Why Do Welding Table Have Holes? Are These Necessary?
If you’re new to welding and you go shopping for the best welding table, you’ll realize that some of them feature holes on the worktop.
And you might have wonder what role those holes play and whether you need them on your welding table.
The welding tables have holes to allow you to easily mount and clamp various projects during welding. They provide you with multiple mounting options for perfectly aligning your pieces for easy welding.
Read on to discover more facts about the holes and slots you see on the welding tabletop.
Are the welding table holes necessary?
The holes on the welding table are an invaluable asset to have in your welding table because they help you hold your workpiece in place. This enables you to make tackle welds to holds them together in proper alignment until you make the final welds.
These holes also allow you to use them in a specific pattern, such as a jig, when assembling a larger workpiece to make it easy to assemble.
They offer you somewhere to easily attach your welding clamps and other fixtures for easy welding and better results.
In most cases, the holes and slots come evenly spaced across the tabletop to offer you the ultimate flexibility for fixture setup.
Besides holding your pieces down, welders seem to have found other ways to use the holes on the welding table.
Some use the large hole near the table edge as the exit path for shavings and debris into the waste bin positioned below.
Others use a grid of holes on the top corner of their table for storing tools they use more often including screwdrivers, filler rods, and so on.
However, not every welder may find these holes helpful.
For instance, you might want to rethink the choice of having holes if you plan to work on projects that can easily get caught in these openings.
You should also keep in mind that adding holes to your table somehow weakens its structure. If you plan to place heavy items/projects on your tabletop, you might want to forget about the holes.
Also, if you don’t think you’ll be using the holes regularly for your welding projects, then they might not be worth considering.
The good news is that not all the tables you find on the market today come with holes. So, if you’re not for these holes, you should be able to get a no-hole welding table.
What is the size of holes on welding table?
The standard size of holes on the welding table is 16mm or 0.625” (5/8) in diameter. The holes are circular and hassle-freely accept standard welding clamps and dogs—allowing for easy fixture setup.
One thing you need to keep in mind is that some manufacturers don’t always follow this standard size rule when making holes on their tables. You might come across some tables featuring larger holes that won’t easily standard clamping’s which can be quite frustrating.
Always double-check that you’re getting the right hole size.
How to make a DIY welding table with holes?
When it comes to making your own table, you get a chance to customize every part of the table according to your preferences. This includes drilling holes in the welding table as per your needs.
When making a DIY welding table with holes, there are few things you should keep in mind to ensure you get the perfect table.
Final Verdict
Now you know the reason why a welding table comes with holes. They make your welding much easier by holding your workpiece in place and you should opt for a table featuring holes.
If making your own DIY welding table, it gets better because you choose to customize the holes to fit your requirements. You’ll get to drill different hole sizes that accept different equipment easily.
Not everyone likes a table with holes, so the question of whether the holes are necessary on your welding table is a matter of personal preference.
