2 Sluggo's Garage

[rmalkow2]

New Welding Cart

I managed to pick up a pretty nice AV cart at a local tool auction this week and at first I was just going to use it for some extra storage but realized it can have better purposes in garage life. With a integral power strip and long extension cord it could be a good portable work station.


My current welding cart has its good and bad points as originally a small rolling tool box bottom. It has good storage for clamps and welding supplies but very little space on top for two small welders and is pretty top heavy tipsy.


I started transferring welders and some supplies over and see the need to add more features for storage. Maybe I will add a drawer or just some extra side support braces that can also act as places to hold clamps and angle grinders. With some continuous improvement it should prove to be a much better mobile work station.

 

[1/2 Cup]

rmalkow your cart looks great and I agree that a drawer and a place for the clamps and grinders would be the way to go.

You may want to consider adding a hook for each of the welders leads as well.

Regards

 

[taumac]

I like the new cart. I have a suggestion. How much space you have from top of bottle to bottom of shelf? It looks like if you can lower the top shelf slight you might be able to put 3 shelf on top? No matter how clean I try to be during a welding project I always need a shelf or something to throw stuff on top of. A shelf top top above the welder could serve as a place to put stuff.

 

[jon72vega]

New Welding Cart

I managed to pick up a pretty nice AV cart at a local tool auction this week and at first I was just going to use it for some extra storage but realized it can have better purposes in garage life. With a integral power strip and long extension cord it could be a good portable work station.


My current welding cart has its good and bad points as originally a small rolling tool box bottom. It has good storage for clamps and welding supplies but very little space on top for two small welders and is pretty top heavy tipsy.


I started transferring welders and some supplies over and see the need to add more features for storage. Maybe I will add a drawer or just some extra side support braces that can also act as places to hold clamps and angle grinders. With some continuous improvement it should prove to be a much better mobile work station.

Good for you turning it into a welding cart!

 

[HSpencer]

rmalkow2

Great idea and build on the welding cart. I like the way it is set up and should be very handy for your projects. Great Job!

Best Regards
Herb

 

[rmalkow2]

I like the new cart. I have a suggestion. How much space you have from top of bottle to bottom of shelf? It looks like if you can lower the top shelf slight you might be able to put 3 shelf on top? No matter how clean I try to be during a welding project I always need a shelf or something to throw stuff on top of. A shelf top top above the welder could serve as a place to put stuff.

I took a second look and unfortunately there is not enough height to add another shelf that will fit the welders in. But there could be room for a 4-5" deep drawer under the top shelf. That would be useful for smaller tools and supplies.

 

[rmalkow2]

Good for you turning it into a welding cart!

rmalkow2

Great idea and build on the welding cart. I like the way it is set up and should be very handy for your projects. Great Job!

Best Regards
Herb

Thanks, I think it will prove useful with some additional modifications. For now I just set a few pieces in place to get a feel but can see where I'll need to add some additional storage features.

 

[rmalkow2]

Two new very useful tools came into the garage this week.

First is an electric powered impact wrench. It's an older Milwaukee that I picked up complete with box and 12 impact sockets from a local tool auction. I used it for the first time yesterday to remove a tire from my old F150 and put the spare tire on. Such a beautiful thing!
I immediately realized I have been a fool for many years to not get one of these sooner. I would always justify not spending the money or some other stupid reason and go on struggling with removing lug nuts by hand with ever longer breaker bars and different tire irons. I now know what I've been missing. What a huge difference to be able to sit on my low stool and just break loose lug nuts with ease. If this thing ever breaks I will be immediately buying another one. No going back to the old brute force method while kneeling on hard cement. If you don't already have one I highly recommend you get a good one of your choice, either electric or pneumatic.

