Cutting down an HF Oxy-fuel cart

[McDesign]

The price for a Harbor Freight tank cart was just too good.
But, it was big and awkward for the cylinders I have, my acetylene cylinder shoulder was too low to hit the side bar, had to tilt the cart onto the big wheels to roll it, yadda-yadda.


So - I wanted to tailor it top exactly my needs. First, it had to be smaller. Measuring, it needed to be 3.625" narrower side-to-side, and 2.5" shallower front-to-back. the axle needed to be 4.75" narrower to really tuck the wheels in. I needed to add a short bar to catch the shoulder of the acetylene tank, and some small casters.



I used a pipe cutter to cut the tubing for nice square edges, and a jigsaw for the sheetmetal -



MiG welded back together -


Welds all ground and filed purty -


I also need to shorten the swinging tray to match, so I just drilled the spot welds, cut out the 3.625" with tinsnips, and welded back into the same endcap holes. I have a couple spot welders now, but have never used them!


I narrowed and rewelded the axle -


All finished; same day, matching Rustoleum Apple Red -


New width - you can see the new short horizontal lower bar on the left side - made from a couple of the tube offcuts. I could have coped the ends, but i just mushed them to match the existing construction!


New depth -


Well, that's it. When the paint's dry tomorrow, I'll take off the masking tape and show the little Home Depot casters underneath, and load up the cylinders.

Forrest in Atlanta