Modifications to the HF 4 and 5 drawer service carts - what changes have you made?

[mghwah]

Well I liked the idea of making the HF 4 drawer into a welding cart like a few others have done. See posts by borgdog and hackwelder in this thread.

I originally had the "free" cart with my Hobart 140. It worked but didn't have anything to hold the leads and honestly wasn't very useful.

Bought the HF cart with a coupon and couldn't bring myself to make a true (welding cart) just to take up the same amount of floor space as having two carts now.

So in order to reduce my floor space usage I opted to integrate the Hobart and the HF cart. Now I can get rid of my original cart and free up some floor space.

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Fun little project. The cart doesn't roll very easily but I don't honestly move it around that much and who said everything in life needs to be easy. It is nice having the drawers of the cart available for all the extra welding stuff.

Enjoy!

 

[SpeedHoles]

I dig!

 

[cheechi]

I also have a 140. So that is 'stock' height on the cart and you can open it up that much? It's not perfect but definitely functional enough for me.

 

[mghwah]

I also have a 140. So that is 'stock' height on the cart and you can open it up that much? It's not perfect but definitely functional enough for me.

I cut a larger piece of 1" thick MDF to fit the bottom shelf. Then I constructed a small piece out of 2x4's to raise it up a bit more.

So in all it is raised up about 2.5 inches off the bottom shelf of the cart.

 

[Nessal]

Does anyone know if the hinges on the black 4 drawer can replace the shocks on the red 5 drawer?

 

[Tucker99]

Does anyone know if the hinges on the black 4 drawer can replace the shocks on the red 5 drawer?

That and does HF sell the hinges?

 

[jakemac]

They don't sell the hinges in the store. You would need to call customer service and give them the model number of the cart that the parts came off of. Then, cross your fingers.

 

[alpinewhite]

Does anyone know if the hinges on the black 4 drawer can replace the shocks on the red 5 drawer?

In this thread, people have been using SnapOn hinges.

 

[number9]

Picked up the 5 drawer cart yesterday. Been kicking it around in my head a while and this thread helped push me over the edge

I'm only going to use this in my home shop for 'motorcycle only' tools / working. I have no desire to hang screwdrivers and prybars down the sides so I decided to move the lift cylinders to the outside to get the most useable space in the top.

I also drilled the rivets out on the lock bars and removed them so I can open the drawers without opening the lid - and again, to get the most useable space in the top.

When I was putting it together I remembered that I've had a couple extra handles from the 44" HF box set for several years just sitting. I thought it'd be nice if the handles on both HF boxes matched, so I dug it out and got to work on putting it on. I had to cut the center bar down an inch so it would fit between the corner braces.

The handle chrome was a little hazed from sitting in the plastic wrap for several years so I hit it with some Never Dull.

When I went to get the box I printed out some FREE coupons and took the wife and kids in with me and gave them each an item and a coupon. The ladies at the register get all soft when the kids put an item and a coupon up on the counter

...

 

[56vette461]

For SHAME, taking advantage of old women and children, just to get the free stuff. LMAO; You obviously had a good teacher, probably one with grey hair and an eye for good deals.

 

[darksydedaddy]

I was going to add an electrical outlet like I have seen in a couple of the pictures, but when I went to get the supplies, I saw this on the cord aisle @ Lowe's. It is both a four outlet holder, and a 25 foot cord reel all in one. I just disassembled it so I could put screws in the backing plate and through the box leg, and then put it back together(4 screws) on the cart. Much easier, and I can just crank the cord back in when done.

 

[PelicanPines]

I was going to add an electrical outlet like I have seen in a couple of the pictures, but when I went to get the supplies, I saw this on the cord aisle @ Lowe's. It is both a four outlet holder, and a 25 foot cord reel all in one. I just disassembled it so I could put screws in the backing plate and through the box leg, and then put it back together(4 screws) on the cart. Much easier, and I can just crank the cord back in when done.

Nice alternative. I added power to my cart too. I went with a metal power box since I screwed up my last roller with a cheap plastic strip. It's amazing how a cracked plastic power strip can conduct electricity into an all metal tool cart... wish I still had that old **** cart to send you all a picture of the damage. I love my HF 5 drawer... it will outlast me.

Your setup is sweet with the crank and built in cord.

 

[MrJason]

Well I liked the idea of making the HF 4 drawer into a welding cart like a few others have done. See posts by borgdog and hackwelder in this thread.

I originally had the "free" cart with my Hobart 140. It worked but didn't have anything to hold the leads and honestly wasn't very useful.

Bought the HF cart with a coupon and couldn't bring myself to make a true (welding cart) just to take up the same amount of floor space as having two carts now.

So in order to reduce my floor space usage I opted to integrate the Hobart and the HF cart. Now I can get rid of my original cart and free up some floor space.

View media item 46465
Fun little project. The cart doesn't roll very easily but I don't honestly move it around that much and who said everything in life needs to be easy. It is nice having the drawers of the cart available for all the extra welding stuff.

Enjoy!