The second useful tool is this small fork lift. I also won this in the auction at a very cheap price compared to new. I was at first on the fence regarding usefulness versus storage of this thing. It's small for what it does but still a big item to keep in a normal garage. But it works great and lifts 1000 lbs. It can be used for pallets or any object really and, with a 50 inch lift height will be a life saver to unload heavy items from the back of my truck.
But I think I'm convinced it's a keeper at least for now. First project it came in handy was to hold up this extremely heavy Lyon cabinet I have that needs casters put on the bottom. In the past this again would have been another one of those on my knees, on the garage floor tasks. My knees are not getting any younger. With the stability of the level forks I was able to tip the cabinet onto its back and onto the forks and then lift it up to a working height where I can sit down and measure and plan and eventually put wheels on the thing. Seems simple at first but sometimes simple help is the best and lifting this stuff alone is not preferred.

Maybe I'm getting just a tiny bit smarter in my old age. Or, maybe I'm just getting tired of working harder.
Anyway the moral of the story is don't hesitate to get those tools that really help you be safe and efficient. They are many times worth every penny spent.

 

[taumac]

I'm curious... You didn't have a air impact? I totally agree that doing about everything by hand when it comes to removing lug nuts ****.

I went to help son out at a job he was working. If you remember the lawn mower train? Well they had this fork lift idea to lift go karts. I use it to lift the lawn mower and was quite shocked how useful it really was. I have I felling you will find yourself using it more than you know. I thinking you can start pulling tools, benches, and stuff on pallets and use the lift to move then around. I had this idea if I ever got a BIG shop of having a folk lift. Then putting stuff like machines, compressors, and benches on pallets as a base and using it to move them. Pallet racking shelves comes to mind now and using it to put heavy stuff up on shelves. I really think is will become your greatest friend around the garage.

 

[Grumblebum]

Great scores RM. Can you make a spot near the garage door for the lift so it's always at the ready ? Like Gerard says you will probably use it all the time now.

Cheers GB

 

[jon72vega]

Two new very useful tools came into the garage this week.

First is an electric powered impact wrench. It's an older Milwaukee that I picked up complete with box and 12 impact sockets from a local tool auction. I used it for the first time yesterday to remove a tire from my old F150 and put the spare tire on. Such a beautiful thing!
I immediately realized I have been a fool for many years to not get one of these sooner. I would always justify not spending the money or some other stupid reason and go on struggling with removing lug nuts by hand with ever longer breaker bars and different tire irons. I now know what I've been missing. What a huge difference to be able to sit on my low stool and just break loose lug nuts with ease. If this thing ever breaks I will be immediately buying another one. No going back to the old brute force method while kneeling on hard cement. If you don't already have one I highly recommend you get a good one of your choice, either electric or pneumatic.

The second useful tool is this small fork lift. I also won this in the auction at a very cheap price compared to new. I was at first on the fence regarding usefulness versus storage of this thing. It's small for what it does but still a big item to keep in a normal garage. But it works great and lifts 1000 lbs. It can be used for pallets or any object really and, with a 50 inch lift height will be a life saver to unload heavy items from the back of my truck.
But I think I'm convinced it's a keeper at least for now. First project it came in handy was to hold up this extremely heavy Lyon cabinet I have that needs casters put on the bottom. In the past this again would have been another one of those on my knees, on the garage floor tasks. My knees are not getting any younger. With the stability of the level forks I was able to tip the cabinet onto its back and onto the forks and then lift it up to a working height where I can sit down and measure and plan and eventually put wheels on the thing. Seems simple at first but sometimes simple help is the best and lifting this stuff alone is not preferred.

Maybe I'm getting just a tiny bit smarter in my old age. Or, maybe I'm just getting tired of working harder.
Anyway the moral of the story is don't hesitate to get those tools that really help you be safe and efficient. They are many times worth every penny spent.

Nice scores!

 

[rmalkow2]

I'm curious... You didn't have a air impact? I totally agree that doing about everything by hand when it comes to removing lug nuts ****.

I went to help son out at a job he was working. If you remember the lawn mower train? Well they had this fork lift idea to lift go karts. I use it to lift the lawn mower and was quite shocked how useful it really was. I have I felling you will find yourself using it more than you know. I thinking you can start pulling tools, benches, and stuff on pallets and use the lift to move then around. I had this idea if I ever got a BIG shop of having a folk lift. Then putting stuff like machines, compressors, and benches on pallets as a base and using it to move them. Pallet racking shelves comes to mind now and using it to put heavy stuff up on shelves. I really think is will become your greatest friend around the garage.

