Welding Tips and Tricks

I moved from a small 120v mig to a Everlast 251si. Sold the cart I had the mig on and now have the everlast rolling on a dolly. Its actually very useful to have it low where it can roll under cars I am restoring (aka: dead storage) and under the workbench when im done. Every sqft of the garage counts so im curious to hear if anyone has bought or built a low cart. To be totally honest all I really need is a safe place for gas.

I started cutting up square tubing to make a low cart. My big MIG is 95 lbs without a wire spool in it, so I definitely don't want it too high off the ground once a 44lb spool is in it. Casters/9" solid rubber wheels are cheap at Harbor Freight. It's actually going to be a mega-cart for all my MIGs plus three gas tanks, but I don't have a full plan laid out yet either.

R-mm wrote:I moved from a small 120v mig to a Everlast 251si. Sold the cart I had the mig on and now have the everlast rolling on a dolly. Its actually very useful to have it low where it can roll under cars I am restoring (aka: dead storage) and under the workbench when im done. Every sqft of the garage counts so im curious to hear if anyone has bought or built a low cart. To be totally honest all I really need is a safe place for gas.

I'd build it and essentially use 3-4" pneumatic casters. I would also configure the tank to ride along side, horizontally. This will help keep it very low, the CG low, and make for an easier exchange on the tank.

cj737 wrote:

R-mm wrote:I moved from a small 120v mig to a Everlast 251si. Sold the cart I had the mig on and now have the everlast rolling on a dolly. Its actually very useful to have it low where it can roll under cars I am restoring (aka: dead storage) and under the workbench when im done. Every sqft of the garage counts so im curious to hear if anyone has bought or built a low cart. To be totally honest all I really need is a safe place for gas.

I'd build it and essentially use 3-4" pneumatic casters. I would also configure the tank to ride along side, horizontally. This will help keep it very low, the CG low, and make for an easier exchange on the tank.

Very interesting idea I've never seen the tank horizontal before. I'll start sketching. I generally consider myself to be pretty McMaster literate but the caster section, holy moly. Deep. 3-4" and Pneumatic are good starting points.

R-mm wrote: Very interesting idea I've never seen the tank horizontal before. I'll start sketching. I generally consider myself to be pretty McMaster literate but the caster section, holy moly. Deep. 3-4" and Pneumatic are good starting points.

Horizontal tanks are very common on Pipeline rigs or Welding trucks with a flat bed. Argon and 75/25 are perfectly suitable for laying flat and using in that orientation. Of course, Oxy/Ac isn't. We built such a stacked rack for my buddy's truck. He carries 3 full size tanks - (2) 75/25 to run dual shield, and (1) 98/2 for spray which he swaps occasionally for 100% Ar.

In a shop, it would work best if the tank were shorter than a full-sized, but maybe you can jigger the length by installing on an angle beside the welder?

I have the small tank I can’t remember it’s cubic foot size but its height is very close to the length of the welder about 25 to 28 inches depending on where you take the measurement

I think the Miller trailer that can be bought for there engine drive machines comes set up for a horizontal tank configuration. From the factory.

Poland308 wrote:I think the Miller trailer that can be bought for there engine drive machines comes set up for a horizontal tank configuration. From the factory.

As do the AlumaReel skids. All horizontal.

As for the oxy/acetylene, the oxy can be run horizontal as well, correct? Just not the acetylene due to the acetone that its dissolved into. Or am I wrong on that.

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JayWal wrote: As for the oxy/acetylene, the oxy can be run horizontal as well, correct? Just not the acetylene due to the acetone that its dissolved into. Or am I wrong on that.

Correct.

I started to build one for my synchrowave and never finished the gas cylinder arrangement. But angle iron and casters are your friend. That's 1.25 inch angle iron, supporting a 400lb welder, no problem. The small casters work fine on my cement floor.