I laughed at that 😅. I am afraid to look at their table costs, I would imagine they are very expensive lol.

It definitely is a great general use table. I too bought one for cheap when they first came out. I definitely will use it still, it’s light and easy to carry so it does go out on jobs with me at times.

I haven’t seen a upcoming table from Harbor freight, I will have to keep my eyes peeled for that. I am sure they sell a ton of the current table so having another option would be well worth it.

I never thought about using it for woodworking but it definitely could work well for that. It’s physical size is nice. I may end up putting my normal miter saw on it as well.

Since that video I have done a lot of welding on all the tables and I find that the Hobart is the most practical/useable out of them. It has held up well and somehow isn’t rusty. It definitely is made pretty solid for a portable table.

@@makingmistakeswithgreg wow. Thanks good to know

Harbor freight has an affordable fixture table welding table out now. It’s a solid option because it’s pretty thick so it will last a long time. You can’t beat a home made thick setup, but the portability of many of the tables will be more useful.

I bought a bunch of assorted Fr shirts to find what I like. The grey one with hi viz stripe is from knox fr and I bought it on Amazon. So far I like it. I will be doing a review on some shirts coming up, I just want to test the stuff out first 😀.

Honestly here is my take: The miller table is thick and very durable. Of the portable tables it has the most durable top. It’s useful for clamps in ways the Hobart isn’t. The Hobart is an excellent table for general use, but using clamps with it is tough. I think the Hobart table is a better welding shop table than the Dewalt and cheaper harbor freight. It doesn’t look like trash if you actually use it for welding, and it doesn’t warp like the thinner welding tables. I have a video on the new harbor freight titanium weld table out within 4 days. It doesn’t collapse like the Hobart or miller, but for sub 200$ I think it’s the best option for the average person. It has a thick top, the ability to easily clamp to the top, and it’s still light enough to move around. It doesn’t fold and I wouldn’t want to use it for portable work (aka constant loading into a truck) but for shop use 100% it’s worth it. So based on all the tables I own/have used, if portability is a concern the miller is far better/durable than the alternative portable tables. The downside to the miller is cost, for the price I would buy a used 1/2in thick top fab table off market place. The downside to that is obvious zero portability due to weight. I definitely would seriously consider the harbor freight titanium table. Check the video that will be out soon before you make a decision 👍

@@makingmistakeswithgregThank you so much for the detail. I saw the harbor freight titanium one and I've considered that as well. I won't be putting it on a truck but I weld infrequently so I'd like something I could fold up and out of the way. I suppose I could make a set of folding legs for the harbor freight one, I like the idea of having holes for clamping things as I'll be doing detail work.

I don’t currently have any and you’re right they would likely work better. I have used both c clap style vise grip and the threaded shaft with a nut/washer (think clamp for a drill press) style. They work but not the best. I have made a habit of using c clamps on my sewer lid that that tends to be my go to. I definitely need to pickup some better clamps 🗜️ 😀

So fixture tables are awesome for a couple reasons. 1) many of them are very flat. Having a perfectly flat table makes it much easier to weld /make things that are dimensionally accurate to what you want (aka 90 degree corners). A flat surface also helps for other projects that require precision measuring (think dial indicator on parts). 2) they are easy to setup/weld and don’t require machining after putting together to achieve flatness. 3) they tend to be fairly light considering their strength. 4) the obvious holes and clamp setup makes it far easier to construct things like bike frames and custom parts to very accurate specs. The downsides primarily come down to cost. A small fixture table (say the size of a harbor freight table) can easily cost 5-6 times what the harbor freight table costs, and wouldn’t necessarily do a whole lot more for a person. The portability tends to suffer because many of them weigh more than you would want for a portable table. There are more portable (and affordable) fixture tables out there, but in my experience they tend to be far from flat and tend to still suffer from the same issues as the portable tables I have, aka the tops warp. I have found that a combination of a lot of heat and clamping stuff down on a table will warp stuff in a hurry and it stays warped. If the fixture table has 1/4in top I say go for it. If it’s under that expect some warping. I technically have room in my new shop for a bigger table but for now I will keep the setup I have and work with it. I am pretty happy for what I do to have the setup I have. I will likely have a fixture table in upcoming months though, and will talk more in depth about them 😀.

So you could cut using the slot, but if you’re anything like me, you would probably accidentally cut the table. So if you’re careful you definitely could do that 👍

Haha that’s the best kind of table, repurposed scrap lol. It’s crazy what you can find for very little money. Steel is so expensive building one yourself from new steel doesn’t make sense.

For 40$ you can’t beat it, that’s a deal 😀.

Haha yes I do.

How thick is it? If it’s thick enough to grind down you can. If it’s a bit on the thinner side you might want to avoid grinding it. I generally grind mine smooth and then coat it with anti spatter so It stays pretty clean. The anti spatter I have doesn’t protect against rust much, I definitely need to find a better product for that. You could also use a chemical that eats rust, like even naval jelly will dissolve rust and leave a grey patina to the table. I am not a huge fan of chemical processes due to fumes though lol. You could also try a buffer wheel and a compound to polish it, that would clean it up pretty decent without overly removing material.

@@makingmistakeswithgreg it is 1/4 or 5/16 plate. I’ve been using a belt sander and it’s taken some of the surface off. But I’ve been using 120 grit for wood. I guess I need something for sanding metal. Thanks for your suggestion. Really enjoy your KZfaqs. I bought a Titanium 225 dual voltage stick welder and have installed a 220 plug. Got all the accessories a beginner needs. Just got to get my courage up to strike an arc. Thanks again.

@@richardburns3048 that titanium 225 is a great stick welder and I recommend it to most people because I don’t think there is a better welder out there for the money. As far as your table, the main difference between metal and wood is the removal speed and grits. I have done a ton of finish carpentry and attacking that with a angle grinder and 40 grit wasn’t in the equation lol. Because steel is so hard if you want to remove anything you need corse grit to get it done reasonably quick. Rpm is also a big deal too, because that increases removal speed. A 23-40 grit hard grinding disc or flap wheel on even a 10$ harbor freight grinder will do a great job. A 60 or 80 grit would work for a bit smoother finish 😀. As far as getting the courage up, you can do it 😀. Make sure that your first weld you save, and you put it somewhere safe. Follow my videos and practice, in a few weeks to a couple months compare your welds to your first one, you will see massive progress. I won’t sugar coat it, learning to stick weld is a challenge, however it’s a very rewarding one. I can’t imagine not being able to do it 😀

Thank you for your information and encouragement 🫡

@@makingmistakeswithgreg a very light coat of beeswax will keep most of the rust in check, it's just not a very permanent solution but a non-toxic one and it doesn't break the bank either. plus it even kinda smells nice.

I wish scrap steel was much cheaper, I have been on the hunt for a thick piece to make another table top out of and so far I have been out of luck. If I knew a place to get something good for cheap I surely would be letting everyone know 😀