Welding Cart For 250EX And PP60 Plasma Cutter+ Boat Project

I decided to make a cart for the 250 EX tig machine and my PP60. I tig welded the whole thing except for two small welds at the bottom that were done with the mig.
Didn't really have a plan, I just cobbled it up out of what I had on hand. Everything had been rusting outside for a year other than the sheet metal. The frame is 1x1x1/8 hot roll, the sheet is 14ga hot roll.
I tried making plug welds on the bottom shelf but they turned out looking like crap so I gave it another pass with the 7" 24 grit flap wheel. I just tacked the top every two inches, that worked much better for me.
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I wanted to mount the Motor Guard M60 dryer to the frame but it didn't come with a bracket, so I cut two pieces of 1/4x3 hot roll, welded them together and then plasma cut the bracket and cleaned it up on the belt sander.
The dryer just sits in it and can be lifted out for service. The bottle brackets are made from the same 1/4x3 hot roll.

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My welds range from OK to crap but I'm practicing. Poor eyesight is my biggest problem, getting old sucks.

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I shot it with semi-flat black Rustoleum. The primer ran like water but it'll work.

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The caster brackets were cut from two pieces of 1x4 cold roll, then cut in half on the horizontal band saw to make them about 1/2" thick and threaded 1/2x13 for the 5" ball bearing total lock casters.
I like casters on all four corners so I can move it in any direction. The cart doesn't go outside. The casters cost about $9 each and work great. http://www.ebay.com/itm/151428117977?_
I put them on everything that needs to roll in my shop.

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I'm happy with it, it suits me.

Looks good, to me. I especially like your pieced together dryer bracket. I'd be lost without a cheater lens, in my helmet, these days.

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Originally Posted by Rambozo

Looks good, to me. I especially like your pieced together dryer bracket. I'd be lost without a cheater lens, in my helmet, these days.

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Thanks, I use my bifocals but when I get in an odd position I lose focus and start guessing.

Excellent cart , good job !!!

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Originally Posted by donor76

Excellent cart , good job !!!

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Thank you.

To the guys who have looked at my cart...

What would you have done different ?

Can't see anything I would change. Heck if Donor76 says it is nice, can't get much better than that. Maybe a self or something to clutter up with consumables :D

A little 16v Lund boat project with my silly assistant trying to help. Attachment 13031Attachment 13032Attachment 13033

The 1975 boat had a tree fall on it, caving in the starboard side where the drivers console used to be. I've stripped the boat, straightened the side and replaced the gunnels with the latest dual mounting rail design.
Now it's getting a 3/16" 5052 H32 floor along with new rod lockers on both sides, a rear bench for the new tiller steer, two seat pedestals, a live well and a short platform at the bow to mount a trolling motor.
The only wood on the boat will be two new layers of 3/4" marine plywood in the transom.

The new gunwale design (gunnel).
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Looking forward to your progress reports. Just had a boat come back yesterday and the gunwale is breaking loose from the transom and the hull. Looks like I will also have a project. I knew the transom was going to let go one of these days anyway. On our last fiberglass boat, I replaced the outboard transom plate from plywood to a sheet of polypropylene. That worked out very well, so I was planning on redoing this aluminum/plywood transom, with aluminum/polypropylene. I've never been a big fan of mixing wood and water.

How are you going to form that gunwale extrusion? I might use something like that to replace the round tube I have now.

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Originally Posted by Rambozo

Looking forward to your progress reports. Just had a boat come back yesterday and the gunwale is breaking loose from the transom and the hull. Looks like I will also have a project. I knew the transom was going to let go one of these days anyway. On our last fiberglass boat, I replaced the outboard transom plate from plywood to a sheet of polypropylene. That worked out very well, so I was planning on redoing this aluminum/plywood transom, with aluminum/polypropylene. I've never been a big fan of mixing wood and water.

How are you going to form that gunwale extrusion? I might use something like that to replace the round tube I have now.

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The new gunwales are on it now (in the picture). They were pre-bent for a different model (16' Lund Fury) so I reformed them by hand over the tire of my Volvo L50 loader.
While reforming they twisted a little so I made a tool to help twist them back into position on top the side wall.
The tool is made from 1/4" x 3" hot roll and 1 1/4" round tube. I just cut pieces of the 1/4" x 3"to match the gunwale profile and mig welded them together and stuck a handle on it.
I put one side on the boat first and then hooked a ratchet strap on that one and ran it under the boat to the other gunwale to hold it down while I worked it into place. They're riveted with 3/16" brazier head hard rivets.

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What's a good source for the polypropylene ? I need 6' x 1' x 1.5".

These guys are local to me, so I get all kinds of stuff from them.

http://www.iplasticsupply.com/

They have a huge area of off cuts they sell real cheap, and I can usually find what I need.

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Originally Posted by Rambozo

These guys are local to me, so I get all kinds of stuff from them.

http://www.iplasticsupply.com/

They have a huge area of off cuts they sell real cheap, and I can usually find what I need.

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I like the HDPE but I'd have way too much money in it. The marine plywood was still solid after 35 years so I think I'll go that route.
I'm putting a new Honda 20hp on it along with a new MotorGuide 36v wireless control trolling motor.

Preparing the floor for 1"x2"x1/8" aluminum stringers to make sure the new 3/16" 5052 deck will feel solid.
The front area without notches will be raised 12" above the main deck for a livewell, storage and one seat.
Attachment 13059 Attachment 13060 Doggie attached to her heatsink as usual.

I haven't worked on the boat in while since my best friend (Doggie) got out of our fenced yard and was killed by a car. I hope to finish the boat this spring.

Yeah,

It looks like an elegant design, i.e., no dead spaces, no needlessly used material, there's a dual-purposed cart handle/torch hose rack. Nice.

One point I'll mention, as I recently modified a Norther Tool welding cabinet to accept two 150 CF bottles, which included ditching the single, loose-fit chain bracket that was well below the centerline of a 150 CF bottle.

So, maybe it's just a quibble, as two ratchet straps, even below the centerline will undoubtedly secure the bottle well enough, but if I were building a completely custom cart I'd probably have put a couple of uprights and a crossmember at the height of the top of your welder, to secure the bottle above its centerline.

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Originally Posted by zoama

To the guys who have looked at my cart...

What would you have done different ?

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Originally Posted by christian

Yeah,

It looks like an elegant design, i.e., no dead spaces, no needlessly used material, there's a dual-purposed cart handle/torch hose rack. Nice.

One point I'll mention, as I recently modified a Norther Tool welding cabinet to accept two 150 CF bottles, which included ditching the single, loose-fit chain bracket that was well below the centerline of a 150 CF bottle.

So, maybe it's just a quibble, as two ratchet straps, even below the centerline will undoubtedly secure the bottle well enough, but if I were building a completely custom cart I'd probably have put a couple of uprights and a crossmember at the height of the top of your welder, to secure the bottle above its centerline.

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With the lashing straps pulled tight the bottle is one with the cart. It might as well be welded in. I even shove it sideways by the bottle well above center. No worries

I like this cart a lot. Great job!

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Originally Posted by zoama

What would you have done different ?

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I would probably have built it with a drawer so that consumables etc. are always close at hand.

My condolences on your loss of Doggie.

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Originally Posted by redbeard

I would probably have built it with a drawer so that consumables etc. are always close at hand.

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I added a drawer when building mine, and it was definitely worth it. I thought maybe I'd store my helmets in there, but I found it more useful for other misc items like consumables, foot pedal, etc.

http://www.everlastgenerators.com/fo...ead.php?t=5552
Everlast welding cart