A Closer Look at My Custom Two-Bottle Welding Cart - Kevin Caron
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- From www.kevincaron.com - Artist Kevin Caron shows you around the welding cart he built for his MIG-TIG-Stick multiprocessor welder and plasma ....
Caron is welding 1/4" steel plate for a new commission of a large steel gong and stops to talk about the cool new welding cart he built. When he got the Longevity ProMTS 200 and wanted to have two types of gas handy so he could more easily switch from MIG to TIG (you need argon for the TIG, and argon and C02 for the MIG). He looked around for a ready-built cart that would hold two bottles and couldn't find one, so he made his own cart.
Caron points out the two gas bottles, and the wide platform that lets him also put his Longevity ForceCut 42i plasma cutter on the cart. So now he has TIG, MIG, stick (arc) and plasma cutting - the four functions he would normally use when he is working - all available from this single cart. He added some shelves under it, too. The top one is a supply shelf he is considering adding some drawer slides so he can add a lidded tray that will roll in and out and have a "tackle box" like container on it. The bottom shelf is for his water cooler for the TIG torch, once he gets one for this welder.
He also added some half hose reels for cables. He bent the 16 gauge steel plate body in the slip roll, cut out the front retaining plate with the plasma cutter, then added some 1/4" x 1/4" solid square steel stock on the sharp edge so the cables don't get sliced accidentally. The reels hang on steel plates that are welded to the top and middle shelves.
To keep rod handy, he welded eight 2" steel rings on the corners of the cart to hold 2" round pipe made slightly smaller on the lathe, then welded shut at the bottom. Now he can have as many as four types of rod available at once rather than having to go back into the tool room to get them. Big, hard rubber wheels on the back help the cart roll smoothly. He did not include a lip or ramp on the back for the bottles, but Caron included two sets of retaining chains just to keep the heavy bottles secure.
Because it's running two different kinds of gas (for the MIG and for the TIG), he also added a splitter he got at the welding store. The argon comes in on one side and the mix on the other, with the outlet going to the back of the machine. You have to turn on and off two valves each time, but it's much better than having to hook and unhook the gas each time. Caron also added a magnetized strip on the front that was originally used to hold knives in a kitchen to hang any metal tools on.
Caron's been using the cart for about three weeks, which has helped him refine some aspects of it. In addition to the pull-out tray, he may look at a little more cable management. As he says, it's a work in progress. For more how-to videos and to see Caron's artwork, visit www.kevincaron.com
Multiprocess machines have been roaming the earth for years now, but there are still few choices in small cabinets or carts that hold 2 bottles... nice job.
Thank you! Form and function can and do work together.
Awesome!
Thanks for watching Mark!
Very nice
i do like it.
Harbour Freight has a double welding cart
I did not know that.
@@KevincaronSculptureit’s a cabinet with 3 drawers. $430. I like yours better.
Xlent cart, Its hard sometimes to stop working on a project and do something in the shop to make life a bit easier.
The Longevity line has been very good to me. They have held up very well..
Kevin, great custom build, you could probably sell those,
like you said they are rare items online and not built as well as yours. The gas splitter: any maker or model number on that item?
Thank you! Just making what I need when I need it. The gas splitter is from the local welding store. It was on the shelf in the Oxy/Accet. area. Like this one. weldingsupply.com/cgi-bin/einstein.pl?PNUM::1:UNDEF:X:111
@@KevincaronSculpture thanks for the quick replay Kevin..
Well thought out. I like the idea of the improvements you outline, too. Nice job! Good thinking with the double chains.
Thanks, Been a long time getting her done..
Awesome cart! I'm in the middle of my build right now. I need a double tank holder too. I have the main part welded and my bonus features taped to the body. I'm looking for tips and tricks to finish my build. I came across your video. I'm taking your hose hangers idea for my own. Looks more of a substantial solution to my wimpy hooks.
Thank you for the inspiration!
Right on, good luck with the build!
Thanks for watching and posting .
Great welding cart Kevin
Thanks, have to have a place for all the stuff!
Nice, very nice! Well thought out, too. Way to go, Kevin!
But this was really called for and was fun beside!!!
i love the custom cart you build now you give me i idea specially to hook up my torch hose and clamp wire !!
Thanks,
was wondering what to do with that thing...
good job kevin, very inspiring indeed.
Good Innovative design Kevin ! my next project as well. I may redo my plans TY. Best
Nice looking cart. I really need to make one for my everlast welders.
It's a big cart and hard to get moving but I sure like having everything right here.
