# Teleposts as welding table legs



## DavidR8 (Jul 12, 2020)

In the process of cleaning and organizing my garage I discovered that I have two complete teleposts and a couple of shorter pieces. 
I wonder if they’d make reasonable legs for a welding table. 


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## benmychree (Jul 12, 2020)

Teleposts?


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## Nogoingback (Jul 12, 2020)

That's a phrase only heard in Canukistan.


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## silence dogood (Jul 12, 2020)

Dave, are you referring  to jackposts?  I don't see why not.


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## benmychree (Jul 12, 2020)

Nogoingback said:


> That's a phrase only heard in Canukistan.


Not very familiar in Canuckistan; translate?


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## Lo-Fi (Jul 12, 2020)

I use scaffold feet with built in screw jacks on my welding table. Works great to lift it off its castors and make it nice and stable. I think you're on about something more like a acrow prop, though? Which I think should make excellent legs!


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## benmychree (Jul 12, 2020)

Acroprop?  is this a foreign language?  Canuckish?


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## DavidR8 (Jul 12, 2020)

Sorry, I don’t know another name for these things. 







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## francist (Jul 12, 2020)

I think at one time they were known as “lally columns” but that may not be too current anymore.

-f


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## DavidR8 (Jul 12, 2020)

Right! 
Lally columns! That’s the other name that is banging around in the deep recesses of my brain. 
Thanks Frank 


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## silence dogood (Jul 12, 2020)

Lally columns. should have known.  You can get caps for them, They can be welded, Just grind off the paint.  Should work fine.


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## BtoVin83 (Jul 12, 2020)

If you squint a little they look just like tubing


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## DavidR8 (Jul 12, 2020)

And voila! I have legs for my table. 
Project number 271...


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## mickri (Jul 12, 2020)

Based on the small size of your shop are you planning to make the table so that it can be folded up and stored out of the way when not in use?  That was a primary concern in the little welding table that I recently made.


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## DavidR8 (Jul 12, 2020)

mickri said:


> Based on the small size of your shop are you planning to make the table so that it can be folded up and stored out of the way when not in use? That was a primary concern in the little welding table that I recently made.



Yes, I’m thinking how I can make a solid table that fold up like a card table. 
I’ll have to do some doodling and see what I can come up with. 


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## mickri (Jul 12, 2020)

Why don't you just get a card table and put a metal top on it?  The top on the table I made is a little thin at .10" thick.  .125 thick would have been better.  My table was pretty flexible until I added a center support.


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## Nogoingback (Jul 13, 2020)

benmychree said:


> Not very familiar in Canuckistan; translate?




It's a place, not a language... 
I used to travel for work and spent a fair amount of time in Canada.  We called it Canukistan,  in
a friendly sort of way.


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## DavidR8 (Jul 13, 2020)

mickri said:


> Why don't you just get a card table and put a metal top on it?  The top on the table I made is a little thin at .10" thick.  .125 thick would have been better.  My table was pretty flexible until I added a center support.


Interesting idea. 
I'll do some scrounging and see what I can find.


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## mickri (Jul 13, 2020)

You should be able to find one for next to nothing at garage and yard sales.  Especially if the top is damaged.  On what ever table you make be sure to "budweiser" the corners.

What's a "budweiser" corner you ask.  One of my best friends was one of the best paint and varnish guys in Dana Point.  There were a few who might have been his equal but no one was better than Bruce.  Sadly Bruce was also an alcoholic and started every day with a 6 pack of budweiser.  His old thunderbird aka the thunder chicken always had a collection of empty budweiser cans in the backseat.  Whenever Bruce needed to radius in a corner he would grab a budweiser can out of the thunder chicken and use the top of the can to draw the radius.  A boat owner one time asked Bruce how he made all of the radius's (sp?) the same.  Bruce replied that he "budweisered" the corners.  And the term stuck. 

And yes when I made my welding table I "budweisered" the corners.  Not having a supply of empty budweiser cans on hand I used a soda can which just happen to be the same as a budweiser can.


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## DavidR8 (Jul 13, 2020)

I've been thinking more about this.
I like the idea of a larger work surface but at this point I don't need it.
I already have one of these tables (appears to be re-branded Nomad) but don't really like the thin surface of the 30" x 20" top.



I'm thinking that I'll get a piece of plate, maybe 1/4" and attach it to the top. That should do me for a bit.


