.


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## Aukai (Aug 24, 2020)

Mine is just a welding table, and it got roughly handled getting to Hawaii. I accepted it, it looked straight, but I got one bad dip in it after it was assembled.


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## akjeff (Aug 24, 2020)

Aukai said:


> Mine is just a welding table, and it got roughly handled getting to Hawaii. I accepted it, it looked straight, but I got one bad dip in it after it was assembled.


Bummer. Like you in Hawaii, shipping is our nemesis in Alaska. Fortunately, mine arrived unscathed, strapped securely to a pallet( I had mine barged up ). In some of the youtube videos I watched, some peoples came in heavy cardboard boxes. That would make me nervous. I think the 3/8" option made it so heavy that a pallet was the only option.


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## NCjeeper (Aug 24, 2020)

I contacted them about a 5x10. About choked when I got their email response. I will be building my own for less than half of what they want. It will be thicker too.


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## Janderso (Aug 24, 2020)

Those are awesome tables.
My welding table is warped. I was considering installing one of these inside the frame and cutting out the plate.
I agree, the fit, finish and quality of material is very good.


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## DavidR8 (Aug 24, 2020)

NCjeeper said:


> I contacted them about a 5x10. About choked when I got their email response. I will be building my own for less than half of what they want. It will be thicker too.


I'd love to have one of those but with exchange and shipping they are completely out of reach.


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## akjeff (Aug 24, 2020)

NCjeeper said:


> I contacted them about a 5x10. About choked when I got their email response. I will be building my own for less than half of what they want. It will be thicker too.


Tables of that size are mega expensive, especially if you not only need 5'x10', but a FLAT 5'x10' with fixtureing holes every 2". Such a table, at an affordable price doesn't exist.


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## ahazi (Aug 25, 2020)

akjeff said:


> Recently finished putting together a 24"x48" Certiflat Fab Block table. Pretty happy with the quality of material, and fit. Clamped the daylights out of it before tacking it together, and tacked it all the way around before finish welding. Worth the effort IMO, as the largest gap I could find using a straight edge( it's spec'd at .003") was .010". I went with the 3/8" thick option, as 1/4" seemed kinda thin to me for using clamps in the 16mm holes. Also went with the alternating 16mm holes and tapped 1/2-13. Made the mobile base with some scrapped battery stands from work. Added leveling pads, to fine tune the top, and compensate for my uneven shop floor. Haven't played with it yet, to see how much it twists/warps due to uneven leg adjustment. I'm sure it will get out of whack some. Going to be used for layout, fixturing, and TIG welding only. For MIG and stick, it will get covered with a 14ga topper. Look forward to trying it out, once work slows down a bit.
> View attachment 334662
> 
> View attachment 334663
> ...



I have the exact same size (24" x 48") CertiFlat welding table but with all holes and 1/4" thickness material. 1/4" seems thick enough so far but sometimes I wish I ordered the version with holes and threads like yours. It is a really good table, definitely worth the $$$.

The best decision I made was to mount the welding table on a hydraulic lift cart with 2,200 lb capacity.  I bought it from Northern Tool
https://www.northerntool.com/images/downloads/manuals/44502.pdf  but it looks like that they are not selling this model anymore, too bad, it is a good model and the price was right. 

I use the table for more than welding as the wide range of height adjustment and high weight capacity are very helpful. It is my go to table when I want to work outside the shop, I just roll it out.




Highly recommended.

Ariel


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## akjeff (Aug 25, 2020)

That lift table base is a great idea!


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## NC Rick (Sep 13, 2020)

akjeff said:


> Recently finished putting together a 24"x48" Certiflat Fab Block table. Pretty happy with the quality of material, and fit. Clamped the daylights out of it before tacking it together, and tacked it all the way around before finish welding. Worth the effort IMO, as the largest gap I could find using a straight edge( it's spec'd at .003") was .010". I went with the 3/8" thick option, as 1/4" seemed kinda thin to me for using clamps in the 16mm holes. Also went with the alternating 16mm holes and tapped 1/2-13. Made the mobile base with some scrapped battery stands from work. Added leveling pads, to fine tune the top, and compensate for my uneven shop floor. Haven't played with it yet, to see how much it twists/warps due to uneven leg adjustment. I'm sure it will get out of whack some. Going to be used for layout, fixturing, and TIG welding only. For MIG and stick, it will get covered with a 14ga topper. Look forward to trying it out, once work slows down a bit.
> View attachment 334662
> 
> View attachment 334663
> ...


Jeff, nice work.  Your photo really helped me!  I'll try to post a photo of why


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## akjeff (Sep 13, 2020)

NC Rick said:


> Jeff, nice work.  Your photo really helped me!  I'll try to post a photo of why


Glad it helped Rick! Look forward to "the rest of the story".


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## akjeff (Sep 13, 2020)

Quick update. In the interest of keeping the top of this table as pristine as possible, had a 14 ga topper bent up for it. Unless the table is being used to TIG weld, or do fixturing/mock up work, the table stays covered.


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## NC Rick (Sep 13, 2020)

I have been trying to better organize my welding mess.  I had pulled my table out for a project last week and the wheels were really bugging me.  I also want to add a lower shelf to hold some stuff like my bender and shear.  I decided now was the time.  I happened to be pondering where the heck to put these adjustable feet I had ordered awhile back.  I love the position of yours.  Seems like the wider stance the better?  I don't want the wheels off the ground, just make the table so floaty.  It's got a little gravity but the casters work good.  
I was going to use some angle brackets but the square tubing is way better!


