Project: Bed Frame Welding Cart
Difficulty: Beginner
Materials:
- Old double/queen size metal bed frame
- 4 casters
Got an old bed frame laying around? Might as well put it to good use!
The purpose of this project was to build a welding cart as economical as possible for my Hobart Flux-Core welder. Lucky for me, I had read some forum posts about using an old bed frame, and I just happened to have one sitting in my basement for the past decade.
Bed Frames
These bed frames are created using some unique process, which leaves them:
- Super tough to drill
- Covered in some cheap coating
I also thoroughly grinded and cleaned the coating off of all pieces around the welding joints. This ensures you get good adhesion between the two pieces and a strong finished product.
The Build
First, I measured out the exact dimensions of the welder and built a square about ¼-½” larger. I decided to cope the corners instead of mitering them.
I then took the 4 longest sections I had left to see how tall I could make the stand. Initially, The height ended up being almost perfect for my needs.
I then attached these 4 lengths and built the bottom box around it. I made the bottom box slightly larger to improve the sturdiness.
Next, I measured out where the feet are located on the welder and added 2 supports to the top shelf for these feet to sit on. I didn’t want the welder to be resting around the metal/plastic edges but instead on the feet as it was designed for.
Finishing Touches
I was about to purchase these casters before I found a old set laying around. They are a little bigger than necessary for this project, but get the job done.
Finally, I added a couple pieces of the bed frame to the sides of the cart to the cabling when stored and wheeling around.
All in all I’m quite happy with how my bed frame welding cart turned out. It only cost me materials used to weld and grind the cart together!