I should have mentioned that I did have a prior air impact gun that I bought many years ago but I was too cheap at the time to buy a good one and it does not have enough power to break loose tough wheel nuts. So there is another lesson learned. Buy tools that are meant for the job. And I think the electric version is going to work better for my current layout anyway.

I don't know if I will ever have the room in my garage to move many pallets around but that is an interesting thought to keep things flexible. I don't currently have space for pallet racking but I think this will still be useful for many lifting and loading jobs I would normally struggle with.

 

[rmalkow2]

Great scores RM. Can you make a spot near the garage door for the lift so it's always at the ready ? Like Gerard says you will probably use it all the time now.

Cheers GB

Thanks GB. I am playing with various places to store it right now. For sure it needs to be accessible easily to the garage door for outside loading and unloading sometimes. But thankfully it is pretty mobile and easy to wheel around.

 

[rmalkow2]

Nice scores!

Thanks Jon. I'm gonna enjoy both very much.

 

[1/2 Cup]

rmalkow some nice scores and I have to agree with you work smarter not harder.

Wise words.

Regards

 

[rmalkow2]

I made a couple small upgrades to the garage today. First was really simple but proves to be a good upgrade to my trusty HF tool cart. I bought 3 of their spray can holders that are attached by some pretty strong magnets. I could line them up along the back of the cart and hold 6 cans of frequently used chemicals that would normally take up space in the top shelf.
I don't think I could even make these as cheap as just buying them. One of the few HF items that I would give a thumbs up to.


The other upgrade was to replace my very old and very nasty looking plastic trash can. I've used it for over 20 years so I guess that's long enough and it has no garage flavor at all. I saw these cleaned out Mobil 1 oil barrels for sale on CL and snapped them up. They are spotless inside and out and no rust anywhere. One is already in service in the garage and one will go to the basement.
Form following function now.

Old Nasty:


New and improved:

 

[jon72vega]

I made a couple small upgrades to the garage today. First was really simple but proves to be a good upgrade to my trusty HF tool cart. I bought 3 of their spray can holders that are attached by some pretty strong magnets. I could line them up along the back of the cart and hold 6 cans of frequently used chemicals that would normally take up space in the top shelf.
I don't think I could even make these as cheap as just buying them. One of the few HF items that I would give a thumbs up to.


The other upgrade was to replace my very old and very nasty looking plastic trash can. I've used it for over 20 years so I guess that's long enough and it has no garage flavor at all. I saw these cleaned out Mobil 1 oil barrels for sale on CL and snapped them up. They are spotless inside and out and no rust anywhere. One is already in service in the garage and one will go to the basement.
Form following function now.

Old Nasty:


New and improved:

I envy your Mobil 1 barrels.

 

[taumac]

Those trash cans are freaking cool.

 

[1/2 Cup]

rmalkow consider your idea "borrowed"

Well done.

 

[rmalkow2]

Thanks guys. When I saw the ad last night I jumped on them today. Usually these things are only available dirty or rusty. These have almost perfect paint, no rust and were spotless. Just the right diameter to fit a tall kitchen size bag with one bungy cord to hold the bag around the lip.

 

[Grumblebum]

Nice. Both practical solutions there.

You could probably find one of those round pot plant bases with wheels on them if you wanted to make the trash bins mobile.

Cheers GB

 

[jon72vega]

Thanks guys. When I saw the ad last night I jumped on them today. Usually these things are only available dirty or rusty. These have almost perfect paint, no rust and were spotless. Just the right diameter to fit a tall kitchen size bag with one bungy cord to hold the bag around the lip.

rmalkow2,
I found the Craigslist ad you probably purchased from.
The Detroit area is too far for me just for that.
But it is cool!
So..... I just got done placing a wanted ad in my local Craigslist for the same.

 

[rmalkow2]

Nice. Both practical solutions there.

You could probably find one of those round pot plant bases with wheels on them if you wanted to make the trash bins mobile.

