Frivolous At Heart

I wanted to make a welder cart for my welder. I know, I could buy one but what’s the fun in that right? So I drew out some preliminary plans based on some of the popular carts I saw around the web. They include:

So I chose the top right corner cart. Made something similar to it. It was fun because all the raw material I had was used bed frames. I knew I would need it one day and so I saved them. I still have a lot more left for other projects. I saved them because they are “L” shaped and holds a true line.

The cart measures 30x12x12. I had it arched up in the front so really it’s 12×15 @ a 15degree angle. You’ll see what I mean when you look at the photos. I took great care in making sure that the bottom was square. I used lots of clamps and was accompanied by a swear-jar.

The platform I used to lay the cart on was not leveled because of the floor having a slight downward grade. So I used two levels to make sure the top and bottom of the cart matched.

Misc shot of me welding it together and finishing up

I reused the wheels off of another cart my friend purchased for me (he got the wrong one).

This is how my welder will fit on there when completed.

Again, I reused the handle that came off the old one. I Cut it in half, the ends are cut at 45degree angles, then welded to the cart.

I’ll paint it black and be done with it!
:::UPDATE::::

I’m finally done with my welding cart. Took me three weeks to do it because I can only work on it on the weekends. Turned out great! For some reason, I like making my own tools lately. Sometimes I save a lot of money and sometimes It costs more to make something than buying it new. That’s besides the point because making it is far better then buying one at any rate.

I originally designed my cart for a 20CF argon/co2 tank but I ended up having a 80CF tank instead so the dimensions needed some reworking. I love my welder now; welds are so pretty and clean. Fits nicely on the cart. I never new how heavy everything was. Toting it around the shop on the cart is so much easier on my back then when I had to carry everything. I’m not doing that again! Mobile welder on a cart is something you don’t want to do without.

I welded the front caster wheels on Sunday morning. They were galvanized coated and so I had to grind it off prior to welding it on. The angle is just right. I put a box in front of it to put my misc odds in there. It’s not pictured of course but you get the idea. I chose plywood as a platform because it’s much easier to cut than if it were out of mild or aluminum stock.

I was going to paint it but I ended up leaving it the way it is. Works just fine and serves one main service: to tote my welder + argon tank around the shop. It’s made out of used bed frames. I like how the mismatched colors came together; brings out the true luster=)

Build Welder Cart : Homemade Cart : Homemade Welder Cart : Making A Welder Cart

I purchased the new handle a month ago from Home Depot I believe and just now installed it. It was pretty easy. I ground the aluminum pin that was holding the blade to the handle and knocked it out with a nail:

Also as you can see the new vise I have and are using; it’s my new vice. I purchased a 3lb hammer you’ll see in the third photo.

As you can see, I have more leverage. Love the new handle.

Ever needed to strap something down say 10ft long conduits or PVC piping and you have a short bed? You can strap it down near the end by the tail gate but thats all you can do. Now you have one end flopping up and down whilst you drive and it could fall out and cause an accident!

When I transport pipes of those sizes, I usually have the tailgate up and the pipes slid in on an angle resting on the tailgate. The rear is secured but if you don’t secure the other end that is slid in, you have the possibility of having the pipes fall out when you go over just a small grade or hump on the road.

I tried to tie it down both ends but the my anchor points are high near the edge of the bed. I needed something low near the bed so I purchased some anchors 2 years ago and just now installed them tonight. They work real well because they come with toggle bolts that help secure the anchors to the bed of the truck. Though I had to drill two holes of 1.125″ wide through fiberglass which was a pain- should of worn gloves! I used a Lenox bit. It took less than 5 seconds to drill through the .25″ thick fiberglass bed liner.

Here are some shots of the finished product. I used liquid nail adhesive to farther secure them onto the fiberglass surface. I torqued them by hand till I couldn’t turn them anymore. They fit snuggly.

This is the first I’ve every seen on my truck. I claim dibs.

I picked one up today used for a good price. Same price for the upgrade. I’m sure I’ll upgrade this compressor to a higher CFM rated pump soon. It’s a 60 gallon Campbell Hausfeld with a 5hp motor on there. It’s good for one person but you know me, I want more! I’ll order the pump with 18 CFM output rating soon! I’ll sell the original pump + my old compressor to compensate for the loss/gain. I still need to fix my small compressor that I tote around. It’s an oiled 1.5 gallon compressor.

