double wide welding cart with storage for O/A cart

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well after lots of looking at what you guys posted on the the other thread  and searching i have a visual example of exactly what i want to be looking at for my welding cart when its finished.   i want to try  putting all the welding stuff on one cart and see if i like it. right now stuff is stored all about the gargage and sometimes even if i wanted to use the stick welder its too much effort to get it.  i suppose  thats no different then most guys....so i am going to try storing it all together.   here is the open cart that i will use as base for my interpretation of it.  i dont know the  fabricatror but it is 556man out of las vegas and its from the Hobart project web site.  if i find i need an additional middle support for the cart i can add one and if i decide in the future its too wide i can always narrow it down.  this is a long term project and i want it to be really polished when i am done.  please feel free to comment and post pictures of what you have done that way the next guy who comes along has good starting place. the o/a rig will drive up into the back of the cart and then be chained in place.  the cart has a lip on the front of it and the floor of the cart is 3/4" off the ground  so if i tilt the cart back and move it forward it will hit a "stop frame" in the cart and then when i pick it up it will rest on a horiziontal support and  the back wheels will be off the ground. thks bobthis is  556man cart here is my start....something like this in the original mock up....the mig gas floor decking will be at different height, i added 1.5" from this mock up to the width of it.Last edited by 37ford4dr; 12-11-2011 at 12:27 PM.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:very nice!
Reply:well we played with the new plasma cutter today and the sheetmetal for the welding cart is coming from a donor file cabinet and we roughed out the cable holders.....mostly an exercise in metal working just so we could learn how to use the plasma cutter...i put little joe on the job...oh and it was a pleasant 34* this morning and overcastbobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:moved the ball a  little further down  the field this am....slight overkill 5/16 round tubing and 1/4 angle iron, not sure in the last photo why they  look so uneven in reality they are very close to each other......breaks over time to work on the casters and figure out lower shelf height off the ground so i can figure out the O/A rig set upbobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:added wheels , i thought i wanted 4 casters but i am not sure now that it is set up, maybe it needs weight on it to make it more predictable.  i thought i wanted the 4 casters so i could move it in any direction at any time unlike tool chests that have to have more  "swing room" to get them to move into spaces.   is any body using 4 casters if so do you like them?bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:A couple more bites of the elephant tonight,i made and tacked in the middle shelf,it may get two front vertical legs connecting the middle shelf to the lower shelf in the front corners,  i think i am going to tack every thing up first before i weld it all together to make sure its "right sized".bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:a couple more bites of the elephant today......bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:Subscribed.OT:Is there a place online where I could purchased rear wheels like these ... thanks to OP.Last edited by JayL; 12-27-2011 at 12:15 AM.
Reply:Originally posted by JayLIs there a place online where I could purchased rear wheels like these ...
Reply:Originally Posted by Fabn4FunPhilippines WOW!In the US those are the cheap Harbor Freight wheels that are usually on sale for $5 each!  However they are not extra heavy duty and have all the problems of tires - they leak and need to be pumped up, hot splatter or sharp scraps on the floor can damage them, need patching ... etc. Sorry can't help over there   !
Reply:we will see if the 4 caster design works.....it works well pulling from any side, pushing it gets squirrely....maybe when i pull it into place i can step out from behind it and push it the last 18" or so since the wheels will already be pointed in the right direction.  we will seebobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:I had the 10" inflatable tires on my cart, took em off to put 10" solid wheel/tires on it.  The inflatable ones kept going flat & the cart wouldn't move then.  Major PIA when I wanted to weld something.    The 4 caster idea is ok, if you have 2 fixed.  It makes it much easier to roll it about the shop with the 2 fixed casters.I have the same inflatable wheel/tire combo on my dolly, but it's easier to roll unloaded with flat tires.  So I just leave them on there.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:Originally Posted by 37ford4drwe will see if the 4 caster design works.....it works well pulling from any side, pushing it gets squirrely....maybe when i pull it into place i can step out from behind it and push it the last 18" or so since the wheels will already be pointed in the right direction.  we will see
Reply:step brakes i like the idea....let see how it rolls with 4 casters and we can go from there.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:I like the idea of having all four wheels swivel. I just can't trust a cart to stay put.Do what it takes to get the job done right.