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## NC Rick (Sep 13, 2020)

I regret not having put 4 swivel casters on it.


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## DavidR8 (Sep 13, 2020)

NC Rick said:


> I have been trying to better organize my welding mess.  I had pulled my table out for a project last week and the wheels were really bugging me.  I also want to add a lower shelf to hold some stuff like my bender and shear.  I decided now was the time.  I happened to be pondering where the heck to put these adjustable feet I had ordered awhile back.  I love the position of yours.  Seems like the wider stance the better?  I don't want the wheels off the ground, just make the table so floaty.  It's got a little gravity but the casters work good.
> I was going to use some angle brackets but the square tubing is way better!
> 
> 
> ...


I like your table Rick, 
I'm in the process of noodling out my table. Can you shoot a picture of the underside so I can see how it's constructed?


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## akjeff (Sep 13, 2020)

NC Rick said:


> I have been trying to better organize my welding mess.  I had pulled my table out for a project last week and the wheels were really bugging me.  I also want to add a lower shelf to hold some stuff like my bender and shear.  I decided now was the time.  I happened to be pondering where the heck to put these adjustable feet I had ordered awhile back.  I love the position of yours.  Seems like the wider stance the better?  I don't want the wheels off the ground, just make the table so floaty.  It's got a little gravity but the casters work good.
> I was going to use some angle brackets but the square tubing is way better!
> 
> 
> ...



Now that's a vise! I definitely like the wider stance the leveling feet provide. Having swiveling castors on all four legs allows the table to creep around, even when all are locked. So, it's nice to be able to plant the feet just enough to take a little weight, to stabilize the table. Also, on the bottom of the square tubes there's a flange nut welded in place to do the work. The top nut is just there as a jam nut to take out any wobble in the threaded rod. You can't see it in the photo, but there's an additional square tub across the middle of the base, to stiffen up the thin diamond plate bottom.


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## NC Rick (Sep 13, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> I like your table Rick,
> I'm in the process of noodling out my table. Can you shoot a picture of the underside so I can see how it's constructed?


I built my table years ago and used scraps.  All I had was my Oxy  acetylene rig and a buzz box.  The top is 1/2" plate a friend gave me which was bent nearly in half in the shape of a potato chip.  He straightened it for me.  I plan to un bolt it at some point and add a few more 2" angle sections across the underside and ass more countersunk flat head screws with jack screws from the underside to be able to flatten it some more.  I drill and tap 3/8" and even 1/2 13 holes when I need to tie stuff down using the milling machine toe clamps.  Jeff, that vise is one of my favorites and came with a story that I believe to be its full history. I cleaned it but am leaving the original patina to which i continue to build on.


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## DavidR8 (Sep 13, 2020)

NC Rick said:


> I built my table years ago and used scraps. All I had was my Oxy acetylene rig and a buzz box. The top is 1/2" plate a friend gave me which was bent nearly in half in the shape of a potato chip. He straightened it for me. I plan to un bolt it at some point and add a few more 2" angle sections across the underside and ass more countersunk flat head screws with jack screws from the underside to be able to flatten it some more. I drill and tap 3/8" and even 1/2 13 holes when I need to tie stuff down using the milling machine toe clamps. Jeff, that vise is one of my favorites and came with a story that I believe to be its full history. I cleaned it but am leaving the original patina to which i continue to build on.
> View attachment 336785
> View attachment 336786



Thanks, appreciate the additional pics. 
Definitely helps me plan my table. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## NC Rick (Sep 13, 2020)

I wish I would have given it more thought, I just stuck it together and it is super useful.  I would love a Swiss Cheese accurate top like Jeff's.  My projects often don't get enough planning, I have fun winging it.

Jeff, why the holes in the square tube legs and lower cross sections?  The ability to clamp on an accurate 90 degree angle off the side is really Good.  I wonder if I can rig up an angle iron on one edge of mine.  My fab skills are pretty rudimentary on good days.


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## akjeff (Sep 13, 2020)

NC Rick said:


> I wish I would have given it more thought, I just stuck it together and it is super useful.  I would love a Swiss Cheese accurate top like Jeff's.  My projects often don't get enough planning, I have fun winging it.
> 
> Jeff, why the holes in the square tube legs and lower cross sections?  The ability to clamp on an accurate 90 degree angle off the side is really Good.  I wonder if I can rig up an angle iron on one edge of mine.  My fab skills are pretty rudimentary on good days.



I wish that had a well thought out reason for the holes in the leg, but the truth is, they came that way! I salvaged the steel from the stands of a very large battery plant that we changed out at work. They were going to throw it all away, so the crew and I split it up for home projects. It's 1-1/2"x2-1/2"x 3/16" wall tubing. The holes were for various cross members, etc. Figured if it held up about 5 tons of batteries for 20 years, it ought to hold up fine in this application! So far, I've only put one pair to use as a hanger for clamps. Will likely do more of the same with others for some hooks and stuff.


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## NC Rick (Sep 13, 2020)

The holes look very purposeful.  All you need now is the reason


akjeff said:


> I wish that had a well thought out reason for the holes in the leg, but the truth is, they came that way! I salvaged the steel from the stands of a very large battery plant that we changed out at work. They were going to throw it all away, so the crew and I split it up for home projects. It's 1-1/2"x2-1/2"x 3/16" wall tubing. The holes were for various cross members, etc. Figured if it held up about 5 tons of batteries for 20 years, it ought to hold up fine in this application! So far, I've only put one pair to use as a hanger for clamps. Will likely do more of the same with others for some hooks and stuff.
> View attachment 336793


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