Welding cart mods?

[whitetrash1]

What modifications have you done to a welding cart?

I recently got the miller 215 multiprocess welder and have been looking for a cart for it. I don’t need anything big for multiple machines but I do need it to hold 2 bottles for mig and tig. Let’s see what you guys have done

 

[ItsNemo]

Here's my cart for my 215, it will fit two bottles side by side and the middle shelf is big enough for the 215 if I ever got a second machine. Small intermediate chest of drawers built into the bottom for storage, some hooks on the side for leads, and 4 wheels swivel/locking casters to make it easy to put whereever I want.

 

[whitetrash1]

Here's my cart for my 215, it will fit two bottles side by side and the middle shelf is big enough for the 215 if I ever got a second machine. Small intermediate chest of drawers built into the bottom for storage, some hooks on the side for leads, and 4 wheels swivel/locking casters to make it easy to put whereever I want.

Did you build it yourself or modify an existing cart?

 

[Aaron_W]

I built my own, over built is probably more accurate.

I have a Miller 220 multiprocess so have the same issue of multiple cylinders. I put mine next to the welder instead of behind it as you find with so many carts. It gives the cart a more square / rectangular profile vs a long and skinny rectangle. Space under the welder for tool and material storage.

I really wasn't impressed with what you get with a store bought cart, most are kind of flimsy and not that cheap. Materials cost about as much as a Harbor Freight cart, but I can drive mine through a wall. My welding area is outside on gravel and dirt so I put the cart on pneumatic tires.

Harbor Freight is awesome for wheels, nobody else could come close for price and their wheels are not bad.


I'm rather surprised that so many buy a cart, to me a DIY cart seems like a perfect project for a new welder and even the name brand carts are basically junk. Cheap crappy wheels and tinfoil tubing.

 

[whitetrash1]

I built my own, over built is probably more accurate.

I have a Miller 220 multiprocess so have the same issue of multiple cylinders. I put mine next to the welder instead of behind it as you find with so many carts. It gives the cart a more square / rectangular profile vs a long and skinny rectangle. Space under the welder for tool and material storage.

I really wasn't impressed with what you get with a store bought cart, most are kind of flimsy and not that cheap. Materials cost about as much as a Harbor Freight cart, but I can drive mine through a wall. My welding area is outside on gravel and dirt so I put the cart on pneumatic tires.

Harbor Freight is awesome for wheels, nobody else could come close for price and their wheels are not bad.


I'm rather surprised that so many buy a cart, to me a DIY cart seems like a perfect project for a new welder and even the name brand carts are basically junk. Cheap crappy wheels and tinfoil tubing.

Have any pics?

 

[lis2323]

Here’s a few shots of of the ones I’ve built. Perhaps you can get some ideas...

 

[ItsNemo]

Did you build it yourself or modify an existing cart?

Built it myself...just some square tube, angle, and sheet metal. Nothing too fancy.

 

[tarmy]

I wanted all my stuff in one place and mobile...so...

 

[Aaron_W]

Have any pics?

Sorry not the greatest photo.

It is still a work in progress, so I'm working out some of the smaller details like hooks for the hoses, wires etc.

I have some square tubing that will allow the angle grinders to hang on the side freeing up the space where they currently reside. I have the argon tank on the cart, but haven't set up for TIG yet.

 

[bczygan]

I'm in the process of building 2 carts.

The first is for the college welding department. They want the welder on the bottom and the wire feeder on top.

The thing I ran into, in designing it, was the need for the cylinder to be close to the floor level. This is because we use T size cylinders (330CF). The suggested design was out of tubing but I built an angle iron frame and covered it with sheet metal. I inverted the angles for the base and put the sheet metal on the top for the welder area and on the bottom for where the cylinder will sit. A bit convoluted, but it will work. This is a work in progress.

The second cart is for me. It will hold my Lincoln 3200HD 120V MIG welder. That will sit on a cabinet of drawers and the full sized cylinder will be behind that. The cabinet is the small one on the left in the photo. Instead of framing it I am using 1/8" sheet steel bent into a pan. The pan is open on one end so the cylinder can be loaded easily. The swivel wheels in the front will mount on the underside of brackets, allowing the pan to be 1 1/2" above the floor. There will be a frame vertically to attach to the cylinder and give me something to hang things from and to attach a handle to.

See photos.

Bill

 

[ifirefight]

Here’s my welding cart I built. Does not hold 2 tanks, but you could modify the design to incorporate that.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bczygan]

Here’s my welding cart I built. Does not hold 2 tanks, but you could modify the design to incorporate that.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As I mentioned before, I started my design process by looking at your cart. I like the simplicity of it. And it incorporates the cantilevered shelf that I had planned in an earlier version. And I may use that in a future cart, but will make the shelf a bent up pan. Couldn't use that in my present design since the cabinet replaces the shelf.

The use of a pan further simplified my design. I used your idea of brackets attached to the front for the swivel casters, but with the brackets raised so the pan is closer to the floor. Since the pan is close to the floor, the axle for the big back wheels is higher than the pan, so I need to add some metal for them to attach to. And since a long axle would block the cylinder, they need to be stub axles on each side. I'll use something thick, like a block of 3/8" plate welded to the pan.

The last part is devising something vertical to secure the cylinder to. I'm undecided whether to use a single or two vertical tubes. And somehow I need to attach a handle to the front. The framing for these things can also incorporate brackets for a helmet, the leads and a grinder or two or three (Grinding disk, flap disk and wire wheel). Drawers in the cabinet will hold measurement tools, consumables, gloves, welpers, pliers etc.

Bill

 

[lilredex]

Here's mine, built mainly from scraps.

 

[bobcatdan]

Nothing fancy and doesn't really help with any ideas, but the cart I made for my arc welder. Picture was from when I was still making it. I did tie the up rights together to form a pull handle.

 

[Opa]

here is a cart i made for millermatic 215 and my ahp200x for ac tig. cylinders are fastened to a cabinet. hope this helps with ideas.

 

[vision8]

DIY: MIG Welder made from an Old BBQ Frame with an Old Galvanized Dog Crate Pan . Yesterday's Progress . Will have Discarded Muffin Tin as Pod storage and Shelves for Storage inside .