[ihc] Hofs' Cart

[Tom Mandera <tsm1@xxxxxxxxx>]

John Hofstetter wrote:

> So, Lincoln wanted $160 for a cart to go along with my welder. Too much 
> money. I'd show them. Harbor Freight sold me a MIG welder cart for $ 
> 39.95. I got it and assembled it, thinking all the time that some 
> Chinese engineer must have a better understanding of forces than did I, 
> because I couldn't see how it could hold any weight when it didn't have 
> any triangular bracing. Oh, well, I trust engineers and designers.
>
> I got it assembled, put my welder on it, and watched the stand collapse 
> taking the welder toward the floor with it. Fortunately, I was close 
> enough to grab the sinking table and rescue my welder.
I was going to buy a regular shop-cart and a MIG cart from HF or 
Northern Hydraulics.  It was going to run $75-ish for the two carts, but 
I balked at the $50 in freight or so.

Some helpful friends suggested I just build my own cart.  I'd save 
money, and have a nicer cart in the end.

Well, $150 and two weeks later, I have a cart that took a bit of 
shimming on opposite corners because I'd warped it while welding, but it 
IS fairly stout, and it does hold my MIG, bottle, vice, tubing bender, 
and whatever I choose to beat upon quite well.

But I would've been time AND money ahead to just buy the two carts and 
pay the freight. :)

-Tom