Tweet
Hi all,
I've been taking a basic welding class at our local community college and after the first month or so, decided to pull the trigger and invest in my own welder, a MM211.
The instructor asked us all to come up with "class" projects that we could work on. I knew that I wanted to make a cart for my new welder, so I surfed around the interweb and looked at a bunch of carts to get ideas. I then drafted up (old school pencil on graph paper!) some scaled drawings to work out my materials and cuts.
I knew that I wanted a cart that could be pulled across uneven ground or gravel drives since I'll need to move the welder around the farm. Big wheels and castors with a wide stance and the welder securely bolted down and the cylinder not wobbly were requirements.
I also liked the carts I saw that had cantilevered shelves. They seemed to offer good and unimpeded access to storage areas. I wanted a storage shelf that had fairly tall sides to keep tools and supplies from rattling off the edges.
I wanted the welder up high enough that I could change the wire without having to stoop or sit on the floor, same with reaching the front knobs. This height stressed the need for a wide stance and stability.
Finally, I wanted a design that would protect the front and rear of the welder and allow me to rotate the regulator and gages on the cylinder to a position that was protected from bumps and knocks. Things can get a bit rough around the shop and barn.
I didn't take many in-progress shots, but here are a couple:
[IMG]
[/IMG]
[IMG]
[/IMG]
You can see my inexpensive Harbor Freight cart in the background. (One of my classmates has already offered to buy it from me. It worked, but it's none too sturdy, and it's very hard to move around on anything but nice smooth concrete.)
Here's my cart at school, ready to clean up for the final paint:
[IMG]
[/IMG]
Well, bother...
Ten images and a limit of 4 per post. Guess I'll break this up into multiple posts.
Hope cut-an-paste will save some time. We'll see...
I've been taking a basic welding class at our local community college and after the first month or so, decided to pull the trigger and invest in my own welder, a MM211.
The instructor asked us all to come up with "class" projects that we could work on. I knew that I wanted to make a cart for my new welder, so I surfed around the interweb and looked at a bunch of carts to get ideas. I then drafted up (old school pencil on graph paper!) some scaled drawings to work out my materials and cuts.
I knew that I wanted a cart that could be pulled across uneven ground or gravel drives since I'll need to move the welder around the farm. Big wheels and castors with a wide stance and the welder securely bolted down and the cylinder not wobbly were requirements.
I also liked the carts I saw that had cantilevered shelves. They seemed to offer good and unimpeded access to storage areas. I wanted a storage shelf that had fairly tall sides to keep tools and supplies from rattling off the edges.
I wanted the welder up high enough that I could change the wire without having to stoop or sit on the floor, same with reaching the front knobs. This height stressed the need for a wide stance and stability.
Finally, I wanted a design that would protect the front and rear of the welder and allow me to rotate the regulator and gages on the cylinder to a position that was protected from bumps and knocks. Things can get a bit rough around the shop and barn.
I didn't take many in-progress shots, but here are a couple:
[IMG]
[/IMG][IMG]
[/IMG]You can see my inexpensive Harbor Freight cart in the background. (One of my classmates has already offered to buy it from me. It worked, but it's none too sturdy, and it's very hard to move around on anything but nice smooth concrete.)
Here's my cart at school, ready to clean up for the final paint:
[IMG]
[/IMG]Well, bother...
Ten images and a limit of 4 per post. Guess I'll break this up into multiple posts.
Hope cut-an-paste will save some time. We'll see...
Comment