Project 1 from CGCINC. Category: MIG Welding Cart

[CGCINC]

I ordered and recieved my I-MIG 200 so I used it to build a welding cart.
I constructed this out of 1" square tubing, 16g.
The tank is an 80cf I bought cheap and is a good size for what I will be using this for.
The rear no flat tires are 10" in dia. and the front swivel castors are 5". I wanted it to roll good on rough terrain or rock driveways so I went large on the wheels.





I wanted to have rounded corners but I don't have a way to bend things....


This is what I did to round them......

[CGCINC]

[CGCINC]

[stomper4x4]

Very nice cart, very well thought out.

[zoama]

Very nice work. How long did this take to build ?

[X83]

That's one of the best carts I've seen in a while and just curious how much the material cost were?

[67cudafb]

As with all your builds very impressive, nice touches the holder for grinder and holder for cables. I like the way you built the frame with rounded corners and where front wheels are mounted. Nice job.

[DaveO]

Didn't you say something like you planned to have the machine ready to go last Thursday or Friday... and here it is Tuesday. You did this over a weekend?! Do you mind describing how you did the rounded corners? (I'm filing that idea away for future use.)

[Rodsmachineshop]

I do the round corner like that use a cutting torch and at same time heat the metal and tap it with a hammer to shape . plasma cutter is great to to do that but then it turn out better if you heat the metal to form the curve . that cart turn out really cool do like how you did do all the curves on it . I rate it a A+ on fabrication

[CGCINC]

Wow... Thanks for all the compliments!
I came over Sunday and worked on it for 4 hours, then Monday for about 2 hours and then today probably close to 3 hours with painting... Total of around 9 hours. Could have been faster.....I had an idea of what I wanted for the basic cart but the holders and extra tall bar on the right side of the welder and the basket was an "on the fly" thought so I was planning and building at the same time.

Material costs to build it wasn't too bad, the wheels were expensive.
$20 in 1" tubing (didn't use it all)
$22 in sheet metal for floors (cut to size and it was $3 per cut plus material)
Maybe $10-$15 in all the other steel I used for cable, grinder holders, expanded metal...etc. Had it all laying around the shop.
Front castors $9 each
Rear wheels $21 each
And paint.....

If you went with normal sized wheels it would be cheaper.

[CGCINC]

Didn't you say something like you planned to have the machine ready to go last Thursday or Friday... and here it is Tuesday. You did this over a weekend?! Do you mind describing how you did the rounded corners? (I'm filing that idea away for future use.)

I got the female plugs I needed to fix my jumpers Friday around 3pm. I close at 4pm so I had an hour to get it wired and crank up the welder.
Probably got about 15 mins. to play around with the Mig.

The rounded corners are easy. I just cut my pieces of tubing longer than needed, lay them out so I see the angles and I can draw the round I want to have on the side of the tubing. I then take the square tubing to the vertical band saw and cut as close as possible to one side of the tubing all the way to the top of the round I drew on the metal, this will leave you with basically a flat piece of metal the thickness of the material that will still be attached at the top of the curve. Then I just cut the curve of the round using small straight cuts till it looks good. After that, just take the one side of the tubing you cut first and round it over the curve you just cut and reweld it all back together.
After reading all that back, its hard to get I think?!?!? I can do one and take step by step pics if you want??!

[zoama]

I got the female plugs I needed to fix my jumpers Friday around 3pm. I close at 4pm so I had an hour to get it wired and crank up the welder.
Probably got about 15 mins. to play around with the Mig.

The rounded corners are easy. I just cut my pieces of tubing longer than needed, lay them out so I see the angles and I can draw the round I want to have on the side of the tubing. I then take the square tubing to the vertical band saw and cut as close as possible to one side of the tubing all the way to the top of the round I drew on the metal, this will leave you with basically a flat piece of metal the thickness of the material that will still be attached at the top of the curve. Then I just cut the curve of the round using small straight cuts till it looks good. After that, just take the one side of the tubing you cut first and round it over the curve you just cut and reweld it all back together.
After reading all that back, its hard to get I think?!?!? I can do one and take step by step pics if you want??!

You need a plasma cutter.... if you have a steady hand you can make those rounding cuts in seconds.

[Rodsmachineshop]

cool place for casters and wheels and other stuff cheap , i buy a lot from this place https://www.surpluscenter.com/sort.a...s&keyword=TWSP

[CGCINC]

What do you guys think of the "Basket" on the back? I like it better painted but it still looks funny to me....

I didn't want to waste space, I thought about an enclosed tool box or something but this was easier and really, it's just gonna catch extension cords or extra material or misc. stuff.

[CGCINC]

cool place for casters and wheels and other stuff cheap , i buy a lot from this place https://www.surpluscenter.com/sort.a...s&keyword=TWSP

Thanks, those are cheap!

[CGCINC]

You need a plasma cutter.... if you have a steady hand you can make those rounding cuts in seconds.

Oh, I NEED a lot.... lol... But for now this is what I can do.
I really want a plasma because I could save some money just in the "cuts" on sheet metal I pay.
I've bought a TIG and a MIG in 6 months so maybe in another 6 I can swing the Plasma

[Rodsmachineshop]

I use the heck out of my plasma since do rock rails , skid plates and armor for 4x4 at my shop

[Rodsmachineshop]

basket looks good , great for rolls of wire and gloves and stuff

[KSmith]

Very nice cart. I like how you make the rounded corners. And I like the casters surround you made. All around good design and fabrication.

[DaveO]

After reading all that back, its hard to get I think?!?!? I can do one and take step by step pics if you want??!

Thanks, but I get it- it was the kerf in your cut that threw me off, but your description of the vertical bandsaw and multiple cuts makes it clear. Opposite sides of the kerf don't match up, so I couldn't figure out what kind of tool you used.

Were you working from plans, or is it your own design?