Welding Cart for Tombstone

[jfsmith]

Any one make a cart for their tombstones, I am just curious? I have carts for my MIG and my Plasma Cutter. The TIG has it's own cart build into it.

But for my stick welding it would be nice.


Jerry

[TomVeatch]

Too durned heavy to move around the shop without having it on it's own wheels. First thing I did was build a set of running gear for it - not really a "tombstone", more like a Thunderbolt 225 AC/DC.

That was the first time I'd used a welder since a 1 credit hour welding lab at Auburn University (mumblenumber) years ago. So you can imagine the quality of the welds. Used more 4 1/2" grinder wheels than I did welding rods. At least it hasn't fallen apart yet

[jfsmith]

I think Lincoln sells a wheel kit for like $14.00. The AC225 is only 100 pounds, it isn't that heavy, but with a cart, I can store stick on the cart and other things. Like I do with my MIG welder and it's cart.

Jerry

[TomVeatch]

...
The AC225 is only 100 pounds, it isn't that heavy, but with a cart, I can store stick on the cart and other things.
...
Jerry

Spoken like a true "young whippersnapper".

Seems like the older I get, the heavier each one of those pounds gets. I just made a very simple one - sorta looks like a scaled down version of those flatbed carts you see in Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Being able to roll the thing around and having a place to wind up the leads and power cord, store rods, etc. sure beats just coiling them up on top of the machine or letting them sprawl out all over the floor.

If I was going to do it again, I'd design (plagarize) a true welding cart with more tool storage. Some of the designs pictured in the various posts on this forum look very interesting. My new MM180 is supposed to be delivered tomorrow (sans running gear) so I'll probably get a little more fancy building transport gear for it.

[jfsmith]

I thought about this, how does this sound to you guys.

Take a two wheels hand truck, mount the tombstone to it. Have places to put rod holders and other such things. Plus a place for my helmet, gloves, apron, etc. Just a thought.

Tom thanks for the compliment, I am 58 years old and because I am a practicing blacksmith, I keep my strength and tone up. My Beer gut seems to be hereditary for me, I don't drink any more due to diabetes. But this is a far cry from when I ran 6 miles every morning in combat boots before PT back in the military. Plus some arthritis in my left foot from the days of running in combat boots on pavement, you know stress fractures and all.

But I picked up a large burner section from a commercial furnace and put it on a trailer. Everyone was surprised when I did that. I move my anvil around regularly.

I kind of like the idea of a four wheel cart, I have one of those two wheeler that converrts into a 4 wheeler cart kicking around somewhere, that may work. Thanks for the idea.


Jerry

[TomVeatch]

I thought about this, how does this sound to you guys.

Take a two wheels hand truck, mount the tombstone to it. Have places to put rod holders and other such things. Plus a place for my helmet, gloves, apron, etc.


Just a thought,

Jerry

The AC225 is wider than it is deep, so a modified hand truck sounds like a pretty elegant solution to me.

[jfsmith]

Tom,

Or Maybe one of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=32410

The Tombstone appears to be 17 wide, about 12 inches deep. Height doesn't matter in this case.

I have one of these kicking around that doesn't look that pretty anymore, so I put the Tombstone on it with some modifications and buy a new one for the shop.


Jerry


Jerry

[TomVeatch]

Even better than a 2 wheel hand truck. Looks like plenty of room to set a small cabinet with drawers for all that stuff that's over on the other side of the shop when you need it.

You may have just given me the base structure for my mig cart. Wheels and casters alone would cost almost that much. Wish it were a little closer- but then again, maybe being an hour's roundtrip to the closest HF is a good thing.

We've got a place called "The Big Tool Store" that's a couple of hours (round trip) away and my bank account is ever grateful! If that place don't have it, you just don't need it.

[jfsmith]

Tom,

They have online shopping, thanks for letting me know about the Big Tool Store.

I am going with the HF 2/4 wheeler.

Thanks for letting me bounce my ideas off of you.

Jerry