Cheers GB

Hmmmmmmm……

Now that's a good idea I had not thought of.

 

[rmalkow2]

rmalkow2,
I found the Craigslist ad you probably purchased from.
The Detroit area is too far for me just for that.
But it is cool!
So..... I just got done placing a wanted ad in my local Craigslist for the same.

I just searched using the single word "oil" to see what would come up. I'm always searching CL for a good deal on something I can use. At $15 each I thought they were a good deal. Not old or "vintage" but super clean and fitting the garage automotive theme. Good hunting over your way.

 

[rmalkow2]

Here's a small repair project from the garage this past weekend. But a special repair to me as it serves my ability to sit for hours while playing drums and give good support to my back.
I show this at great risk since it involves welding and in no way even comes close to the results we've seen from GB down under during his recent classes but, it proves to be functional and strong for the time being. My welds are pretty ugly but I got to use my new welding cart and it was very handy to have the welder on wheels and up at a good height to access the controls.

I use a Roc-n-Soc drum throne which is one of the best I think but after years of steady pounding the mounting tube on the seat bottom finally ripped out of the metal plate it was welded to by the factory.

Step one was fitting the tube back in position square to the mounting plate and welding long the seam that had been created by the original tear. Luckily it pulled out cleanly when it broke and, then fit back in clean as well. A little grinding along that tear seam and then welding it back together.

Then I wanted to make it stronger than original so step two was to flip it over and grind some V channels into the back side of the tear and fill those with weld so I could later grind the surface smooth but still have some penetration. The back side has to be smooth so it can mount flat to the seat bottom.

The next strength addition was three support ribs to connect the tube to the base and share the load of my robust back side with the weld just at the base of the tube. I could only add three ribs because the fourth direction has a welded nut where a T-bolt inserts to lock the seat to the tripod stand. I just found three small pieces of steel in the scrap cabinet and shaped them a little with the hand grinder to fit to the tube and the base plate. Welded them on and cleaned up the spatter and ugly welds a bit before paint.

A couple coats of black spray paint on each side and some time baking on the 85 degree sun outside to cure before assembly.

Re-assembled the painted plate to the seat bottom.

And the finished throne back on its feet and ready for action that night. We played 4 sets that night and it didn't break yet so I guess I'm good for awhile longer. And much cheaper than buying a new drum throne.

 

[Bob Heine]

Nice job saving a real nice part of your life. I wanted a welder as a teenager but it wasn't in the cards. Bought my first one when I was 63 and don't know how I got along without one all those years. Oh wait, I remember: I threw a lot of good stuff out because it needed to be welded. In true Garage Journal form, I now have three welding machines (but I'm still not a welder).

If the welds have fixed the problem, they are great. If they aren't beautiful that's OK.

 

[xtremek]

......but I'm still not a welder).

If the welds have fixed the problem, they are great. If they aren't beautiful that's OK.

They're good welds if they hold up to your intended use. That's all that matters.

Same thing for you Bob, do they hold up to your use? If so, you're a welder

 

[1/2 Cup]

rmalkow looking at your welds, you wont have an issue.

Regards

 

[rmalkow2]

Thanks guys. The welds will get a real test this week as the band I play in has two events on the calendar so a total of 9 hours should put a real durability test to those repairs.

 

[Grumblebum]

Looks good to me RM (and remember it's a amateur week all the way for me).

What tunes do you guys play ?

 

[rmalkow2]

Looks good to me RM (and remember it's a amateur week all the way for me).

What tunes do you guys play ?

I'm grateful you didn't look too close at those welds and for the encouragement. High praise from the "real" welder.

We play blues mostly with some older tunes and classic rock mixed in each set. Just five old duffers trying to feel young again and enjoying our love for music.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

[Vieux]

Nice job

 

[taumac]

Nice fix and pretty cool to be jamming tunes out. Got groupies. LOL

 

[HSpencer]

Great fix on the chair. I bet it gets a real workout through a few sessions of "The Grateful Dead" or a little "Start Me Up" by Mick Jagger! Comes home to me as I played drums in a band in college. (We did not do Glen Miller---LOL).

