Question about welder carts

[brianscott]

The top shelf (where the welder sits) of almost every welding cart is angled back about 10 degrees. What is the purpose of that?

Thanks

Brian

[DaveO]

This allows your drink to drain out the back if you spill it.

Kidding, of course. The angle allows the operator a better view of settings by providing a straight-on view. The idea is to avoid parallax, the name for the different view you get of an object from a different perspective. For instance: when you're driving you see the fuel gauge or speedo giving a certain indication; a front seat passenger has an angled view and would see the gauges reporting a little differently.

[acourtjester]

This may be true but I've seen many a cart built with no angle.
I think it is personal preference or due to space in your shop.
If you are putting a tig cooler under or another welder you loose space with
The top unit angled. I have a lower draw then a miller Mig and then an Everlast multi PM-256 on top all flat. And 2 bottles on the back and this fits under a cabinet near the front door of my shop. I have a 15 foot extention cord attached to the cart so I can move it about. Build what you want or works for you.

[DaveO]

Definitely a matter of personal preference. If you think on it hard enough it's likely to be a cosmetic add, not a functional thing. That slight angle built into the ready-made carts is probably too low to compensate for the height of most people, and I'd bet the rest of us would have to bend over a touch to finish the job. And a lot of TIG welding occurs sitting down, it's fair to say, so the angle may not help at all. "Whatever works for you" is the answer.

[Grizzly1944]

I built my cart with my 250EX horizontally. I wish I hadn't. If I were to do it again, the welder would be angled back. I weld in the sitting position and find myself squatting to change settings. I would reccommend that one angles the welder back until the knob markings are easily viewable.

I do agree with DaveO on this one.

Best regards.

[scootarida1]

Deffinately an angle thing. It is more ergonomic as it is more viewable and also if you like to set something down and there is room in front of the machine it will allow for the item to not roll off the front

[Grizzly1944]

Currently I have 4 platforms on my cart:
Top is for the welder.
Middle is for foot pedal and tool storage.
Bottom is for the water cooler I made.
Bottom rear is for the argon cylinder.

I have also made a removable hanging rack that holds 4 PVC pipes for welding rod storage. I addition, I made a small hanging rack that holds 3 short PVC pipes for tunsten electrodes.

It may not be the best out there, but it's mostly functional.

[everlastsupport]

I have 3 shelves on mine. It looks like crap and made of angle.

TIG on top (250EX), MIG-200 center and PPlasma 60 on bottom. Bottles on back. Cooler on floor since I do not normally need it. I too use PVC pipe for TIG filler holders. Stick electrodes are in sealed containers.

Top shelf is pretty high and flat. Very functional for me. And separate circuits for running plasma and one welder at the same time. Storage, well. TIG stuff sits around the TIG one the shelf, same for MIG and plasma. Hook only on one side so it is under 36" and will fix through a standard door if needed.

Only regret, wheels could be bigger. I think they are 4 or 5" Hitting a big cord will slow you down

[scootarida1]

... I too use PVC for filler....

Oh hows that work with welding, i usually use some sort of metal filler, lol. Yeah when i make my cart I will be using pvc to hold filler as well

[Grizzly1944]

It works like a postal tube. You put some rod in it to make it heavier and rattle, then you go postal and whack someone with it. Sometimes I see this one particular politician on TV, and have this compelling desire to whack it. Then I remember that the TV will last longer than he does.

[Steve]

Angling the cart is probably a good idea except don't do it this way......








Sorry...I had to be a little silly this morning.

[Trip59]

I think it has relation to a story my dad used to tell...

"After your mother and I were married a few months, she decided to cook a roast. It was a beautiful roast and as she was preparing it, she cut the very ends off and tucked them on the side. I asked her why and she said, that's how my mother always did it. I said ok and went to watch TV. This went on, a couple times a year, for the next ten years, beautiful roasts, surrounded on all sides by moist veggies, each time, the ends cut off and tucked on the sides. One day we were at her mothers house, she was preparing a roast and I noticed she didn't cut the ends off. I went and told her about the last ten years or so and asked what the heck the deal was. She said 'oh hell, I haven't had to cut the ends off the roast since my husband dropped and broke that old broiler about five years ago, this new one he bought me is PLENTY big enough to fit the whole thing without cutting it!'"

My guess is, someone propped up a welder so it was angled, someone saw it was handy and it took off from there. Who knows if that first guy had a chair that was a bit tall and he couldn't see the panel...

Mine is a three shelf shop cart from HF, the welder has about 1/2" lift at the front, only so the cable clears the rail. Puts it at a height I can access from my chair, or standing, or kneeling.

[hooda]

I had my plasma cutter on a nice cart that I had borrowed from a friend "just for a while". It was 42 inches tall, and angle back about 5-7 degrees. Perfect for the particular unit (sorry, not everlast YET). Well, "just for a while" time ran out with my move,so I now have the unit setting on a little tool cart that's flat on top and only about 32 inches high. Makes a huge difference, because now, I have to bend down to see the settings, so I cut a piece of 4x4 post to prop up the unit. Problem solved. When I get my new Everlast unit, I will build a custom cart, and yes, the angle WILL be built in.

[SeanMurphy265]

I made mine from a northern tool dolly on sale $15.00. I built my first one with castors to roll like a cart, but I it was too big and I needed something smaller and easier to carry on jobs. I cut the first version completely apart and used all the same metal for the welding dolly! If I had a shop I would want a cart, but this is easier to drag across the yard.

[SeanMurphy265]

oh yeah, my rig get 30mpg! I need a truck!