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Weld a length of 1/2" x 3" cold roll bar to both sides of the frame as shown above. The tops of the cold roll bar should be flush with the bottoms of the side pieces of 3" square tubing, and with the tops of the end pieces of tubing.

Cut two lengths of 3" x 1" x 1/4" thick angle iron the same length as the 1/2" x 3" bars, and tack weld them to the insides of the bars. The top of the 3" leg of the angle iron should be flush with the top of the 1/2" x 3" bar.

The purpose of spacing the angle iron out from the frame sides with the cold roll bar is to permit you to insert the slats without interfering with the gear rack assemblies on both sides.

You will tack weld the tops and bottoms of dowel pins to the 8' lengths of shallow angle iron, as shown above. Space each pair of dowel pins 3/16" apart with a short piece of 3/16" thick hot roll bar. Space each set of dowel pins so the material support slats will be on 3" centers. Use a machinist square to ensure that the dowel pins are vertical.

You now have a sturdy material support surface with individually reversible and replaceable vertical steel slats. This is superior to any kind of one piece support surface, and can be fabricated in a couple of hours' time at a cost of less than $100. The use of dowel pins that are already the correct length really save fabrication time. The dowel pins sell for about $40 per hundred at MSC, McMaster-Carr, and other industrial supply houses.

Appearance of material support surface using 3/16"x3" slats