Fab at Home

[chim]

I'm blessed with being able to do pretty much anything in the shops at work, and the guys are more than willing to lend a hand when it's needed. The largest example is when I built my cab there about 5 years ago. Even so, I really do enjoy tinkering at home and have accumulated enough tooling to do a lot of work here.

Two things have limited how much I do at home. One problem is the weather. Any welding / sparking operation must be done outside. I don't have that pole barn I always wanted. Rain is a show stopper, but cold can be tolerated if it isn't too bad.

The main de-motivators were not having a decent work surface and needing to gather tools. The two choices for working surfaces were either plywood on sawhorses or grovelling about on hands and knees on the blacktop. The MIG had a cart, but the clamps, magnets, gloves, extra cords, etc. weren't always handy.

The weather will be whatever comes, but the completion of a welding table a few weeks ago solved most of the problems. It's a 4' x 3' x 3/8" top on an angle frame. Two straight and two caster type wheels and a couple floor locks to make it stay in place. The old Wilton vise is mounted on one corner, and there are places to hang cords and clamps. A shelf holds the MIG and plasma cutter. There's a large drawer made from an unused electrical panel can for consumables, gloves, magnets and often-used smaller tools.

It is so nice to be able to just roll the table out of the garage, plug in and go. After the table itself, the first projects were reassembling a 6' scraper blade (with the factory welds it had, I'm amazed it lasted 15 years), a toothy scraper bar for the FEL and a set of chains for the brush forks to make it self-install. Next up is putting a wheel back on the old 5' RFM that fell off late last Fall.

 

[skeets]

Looks like you have a pretty fair handel on her there,, not to worry the pole building will come soon enough,,, I hope

 

[D2Cat]

Chim, your angle with the notches cut in it is an interesting implement. It would seem to me you need to weld some gussets on the back side of each tooth, or they will bend and become ineffective.

Taking something that doesn't work correctly, use to work but now doesn't, or modify one tool to make another, is much more rewarding to me (in most cases) than buying new. It's always a rewarding challenge.

When you can work without everything being perfect you are developing your creative skills. Considered yourself blessed, some folks can't do that.

 

[skeets]

Why was you lookin at me when you said that???

 

[Creature Meadow]

I like the cart and it gave me an idea on how to modify an all metal table I have with casters to use similar to yours for putting our welder on(under).

Add some hangers, vice, shelves, and I too will have a nice portable work top.

Thanks for the idea.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Excellent cart setup!
One thing to add that is super handy is a power bar or strip, wire it into a auto or manual retracting cord reel, that way you can plug in welder, plasma, drill, grinder, chop saw and such and it eliminates the constant swapping of the power cords.

I use 60amp 220v for my Welder and Plasma and have a heavy cord that I use, that also gives me 110 of all the little tools, one cord can do it all!

You can also do that for air tools too, I have an auto retractable reel for that too.

You have to get inventive when you don't have a shop!

 

[Tughill Tom]

Chim,
A bit off topic, how is that Air power 30 doing for you? I'm looking at that or the XP 45 which needs compressed air source. I need to cut the heads off of about 1200 1/2" bolts to salvage some parts off of belted tracks. Not having to use a air compressor would be a big help, as all of this will be done outside with limited power sources.

 

[thebicman]

Very nice cart setup. I pity the fool that gets between you and those bucket teeth. Holly crap. I can see the skin being torn just looking at them.

 

[Mainah]

Very nice welding cart setup! Running around for tools is a PITA! It’s so much easier and more fun when you’re organized isn’t it? You can actually get something done.

 

[chim]

Thanks guys, and to answer some questions:

I thought gussets would be needed too. After a short test, maybe not. I used it to back drag an area in the back yard that had a couple hard and built-up ridges. Next was placing it on a short tree stump that wasn't as decayed as I hoped. Had the front of the tractor off the ground and rocked the bucket. I still believe that I can bend a tooth if it catches a rock. Long term will tell.

If this were ten years ago, the power strip would have been a real necessity. I've gotten away from corded tools with few exceptions. It's so handy to grab different tools and not have the cords get wrapped up in things. I've really gone into DeWalt 20v the last few years, although there are still a few 18V here. Since I'm doing flux core outdoors, one 18V impact with a wire brush is kept in the table drawer for slag removal. The tools commonly used for the work at the table - recip saw, grinder, handheld bandsaw, etc. are all 20v. Most of my drilling is with a 20v impact. Some step bits and "impact ready" HSS bits have the locking 1/4" hex ends. For others I have a keyless chuck made for popping into the impact drill. Both the MM175 and plasma cutter run on a 30A/240V outlet in the garage. I have a #10 cord with a double outlet on the girl end so both machines can be powered from it. Since I can't cut and weld at the same time, they're happy. Side note - I checked with Hypertherm and they don't recommend having the ground clamps of the plasma cutter and the welder connected to the work / table at the same time. I do keep both machines energized so the cooling fans can run as they want, but am careful about the grounds.

I'm still getting familiar with the capabilities of the plasma cutter. As mentioned above, it is connected to 240v, and it will run on 120v. (but at about half the power). It's a "smart" machine and knows how to run on what the incoming voltage is. It ships with two cord ends for different outlets that connect to the machine's cord via twistlock plugs. So far most of what it has been used for is thinner metal. I did some heavily galvanized angle and it quickly clogged up the torch and I was spending more time cleaning than cutting. It works well on galvanized sheet metal, but the thick coating on the angle is a different animal. We have some work to do on an indoor cooling tower at church that will involve making some cuts about 4' long on what looks like 16GA stainless. I'll let you know how that goes, and try some other cuts. I do have a bad/stuck hitch pin on a landscape rake that should be replaced. I researched before I got the cutter and understand it isn't a substitute for an oxy acetylene setup and won't do 1" thick steel. It should be a good tool for the work I do and it is very portable and doesn't need to be connected to my compressor.

NOTE - with regard to cutting the stainless, don't worry. I am assuming the need for good fume extraction because of hexavalent chromium that could result from it.

 

[Yooper]

"NOTE - with regard to cutting the stainless, don't worry. I am assuming the need for good fume extraction because of hexavalent chromium that could result from it."

Your cart looks like some of the steel is galvanized. Use good ventilation when welding on this also. Fumes from galvanized (zinc oxide) can make you sick with symptoms like getting the flu.

 

[chim]

Your cart looks like some of the steel is galvanized. Use good ventilation when welding on this also. Fumes from galvanized (zinc oxide) can make you sick with symptoms like getting the flu.

You betcha.

 

[RCW]

Chim - - you posted pictures of your cart a while back.

Liked it then, and still do.....nice job!