I want to buy you a beer for posting this. I've wanted to build one like this for months, and now I've got the picture in front of me on how to get it done.

Thank you! Job well done.

Jason

 

[RichTJ99]

I seriously hate to ask this here but is there a similar thread for the HF 44" 13 drawer chest?

I did search & the HF 44 search brings a ton of data.

 

[MagnumForce]

Doubt it. At 350 bucks I am not sure I would want to tear into that.

 

[taumac]

There's a show your HF toolbox but haven't seen a thread modifing one like this one.

 

[Emmo213]

I also drilled the rivets out on the lock bars and removed them so I can open the drawers without opening the lid - and again, to get the most useable space in the top.

Whoops, wish I did it that way. Instead I cut off the tab on the back of every drawer. Oh well, I never wanted it to lock like that anyway.

 

[DoyleDee]

My 4 drawer carts, the locks unbolted. I'm using one in my garage and one in my shop. I don't need them to lock, but I do lock my 44" top and bottom....( I don't know why...). I haven't modified them other than gluing the floor mat (diamond plate pattern) to both tops--( the anti fatigue mat). I'm thinking about nut serting the magnetic strips to the 44" and the cart in the garage....so far I have 4 strips and used the magnets from 2 (the store I go to honors the coupons on my phone--from this site)

 

[attofarad]

Whoops, wish I did it that way. Instead I cut off the tab on the back of every drawer. Oh well, I never wanted it to lock like that anyway.

I modified my red cart so that I can have the top lock the drawers, or not.

What I did was pull the black plastic caps off of the locking bars, cut a small piece (approx. 0.4" ?) off of the top of the bars with my Dremel tool abrasive metal cutting wheel, so that the top of the bar is barely pushed down by the closed lid. I then took the piece that I cut off, and shoved it into the plastic cap. If I leave the caps off, the drawers don't lock with the top closed. If I want to lock them (almost never), I can put the caps (with metal bit shoved in there) back on, and it works as original. Not quite as solid as original, since the metal is cut, but more than adequate for my purposes. A better plug could be inserted into the plastic cap, but I see no need so far.

Under 20 minutes, start to finish. Much of that was pressing down on the locking bars while seeing how far down each drawer would start catching. If you are off a bit, you can remove each drawer and bend the tab the locking bar catches on, but that shouldn't be necessary with 5 minutes of care up front.

I picked this cart up, virtually new, for $100. They had already glued a piece of the rubber flooring like goes in gyms to the top, and into a couple of drawers. I painted one panel which had a scratch with rattle can Rustoleum.

So far, I don't really have anything in it! I shopped Craigslist for months, then decided to buy a new 44" -- got that home and went right back for another! Couldn't stop my habit of shopping Craigslist, and bought the cart too.

 

[DrBaker]

The red 5 drawer cart is at the Norman store as an open box for $152. It has a bend along the edge of the lid. Easy fix and a great deal as they marked it down 50% to $76 for this weekends sale. I already have 2 so I left this one behind. Much better deal than the $169 each I paid.

 

[skulldrinker]

My long wrenches would not stay on the magnet strips. I had to grind down the ridge so the wrench made closer contact to the magnet. Now they stick good.

 

[CarsonConcepts]

Added a magnetic rail onto the end of the shelf for small tools while working. Took a HF rail and popped one magnet out, cut it down and wrapped it in electrical tape. I've found the tape makes it easier to clean metal shards off, and gives the tools a bit more grip.

~ Carson

 

[CobraChevelle]

The red 5 drawer cart is at the Norman store as an open box for $152. It has a bend along the edge of the lid. Easy fix and a great deal as they marked it down 50% to $76 for this weekends sale. I already have 2 so I left this one behind. Much better deal than the $169 each I paid.

wish i could find deals like that. My local store is nuts, everything they have that is "open box" or "missing parts" is more than there lowest coupons.

 

[Dirty Diesels]

Added a magnetic rail onto the end of the shelf for small tools while working. Took a HF rail and popped one magnet out, cut it down and wrapped it in electrical tape. I've found the tape makes it easier to clean metal shards off, and gives the tools a bit more grip.

~ Carson

Neat idea, thanks for sharing

 

[MagnumForce]

After a couple months my side cab is sagging and pulling the whole thing out of square. I have put a Jack under the end, raised it, loosened the bolts to get it square and retightened with the same results. I wish I had went with my original instinct and built an inch and a half angle frame for the bottom to sit in. Expansion joints in the plant, while not awful, might be the culprit.

 

[Tucker99]

There's been several posts about adding a Sunnex side shelf. Everyone knows HF has a bolt on for $20 right?? P/N 62207 18-1/4" X 16-3/4".

 

[CarsonConcepts]

That shelf has only just become available again (per my thread a couple days ago). The Sunnex shelf was the best option for a long time.

The side shelves on my cart are actually from the Kobalt 2-Drawer cart that went on clearance last year. Picked up 3 carts and had to exchange a damaged one. Manager asked if I wanted any parts from the damage return since it would just get scrapped, so I ended up with two extra shelves for free.

