Thinking of a welding cart...

[dstig1]

Yep, that's one good possibility. With the head on the inside, they would be pretty low profile. I wouldn't trust the common alum rivets to hold up, but I'm sure I could find steel ones.

 

[deereman75]

It is quite easy to find steel pop rivets, I have a few boxes.

 

[tooln]

Heres the cart I just finished. Nothing fancy but fit's my needs and space.

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc510/tooln/DSC00005.jpg

 

[4shorts]

Paul, glad you chimed in. I plan to add some rod storage to it, I think underneath the drawers and the angled shelf is the place to do it. I may do capped tubes that I can pull out to deal with short pieces.

I also have 2 questions for you.
1. What's a good gage for the drawers? I measured my Craftsman cheapo drawers and they are like 22-24 ga, which is clearly too thin to MIG weld (for me...). 16 seems too thick. I'm thinking 18 or 20 makes the most sense. Any thoughts?
2. How did you attach the drawer slides to the thin metal? I don't want screws sticking through to catch things. It looks like you have some kind of a smooth, low profile "nut" you used, but I can't make it out in your pics. Is it like a PEM nut or something?

All my shop carts are 1/8th. Good to work with and can take the shops sometime rough treatment. Don't let the project get overly complicated. I dug up some photo's just for you so everyone else look away :laughing: I screwed my drawer sides on.

You should keep your rod storage up top. It's easier access that way and drier and cleaner in most cases but that's just me and I could have it all wrong :laughing:

 

[Shield Arc]

Few months ago I thought I was gonna have to build a cart. Then I got the bright idea to buy a shop cart from Harbor Freights and modify it. The weight of the bottles on the back bent the bottom shelf right at the wheels! Bent it far enough the bottles hit the ground!:laughing: So I had to make a angle iron frame to spread the weight out some. Nothing fancy, but it does work.:laughing:

 

[dstig1]

Paul - 1/8" for the drawers??!?! Holy cow. And here I was thinking 16 ga was too much... I have access to a shear, brake and notcher at work that can handle up to 16ga mild steel. I can do this stuff on some weekend when it is unused. But since the equipment says 16ga max, I was assuming that it was being optimistic... as too many tool specs seem to be.

I can't zoom in with enough resolution. Did you just use bolts, nuts and washers on those slides?

I'll noodle on the rod storage a bit more.

Tooln - sounds like you are in my neighborhood, sort of. Cart looks nice, but I would caution you on the cylinder supports - the chain needs to be at least halfway up the cylinder so it can't flip out over the chain. Center of gravity and all that. I'd add something you can bolt on that stand that sticks up higher for the chain. I like the color. What is it?

 

[tooln]

Dave I'm in Clark county, where are you? Thanks for the over center on the tank but I'm not worried about it. The tank sits in a ring so the bottom won't move. Some day I may redo the entire stand as this was something I threw together fast. The color is Farm Fleet Blue the cheapest they had.

 

[varmint]

I built a little cart for my cheapo wire welder, based on commercial designs and the parts I had lying around. Turned out pretty well, I think. But, note that it's put together with machine screws and not welded, a failure in one sense. Oh well.

 

[dstig1]

Tooln - St Croix County here.

Varmint - you are disqualified - I see WOOD on that weld cart!

 

[4shorts]

Paul - 1/8" for the drawers??!?! Holy cow. And here I was thinking 16 ga was too much... I have access to a shear, brake and notcher at work that can handle up to 16ga mild steel. I can do this stuff on some weekend when it is unused. But since the equipment says 16ga max, I was assuming that it was being optimistic... as too many tool specs seem to be.

I can't zoom in with enough resolution. Did you just use bolts, nuts and washers on those slides?

Nice thickness to work with. No problem hanging a bottle of the arse end. Build it strong and you'll only build it once. The drawers were bolted on with machine screws, nuts, washers .... Never had an issue with it and it's used almost daily.