Your ideas for a shop made O/A hand truck?

[Cadillac]

I would imagine something like this with a mountain bike rim and tire or similar. Having a heavy divider between the cylinder to strap them too is much better than chains. Mine has chains and allows the cylinder to flop around if not careful.

 

[Just for fun]

Having a heavy divider between the cylinder to strap them too is much better than chains. Mine has chains and allows the cylinder to flop around if not careful. -Snip-

My cart is a modified hand truck, the tanks are secured with a chain. To keep the tanks from banging together or just moving around, I wrapped a heavy rubber bungie cord around them, they don't move at all. I was always going to make something nicer, but it has worked for the last 30 years. So, my guess is that it will go down with the ship.

 

[Aaron_W]

If you guys have any ideas about the handle, a foot kicker or how I might chain the cart to the wall, I welcome any input.

I live extremely close to the San Andreas fault line, & my sweet mother-in-law lives directly above my shop, so we don’t want any lapses in safety.

I don't recall your outside layout, d you have a wooden fence close to your work area that you could put a heavy eyebolt into for chaining the cart? Or would it be possible to sink a post into the ground that you could chain it too? Think hitching post for a horse. Otherwise it will have to be attached to the wall of the house which may not be as desirable an option.

 

[Firebrick43]

Since everybody has recommended large wheels, I will probably use 26” bicycle wheels. There is a bicycle recycling shop in town, & I’m sure that I can buy a pair of MTB wheels for very cheap.

I have thought about it, but can you change out the little stub axle for forks to use with an axle/nut? I don't know enough about bicycles?

 

[hman]

IIRC, the stub axles on bicycles include ball bearing races. So they'd be difficult to duplicate/fabricate. However, it might be possible to fabricate a suitably long spacer, internally threaded at both ends to accept the stub axles. Then the only issue would be the possibility of a stub axle bending or breaking under too heavy a load.

 

[erikmannie]

I have thought about it, but can you change out the little stub axle for forks to use with an axle/nut? I don't know enough about bicycles?

I happen to have gone through bike school (UBC). A lot of people don’t even realize that there are bike schools.

I will fabricate one long axle, the ends of which will accept standard axle nuts.

The bearings are in the hubs of the bicycle MTB wheels that I will buy.

One good thing about bicycle parts is that they can be pretty affordable. Thank you, Taiwan!

 

[erikmannie]

I am going to put a door in the front of this cart. I never want to be in the position of having to lift a gas cylinder 2-3’ off the ground.

I am soliciting ideas for hinges!

I am trying to finish another project that will only take me about another 6 days, but I need to get down the steel yard before the weekend to buy a lot of 1”, .090” wall mild steel square tubing.

I will not buy the 2 new cylinders until the cart is completely finished, although I am going to go down to the welding supply store (Matheson) to ask the diameters of the cylinders that they will sell me at that time.

 

[erikmannie]

The door will be the same 1” square tubing that makes up the cart.

Since I don’t have a bandsaw, I am planning to miter the 45° angles on the knee mill. This will be the first time that I have cut with a tilted head.

 

[Aaron_W]

I am going to put a door in the front of this cart. I never want to be in the position of having to lift a gas cylinder 2-3’ off the ground.

I am soliciting ideas for hinges!

I am trying to finish another project that will only take me about another 6 days, but I need to get down the steel yard before the weekend to buy a lot of 1”, .090” wall mild steel square tubing.

I will not buy the 2 new cylinders until the cart is completely finished, although I am going to go down to the welding supply store (Matheson) to ask the diameters of the cylinders that they will sell me at that time.

I used large diameter pipe to hold the base of the tanks on my welding cart. What I found was regardless of capacity they are all more or less the same diameter within a 1/2" or so, height is the major change. There is a slight variation in size between steel vs aluminum bottles. I think 9" diameter was the generic measurement I used.

I cut down some larger diameter (I think 10" maybe 12") thick wall pipe from the off cuts rack at my local metal supply on my cart, which I regret. I should have gone with a thinner wall pipe cut to length from a smaller diameter. The pipe I used does the job but added a lot of unnecessary weight and gives the tanks some slop. Since the cut offs are sold by weight I probably didn't even save much money.

I was told at the time most people are not happy with their first welding cart no matter how well they plan. You always find flaws you would do differently on the next go.

 

[erikmannie]

I had been outside sanding when it was sprinkling, but once it started raining I went to the steelyard.

I bought 5 quantity 10’ lengths of 3/32” (.094”) wall, 1” square tubing, 3 hinges, & 2 hitch pins (to be used as a latch). The total for all this was $140 out the door.

At that point, my Dad gifted me 2 grates. I am not sure if I will include a small tool caddy & use the small grate, but the large grate will lay over the base of the dolly.

I am starting to think that I want to orient the cylinders in a fighter pilot configuration rather than side-to-side like you see in most O/A dollies. Every time I use this, I will pass through a pedestrian door. No need to make a wide dolly.