Would 20 gauge be ok for a workbench top to do general wending on?.. or is it too thin? i know i will have to brace the underside somewhat…
the table is only going to be 40X22,
I was planning on using 16ga, but the price difference is huge…
just make a wooden table top, and cover it with the stainless. That way the 20 gauge will definitely be thick enough and it will be sturdy. If you have sectioned out “braces” eventually 20gauge will start to get dents and sags everywhere.
You really dont even need stainless, I throw a piece of mild steel sheetmetal over my regular workbench to weld on.
Im building the workbenches from scratch, so i dont have anything to throw over, and since these will live in my garage that i park cars in the winter, i needs stainless because i dont think that mild would resist the rust
i never thought of a plywood backing… do you think i would have to worry about heat with the plywood backing?
20ga will be fine so long as it’s over the top of something else. If it’s going to be the sole support, you’re gonna need something like 10 or 7ga.
it definitely will not get hot enough to burn a plywood backing
I would definitely just build the bench with 3/4" plywood then put the steel over it.
double thick MDF with a heavy frame and skin it with stainless. mild steel won’t rust if you actually do work 
lol, but yeah a skin of stainless would be fine over a thick enough chunk of lumber.
Why stainless again? CS is nice and useful as you can use welding magnets to help setup your work.
all our weld tables at work are mild.
i need stainless because its going to be in my garage… which will see cars parking in and out in the winter… and when the snow melts it gets pretty humid in there…
and it looks pretty…
Anybody ever use Metalsdepot.com before?
awesome prices…
i just got 72’ of 1x1 16 ga mild steel tubing for 111.20 shipped to my house…
metal supermarket was 160+tax
carbon steel… = win?
if rust is that annoying, hit it with a grinding wheel every few weeks.
but like it was said before, won’t get rusty if you use it o.O
Plus if you tack shit to the table to hold it in place, then grind it off… thinner stainless… meh.
if for whatever reason you strike an arc on the table, it would set a wood backing on fire tbh… Or you’ll just burn holes in the table and all kinds of shit.
meh.
Wtf is the thickness of 20ga?
.0375 I think? Or is it .0359… meh.
either way, thats fucking thin to work on.
wat?
From normal welding maybe not…
but if you accidentally strike an arc on the table for whatever reason…
Shit happens.
Best be safe.
I found 304SS in .48 (18ga) for
36" x 36" is $59.94
24" x 48" is $53.29
i think that with some .5in MDF backer should be fine… i dont THINK i would strike an arc on it… if i did, i could always just patch the hole and grind it flush…
i wont be using it THAT often in the winter though so rust would be a PITA, at least until spring time when i start-up my new project
I was thinking .48 is kinda thick for any sort of gauge metal. its .040 per http://www.slotcar.com/drs/gachart.htm
just get a piece of 3/16 plate steel. that way you can weld things to the bench then just grind it off. and it will surface rust, but it will never rot.