Reply:Originally Posted by JayLThanks for letting me know. I thought those would be better.
Reply:i like those wheels thanks, my casters are 4" ball bearing type rated at 300# each, i had my garage/shop floor built with no slope to it just as flat as they can make it floating it by hand.....now i do have  an apron that i would not want the cart to roll down so locking casters are a good idea, and i dont have a driveway, in the future it will be paver stones , so i dont see the cart going out side at this house.    i did work some more tonight and started to make the gussets for the middle shelf.  i really do like the openess of the  cart and i am resisting putting front vertical supports or diagonal cross bracing on the middle shelf.  i am going to see what a 4" x 3/16 gusset looks like on it, located  under neath the middle shelf.  the middle shelf will probaly hold  90 lbs and the outside middle shelf tubing, base tubing  and the vertical tubing is 3/16" and the inside tubing is 1/8".   i will be using a 45* strap from the back base legs to the two main vertical supports.  i am open to suggestions on alternative bracing ideas, the top shelf will have almost no load on it just grinders, welding helmets, etc i doubt it will hit 30#s.  thks bobbobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:i took advantage of some day light and added some gussets tonight...two pieces of flat stock 2x4x3/16 that i tig welded together and used as my practice piece for tig welding....i grinded the welds and cut it in half.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:straightened out vertical member that had warped from welding shelf on it....and added kickersthe table is laying on the ground and you are looking at the vertical member laying horiziontally and that last 6" is the very top of the vertical memberamazing what heats doesyou can see heat discoloration from where i applied heat around middle shelfLast edited by 37ford4dr; 12-31-2011 at 01:02 PM.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:heres the back side mock up.....my boys suggested just making it a holder for the welding cart since it probably wont come off of it often and in the 25 yrs i have had its always been used in the garage/shop.   i can mount the welding cart  it backwards or front wards i think backwards with the wheels in is my favorite.  any thoughts?the middle shelf  also passed the load test and my 200# son sat on the middle shelf.....the middle shelf will have a projected loaded weight of 100#Last edited by 37ford4dr; 12-31-2011 at 02:49 PM.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:do you have room for your MIG tank, with the Ox/Ace dolly on there?  How about making a bracket for  the Ox/Ace dolly on the side?  Also just noticed the upper shelf with the cross bar where the tank sits.  It's going to get in your way if you leave that there.Maybe a tank holder something like this? Attached ImagesMarkI 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:Mark i like those radiused tank brackets, you may see those on this cart..  did you use recantgular tubing for that??  or is it open on the bottom?..i use smaller tanks so the top shelf is ok, the big tanks hurt my back so i just use  smaller ones and accept the fact i fill them up more often.. should be enough space for the O/A cart with tanks and  the MIG and TIG  tank.  tomorrow i will mock it up with the tanks.its hard to see but the middle shelf will end just before the vertical riser so two tanks should fit front to back on the side of the OA cartLast edited by 37ford4dr; 12-31-2011 at 07:35 PM.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:I used 2"x4" rectangular tubing.  With the bandsaw in the vertical position, I just cut a 10" radius, then added a 2" flat bar bent to follow the radius I had cut out.  Small tanks you could use square tubing secure them.  I built mine to hold up to a 300 cf tank.  The tall one in the picture is a 125 cf 75/25.  