DIY Welding Project Downdraft Plasma Table Guide

STEP ONE:

Using 1/8" 1x2 sq tubing for this part, cut 2 pieces 43" long with 45 degree cut on one end, a 28" piece with 45 degree cut on both ends, and one 26" piece. Be sure to debur your cut areas.

STEP TWO:

For bolting to the table, use six 3/8" fine thread bolts, and cut 1/8" wall 5/8 DOM tubing to 1 7/8" for crush tubes.

STEP THREE:

Using a carbide cutter or a bi-metal hole saw, drill three, 5/8" holes through the 1" side of the 43" long pieces at 4", 16" and 22" from the straight cut end.

STEP FOUR:

TIG weld the crush tubes in. Set Multimatic® 220 AC/DC for 100 amps and use .045" size ER70S-2 filler. Note that you need to cut the tubes to 1 7/8" instead of 2" so you have 1/16" weld step on each side. This will give extra weld strength when grinding the welds flush to the sides.

STEP FIVE:

Grind the mill scale off all the weld joints, square up the sides and tack weld inside and outside corners only. Don’t weld solid yet.

STEP SIX:

Clamp frame to the bottom of the ArcStationTM 30FX and double check that it’s parallel to the table. Now transfer punch the mounting holes for drilling and tapping.

STEP SEVEN:

Remove clamped frame to drill holes. Move the rear leg mounting bracket to drill the back holes. Use a letter Q drill bit and 3/8 x 24 fine tap.

STEP EIGHT:

Bolt the frame to table, double check that it’s level and weld the outside and inside joints. Do not weld the top or bottom seams.

STEP NINE:

Cut sixteen, 1' x 1 1/2' piece out of 1/8" flat stock for the cutting slat mounting tabs then drill a 1⁄4" mounting hole 1⁄2" x 1⁄2" from one end.

STEP TEN:

For the 8 slats, use 2" cold rolled 1/8" flat stock and cut them to 18" then drill a 5/16" hole 1" from either long edge and 1⁄2" from each end.

STEP ELEVEN:

Bolt the slat tabs to the slats. Make sure the slats are level to the frame top and put two short welds on each tab inside the frame. Start the first one at 2 1⁄2" and then 3" spaced for the rest.

STEP TWELVE:

Use .063" thick 1 x 1 sq tubing for the frame. Start by cutting 2 pieces 28" and 2 pieces 20" with a 45 degree cut at each end. This will be the top.

STEP THIRTEEN:

Straight cut the following pieces: 2 at 291⁄2" long, 2 at 23", 2 at 61⁄2", 3 at 26", 1 at 211⁄2" and 2 at 18".

STEP FOURTEEN:

STEP FIFTEEN:

On the long 28" wide sides, square up the 23" and 29 1⁄2" legs and tack on the inside corners. Trying to keep these all square will be a challenge and they might need to be tweaked a bit during the rest of this process.

STEP SIXTEEN:

Take 2 of the 26" parts and tack in place 24" outside to outside from the top. Do the same for the two, 18" pieces, rechecking for squareness along the way and finish weld the frame.

STEP SEVENTEEN:

Check for squareness by taking some diagonal measurements. They should read the same. Because you didn’t weld any of the outside seams, the panels will fit flat.

STEP EIGHTEEN:

Make a small parts catch screen using expanded metal that’s about .070" thick. Overall measurement is 34" x 26" and trim 4" x 4" off each corner. Bend into a box frame.

STEP NINETEEN:

To weld the basket, leave the Multimatic® Auto-SetTM setting to 16 ga, pull the sides out a little and weld them to the top of the 1x1 sq tubing.

STEP TWENTY:

Starting with a 20" x 28" bottom panel, cut 1" x 1" off the corners so it will fit inside the legs. Option to put a step roll into all the panels to stiffen them up.

STEP TWENTY ONE:

Now clamp the panel to the underside of the sq tubing and spot tack it in from the top side every couple inches.

STEP TWENTY TWO:

Cut 2 pieces 24 x 30" and 2 pieces 20 x 23 1⁄2" for the side panels then screw the short sides on just the top and bottom with the #8 x 1⁄2" self tap screws. 2 bottom sides by the basket should be 1/2" short.

STEP TWENTY THREE:

For the 30" panels, bend about a 1" lip on each short side to overlap the panel next to it. It’s optional but saves a bunch of screws and it looks cleaner.

STEP TWENTY FOUR:

Then weld the two 6 1⁄2" pieces 2 1⁄4" in on each side of the bottom frame. This will clear the Folding ArcStationTM 30FX front legs.

STEP TWENTY FIVE:

Weld the leveler bolts in. Use 3⁄4"-16 fine thread x 1 3⁄4" long bolts with a thin jam nut and a standard nut that is TIG or MIG welded in the end of the 1 x 1 legs. Remember to grind the plating off your nuts.

STEP TWENTY SIX:

The size of the wheels will determine the position of the cross bar. If you use 2" diameter wheels with a 3/8" x 1" mounting stud, the cross bar will be 32 1⁄2" from the cabinet top but wheels are still adjustable. The bottom of the cutting table is about 33" from the floor and you need clearance to slide under it. Use weld nuts or riv-nuts to mount wheels.

STEP TWENTY SEVEN:

The exhaust port is a 4" long piece of tubing that the FILTAIR® hose will fit tightly inside. Cut a hole in a 4 1⁄2" square piece and spot-stitch halfway onto the tubing. Then cut the same hole in the side of the cabinet, centered about 7 1⁄2" up from the top edge and secure with rivets or screws.

STEP TWENTY EIGHT:

Clean-out ports come in many sizes. For the RV/ boat style, cut about a 5 3⁄4" diameter hole (2 7/8" radius) to fit clean-out port, then drill holes and secure with sheet metal screws.

STEP TWENTY NINE:

Cut the 1/8" flat stock into 4 pieces, 1 1⁄2" x 2". On the top of the cabinet, weld these guide plates on the short side corners that have 1⁄2" lower side panels than the long sides then use adjustment hammer or grinder to make sure they fit loosely along the cutting table top when sliding the cabinet under. 

STEP THIRTY:

Lastly, hook up exhaust port hose, turn FILTAIR® 130 up to maximum vacuum and start cutting.