I need to start thinking about welding up a shop cart for my ski. Unless I take an afternoon to shop for better (CHEAPER!) metal at the metal store which happens to be off the beaten path, I'm thinking of just welding black pipe from Home Despot...$10 per 10 foot length of 3/4".

Anyhow my main question is in regards to the casters. I can get four 3" casters from the Despot for $22. Four 4" casters would be $46. Boat weighs only 597 lbs dry and the 3" would have a combined rated load of 840 lbs. The 4" would be 1020 lbs. I guess the 4" would probably be easier to roll around. But will it be worth spending more than twice as much?

Also, would I be happier using four swivel casters or two fixed and two swivel (like a grocery cart)?

Any comments and advice about my metal options are welcome too. "Cheaper" and "strong enough" are the key words for me.

Just an opinion, but the one I made ,had the 4 inch casters, I was pleased with the way it rolled,they cant really be too big,but they really can be too small, and also contemplated about the fixed and swivel, I made all of them the same, they all turn, when I was moving it next to a wall ,it helped out to be able to move in any direction, I got mine at a place called tractor supply, they were pretty cheap,

4 swivel are better for a small garage work area...2/2 easier to work with if u have the space. My 3" started to lean over/bend the caster frame even tho the rating exceeded the wt. YOu can get small heavy duty casters as well..try mcmaster-carr.com or grainger.com

Thanks for the tips and links! It looks like I can get 5" Casters with sealed ball swivel AND wheel bearings for only a couple bucks more than the 4" casters at the Despot which lacked real wheel bearings. I couldn't really save anything going over the Despot pricing going with 4" or 3" casters. My garage is really small. I've got a big concrete driveway/parking area but the actual garage is a tiny 1 car deal that already has plenty of stuff so it looks like 4 swivels will be the way to go. Hmm maybe I can come up with some little locking mechanism to weld on that can make two of the swivels into fixed deals whenever I want to "grocery cart" the boat around outside. Maybe a pair of tabs and a u-bolt.

Yamajuan, Use the heavy EMT or conduit. You can buy the pre bent 90's to weld on the ends for a better look. Heavy 1 1/2 or 2" works great. The conduit is galvanized and you can spray the welds with silver paint or spray galvanizing.
Its better that all your castors are swivel. Other than that make only one a ridged castor.

Mick

I thought about EMT conduit actually because I bought a 10 foot length of 3/4" OD for less than $2 I think when I needed some 3/4" pipe to align the subframe of my car. More recently I remember being shocked at the extra expense for the thicker stuff when I wanted about 30 feet for a cheap trellis for my hops. Can't remember the cost though. I guess I could go the galvanized EMT route and just weld outside with innershield. Or I can weld in the garage and just breath off my scuba reg to avoid getting zapped by the zinc smoke.

90 degree bends you say....Hmmm, I was going to use the black pipe as an excuse to buy a drill press and a tubing notcher so I can do those really slick tube welds without busting my ass notching by hand. Oh well. Does anybody want to tell me that I *must* use 4130 tubing to make my cart? I suppose I *could* break out my statics book and give myself a refresher so I can figure out the minimum amount of 4130 I could get away with and have a sound structure. But that's no fun (unless somebody wants to buy me the 4130 tubing ) , I'd rather fire both barrels of buckshot and have a bunch of big ugly, and most importantly CHEAP metal that's all but guaran teed to be overdone. Actually now that I think about it I probably would in all reality prefer an elegant chromemoly cart that's light and looks better than the next guys hahaha. I really am not all that interested in breaking out that statics book though.

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll look into pricing for 1 1/2" conduit.

The emt will not produce enough smoke with the lil bit of weldign you will do to make you toss your lunch.

If your going the 4130 then go all the way and get some T6 1 1/4 Aluminum and go to town.
Pack the inside of the tubing and bend the ends and your done. A one piece riser. All the carts I make are aluminum. Go to your local trailer supply store and get some 3/8 slip pins for easy dismantling to the bottom of the cart.
I can email you pics of mine to see how I pinned mine together. and or what im talking about.
Mick Mick@turbocelica.com

Hey go to this place harbor freight tools .com?
and they have all kinds of stuff. soem of it is cheezy but I buy casters from them all the time and they work well. If you really want some I have some decent ones from my tool boxes you can have
Rob

Maybe this is another case of my memory not serving me in my old age. At one time yes I did check the caster prices at harbor freight and I was shocked that they didn't carry the typical low freight price. Maybe I'm just totally losing it. I'll check their prices again. But first if you're willing to give 'em and if they'll take the load and they're big then sure I'll take those casters off your hands! Emails sent.

I built a stand using 2 - 8"stationary casters in the middle & 4 - 4" swivel casters on the corners allowing it to rock with about 1\2 inch clearence on either end.It maneuvre's around great,will even do a 360 and the 8"casters could be scaled down to 6"or4"and 3"on the end's,its way heavy duty.

I like that idea. Best of both worlds. I'll look into doing that.

Yama, I got your email and will be taking some pics of my cart soon. Infact I might have some on my back up disk.
Mick

Got a pic of a wedge shaped sheetmetal bodied land-cart that looks like it's about ready to go for a cart speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats. I'm still recovering from the weekend festivities myself.

Im still looking for the rollers. I know theire somewhere in the garage along with a ton of opther crap.
Ill let you know when I find them
Rob

yama OK the first pic was of the gokart. I resent the pic of the Ski Stand. I pretty much stuck to the dims on the pic.

Mick

This message has been edited. Last edited by: QuickMick,

Got the pic. Will probably adjust the height so the cart bunks line up fairly close to the trailer bunks.