I dont know if anyone else ran into this problem when looking at getting 5/8" tooling but I’ll share it just in case. I have a pair of Primeweld 5/8" fixture tables that have a 3/8" thick top. These are pretty much the same as the Langmuir Systems 5/8" tables, where both brands are too thin to be compatible with the Fireball 5/8" Tacking Bolts as they require a minimum of 1/2" table top thickness… A work around I found is throwing a 1/8" thick 9/16" ID washer between the tooth block and the Tacking Bolt when using the Fireball tooth block fixtures. This resulted in a tight lockup, and the washer just slides off if you need the Tacking Bolt for connecting two fixtures rather than a fixture to the table…
Hopefully I will get my hands on a 3/4" Fireball table for large projects in the future but to get the foot in the door and benefit from using a fixture table the Primeweld matched with Fireball fixtures is great for the smaller projects. Two 2’x3’ tables, a handfull of Fireball squares, and a decent supply of Fireball 5/8" fixtures will cost you $4-$5K which is a whole lot easier to swallow when you just getting started.
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I’ve been debating on going with a more budget friendly option table since like you said it’s hard to swallow the cost of the nice FB one for us little guys. But how does FBs fixtures pair up with Primewelds table? Any other issues besides with the tack bolts?
@Arcwarrior If you can wait until fall fireball will have some more budget friendly table options that will work with the popular fireball tooling and fixtures. Keeping the table and fixtures together as a system ensures proper fit. Hole size and tolerances can be out of wack when people try to mix match different components from different manufacturers. It’s a large investment so I’d hate to see customers with problems.
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@Arcwarrior I’ve had zero issues with the compatibility of FB tooling and the Primeweld tables. Everything from fence blocks, tooth blocks, and inserta clamps work just fine. When I was tooling up the FB inserta pliers were out of stock pretty consistently. I ended up buying some vise locks from Harbor Freight, cutting off the bottom jaw and welding Grade 8 5/8” Bolts to them and they run just fine as well.
One issue with the smaller tables is you have to bolt them together to get a larger area. The joint has some flex as a result and needs to be reinforced. All the websites show their tables bolted together with just outer legs attached. When I did this the center of the table would sag, especially with a heavy load. Eventually I intended to reinforce the base with cross beams and weld adjustment bolts below the joint to level it all out again.
Also the tolerance of the table flatness is less. In the case of Primeweld it’s 0.007 over 24”. FB tables are tighter but this difference in 99% of my projects is a mute point. I appreciate the level of precision that FB seeks in their tables and there are no doubt jobs where it matters. But for what I make and what my customers are looking for that difference is never going to be an issue.
@Fireball_Jason Just playing devils advocate but your 5/8 fixture table tooling is selling faster than you guys can make it. It is regularly out of stock days after being back in stock. If you don’t recommend using it on other companies tables then why sell it before you have a table available. Don’t get me wrong, I think your stuff sets the bar, but if you are selling 5/8 tooling like hot cakes and you don’t have a 5/8 table, certainly you accept that every customer you have buying 5/8 tooling is using it on another company’s product.
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@Fireball_Jason I am definitely excited to see what you have coming out and agree with you. It’s actually why I was asking the question, I made a poor attempt at making my own fixture table and my new tooling does not work well with it due to my own errors of course. Metal was free so not too much invested luckily. But I am definitely trying to hold out for one of your 3/4 tables even if it’s smaller so I’m not having to rebuy a crazy amount of fixtures. Would make it easier when it’s time for a bigger work area. I’ll definitely try to wait like a kid waiting for Christmas!
@CreedFab That’s one of my biggest concern going that route is sag! It may not make a difference to most of my customers because a few thousands is small but without going to the extent of leveling it I’m sure it would start to throw things out over time which would drive me nuts! Thanks for your input though and good to know the tooling works well.