Reproduced with permission of Metal Web News
DETAILS ON MAKING A WELDING CART
by: Craig Suslosky
Welding Cart
You may be wondering why I built a torch cart when they are available at
fairly affordable prices.(If you count my time & material I have much more
invested than a commercial one would cost) I simply could not find one that
possessed the features I wanted. I have a habit of overbuilding things, for
which I am sometimes criticized. I feel much better knowing it`s a little
tougher than it needs to be. While it is more time consuming, I feel it is well
worth the added expense & effort. My time is very valuable to me, but I
think it`s time well spent.
So for all these reasons I set out to build a torch cart I would be happy
with. Prior to needing a torch cart, I needed a hand truck. Again I could not
find what I wanted so I built one. I wanted the torch cart to match the hand
truck. I am very picky about things like that, I like everything to look
professional when I`m done.
This cart is a combination of all the carts I`ve seen in welding books,
magazines, tool books and welding shops. I do not pretend to be the originator
of the "torch cart". I simply gathered all the features that appealed to me and
did away with what I did not like.
I must warn you that I am not a draftsman or a writer. I am trying to find a
fast, easy to use CAD program to help with projects like this.(any suggestions?)
You will probably find lots of spelling and grammar mistakes, please ignore
them.
I will also tell you that I do the majority of my projects like this with
nothing more than a couple sketches and some notes and measurements scribbled
down on a piece of paper. I do not make any drawings, or any type of formal
notes. I keep telling myself I will in the future, make drawings & keep
notes. It just seems I never get around to it & before you know it the
project is done. So you may see that I jump around a lot and repeat myself,
please forgive me. This cart may not appeal to you. Your needs may differ from
mine, so you may wish to add or delete some features, or change them. Here is a
list of other features to consider when building.
Most people substitute the tool box for an open tray. True this speeds the
retrieval of an item, it`s also a gathering place for dirt, grinding dust, etc.
Some people weld pieces of 2" pipe in a vertical position to the cart for rod
storage. I`m personally not in favor of this because the flux seems to take a
beating & gets bashed off. Also, I like to store the rod in the house to
keep moisture to a minimum & prevent contamination.
Another feature I did not like was the traditional chain restraint setup. I
feel the cable/turnbuckle system is superior due to its adjustability. I`ve
never seen this setup before, but I`m not saying it is not out there. I feel it
holds the tanks better with less movement. With the chain, it never seems tight
enough. I know the tanks won`t fall over, but I don`t like them banging around
at all.
Now some things that need an explanation. I added the middle tank holding bar
because I acquired a set of smaller tanks. This is why this bar is bolted in
place. The cart was already painted & I did not want to go through the
trouble of cleaning the paint off, welding the bar in place, then repainting it.
It`s much faster and easier to weld it in place, and it looks a lot nicer. I
show that cross member "G", 2nd from the bottom, with holes going through the
tubing "A" & into "G". The bolts that hold the cable in place also hold the
cross member in place. Again, if you think you will use small tanks, weld that
one in like the others. It will look much better.
I also strongly recommend the pneumatic tire/wheel combo. I can easily roll
around in the shop or out in the yard. They came from Northern Hydraulics, I`m
not sure of the part number, but list the size on the material list.
I added a hook to hang the torch on so you`re not laying it on the hoses. The
reason mine is bolted on instead of welded on is because I built the cart before
I purchased the torch.
Materials Required for the Cart
Bill of Materials
Construction
Lets start construction now. I started with the uprights, (see assembly
drawing 1) Cut to length, then layout the angle & with a jigsaw or sawzall,
cut a pie shaped piece out of the tubing and bend the joint together. I then
weld the 3 sides of the joint. I ground down the welds on 2 sides and left the
inner weld, for a smooth appearance. Be sure of your welds before doing this.
Then do the same for the other upright.
Next, cut your base plate, B to size and
grind the edges smooth. Then weld the uprights to the base plate keeping
everything square.(Tack weld first) I then tacked the cross members G (see
assembly drawing 2,4) in the positions marked. I don`t show G on the drawings,
it`s just a piece of tubing cut to length.
Now cut your handle C (see assembly drawing 2,3) to length, take measurements
along the way in case your dimensions differ from mine for some reason. I then
welded the end shut using a piece of 3/4" stock to fill up the hole. After
welding I faced them in the lathe. After doing this you can tack weld the handle
in place.
