Whether you enjoy making your own projects or you often have people hiring for your talents, it’s always a good idea to have the right equipment in one place. That will not only provide a much more professional vibe, but it will also keep your belongings together, preventing the chance of collecting clutter.
If you’re into welding, you know that having a safe place to gather your materials together is one of the most important parts of staying safe and not creating a mess in the garage with your equipment.
In this article, we will introduce you to several different DIY welding cart plans that you can use to make your space even nicer and add more tools to your collection.
These choices have been hand-picked to suit your needs and keep you safe. In addition, many are cost-effective, using only recycled materials to get the job done, and are great ways for you to be able to showcase your talents as a welder to potential customers or practice as a beginner.
(If you’re into mobile work solutions, check out these rolling DIY tool chest plans!)
13+ Best Welding Cart Plans
1. A Basic Choice
A simple guy (or gal) probably isn’t looking for something too flashy to add to their collection. If that’s you, then this is the perfect option. The materials are readily available, too. You are only going to need in order to make this is wood.
Wood will be a great material to use because it’s sturdy and easy to work with. You will simply need to make two identical bases that are 10×19, and then 4 pieces that are 19 inches tall. Put one of the bases on the bottom and the other on the top.
On the bottom base, you will take one of these pieces of wood to go across on the right side, two for the left, and one on top of each other. Then, add casters on either side and you’re good to go!
VIEW PLANS2. Recycled Yet Sturdy
The next option on our list uses recycled materials to create the ideal welding cart.
While some might shy away from using recycled materials, it can save you money in the long run and still prove to be a worthwhile choice. In this particular guide, the individual found a discarded paint sprayer and used the bones to create it.
One thing to keep in mind is that the instructions for this include electrical components, so if you’re not comfortable with those, then this might not be the best choice for you.
VIEW PLANS3. Simple and Easy
If you’re just starting out, then it might be a good idea to make your own. This can teach you all the techniques that you will need to know as you set out in this skill. You can also practice some basic metal cutting techniques.
All you’re going to need to do is find some metal pieces, make cuts, lay them out in the design you want, and follow the rest of the instructions accordingly.
VIEW PLANS4. Absolut-ely Useful
Could you have imagined that the next design layout on our list was created using a steel display for Absolut Vodka? This is meant for more light-duty projects, as the author suggested that it was made for carrying half a pallet of vodka.
If an Absolut Vodka cart is not something you can find easily, there are easily many substitutes that you can make work. If heavy-duty projects don’t seem to be on your horizon, then it would be worth checking out this DIY project.
VIEW PLANS5. Upcycled and Functional
Once again, here is another unique option that relies on the use of recycled materials. If you have anything laying around, such as a filing cabinet that was used in this example, that you believe is sturdy enough to handle all of your equipment and some of the projects that you will need to take on, you will have no difficulty creating the ideal cart for all your welding needs.
VIEW PLANS6. The Very Best DIY
While one might argue about what is considered the best, this author went all-out and decided to create a welding cart that had all the bells and whistles, including sockets and a bottle rack. For this choice, they purchased a steel cart from eBay, which was sturdy but not the greatest for welding.
So, this person also created a slat system that was made from a steel box section. Keep in mind that the instructions require the use of electrical equipment, so if you’re not familiar with that yet, it might be a good idea to hold off or have someone else help you.
I love the smell of sooty black iron and it’s almost something I expect in the summer. I have a welding unit, my own anvil, and I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember. I depend on builds like these to transport my unit all around my garage work area.
VIEW PLANS7. Cost-Effective Example
Chances are, you’ve been trying to find the right welding cart that will suit all of your needs and store your equipment effectively. But when you checked out the price tag (or the cost of assembling all the materials yourself), that made you question yourself about whether or not welding is truly the right path to take.
In this example, we have found a guide that will enable starters to create the right cart for their garage while only costing $15.
8. Your Custom and Unique Example
Who doesn’t like to have a piece of equipment that is both customized and unique? Perhaps you don’t want to have a cart that is run of the mill or that looks like everyone else’s.
With this option, it is now possible to have something that is small enough to lug around with you if you use public transportation (or even to fit in the trunk) while also being able to carry all the tools that will be necessary to do the job.
To make things even better, this person found most of the materials on the side of the road, so this is also cost-effective.
VIEW PLANS9. Homemade Custom Cart
What will make you prouder than being able to show off your homemade designs to potential clients to let them know about your professionalism and abilities?
