Spring project - my take on a welding cart (version 1)

[Trip59]

So after lugging around the welder for a while, I determined I needed a cart when I made the switch from flux core to solid wire and added the bottle. I had a bunch of scrap angle, mostly bed frame, but didn't like any of the ideas I saw or came up with. A sale at Harbor Freight caught my eye and I picked up a pair of carts: http://www.harborfreight.com/three-s...cart-6650.html (I had to pull the image so I could include all the project pics)

I had an old three drawer toolbox I've been carrying around since my days in the junkyard. The movers smashed the lid, and I never could get it straightened out quite right. I figured I'd incorporate it to provide for wrenches, tips, grinding wheels, etc. and make it a service cart.

Due to cost and ease of use, I picked up a small bottle from Tractor Supply, C25. I had the idea the moment I saw the cart of how I'd set it up. Box on the bottom, notch in the center shelf, welder on top, cords wrapped around the handle.



I traced and cut out the semi-circle with an air nibbler and body saw, saving it for later so I could weld it back in if I made a different cart Well, how to hold the bottle in securely? How about a rod through the rolled edge?



Fits snug, stays in, comes out when needed and the bottle just rocks out.

All together, but I didn't like that things could slide around and fall out or hit the bottle



Yes, I could have welded a piece in, but I didn't want to burn off all the paint and have to re-paint it, I had other things to move on to. Cleco clips and rivets to the rescue!







You can see the toolbox open in the pic above, here's one of it shut and of the whole cart

(yes, that was before the guard around the tank)





The cart has served me well, though I've been thinking about how to re-work it when I pick up an Everlast. I am probably going to use the other cart I bought at the same time, placing the welder on the bottom shelf, raising the middle shelf and making a consumables holder in part and a mount for organizer boxes, and leaving the top open for work/temp storage. I'll likely run the bottle out the top of that one, as I'm not about to try to deal with 20 or 40 ft bottles of argon...