My new compressor is so quiet compared to the oilless compressor I currently have. Plus it falls 30 gallons short of the new one I just purchased. I’ll take a photo once the rain cools a wee bit.

Here are the photos:

This is my new tank. It’s so too blue? Notice the crate it sits on? The crate is so nasty and broken down I “had” to build a new one– erg with wheels on it so I can roll it around in my tiny workshop.

This is the new platform it sits on. I kicked myself because I had wood lying around and didn’t take notice of them. Cut two good 2×4 stock because of it. Notice the casters I’m installing. They are softer rubber wheels than the black rubber ones. The harder plastic ones just seem to slide across the floor. These casters grip the floor that they rest on better.

This is the finished platform the compressor will rest on. It was a bitch getting it on by myself. I had to tilt one leg on and used it as a rotating axis to get the other two on. I used the same three nut-n-bolt to secure it down to boot!

Campbell Hausfeld Model: VT619503AJ 60 GALLON 5HP 240V 1PH

I purchased a fish tank at PetSmart today and I can’t wait to install it. Due to space constraints, I settled with a 55 gallon tank vs. the 75 gallon tank that I had in mind. The 55 gallon is just as long length wise but only 4″ to 5″ shorter in width. I was contemplating on whether I should get the 77gallon but can’t afford much needed space to satisfy the tank and give me walk way.

I’m so glad I got this tank because now, I can put all my fishes in one tank. I don’t know how many of my other fishes my Oscars swallowed whole but I’m sure the numbers are staggering and the piggy bank is sure enough, emptying with fast pace. I would like to see more room for my Oscars to swim in and hopefully fill up the new tank with more live plants. I want a jungle under the water!

As of late, I just got back from my brother’s shop. He and I measured up and made great progress on the newly to-be tank stand. I wanted to go the quick and easy way but he sat me down and gave me a lick’n. So now, we are doing it his way eerrg, PROFESSIONALS! Mine would have been tacky and “useful” but he said: “I don’t build SHIT” so heheh, he’s making it all pretty for me with swinging doors and the likes etcetera etcetera. Funny how a stand would cost me 150USD and the one I’m building in materials alone, cost me 200USD minus labor. The only real difference is that the ones store-bought, is inferior because they are made of particle board:

While mine is made of industrial plywood. Notice this plywood is made in Canada (I believe so) because the ones made in China is trash. I wouldn’t touch Chinese ply with a 20ft pole. I’ve seen the quality at Lowes before and I’ve seen them at my brother’s shop. He only uses them for kick stands. Not to mention how China can’t count. You order 12.7mm ply and they give you 11mm ply. Their thickness isn’t standardized for reasons I don’t understand. When I say China, I’m not referring to the whole Country; just the ones producing shit and exporting them. There are good companies that comply with US specifications and those company names are kept with utmost secrecy.

Here is a comparison: Canada/China Birch Ply respectively. As you can see, the China Birch uses more layers than Canada’s Birch. It’s not uniform and has voids and flaws in them. I cut a piece the other day and the China Birch shredded in two. Pieces being built today ends up warping the next. I’ve seen, I’ve made fun of it, I don’t like it.

I remember when my buddy purchased his 70 gallon tank, he had purchased the stand + tank from PetSmart as a matter of fact and let me tell you something; it wasn’t very sturdy so he had to reinforce it with 2×4 studs which beats the purpose of buying one pre-made. Not too many people have access to a carpenter or his tools=) I’m one of the fortunate ones!

All I really wanted was a strong box to support my tank (500+ lbs once filled with water, fish, rocks, etcetera…) and room to put my fish flakes and chemicals. O well, he knows best- it’s not like I do carpentry work for a living (lol). I think I’ll finish tomorrow. All the pieces are cut out, sanded, sprayed with the shiny stuff and left to dry. I got to come by tomorrow and sand + stray the shiny stuff on it again.