If you’re someone who is already comfortable using electrical equipment and doing some of the welding activities on your own, then why not make something customized and unique to suit all of your needs?
With this example, the author provides a sample layout to make the process of building the cart even easier. You can choose to copy what this individual did, or you can come up with something that is completely your own! Either way, it’s time to bite the bullet and have a nice place for gathering all your favorite equipment.
10. Make It From Scrap
Have random pieces of another project lying around?
Scraps from old purchases that you always promised to get around to, but you simply never have the time to get? What about that old filing cabinet in your garage that seems to just be collecting dust? Well, now is the best time to get all of those out and put them to good use.
Not only is this good for the environment, but it’s not going to put a hole in your wallet when you make yourself a welding cart, too. You’re already going to have all the materials necessary, and chances are that they’re going to be sturdy enough for most low-grade projects.
For those who want to do more higher-duty projects, there might be a more difficult task on your hands as you go to find the right materials. Here is an example using the wheels from an old bicycle and the pipes of an old broken trolley.
In the end, it only took 2 days to build, and the best part is that the original author didn’t have a specific plan in mind when they built it!
11. Old Gas Grill and Scraps
Last but certainly not least, here is another welding cart that will only require the use of scraps or other things you have lying around at home.
While welders can be portable, having a cart with wheels will help you to take it wherever you need to, and you can also have all the necessary equipment right in one place.
One of the options that can be used to make this is an old shopping cart thanks to the pivoting wheels in the front. However, this particular author decided to use an old gas grill that they had lying around that was already rusted out. It also had pivoting wheels, which would make any welding task that much easier.
If you don’t happen to have a rusting gas grill at home, the author said that it’s perfectly possible to find them on the curb or near people’s trash, so it’s not a bad idea to go scavenging and see what materials you can find.
VIEW PLANSWelding Cart Building Tips
Welding Cart from DIY
Even though welding may seem like a complicated skill to learn, once you master the basics, it becomes easy and fun.
Similar to other skills, the more you practice the faster you will learn to weld. And one of the most common first projects for new welders is building a DIY welding cart.
This accessory, which can be used to hold your welder and other tools, takes only a few hours to build. Before we get to the step-by-step guide, allow us to catch you up to speed with the wedding cart plan you should have in mind.
Ideally, the cart will have a lower and upper deck, coat hooks to hang wires and helmets, and a rack on its back for C-clamps.
You have the freedom to customize this design whichever way you see fit- there are lots of pdfs online that provide step-by-step instruction, including the links on this page.
Let’s get started on how to build a welding cart;
- Get your hands on as many pieces of metal as you can. These are the resources you will use to create your cart. If you have none at the moment, you can always visit your nearest thrift store.
- Mark the metal for cuts. Depending on your design, start marking all the metals for cuts. An angle grinder can help you with this.
- Start making the cuts according to the required measurements. To cut metal accurately, it’s advisable to clamp it and use a handheld grinder for smoother cuts.
You can then use a wire wheel to fine-tune the cuts. - Layout all pieces of metal and confirm whether they will fit perfectly.
- Tack together all corners and weld the metals along their joints.
- Compare if all shelves are square and of the same size. One of the key characteristics of a good welder is accuracy. So you need to know your measurements as you carry on welding projects.
- Proceed to tacking up and framing the vertical pieces.
- Assemble the full-frame and weld along the corners till it becomes sturdy.
- Wheel up your cart. In this particular set, we advise you get your hands on some quality pair of wheels. Then connect them with a rod and weld the axle to the frame. But make sure to add a washer to fully hold the axle in place. Also, as you may already know, welding zinc plated metal is a bit dangerous and you should do so in a well-ventilated garage.
- Fix a handle. Of course, your cart will need a handle. So cut the pieces and weld it on the upper side frame of the cart.
- For aesthetic purposes, paint the frame with your color of choice.
- Cut up two shelf boards to fit them in the square shelves.
- On the welded axles, add the set of wheels.
And there you have it, folks, your welding cart is complete. What’s left is for you to load it up with tools and enjoy easy mobility within your garage or place of operation. Before you can start using it, however, always analyze the strength of the frame. And make corrections on areas that might need improvement over time.
Hi, my name’s Elena Coolidge. I’m a DIY enthusiast who loves building fun woodworking plans. These DIY plans are fun hobby projects for enthusiasts or even more advanced builders that want to build things like bunk beds, end tables or even a duck box!
