My table top of my welding table is pretty rough. I mean its straight, but just rough. I hit it with the wire wheel which helped to clean it up a bit, but when you look at it up close it almost looks pitted?
I think its an old road plate, not even sure of the material, just know its steel.

Anything I can do to smooth it out?

 

mill it... or just go wild with angle grinder w/polishing(hard) wire wheel.

If that doesn't help and it still bothers you, get a new one.

 

weld a new thin plate on top

 

x2

 

40 grit flap disc

 

We hit our welding tables with 80 grit random orbit. If its really bad well bust out a 120 grit on the 5inch grinder. And once in a while we wax the tables.

 

thats what i use

 

to get my table really flat I use a big 9 inch grinder with a grinding wheel.. Run it totally flat on the table.. It will hit all of the high spots.. side to side, then up and down, but from the sounds of it this isn't exactly the finish you're looking for.

 

I'll try the flap disc see how that works. milling it will be kinda hard because the only way it will come out of my basement is in pieces lol

and worst case i guess i could just get some thin sheet and weld it on top of the beastly plate

 

I have an 1/2 thick aluminum table and i love it, wouldn't go back to steel ever again.

I vote bolt on an aluminum plate

 

that sounds expensive...im not looking to spend a lot more money on the table

 

The big grinding wheel running flat works really nice. I promise It's almost as nice as getting it milled when done right

 

Do you tig on it? Aluminum table plate + tig welding = most guys getting zapped.

 

Yeah, i only tig on it and don't have any problem getting shocked @ all. Plus is doesn't scratch parts because its a pretty soft series and parts don't arc and stick like steel.

I have covered a few other tables with thin sheets and it works pretty much the same.

The other benefit is thats it warms up nice and fast with a small foot heater underneath for winter fabbing

 

I miss working on an aluminium table. I never really had issues with getting zapped, and I am starting to get annoyed using a steel table now with stuff arcing to it. If I can find a good thick sheet I'll bolt it down on top of the table.

 

lol whats your reasoning on this??