Next tack weld the side plates D in place, then the base divider E. At this time
you can weld the mid & top dividers F in place. You
can weld up all the joints now if you haven`t already. Again, I grind down
certain welds to lend to the appearance, you don`t have to.
You can now weld on your torch hook N (see assembly drawing 2). Make the hook
to fit your torch. I used a piece of 1" diam. stock to form the loop. Now your
hose rack I -
I , and your
tool box brackets H, (Also making
sure your box fits this space and is where you want it) and also weld the
toolbox hold down tabs O (see assembly drawing 1) in position.
Now layout and cut the axle support brackets M, drill your axle
hole and tack them in place. (These measurements are for my tire/wheel combo,
make your brackets fit your combo.) Cut your axle L (cut it longer
to fit it in place), and your axle tube K.
Now set your axle tube in place, and put your axle in place, put on a tire
flat washer and mark your axle for the cotter pin hole on each side of the axle.
This is to insure your axle will be set up properly incase your parts are
different from mine.
I Placed a piece of 3/8" thick stock under the back or the base plate and set
each wheel in place and ran the axle through each support and axle tube to keep
things in line. Remember that all these measurements are for my tire/wheel
combo. You`ll have to set it up for your combination. When things were in order,
and I was satisfied, I tack welded the axle supports M in place. My
supports are flush with the outer surface of the uprights A . I welded them
inside and out, then ground down the outer welds smooth. Make certain that you
check to see if the cart pulls back without the base plate hitting the
ground.(This was the reason for the 3/8" shim under the back).
Now take the assembly apart and drill your cotter pin holes and debbur. Also,
drill a 1/2" hole on each end of your axle tube, this is to plug weld the axle
to the tube so the axle does not spin. My wheels have bearings in them.
You can mow reassemble everything and install your cotter pins and make sure
everything is ok. When everything is acceptable, tack weld your axle tube to
support brackets M. Take your tires
off and spray the protruding axles with anti-splatter spray to protect them.
Then weld your tube in place, and finish plug welding axle to tube. I ground
down the plug welds for a better appearance also.
Weld your supports at this time if you haven`t already. Finish the welds
(grind) if you so desire. Then weld the cap holders J in place, there
location is not critical. Mine are about 2" in from the outer face of A . Hold a
cap in place and make sure it does not interfere with anything.
Next layout, drill and tap your 3/8-24 holes for your cable bolts. Make up
your cables to fit your tanks using the cable ferrules. Place a ferrule on
cable, make a loop that your bolt will fit through and hammer ferrule tight. Now
bolt this end to the cart. Then stretch the cable to the other side (with tank
in place, and with the turnbuckle in place and extended). Now form a loop that
will fit over the hook of the turnbuckle and mark the cable with a magic marker
so you know where to place the cable. Next, place a ferrule on cable and loop
cable back through ferrule to line it up with your mark and hammer like the
other end.
I think the correct method is actually to press the ferrule in a fixture to
lock them in place. I`ve had good luck using a hammer, don`t get crazy with the
hammer. DO NOT MAKE CABLES UP THIS WAY AND USE THEM FOR LIFTING !! This is
basically how I determined cable length. I made up cables for both large and
small tanks. I also bent the closed eye portion of the turnbuckle in slightly
(30 deg. + or -).
After all the cables are done you can now bolt the 2 brackets P to tool box.
You are going to have to make all this fit your application. These dimensions
are for what I used. I can open my toolbox enough to get my goggles and
frequently used items out without taking the box off. After tabs P are bolted to
box mark a hole using a transfer punch in O. Remove box and drill a clearance
hole for a 5/16 clevis pins and dauber.
Assembly Information
Assembly Drawing
1 - Assembly
Drawing 2 - Assembly Drawing 3
- Assembly Drawing
4
Finishing
After all the welding and grinding is done I go over the entire cart with a
file and sandpaper. Remove all rough edges and blend all joints if desired. Now
wipe the cart down with wax and grease remover, prime and paint. When it`s good
and dry you can assemble the cart and set it up how you want.
I hope this article is of value to somebody. This is my first attempt at
doing an article. I hope you could follow everything ok, and that I did not
leave anything out. If you have any comments or advice about my article please
let me know. It was a lot of work to write up the article and do the "drawings"
after doing the cart.(About 2 years after building it.)
I hope this was enjoyable for you. Any comments about the article, or CAD
programs, or advice on writing future columns, can be sent to:
Email: Craig Suslosky
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