I was tired of lugging that damn thing + the tank around the garage, so I got creative.

Did I completely spend waaaay to much time and effort on this?

Yep.

Do I regret it?

Nope.

The only thing I regret was not double checking my basket at Harbor Freight. ONE of the swivel casters I picked up didn't match, so technically I'm 99.9% done until I can get back there to swap it out and bolt on the correct one.

I started out making a basic frame out of square tubing. I was considering a short section C25 tank, but found that to be damn near impossible to find (unless I wanted to buy an entire 10-20ft length!), so I used some angle iron to make a square nest. I used the same angle iron to make the top shelf where the welder would sit. The top shelf is tilted at 15 degrees.





Next, I wanted to secure the tank a bit better, so I used two pieces of the same angle iron. I then notched them and used a piece of chain I had lying around. That should hold.









Next, I cut some expanded metal grating that originally came off my trailer ramp. I replaced it with heavier duty expanded metal, so I had a large sheet lying around. A piece lined the top and middle shelf. With this layer, the welder sits at JUST the right height for me to be able to open the side door to get at the wire spool without having to remove the welder from its shelf. NICE. Then, I cut 4 pieces of 1/4" strap, drilled/taped four holes, and welded them to the bottom of the frame for the casters.



Next, I used some leftover round tubing from welding a gate, some 3/4" tubing I had, and a piece of the same 1/4" strap (after a lot of shaping) to make a hybrid cart handle/cord keeper. Bending the 3/4" rigid tubing was fun, as was grinding down the semi-circle piece of 1/4" with an angle grinder.





Last but not least, the bottom shelf. What's in the mini-barrel???



It's a 50ft, 50Amp extension cord. It coils up perfectly in that little drum that used to have explosives in it. They make great little trash cans, too.

Overall, it was a great learning experience. I got better at MIG welding, realized that a chop saw is NOT for precision cuts, to double check your shopping basket, and that I "need" more stuff (plasma cutter, band saw, bench grinder, a larger air compressor, a shop, and probably a bunch of other stuff).

Oh that's awesome. Not time wasted at all. That'll last your whole life and beyond. I wussed out and bought mine. It is not as nice as yours and pulls to the left.

Thanks! I went way overboard with the number of welds, too. I stood on the end of both shelves and jumped. This thing could go off my roof and survive. Woe to those below, so long as it's not my truck.

I've considered painting it, but it looks pretty badass as-is. Plus, rust isn't really an issue out here with the typical humidity being below 20%. If I change my mind, it will be a quick-n-dirty with some gloss black tractor paint.

That thing is awesome! It'll save you more time, effort, aggravation, and possibly injury from lifting stuff over the rest of it's life than it cost you to build it, too. I wish I knew how to weld and had the gear...there are so many things in life that it would simplify. I probably need to just suck it up, buy a welder, and learn.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
That thing is awesome! It'll save you more time, effort, aggravation, and possibly injury from lifting stuff over the rest of it's life than it cost you to build it, too. I wish I knew how to weld and had the gear...there are so many things in life that it would simplify. I probably need to just suck it up, buy a welder, and learn.

That was pretty much my situation. Uses for it kept popping up, so I said hell with it and nabbed one.

Nicely done, Assuming it's angled to see the controls?

Does your box being angled prevent a full size cylinder from fitting or never use em?

Nicely done!

VERY nice.

Ima steal that angle iron/chain deal for securing the tank. Mine flops around on my store-bought cart enough to be scary.

Also, I have a cheapo Zeny Plasma Cutter that works amazingly well considering the price point. I just zapped a hole in a piece of 3" x 1/4" square tubing with it no problem. It DOES demand dry air, but doesn't use a lot of air so pretty much any compressor should run it okay.

Lovely!

Learning to weld is in my bucket list.

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
I've considered painting it, but it looks pretty badass as-is. Plus, rust isn't really an issue out here with the typical humidity being below 20%. If I change my mind, it will be a quick-n-dirty with some gloss black tractor paint.

Cold blue. I’m only half kidding when I say that, too. That is an awesome welding cart!

Good job!

Yeah, if you lived in Missouri you would have to paint that. It can get a little humid around here.

Nice!

Can I suggest a nice coat of heavy duty paint to prevent rusting?

Very nice! Good design, well planned, that will last a lifetime. Time well spent.

I bought my small Miller wire welder back in the late '80's, it still works okay for my occasional use for lighter jobs up to where I use the stick welder. I built a cart for it when I bought it from scraps I had laying around, but the design is not as nice as yours. I like the ergonomics of your design. Good job.

If you want that rustic look for the steel you could always spray it with rattle-can clearcoat. It will prevent any possible oxidation and still look the same as it does now. That option is used for rustic steel and wood furniture. Just a thought.

Why do the welders sit at that angle on these types of carts? I’m not much of a welder so I’m curious.

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:

I've considered painting it, but it looks pretty badass as-is. Plus, rust isn't really an issue out here with the typical humidity being below 20%. If I change my mind, it will be a quick-n-dirty with some gloss black tractor paint.

Why not just clear coat it now to protect the "new metal" look?

Well thought out, nice work!

Make it yourself is the only way for people who love to fabricate.

It's great to have the equipment and materials to make things to your own specifications.
The down side is that there is always one more thing you'd like to have and a never ending cycle.
For me, coming up with the design ideas is the most challenging and finding ideas online that are good for my needs is difficult.

Looks good! Fabrication is fun.

quote:

Originally posted by thumperfbc:
Why do the welders sit at that angle on these types of carts? I’m not much of a welder so I’m curious.

They don't sit at eye heights, so they're angled to make the controls and readouts easy to see and use.