Welding Cart Question

[GE222]

I had a neighbor who used an old push mower deck for his stick welder. It made it easy to move, and there was space for a small storage box for rods, hammers, etc.

The best part was the price! FREE

 

[Runner]

I would also keep mine separate because my stick machine just doesn't need to be portable. However, here is a pic of a setup like you describe (minus the torch) that I probably got off Weldingweb or something. It appears to have a plasma cutter on there too.

 

[ovrszd]

I built a cart. It holds a Lincoln AC/DC stick Welder, Miller 180 MIG Welder and a Miller 625 Extreme Plasma Cutter. My O/A torch is on a cart of it's own. The Welder cart also has space to store rods and a tool box that contains supplies, etc. I wired three Welder plugs into the cart, then wired a 30ft 220V extension cord. I can leave all three plugged into the cart and then use the extension to move it around in the shop. Or if I want to remove any unit from the cart and use them independently I can and use the extension cord to get power outside. My mistake was too small casters. It's a little hard to roll on smooth concrete and cannot be rolled outside. For my use in my shop (42x50) it's very convenient. With 220V plugs scattered around the shop I can use the tools anywhere. With all components, including a large tank of shielding gas for the MIG I'd guess the cart weighs 250lbs. I'll try to get some pics.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

It seems that any commercially available cart for a MIG welder has the welder at a slant. Why is that?

Also, regarding leads... Based on comments in this thread I'm considering adding longer leads to this new welder (They're currently about 12 feet long). How do I figure out what size the leads need to be based on how long I want them? I've noticed that ground leads tend to be larger than stinger leads. There's something there more than what I understand.

 

[ovrszd]

Slanting the Welder makes operating the controls easier since most carts have the Welder close to the floor.

Hmmm,,, there's probably some mathematical solution to the cable size. Maybe someone can post a formula for you.

 

[2manyrocks]

My Lincoln stick welder sits on caster wheels attached to the original wood packing on its bottom. It doesn't leave the garage. If you attach it to a hand cart, there shouldn't be any stability issues, and you can weld some gizmos on the hand cart to hold other stuff.

I'm sure there are numerous examples of welding carts on the Miller welds and the Hobart welders websites.

The mig welder cart is a little different critter because you need to protect your mig hose from damage and eventually you'll get a welding gas bottle that needs to be moved with the welder.

Your cart design should be based on how you personally use your welder--whether it goes outdoors and needs big tires, what stuff you need to weld (grinder/etc), where you keep your rod, helmet and gloves, etc.

 

[JB4310]

It seems that any commercially available cart for a MIG welder has the welder at a slant. Why is that?

Also, regarding leads... Based on comments in this thread I'm considering adding longer leads to this new welder (They're currently about 12 feet long). How do I figure out what size the leads need to be based on how long I want them? I've noticed that ground leads tend to be larger than stinger leads. There's something there more than what I understand.

Both my cables are the same length, but if one had to be shorter I would think the ground. Just need to reach the work with the ground, but you need to be able to move around the work with the stinger.

Not sure how to figure wire gauge, but I see the stock 8-10 footers are pretty small, I'm sure mine are over-sized, since I scavenged them out of an industrial shop.

Like I said I don't move my stick welder, but what I need is a cart for all the rods, I keep them up on a shelf and it's a pain to find the right one. I need some kind of specialized storage rack.

JB.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I did some of my own looking for welding lead size charts. Here's what I came up with...

http://www.metalwebnews.com/howto/guide/guide.pdf

The one on the bottom right of this page is identical to what I found on several pages. I wanted to make sure that I got at least two sources to corroborate each other.
http://www.pittsburghwire.com/pdf/CatalogD21.pdf

It looks like the good bet for my needs is 1/0 cable. These charts don't make any indication that the ground should be any different gauge than the stinger lead. That makes sense to me since it's all in the same circuit.