Welding Tips and Tricks

I'm just starting out, I'm finishing up a basic welding class (Stick / Oxy-fuel) at the community college, and plan to go on to take the MIG and TIG classes. It is a hobby right now, my initial use is restoring two old trucks that need some rust repair.

I bought myself a Miller Multimatic 220 and want to build a cart for it. The machine will be stored indoors but my work area is outdoors.

I've looked in the project section of the forum to see some of the carts members of the forum have built, watched some youtube videos, and have looked online to see what is offered commercially.


What I'd really be interested in is the things you are very happy you did, those you thought of or saw later and wish you had done, and anything you would have left off if you made another or even wish you hadn't done on your carts.


I'm split at the moment on whether to keep it simple and just build a cart for the machine, tanks and just the core equipment (MIG gun, TIG torch, electrode and ground clamp) or to get fancy and make it into a mobile welding station (minus a table) with storage for all the misc supplies and tools right there on the cart.

I'd say forget about worrying whether this will be the eternal cart of glory and just do what inspires you and what you'd like to work with. In design you can always leave space for remodels and expansions if you think it through as well. But overall, everything rusts.

Biggest mistake is to put pissy little wheels on it. Bigger the better. I recommend at least 4", swivel at least on front, solid tyres unless you are going cross country. Don't get foam filled tyres big no no.
You want plenty of big hooks for all cables/leads/stingers/hoses.
Fitment for two cylinders, mig and tig.
Then a second cart for oxy and tool caddy.
Try and make it look smart/impressive. Four corner posts and a two shelves is boring.


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trainingGrounds wrote: the eternal cart of glory

Great expression!

I agree with coldman about the wheels

Wheels are in fact probably the number one reason I'm looking to make a cart vs buying a cart. Too many store bought carts (of all types) use crummy wheels. I'll probably go with pneumatic tires because of the ground it will be going over.

I hadn't really put much thought into hooks, but makes sense.

Mostly just hoping to learn from others pitfalls, and successes. A big part will be going from fixed, single weld type stations in class to something mobile.

It is often the little things that make life easier, like angling the machine slightly so it is easier to see the screen / controls. I wouldn't have thought of that except for watching some build a cart videos. The first one I saw had me scratching my head right until the end when he loaded up the cart.

As far as being the eternal cart of glory, well I do tend to over think and over engineer things.