I also have a 200 cf Tri-Mix that isn't pictured now & the Acetylene tank is in front of the other tanks under the shelf. Small tanks should be able to fit all in a row on the back side.  Looking pretty good the way it is, I would have put a larger gusset/strut on the top shelf.  Like the one behind the vertical bar.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:your tank brackets are sweet.....i really thought about front legs, diagonal bracing and gussetts. i liked the open design and opted for the gussetts.  its been load tested at 200 lbs with "little joe" sitting on it so thats about 3x the weight  i plan for it so i think it will be ok.i may build a frame for the HH190 to sit on the lower shelf so it will have the same "perspective" it has now sitting on the MIG cart...if i do this i may slip a 1/2" sq tubing in between the the base and the middle shelf right in the middle of the cart....kind of a cheater support no one would see it but it would be there.  and it would let me put all the weight up front on that shelf with out even thinking twice about itLast edited by 37ford4dr; 12-31-2011 at 10:05 PM.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:The 190 needs to be on the top shelf, so you can adjust it standing up & change wire standing up.  Middle or lower shelf the door on the welder will have to be supported to change wire & the top shelf allows full swing.I would put the plasma & the other grey box on the center, use the bottom for grinder storage.  Or it looks like there is room up top to have all the machines up there.  Use the middle shelf for the oxy tips & extra stuff.  Grinders & extra consumables could go there too.  You have a lot of options with this.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 Buildin my original design i was thinking as long as the mig was far enough to the side the door could swing open and i could have decent access on either the bottom of middle shelf. tomorrow i will play around with  the positioning of the equipment before i finalize the cart .  i have my original mig that will have the .025 wire in it and this hobart will have .030 so i am hoping that the wire changes will be minimal except for spool changes.  i was thinking  i could mount  a strong magnet on the bottom of a torch/cord holder and it would hold the door open for those changes.  maybe one of those red 45* magnetswhat i still need to figure out is if i make a manifold so both migs share the same gas tank or if i just swap regulators on the one 75/25 tank when i need to use them.....the Hobart regulator uses a barbed fitting and it would be easy to get a Y fitting and put two barbed fittings on that one for each MIGLast edited by 37ford4dr; 12-31-2011 at 11:10 PM.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:a couple more ideas.  I understand what you are saying, I just sort of threw mine together.  I've since sold the Lincoln, not sure if I want a plasma or small inverter TIG.  I'm leaning toward the tig. Attached ImagesMarkI 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:There are two bad things about combining too many welders on one cart. First, is the weight. They are harder to move around even with wheels. The other is space to hang cables and torches.I have my mig and plasma on one. About to start a second that will have a Tig and Cooler. I also have to build something for the OA set. I keep that in the shed. Not sure what to do with it.
Reply:You are so correct Mike.  I forget about the weight as I only roll it about 10-20 feet, then it sits like that for several days.  3 bottles, 2 MIG welders, AC stick welder & leads...............pretty difficult to move very far.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:Originally Posted by mikeb9550There are two bad things about combining too many welders on one cart. First, is the weight. They are harder to move around even with wheels. The other is space to hang cables and torches.......