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## mickri (Jul 13, 2020)

You can get the same table at HF.  Check out the reviews.  Having a thicker top definitely helps.  You could probably get away with 1/8" thick strips welded to the existing top.


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## Janderso (Jul 13, 2020)

What the hell are you guys talking about?


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## savarin (Jul 13, 2020)

Dont forget that having another table means another flat surface to get covered in "stuff" that should have been put away


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## DavidR8 (Jul 13, 2020)

Janderso said:


> What the hell are you guys talking about?



Just your usual thread where I ask a question using terms that only I and possibly one other person understands. 
The thread turns hilarious and then we get back on track. 


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## savarin (Jul 13, 2020)

I've always known them as acrows.


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## DavidR8 (Jul 13, 2020)

savarin said:


> Dont forget that having another table means another flat surface to get covered in "stuff" that should have been put away



I’ve got a cure for that. 
I’m making the front legs on all horizontal surfaces 3” shorter than the rear. 
I figure once I get fed up with everything tipping over maybe I’ll be cured. 
Could make the tablesaw hard to use mind you...


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## Janderso (Jul 13, 2020)

WeldTables.com
					

Welding table kits for everybody. Custom fixture tables and jigs built to order.




					weldtables.com
				




I had a welding table from these guys. Affordable and flat with lots of fixturing options.
IMHO


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## C-Bag (Jul 13, 2020)

For  quicky folding welding table check out a Black& Decker Workmate. When I put it into the Vancouver CL a bunch came up. Until I got my dedicated welding top done I used an old used one I picked up for $15. Yeah, it made for wood but I love the concept and thought I’d replace the wood slats with some channel iron. The concept of having the top be a clamp is pretty cool. Oh and it is kinda short, but handy and folds up to nothing and can hold 150lbs or so. Just thought.


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## DavidR8 (Jul 13, 2020)

Janderso said:


> WeldTables.com
> 
> 
> Welding table kits for everybody. Custom fixture tables and jigs built to order.
> ...



I’ve inquired about shipping. 
My hunch is that in the end a $250 USD will cost me close to $500 CDN. 


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## mickri (Jul 13, 2020)

Being able to fold it up and store it away is the key to eliminating the junk collection.  My shop is tight on space just like David's.  Here's my table folded up.  It lives leaning up against the outside wall of the garage when not in use.


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## DavidR8 (Jul 14, 2020)

C-Bag said:


> For quicky folding welding table check out a Black& Decker Workmate. When I put it into the Vancouver CL a bunch came up. Until I got my dedicated welding top done I used an old used one I picked up for $15. Yeah, it made for wood but I love the concept and thought I’d replace the wood slats with some channel iron. The concept of having the top be a clamp is pretty cool. Oh and it is kinda short, but handy and folds up to nothing and can hold 150lbs or so. Just thought.



Funny you mention this actually as I saw a video where a guy replaced the wooden parts of a Workmate with metal slats. 
I have a Workmate that I use when doing construction work but I’m not sure that I’d sacrifice it for a welding table. 


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## C-Bag (Jul 14, 2020)

Guess it just depends on what you’re doing. I found a piece of 3/8” x 15 x 24 that I welded to 3” channel subframe that’s my kinda everyday heavy duty top that I use on my HF 1,000lb lift cart. I weld, bang, build and whatever on that and because it’s a lift I can  do just about anything with it. I’ve used it to unload my shaper and my new monster drill press from the PU. Then do the cleanup and tuning on it. But if I’m doing something big like weld up the door frame I did a while back I have a set of TOUGHBUILT folding sawhorses. The ends will take 2x4 that make them any size and they have adjustable legs and fold up to nothing. Not cheap, like $50ea but once I got used to welding off good sawhorses I‘ll never go back to large solid tops. They never warp, are light and easier to clamp around.


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## Janderso (Jul 14, 2020)

C-Bag said:


> For quicky folding welding table check out a Black& Decker Workmate.


+1, I used the heck out of my workmate.


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## MikeInOr (Jul 14, 2020)

DavidR8 said:


> Sorry, I don’t know another name for these things.



Uhhh... pipe!  ...or round tubing if you want to be pretentious!  LOL!  

For a sturdy solid fold up small work table it is hard to beat a Black and Decker Workmate.  I pick up used ones all the time for $20 - $30 (I now have 7 of them because I can't pass up a good deal on a workmate  LOL!).  Just put a cleat on the back of the work top you want to use and clamp it into the clamping jaws of the Workmate.

