Welding cart build

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Thanks to blawless for the suggestion to start out with 1 1/2 .060 wall square tube in this thread I started the welding cart a couple weeks ago.
Reply:Looks good so far.  Your next project should be a table to get up off the floor, it's a killer on the knees.
Reply:Nice, clean metal makes life easier. As stated about a table next, for now a couple of saw horses will work or watch for a old metal ironing board at a garage sale.A push around two shelf cart is really handy too.Last edited by BD1; 08-10-2014 at 08:21 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by Fast LeroyLooks good so far.  Your next project should be a table to get up off the floor, it's a killer on the knees.
Reply:I do a lot on the floor and it's more stress on my feet and lower back on the bad days. I guess I'm young enough to have good knees More photos!One of the better welds.One of the uglier welds - that is until I started making some real mistakes later Standing tall.Hmmm nice clean expanded. I was hoping for 9 ga but the supplier I bought the rest from didn't carry it. This is 11 ga and is working fine. I ended up reinforcing the shelves with some angle iron later.Expanded tacked on. I had a friend helping cut material that night and my failure to communicate the plan resulted in a short bottom shelf. He was a great help and taught me more in the first 5 minutes than I've learned in a while. I filled in the bottle rack on the bottom later to make rolling them into place a bit easier.
Reply:will follow this post. Did a mod on a miller cart but getting ready to add a tig welder so will build a cart for mig and tig.
Reply:Originally Posted by randyawill follow this post. Did a mod on a miller cart but getting ready to add a tig welder so will build a cart for mig and tig.
Reply:Suggestion.................Weld your expanded on the underside of the bottle storage.  Then the bottle won't want to kick out if it tips or some such thing.  The frame will act as a ledge to keep it from just sliding out, but not so tall a person can't lift/roll it over to change it.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:Looks great so far.  What color ya gonna paint it?Regards,RobGreat Basin WeldingInstagramBlue weldersRed weldersMy luscious Table DIY TIG Torch cooler
Reply:Originally Posted by MarkBall2Suggestion.................Weld your expanded on the underside of the bottle storage.  Then the bottle won't want to kick out if it tips or some such thing.  The frame will act as a ledge to keep it from just sliding out, but not so tall a person can't lift/roll it over to change it.
Reply:Originally Posted by Robert HallLooks great so far.  What color ya gonna paint it?
Reply:Red yellow and blue are primary colors. I don't think you could go wrong with one of them.   (like blue)Regards,RobGreat Basin WeldingInstagramBlue weldersRed weldersMy luscious Table DIY TIG Torch cooler
Reply:For the next step I wanted to bolt on the casters instead of welding them on. This allows changing them out for whatever reason - or as I learn in just a bit here, moving them I wanted to drill and then fill with small round tube to bolt through. Partly as an experiment and partly because I know compressing a cylinder in that direction is very strong - much stronger than the weak dimension of square tube.Sliced and diced. This and a handful of cuts on 1"x1/8" angle iron is all I got out of a $40 metal Bosch blade. I was quite disappointed so I returned it.A little prep work before welding.Hmm, donuts... er I mean, back to welding. My goggles were fogging with sweat so bad I couldn't see to weld circles very well. All in all they turned out better than I expected welding half-blind.Ah, a sense of satisfaction at the completion of mounting wheels and a greater sense of 'whoops' when I realize the weight of the gas cylinder tips the whole thing over with the wheels that far forward. Physics lesson for the night: ~100 lb gas cylinder with ~9" of leverage is sufficient to lift an 80lb welder on a ~24" arm. Juggling welder, gas cylinder, and trying not to drop anything or end up on the bottom made things interesting for a few minutes there. I even tried reversing the wheels to mount in the other bolt holes (another ~4" closer to the rear) with no greater success. I called it a night and decided to look at moving the wheels to far rear corners later.And for those that read this other thread of mine you can just barely see in the corner of the last photo I did finally flip the bolts to the top. No nuts welded on yet though - the 1/2" base plate is working just fine.
Reply:Originally Posted by DanTThanks for the suggestion Mark but I found that the distance between the two support bars was far enough that once the bottle lost contact with the rear one it would tip quickly. I put the expanded on top to help prevent this. I was contemplating a piece of angle iron on the bottom to keep it from kicking out as you mentioned is a potential hazard, but this would make it difficult to load the T bottles I have. I may add another strap or chain on the middle shelf to address this instead of a lip at the bottom.
Reply:Let's see some welds already! I put a piece of angle iron across the back to keep stuff rolling off. One of my welding buddies - hard as nails, welds in a giraffe t-shirt and doesn't care.As mentioned above the wheels in the middle allowed the weight of the bottles to tip the entire cart. Now with the wheels on the back corners the cart is much more stable. I tested stability with both bottles and me leaning back as far as I could reach - no tipping. Good enough for me Mystery triangle! Attached Images
Reply:I welded the triangle on the back to keep the bottles spaced. The piece in the middle gives me enough fill I can put some small items in there if I need to.All glued on. I have the tank cap sitting in here now.It's big, heavy, takes up a fair amount of space, rolls fairly well on the casters but I'm curious how well they'll hold up over time. I don't want them to square off on the bottom but if they do I can remove them thanks to the bolts.View from the back. I just received my other flow gauge in the mail today so I'm going to try the 100% Argon + a touch of C25 mix on stainless this weekend. That's $280 worth of gas and bottles there (woo craigslist!) - might as well put it to good use
Reply:Stainless needs a Tri-mix for MIG welding.Looks good, might put another strap lower just above the middle shelf.  After watching a nitrogen bottle fly down the taxiway, I'm a bit OCD about securing compressed gas bottles.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:Well exicuted! I like it. Also your "welding buddy" is a bad ***, wish I could get away with wearing a geraffe t shirt!Teach them while they are young, they will thank you later!My 11 yo nephew asked me the other day if I'd show him how to weld.. I said absofreKinlutely, so he is going to help me build a coal forge shortly. 1/2" plate should be easy to learn on!Real welders know how to penetrate!(Equipment)Whatever can be used to beat my opponent into submission!