Consolidated Welding Cart

[JoeLightning]

I still have my first new mig welder I purchased, a Millermatic 130XP. I have used it a bunch with .030 wire and it worked well for .100 wall stuff. Built it's cart, a welding table, gates, trellises, the usual stuff. It was great have a 110V machine. Obviously it never had the oomph to easily deal with 3/16" or 1/4". So I started looking for a 220V welder and found a very nice Millermatic 210. Awesome machine. But compared to today's inverter machines, it's heavy and takes up a lot of space. I run .035 wire in it and it easily welds anything I throw at it with an endless duty cycle.

Like many of you, as we acquire more things we quickly have less place to store what we already have. I considered selling the two welders and buy an inverter MIG. Something that would be dual voltage and 200+ amps. But I already own these, and if it's nice not to have to change wire size if I'm doing something out of sheet metal, or 3/8" tubing. So.... I combined the two welders into one efficient cart.

 

[JoeLightning]

So I cut up the 130XP cart and repurposed it's built-in table to support the 130XP above the 210.

 

[JoeLightning]

I confirmed the Miller 210 running gear could carry the weight since it can carry two 125cf bottles, and I'm only using a single 80cf bottle. A single 125cf bottle weighs almost exactly what the 130XP weighs. I only drilled a couple of small holes it the base, and bolted the upper part of the support frame into the 210 using existing fasteners.

 

[JoeLightning]

I placed an electronic angle finder on the platform without the 130XP, and then set it in place. There was zero deflection with the added weight.

 

[JoeLightning]

I posted this because I was unable to find anything else like it. It's surprisingly stable. I did place small rubber pads under the 130XP feet, and between the bottle and support. Nothing rattles. I placed a tee in the gas hose, and ran the lines as short as possible. Hope this is helpful to someone.

Joel.....

 

[CrocBox]

Very clever solution! Thanks for sharing it.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[jhn9840]

Very nice setup.

jhn9840
John

 

[stinkity stoink]

It’s helpful to me , thanks ! I have been thinking about putting my inverter tig on top of my MM 210. This fuels the fire.

 

[matt_i]

Good design there! My eye says "super tippy" with the smaller welder turned out to the side but I'm guessing you would have gotten some feedback on that while using it.

Excellent that they can both use a single gas bottle

 

[LXCam]

I like it, nice job.

 

[JoeLightning]

Thanks Everyone . I was a fun project. Joel....

 

[JoeLightning]

Good design there! My eye says "super tippy" with the smaller welder turned out to the side but I'm guessing you would have gotten some feedback on that while using it.

Excellent that they can both use a single gas bottle

Matt, you are correct to be concerned. I was trying to come up with a way to fully open the MM210 door, and if I didnt swing the MM135 out of the way, I would have to make it even higher. The CG of the MM210 is very low since the transformer is almost on the ground. I wouldnt try to move the cart with it swung to the side, but it surprisingly wasn't tippy at all when I pushed on it. And the angle finder again showed no deflection when the MM130 was swung out.

 

[csp]

Nicely executed!

I'm sure that MM210 has enough lead in its *** to keep everything upright even with the 130 up so high.

Is the 130 secured to its table in any way? That's the one that I saw as possibly tippy if you bump into it wrong.

I'm just jealous that the 210 incorporated somewhere to hang your gun and ground leads. My 185 has nothing to hang them on. This thread gives me an idea how to correct that issue.

 

[JoeLightning]

Is the 130 secured to its table in any way? That's the one that I saw as possibly tippy if you bump into it wrong.

Just gravity. If you look closely I took some 1"x1" angle and made corner bumpers. They catch the base of the 130 so it can't slide off. In addition to the 130's feet sitting on rubber glued to the plate, the vertical faces of the corners also have rubber affixed to them to absorb any contact. The 130 also has it's transformer mounted low on its case, so it takes quite a load up top to get it to tip. I did roll the whole assembly up and down my tiled patio with the lumpy grout joints several times at increasing speeds to so how it would react (I kept one hand lightly on the 130 to see if it moved). And again, I was quite surprised it didn't budge. I now feel confident how I move it about as I'll never move it that fast. Of course I wouldn't transport it this way in the back of a truck. I do agree it would not be a "consumer ready" setup unless the 130 was bolted down, but it's not going anywhere if your mindful of physics LOL. Thanks again for the questions. Joel.....

 

[lis2323]

Good design there! My eye says "super tippy" with the smaller welder turned out to the side but I'm guessing you would have gotten some feedback on that while using it.

Excellent that they can both use a single gas bottle

The OP has mentioned that it is indeed stable, but I have to agree it looks tippy. Sometimes the fact that a design is safe and functional does not make up for the fact that it is visually incorrect or even unappealing.

No offence to the OP as I am have been guilty of doing the same.

 

[lis2323]

Case in point about physically unappealing. I made this plasma cutter cart out of a discarded office chair pedestal.

It is height adjustable, swivels, and incorporates a “tilt and drop” no tools needed bracket for securing the unit.

It will NOT tip no matter how hard I try but visually it gives the impression it will. I will “get around” to fixing it someday

 

[JoeLightning]

I do agree it just doesn't look right. However, I'm quite happy with the additional floor space I have now in my extremely small "shop". No offense taken. It was a design exercise to see what would happen if...... I ran the numbers and I had lots of strength margin, so I went for it. It looks a little less odd in person. Pictures really tend to exaggerate the tippyness. Plus the one complaint I had on my old 130XP cart was it was virtually impossible to read the chart on the door since it was so low. I don't have that problem now - LOL

The plasma cart is pretty clever. No bending needed there either.

Thanks again for the great comments.... Joel

 

[CrocBox]

"Form follows function."

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[nitroracer20]

Nice job on that cart - i have 130XP also - which miller cover did you get for it? Still available?

 

[JoeLightning]

Nitro - I bought those Miller covers many years ago online. I think one I got it at one of the online welding places, probably using ebay. It was new, but I can't seem to find one for you. Sorry. I believe the 130, 135, 140 all have the same case size if that helps. Here's a cover that I think will work, but its no Miller Blue

https://www.ebay.com/i/191718682337?chn=ps

 

[nitroracer20]

Thanks for the info joe - im going to try to find one new old stock somewhere. Would be a great addition to keep the welder clean!

 

[Robert Haas]

My little MIG rides around above my plasma cutter. Cart has a nice sturdy table that seems to always be fully covered with ****. I designed a lower shelf to hold the spool gun, a few different spools of wire and the bottle cap.

 

[JoeLightning]

Robert, that looks great and very functional. Easy access to everything and I imagine it rolls really easy. Thanks for sharing.

Any one else care to share their design solution?

Joel.....

 

[lis2323]

Here’s a pair of my Thermal Arcs. I had the advantage of them being bottom hinged as opposed to top hinged Millers. [emoji1]

 

[lis2323]

Another TA

 

[JoeLightning]

Thanks for sharing. That bunk bed arrangement looks like it works well.