Reply:I was thinking the shelves would get in the way of the doors.  Guess there is more room than I thought.A quick suggestions, bend a couple small 3/4"x 1/8" wide "Straps" to bolt the welders to the shelves.  I have mine bolted via cover bolts to the top of the shelves.  I used some 3/4" angle to bolt the AC welder to the bottom shelf (last pic post 27).  It keeps them from sliding around & keeps em in one place so they don't fall if I run into an obstruction for the casters.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:oh yeah its slide city right now.....even with old paint from the inside of the file cabint everything is sliding....i eyeballed the machines looking for chassis bolts but the TIG doesnt have any....so one option i am thinking of is making an actual grid out of angle iron that will capture all  the machines ....still letting it ruminate in my mind and i havent tacked down the sheetmetal yet.   my mig cart just used 90* brackets in the front and back to capture it.actually maybe angle iron that spans the shelf with a  T coming off it for each machine.....both in the front and in the back to hold...i bet i can use a straight piece in the front and then the T in the backor how about flat stock underneath the middle of the machine  with legs that reach out to capture it and its drilled and screwed under the machine...how about sheet metal for that matterLast edited by 37ford4dr; 01-01-2012 at 05:40 PM.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:well had a chance to get back to the project, not sure what happened to the last 6 weeks but time does fly.......I squared away the sheetmetal end of the project.  next two  tasks are  to figure out the bracketry to mount the tanks and to make some bracketry so the equipment doesnt move around on those shelves.  the 4 rotating caster wheels go from the best thing in the world to being miserable to pull.   if they are lined up and you can spin it around with one figure, when they are out of alignment to each other you have to pull it to get them in alignment.  maybe its a case of just moving the caster with your foot if they fight you.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:made the "trays " to capture the machines on the middle shelf today, so they dont bounce off the shelf.  the red mig opening door can either be inside of or out side of the frame.   the frames are welded together and then welded to the frame on the two outside frame rails. Last edited by 37ford4dr; 02-25-2012 at 04:54 PM.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:a couple more bites of the elephant tonight, i welded a 1" square tubing  between the uprights and each bottle has its own aluminum strapping holding  it in place bolted to the square tubing, .  tomorrow i will fine tune the arrangement of the bottlesthe idea for the straps came from drb007, his fabrication skills are better then mine and his came out nicerLast edited by 37ford4dr; 05-05-2012 at 12:50 AM.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:Nice job on the cart build, I have to think you need larger castors with all that weight. How does it roll?"Never trust anything you read on the Internet" - Abraham Lincoln
Reply:Originally Posted by MarkNotMarcNice job on the cart build, I have to think you need larger castors with all that weight. How does it roll?
Reply:well my design has been well tested.    the swivel castors work like they always have from wonderfully to hard at first.  I think given all my requirements i will keep them as they are.   I finally added two of the four supports for the bundled cables.  i suppose i havent been too timely in finishing this....bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:37ford4dr, This is exactly the welding cart design I have been searching this forum as well as the Internet for, and I finally found yours.  I had been searching for a cart wide enough to put my soon to arrive Lincoln AC/DC 225 on bottom, my Lincoln WeldPak 180HD on top, my Lincoln LN130 in the middle, and my oxygen, acetylene & argon/co2 tanks on the back.  Your design fits my needs perfectly and I am going to use yours as a blueprint with slight modifications to suite my specific needs.   Great design in my opinion and thanks!
Reply:37Ford4Dr-If you want to get fancy on your caster wheels, one can get the best of both worlds- swiveling casters and fixed "transport" type of wheels, in a single caster wheel. Google "directional locking casters". When you activate the locks, the casters will act like a fixed direction wheel. You'll only need two per cart. The other two can be the typical swiveling caster design. When you lock the two directionally locking casters, and if you have two swiveling casters on the opposite side of the cart, you will have transport maneuverability like a grocery cart; and when you unlock those two wheels, you will have 4 fully swiveling wheels like you have now to accommodate lateral maneuverability. Tente are a brand I'm familiar with. They are very nice but a bit pricey.Thanks for posting your project. It is very helpful to me.
Reply:MisforMig  I am glad you found this helpful, the design works well for me.84JSD  I am going to look for those caster wheels, thks for the suggestion, Bobbobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:this is the last time and i am going to spend time looking for sharpies, my mig plieers or the ground strap use graph paper to line it all upI just noticed that  I mounted the back side out front.....whats in the back is fully welded and ground down....oh well just an excuse to weld and grind some moreLast edited by 37ford4dr; 11-25-2012 at 12:39 PM.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:Originally Posted by 37ford4drthis is the last time and i am going to spend time looking for sharpies, my mig plieers or the ground strap
Reply:FYI, silver Sharpies work great on darker metals. Oh, and you'll still have to hunt for them too.Millermatic 200Hobart Handler 120Victor O/A & Ramco BandsawLincoln 225 ACSnapOn AD HoodMiller XMT304/22AHypertherm Powermax 1650 G3Lincoln Idealarc DC600 w/Extreme 12 VSMiller Digital Elite "Joker"