Best Regards
Herb

 

[rmalkow2]

Thanks guys, and no groupies unfortunately. Just a few good friends that come see us at times.
Glen Miller, that's a funny one. The furthest we go back is Patsy Cline and Elvis. No Glenn Miller for us either.

 

[rmalkow2]

My Weekend Project - Rolling Lyon Cabinet.

My garage project today was to put some caster wheels on a really heavy Lyon cabinet that I acquired a couple months ago. Parts used for this came cheap from another auction item.
I bought this wooden moving dolly at auction for a total of $5. It's super heavy and was made for some specific purpose with extra wood and metal braces. But from it I could salvage a set of four brand new casters. Two swivel and two not. I also salvaged four D-rings for some future project. All items were like new condition.

Next was to clean up up the bottom supports of the cabinet and attach the casters with some welds. This gave me a good reason to practice my welding more. Still not pretty but will hold ok I think.

Next was to clean everything up with the cup wire wheel on a grinder and hit the bottom support channels with rust preventer. Since this cabinet has spent lots of time setting flat on these frame channels they had some minor surface rust. The 3M rust preventer turns all exposed rust to black oxide.

Then after some drying time I covered the whole area with some left over gray Rustoleum that pretty closely matches the cabinet color.

And here is the finished project back up on 4 wheels and easy to move now with some heavy duty caster wheels and ready to be stocked with tools. I also had to re-pack the swivel casters bearings with grease as the welding heat melted some of the original grease out.

My new pump up fork lift came in super handy for this project. It allowed me to safely hold the cabinet on its side, move around during the welding process and to get easy access to the lower caster positions all I had to do was raise it up higher to a comfortable work height. This allowed me to sit comfortably on a roll around seat rather than being on my knees on the cement floor. Win/Win!

 

[1/2 Cup]

rmalkow great work on the cabinet and castors.

You are spot on as the heat from a weld on a swivel tends to melt the grease some what. I always re lube them as a matter of course saves so much grief down the track. I have to fess up to melting a swivel dust seal on one occasion.

Any casters that I have used lately I have made a mounting plate then welded that to what ever and then bolted the castors on.

View media item 35878
Regards

 

[jon72vega]

rmalkow2,

Excellent workmanship on adding casters to the Lyon!

 

[taumac]

Nice job making that mobile. Any plans for the top? I'm hoping you have many years on luck with those casters. For some reason I never had luck when I welded the casters.

 

[rmalkow2]

rmalkow great work on the cabinet and castors.

You are spot on as the heat from a weld on a swivel tends to melt the grease some what. I always re lube them as a matter of course saves so much grief down the track. I have to fess up to melting a swivel dust seal on one occasion.

Any casters that I have used lately I have made a mounting plate then welded that to what ever and then bolted the castors on.
Regards

Actually I could have bolted these on as the cabinet had factory holes. The swivel type casters would have lined up but not the straight casters. But to do this requires getting carriage bolts down into the channel and holding them to tighten in place. Probably something easier to do at the factory but not worth the time and effort for me. I like your idea of making intermediate brackets and welding them on to keep the heat out of the caster. I initially started making the welds longer but when the grease started running out I backed off and did a slower series of shorter beads to minimize the heat build up. Lubed them up real good with new grease before flipping it upright. The test of time will tell the tale.

rmalkow2,

Excellent workmanship on adding casters to the Lyon!

Thank you for stopping by and checking it out.

Nice job making that mobile. Any plans for the top? I'm hoping you have many years on luck with those casters. For some reason I never had luck when I welded the casters.

Really the intent for this was not to make it mobile in the sense of frequent moves but just to make it so It actually could be moved by me alone if absolutely necessary. It's already heavy when empty so I can just imagine the weight when I fill it with tools. Not something you can drag around on its skids very easily. So I don't expect too many miles (or feet) on the casters. Interesting you should mention the top. I have not decided what to do there yet but I keep looking at it when I walk past. I might put some hardwood on the top to make it a more durable work surface or, It might just become a good place to stack more storage on top.