P.S. a pair of Workmates with a 2" x 4"  (uhh... sorry, a 50.8mm x 101.6mm fir or pine board  ) clamped in each one is by far the best pair of saw horses I have ever used!

My petite 15yo daughter and I used a pair of workmates to mount an 85" 115lb TV on the wall by ourselves a couple weekends ago.  We clamped a 2" x 4" between the two to keep them solid and attached to each other.  Then we used a couple 2" x 12" ramps to get the TV up the the wall mount.  The uses for Workmates are endless... especially when you have 2 of them.  They also make a perfect height plank holder for painting the house.


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## stupoty (Jul 16, 2020)

savarin said:


> I've always known them as acrows.



yeah same for UK , acro props , hold up stuff when u take away the supports ?   (although on second looks I see no screw jacks on them)

They call "jumpers"  "pull overs" as well , is there no end to this maddness ! ??


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## C-Bag (Jul 20, 2020)

I’ve been doing some heavy fab and remembered something that I’d tucked away. I bought an old Grizzly cabinet saw off CL and not until I got ready to use it did I realize they had stored it outside and the blade arbor had froze up and they broke the teeth out of the arbor so the blade couldn’t be raised and lowered . Couldn’t get parts so I parted it out. And some of the parts were the two cast iron wings which I make into a very nice but kinda small welding table. I have one of the heavy duty music keyboard stands that is an X design that rated for up to 400lbs depending where you have it adjusted. I kills me that two years before an old contractor cleaned out his shop and he literally had a stack of cast iron wings off I don’t know how many table saws. He scraped them all. Wish I’d had a clue because these wings bolted together make a very accurate table that’s easy to clamp to. I continue to look for old dead table saws for the cast iron wings on CL for cheap.


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## Superburban (Jul 20, 2020)

Before I moved, I had an old ironing board for a welding/ work table. Take the cloth cover off, and you have a light weight metal table that can be adjusted to a wide range of heights. I wish I had brought it with me.


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## DavidR8 (Jul 21, 2020)

C-Bag said:


> I’ve been doing some heavy fab and remembered something that I’d tucked away. I bought an old Grizzly cabinet saw off CL and not until I got ready to use it did I realize they had stored it outside and the blade arbor had froze up and they broke the teeth out of the arbor so the blade couldn’t be raised and lowered . Couldn’t get parts so I parted it out. And some of the parts were the two cast iron wings which I make into a very nice but kinda small welding table. I have one of the heavy duty music keyboard stands that is an X design that rated for up to 400lbs depending where you have it adjusted. I kills me that two years before an old contractor cleaned out his shop and he literally had a stack of cast iron wings off I don’t know how many table saws. He scraped them all. Wish I’d had a clue because these wings bolted together make a very accurate table that’s easy to clamp to. I continue to look for old dead table saws for the cast iron wings on CL for cheap.



Hmm I see table saws cheap all day long here. A pair of grid wings would be very useful. A stand is easy to make. 


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## DavidR8 (Jul 21, 2020)

Superburban said:


> Before I moved, I had an old ironing board for a welding/ work table. Take the cloth cover off, and you have a light weight metal table that can be adjusted to a wide range of heights. I wish I had brought it with me.



I use an ironing board as an out feed table for my tablesaw. 
Never thought about it as a welder table. 


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## C-Bag (Jul 21, 2020)

I use the heck out of that key board stand because of the ease of adjustment and speed it folds up. I remember it being cheap at GuitarCenter too. I have a special jig table besides the wings, drafting table, nice Formica top and a heavy piece of galvanize that if for hot stuff out of the powder coat oven. There are two grades of the stand and this is the heavy duty one I guess for heavy old Fender Rhodes pianos or something. I bought it for holding up sound equipment. It has proven far more useful in the shop. Auto body guys use a much flimsy and cheap version.


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## middle.road (Jul 21, 2020)

I'll call them 'Jack Posts'. Need a couple for down in the basement for when I finally get around to leveling the floor under the master bathroom.
Started scrounging them at estate sales, and now I have (5) of the bloody things. (3) sets of screws.









						Tiger Brand Super S Series 8 ft. 4 in. Jack Post J-S-100 - The Home Depot
					

The Tiger Brand Jack Post Super



					www.homedepot.com


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