TORCH CART PICS

[TIMAR]

Was wondering if y"all could post pics of your homemade torch carts? Specifically looking for ones with large wheels for rollong over rough terrain. I have 2 sets of car spare donut tires I want to use. Just need some ideas other than my own Going to build 2 and put one on our church auction

 

[JD Seller]

With the tires you have you are going to have to make hubs and spindles too. That will take some time and effort. I found that using mountain/trail bicycle tires works easier. They have the bearings already in them. There large diameter rolls easier than a smaller tire.

The City of Dubuque has an annual action of the unclaimed or seize property. They have 50-100 Bikes at that sale. I usually go and pick out one that have good large tires but maybe rough looking or smashed. I usually get them for $5-10 each.

 

[glennster]

for the hubs and spindles, visit your local auto salvage yard. something like a chevy cavalier rear trailing axle uses bolt on hubs and spindles, or you could use the hub/spindles from a front wheel drive also. most are 4 bolt mounting.

 

[Mike (WA)]

I want to build one, too- here's one that I saved a picture of some time back, on this board, I think.

 

[rustyfarmall]

If you can find some that are not totally destroyed, a pair of front motorcycle (dirt bike) wheels and tires should work. The 21" diameter would roll easily over rough ground.

 

[Brad Buchanan]

Hey Mike.

Here are some pics of a torch cart that I made out of a book cart that I bought for 5 dollars at a sale.

It doesn't have big wheels but rolls over cords and air lines with no problem.

Brad

 

[Brad Buchanan]

Oops, sorry, wrong name.

 

[TIMAR]

Thanks for the pics!!

 

[Mike (WA)]

My other idea was to just build a stand to lash the tanks to, with a double bottom such that you could pick it up with a hand truck if you wanted to move it somewhere.

 

[longear]

I used wheelchair tires and wheels. They worked great they have a bolt sticking out on one end only easy to attach to frame.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Three years ago I built one as you describe. The base is built of 2" angle iron with a mesh bottom. The rest is largely constructed of 1" pipe. Chrysler space saver wheels & rear hubs. Tanks are secured with chain mounted in three places. Cart is over-engineered like most things built in private shops, but I wouldn't do a thing different next time. It is very well balanced and will roll across most any surface, (hoses, handles, snowy/muddy driveways, barnyards, etc.). I do not know just what size my tanks are, but they are larger than you usually see in private shops. Cart is in my shop 2,000 miles from here, as we are visiting relatives on the west coast. I have not seen a cart yet that I would trade for. And the good part is I have about $25 into it. It would have been only $3 if I had not had to buy new bearings for one wheel.


Glenn F.

 

[Lou from Wi.]

Brad, sure looks solid.We have same sized tanks on our cart, The cart we have came from H.F several years back. We did modification on the wheel rims(tube protectors on rims) and chain hold on for tanks. Yours looks great and will run over hoses,welders cables ,ect with out tiping. swell pictures for the guys information. Regard"s
LOU

 

[SweetFeet]

Our son designed and built this cart for my husband. Has a folding tongue so it can be towed.

Last pic, the yellow at the bottom is just some weight to hold it down so people would not mess around with it at the fair.

 

[Hobo,NC]

(quoted from post at 19:37:08 06/24/13) I want to build one, too- here's one that I saved a picture of some time back, on this board, I think.

Made out of 3/4 EMT and a set of mower wheels I got out of the dumpster... The only issue I have had with it is its two wide I want to make one so the tanks set inline... I don't know how well it would work on dirt it lives its life on concrete... If I were gonna use it outside on dirt I would move the wheels farther back. In the pix you have to till it right much to roll it loaded over that ledge at the door... It backs in good but not going in forward... Someone has posted one they made in line I don't have the pix but it was cool...

BTW I use the big tanks that's why I had to go BIG....

 

[JRSutton]

can you build three, I need one too.

 

[torch guy]

Those are some nice oxyfuel carts. I keep mine secured to the wall. I usually bring the work to the shop.

 

[JMOR]

I gave my cart to my son. My "cart" for the last 20 years is the bed of my puck up. Do all my work outdoors.

 

[Jon Hagen]

Ours has an extra "foot" on the front to mount a BBQ propane tank for quick change over from propane to acetylene. The "foot" also makes the cart much more stable.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Sweetfeet, I wouldn't recommend towing your cart like that, especially with the regulators on. That's like a bomb ready to go off if something goes wrong. The other BIG problem is you'd have to stand it up for at least 4 hours before you could use the acetylene because you need to let the acetone settle. Having acetone come out is not good. It stabilizes the acetylene.

 

[SweetFeet]

stick welding,
I'll tell him that. Thanks.

 

[Leroy]

Make it wide enough to put a LP tank on instead of the acetylene tank in case you later want to go that way. Like the setup for 3 tanks. Mine is a homemade unit 33 years old and not wide enough to put on an oxy tank and a lp tank. Also make sure you have a good way to fasten each bottle seperate to frame. Also a hose holder is good along with a closed tool box that latches for all the extra accesories including wrenches to change tips or tanks. I need to make a new one and these items are what I am now lacking. Actully thinking of making a 3 wheel cart with a pull handle and for all three bottles but probably will never get done as too many other things needing done.

 

[Brad Buchanan]

Thanks, Lou.

My son and I bought a bunch of oak veneer slatwall from a Borders bookstore that was going out of business.

I was looking at the cart but could not think of what to do with it. My son came up with the idea of converting it into a torch cart.

Brad

 

[PJH]

Here's one I made back in 1975. Made out of scrap. Had to put new tires on it about 15 years ago, and it could use another set now. I tried using regular 20" bike wheels, but spoked wheels are designed for vertical loads, and they didn't hold up on my hilly terrain. Mountain bike or motorcycle wheels would have to work better. I posted this so you could see how to make a lightweight but strong axle for your donut wheels that you already have. There's some nice cart pics already posted, and they look so nice and clean compared to mine, but then, I ain't a neat guy.

 

[Hobo,NC]

PJH that's a good example of setting the wheels back from the base.. I missed it on mine maybe next time...

 

[Chester]

Larger wheels could be added here, but mine runs only on concrete.