Anyhow, this kind of illustrates the many steps we took to finish my tank stand. The chocolate guy you see in the photo is my dearest friend Ike. He is the funniest black fellow you’ll ever meet. Drinks a lot, talks a lot of shit and tells wild stories to keep us company. The girl you see in there is my brother, Young. My buddy Jimbob said that his girlfriend holds onto his pony tail when they do the nasty=)

The saw you see shall be mine within the weeks. My brother is getting a new one and he promised to give me this old one. Free is for me! The stand measures 48.78″X15.75″X26″ and my tanks is roughly 48″X14.75″X12″. All pieces were cut to correct desired dimensions, then glued and stapled together accordingly.

This is a jig we had setup to align the many pieces before we could glue and staple them together. Pretty simple yet very affective. Tried aligning those pieces by hand, gluing them, and stapling them at the same time!

The next two photos you’ll see the boxes assembled and both will be glued together to be able to support the tank.

Ike and I. Thumbs up for an awesome job!

Sanding was a pain in the but! Very dirty job. Thank god we had gigantic fans blowing them out of my face!

The finished product after sanding. You can’t see the staple holes anymore because they were all filled by wood putty!

Now I’m staining the wood. Looks great! I’ll have to get the name of the stain so just in case in the near future I need it.

Young and I putting on frames on both ends for decor. Makes the stand look even more attractive. Gives it some defining lines!

I’m done with the staining. What do you think? Looks good?

Tomorrow I’m going to put on the doors. I don’t think I’ll add shelves though. No need!

Still NO doors yet! I’ll add them in later- not very important at this vary moment.

Building Fist tank Stand : Tank Stand

I purchased three of them the other day. Cost me 50USD! Darn’it that’s a tank of gas for crying out loud! I need a larger tank now! I’m looking at maybe a 200gallon or so but I wouldn’t know where to put it because I don’t have a lot of room for anything these days! All rooms are filled which leaves the garage but I don’t want it in the garage- can’t enjoy it much if I have it in there.

Anywho, these oscars are so picky eaters! The upkeep for these darn fishes are another story. I enjoy them though. They are intelligent fishes because they greet me when I open the door which makes for an awesome entry! Going to train them to eat out of my hands. Yippie!

Download link 

If you have any questions or concerns, please post them here. This is a higher quality version of the video I have. Works great; blade is extremely SHARP!

Turns 8.5×11 stock into 12 individual cards in no time!

I had a dream last night. Maybe it was from eating too much candy or the plenty brain freezes from slurpees but the dream is of my late uncle, Bruce Butler. I guess it was a sign of some sort but in this dream, him and I were bank robbers and we were trying to get a way from the cops.

We were so Hollywood. We were dressed for the part, wearing cool disguises; savvy we weren’t. We got caught while walking to our car from a fast food chain. All I remember is, “Hey that’s the guy, lets get him”. So we were both booked. I gave him a high five when we were caught saying “Damn, that was pretty damn close”. I guess in a sense, showing my intentions of a person that survives and never gives up in the face of contradiction.

It was funny; I never saw him again throughout the dream. It made me tired. I think he came to me as a sign saying I better [get] and not give up. I got to get somewhere in life and not give up. It was a revelation for me. A sign from the other world. Contacting me, reaching out for me, touching me. My uncle was looking out for me from out of his grave.

My buddy wanted to make his exhaust sound a little quieter so we hacked his exhaust up to pieces. This exhaust is off of his 2003 Mitsubishi Evo Lancer. I did all the welding of course. Sucks having to transport my welder and tools from one city to another. That’s what buddies are for right?

A shot underneath his car when taking off the old exhaust.

Here is an original section of his exhaust:

Here is the complete piece welded together. As You can see, I welded on an extra resonator and also moved his original resonator farther down to accommodate the extra resonator. It was fun! Had a blast and wasted my three hours for food=)

Here is the resonator and an inside shot of how it looks like:

The not so cool part was that we had to use the hammer to bang the underside of his car to fit one of the O2 sensors. That was fun! I was taking out my frustrations on his car for giving me the opportunity to work on it so many O countless times! another is the DeWalt abrasive cut-off disk I purchased at Lowes- It wobbled like hell! Maybe a bad piece or I should have went to HD!

Went to a park and fed the ducks and turtles- it was fun! The turtles seem to be the ones losing out most because they get bullied around by the larger ducks in the pond. I tried to feed them equally but to no avail. Better luck next time turtles!