Nice cart Kevin. So you've made it for your longevity stuff so I assume your happy with their products. I'm just a hobbyist so if their good enough for you then they're good enough for me. Thanks for making good videos
Thanks for the pointer on the gas splitter. I would like to do the same on my mig welder so I can use my spool gun without messing with tubing. Great videos!
WOW! Stout looking cart, it will outlast us all LOL! Awesome! Thanx for posting
Rig your draw to open on the side. It would save moving cables. Works for me.
+R L Hearn Can't, got cable reels on both sides...
Only one valve is open at a time. The line gets purged when I switch from one gas to the other. Seems to work OK.
logical, well made, good job.
Go-Kart wheels and wheelbarrow rims work great to roll lines & leads on.
Great tip!
Can't pull out to the sides, the cable reels are in the way.
The gong will be featured on it's own page as soon as I get a little farther along...
Yes please, do you still want specs on this job?
Why do you need two different gas mixtures for MIG and TIG? What happens, weld-wise, if you use pure argon for MIG? I was under the impression that, historically, an argon-CO2 mix was cheaper to make than industrially pure argon. Since MIG and its typical applications can tolerate the CO2, a commercial welding company would not use the more expensive gas if they didn't have to. Historically, TIG was used for applications eg aluminium alloys that must be kept completely free of oxygen at the weld site (the temperature of the arc causes CO2 to break down into carbon monoxide and oxygen. However, today the price difference is very small and for hobby or occasional welding, would not justify the rental on the extra bottle. So it would pay to just use argon for everything if your local gas supplier can supply it.
I'm new to arc welding, so I might be misinformed.
One thing I do know is: typical if not all "3-in1" welders have a TIG capability as a half measure extra the manufacturer can include at minimal extra cost - basically just the connector for the TIG torch. They don't have AC or HF pilot arc, so they can't do the alloy welds that TIG was traditionally used for. But you can weld common aluminium alloys with MIG, using the right MIG wire.
Did a video about this very subject. Running tig on mig gas is not pretty! Not sure why tig must use argon, just know that it does.
@@KevincaronSculpture : Thanks for your prompt reply, Kevin. I've just watched your other video, at ruclips.net/video/r5O-jZSSebQ/видео.html, which I was not previously aware of.
You only give part of the story though. You show in that video, that using Ar/Co2 mix on TIG doesn't work as well - that's not so surprising, and not what I asked about. Also, in that video, that poor weld could have been at least partly diagnosed as inappropriate welder settings - have you tested the possibility of improving TIG results with a mixed gas by changing settings?
In that video you don't show, or mention, what happens if you use pure argon for MIG - that's what I asked about. But I notice a comment to that video from a Camden Sprague - he also asked about using argon for both TIG and MIG. You responded that you can, but then qualified it by saying it doesn't work "as well" on steel (a non critical metal)!
So my supposition might by correct - the cheapest solution to do both MIG and TIG is to use pure Ar for both - by having to pay rent on only one cylinder? Historically, pure Ar was expensive, but it's not much different to other gases now.
We need a demonstration of using pure Ar for MIG.
What beneficial role does the CO2 fraction play? Given it will dissociate into CO and O, I can't imagine what - but I am new to arc welding.
Incidentally, my local gas supplier does not supply Ar/CO2 75%/25% and the other mixes you hear about. They only supply pure Ar and Ar/CO2 88%/12% (and industrial CO2, air, acetylene and oxygen of course). I found 88%/12% works just fine for MIG, but with welder settings just a tad different to the tables supplied with the welder - which might well be due my inexperience - settings do interact. I haven't tried Ar and I haven't purchased a TIG torch for my Stick/MIG/TIG welder yet. I might in the near future, but given the Stick/MIG/TIG welder doesn't actually do proper TIG (no AC, and no HF pilot arc - they call it "lift TIG" so you can't claim a rip-off), there doesn't seem much benefit.
Just discovered a good discussion of using straight argon for MIG at ruclips.net/video/060NbYoOAio/видео.html. That video shows a) it does work, but not as well as Ar/CO2 mix, and b) readjustment of welder settings makes it better but never as good as with the mix.
That cart looks pretty heavy duty! Well done my friend! Would love to add this as well to our newsletter if ok with you.
Cool cart ! FEDEX just delivered my new Argon Bottle ! You didn't tell me how heavy the darn things are ! I had to carry it from the office to my car and man it was a chore ! I will check out the aluminum ones next time ! Lol
really nice cart Kevin, for cable management ant prevent machines from coming off the front and give more strain relief for cable connectors i have a big handle at level as the shelve for the machines .could be right out to the rod rings so no one is tempted to pull the cart by other stuff. the magnet could be put on a hinge over the top of machine
Could you have your drawer pull out to the side, yet still open from the front? Then the hoses are not in the way.