~ Carson

 

[Emmo213]

Here's one of those posts on the HF side shelf: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=278014

 

[SpeedHoles]

After a couple months my side cab is sagging and pulling the whole thing out of square. I have put a Jack under the end, raised it, loosened the bolts to get it square and retightened with the same results. I wish I had went with my original instinct and built an inch and a half angle frame for the bottom to sit in. Expansion joints in the plant, while not awful, might be the culprit.

How did you mount it? Sounds like not enough attachment points.
I abandoned the upper "hanging lip" and cut it off with a grinder wheel and repainted, then drilled proper holes to place it flush with bottom of 5-drawer, then used loc-tite on hardware, and mine is holding up great, no possibility of sagging.

Added a magnetic rail onto the end of the shelf for small tools while working. Took a HF rail and popped one magnet out, cut it down and wrapped it in electrical tape. I've found the tape makes it easier to clean metal shards off, and gives the tools a bit more grip.

~ Carson

I did something similar with the magnet rail on my regular cart for "current job tools" so they'd always be reachable and keep more useable space on top shelf for parts, instead of laying tools inside...

 

[MagnumForce]

How did you mount it? Sounds like not enough attachment points.
I abandoned the upper "hanging lip" and cut it off with a grinder wheel and repainted, then drilled proper holes to place it flush with bottom of 5-drawer, then used loc-tite on hardware, and mine is holding up great, no possibility of sagging.







I did something similar with the magnet rail on my regular cart for "current job tools" so they'd always be reachable and keep more useable space on top shelf for parts, instead of laying tools inside...

Attached with 2 bolts at the top and two on the bottom as well as the lip.

 

[kool_BOY8323]

Sorry OT, but cool boy nice set of skins you got there. Is the shop space climate controlled? I couldn't leave mine with such crazy swings in temp and humidity.
To everyone else nice ideas

Thanks man. it's been a while since i've been back to the forums. no it's not climate controlled. i wish. it's a 10x12 storage shed. i have literally no better place to put them right now. working on finding a new place with a proper garage/ shop area.

 

[kool_BOY8323]

Have any closer photos of this?
I'm always setting my power drill/drivers on the top of my side cabinet, but I know one of these days I'm going to elbow it to the cement.
Would be helpful to have a holster of some sort.




I'm also working on a grease gun holder for mine. I'll post pics if it works out well.




Not to knock the 4 drawer, I have one for my garage, but the 5-drawer is nicer quality IMO, just a little more stout.






Haha, thanks, I forgot I wrote that.

here ya go - best i got -

 

[kool_BOY8323]

Those of you with the side cab attached to the 5 drawer. How hard is it to push? Building an angle base would be no issue for me if need be. But I push the thing a half a mile or so a day, no joke.

i put 2 more swivel casters on mine under the side cab with some 2x6 blocks to space out the difference. it pushed nice and easy when i was still wrenching. i loaded it down too. i definitely tested the weight limits that HF says the thing can handle.

 

[Tucker99]

Gents, does HF sell the side can storage shelf as a separate item? Going to add the collapsible side shelf. I don't think there is enough room to collapse the shelf without hitting the can holder so I was going to add a second can holder to the other side under the push handle. Anyone try this?

 

[jakemac]

As far as I know, the shelf that comes with the cart is only available as part of the cart assembly. They do have a separate magnetic tray available, but IDK if that will work for what you want to do.

http://www.harborfreight.com/Magnetic-Tray-with-Screwdriver-Holder-69319.html

 

[skulldrinker]

My long wrenches would not stay on the magnet strips. I had to grind down the ridge so the wrench made closer contact to the magnet. Now they stick good.

Well with the current free coupon for the magnetic strips I got 3 more and they do not have the raised edge like on my older ones. Either the old ones had thinner magnets or the newer ones started using the right size thickness magnets. Either way now that I got 3 for free I'll consider this to bring me and HF even. Who knows maybe i'll go get a couple more just for the air drill that never worked when I got it home. LOL

 

[Tucker99]

You guys putting magnetic strips on the inside of the lid, are you screwing them to the lid and are you putting a mat on the outside of the lid? If so what are you doing with the pimple from the screw heads coming through the mat?

 

[Parrothead]

You guys putting magnetic strips on the inside of the lid, are you screwing them to the lid and are you putting a mat on the outside of the lid? If so what are you doing with the pimple from the screw heads coming through the mat?

I use 3M automotive trim tape. No holes and ridiculously strong.

 

[ford guy]

You guys putting magnetic strips on the inside of the lid, are you screwing them to the lid and are you putting a mat on the outside of the lid? If so what are you doing with the pimple from the screw heads coming through the mat?

I countersunk the screws and touched up the bare metal with paint. This way it fits flush and looks pretty decent.

Bob

 

[Tucker99]

I countersunk the screws and touched up the bare metal with paint. This way it fits flush and looks pretty decent.

Bob

Countersink the screws into the lid?? How when the lid is 18-gauge?