Very nice cart! Will we see the finished gong?
I think that's very good, what do you have at the front -wheels again?
A dual welding cart would be great for my Everlast welders.
I like how this cart works.
OOOOPss, forgot to talk about them.
Swivel casters rated to 200 lbs each.
That's a very big cart but I know what you mean. I have three go to Everlast machines (two welders and a plasma cutter) and I always want them close by.
I love having the two machines together! I don't have to haul out anything else. Now to add a 2 drawer system in the bottom space and clean up some of the clutter.
ps: the magnet is a cool idea!
Well she still runs for the beer when I get low!!
Like it a lot. Thanke
Great Welding cart. What are the measurements?
If I may, I am going to copy.
+pughwv1234 Made it just the right size for the machines I had at the time..
You can copy if you want , nothing sacred about the design..
neat..................
Hi Kevin, do you remember what size sheet metal you used for the shelves and bottle shelf? What gauge? Thanks!
Very nice!! Your cart provides multiple devices on one platform. How do you treat the power those devices require?? Do you have a individual power source (cord) for each device or one main source (cord) with some kind of distribution (plugs/switches) right on the cart??
+Pappa Bob Great Question!! I have one 220 line with two outlets on it.. Have thought about putting a power strip on the cart to plug everything in to and just having one plug to the power cord.. Just have to get around to making one...
+Kevin Caron, Artist Don't know the current requirements of your welders but they don't look too big. I would expect a 40amp cord (#8) plugged into a 50 amp receptacle (because I don't believe them make a 40 amp one) and fused at 40 amps could feed a little 6 circuit load center attached to one of the cart legs. That load center could have individual breakers for each welder (a 2 pole for each) and another single pole breaker or two for 110 volt equipment ( your coolant pump, and receptacles). A bit more work but it makes your cart a complete work station and all the equipment is properly/individually protected.
Is it true that when the cart is fully refined, it will have a place to keep the beer cold ?? lol very nice build.. a fan Bill
+gatt be
Still working on the cooler and hammock mounts,, Oh yeah, and the flat screen , don't forget the flat screen...
What size are your gas cylinders? Very nice cart sir!
*****
They look like 250s. Well im going to build my cart similar to yours. Just got two 244cf tanks and was trying to think of how I would work it out and your video came up thru Google. Much appreciated!!!
Kevin did some teach how do videos ?
How do you store your ever-shortening TIG rods?
Bend a hook on the end and hang it on the tube of filler rod.
I am claiming your last contest damaged my brain, and I failed to see the obvious on this... lol
LOL!! I know the feeling!
the cart would be a bit too wide for my use , it needs to be able to go through a meter wide doorway and a narrow hall to my storage , basicly the widest part of my cart would be the side by side bottles and i use a size thinner bottles
i allso will ned to be able to tilt the whole thing on its rear wheels to pull it across the step in the doorway
most likely would stack the 2 welders and the plasma one on top of the other
+watahyahknow Yeah, it is a wide beast! Got plenty of room to work here, and being the only person makes it even better..
+Kevin Caron, Artist
took a second look at the vid
i think the gasmixer you put in the mig/tig setup is originally made to use between argon and compressed air (tig / plasmacutter combo)
i think you can do the same thing on youre setup with a open Y connector and just opening closing the taps on one of the bottles
it will prolly prevent making misstakes because you opened the wrong tap on the mixer
in any way it will take a little time to purge the line when you switch from co2 / argon mix to pure argon depending on how long the lines from the bottles to the tig torch are , from argon to co2 mix for the mig shouldnt matter mush
the gasconnections on the tig torch are usually seperate from the mig setup (using an euroconnector feeding the gas , power and the wire ) allways wondered why the people making these combo welders dont just add a second gassolenoid inside the machine so you have one dedicated to the mig torch feeding from the co2 mix line and one for the tig being fed argon , that way you dont even have to fumble around the back of the machine and keep both torches hooked up in the front just grab the other torch , switch to mig/tig (wish would select the propper solenoid as whell) set the machine and go , it allso keeps the gas from going intoo the wrong weldingtorch (no need to purge )
Will pass that on to the folk at Everlast about their MTS machine... Great idea!
Northern Tool has a real nice 2 bottle cart with room for 2 welders and a plasma cutter, drawers, cabinet and cord storage. Kevin's has some custom features that are well thought out.
i'm not living in the states northern tools doesnt has shops here in europe