Casting on a cart?

[KevH]

Does anyone keep their casting equipment on a cart?

I'm thinking of mounting my furnace on a metal cart and rolling it out of the garage into my driveway to cast and rolling it back in to store. There is no way to ventilate my garage (it is set into a hillside) so I think having it mobile would be the ticket.

[hk33ka1]

I use a wooden table I can carry in and out of the shop. But one of those tool carts I have would work great. I think you have a good idea!

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

That is how I do it.

I have my Turkey Cooker/Smelter in the "Bullet Factory", my 10x20 foot shed. I drag it out, and smelt. If the weather is tolerable outside, I have a 24"x36" cart I roll out to cast on. If not, I turn my two 400cfm fans on and cast inside.

Buy a cheap floor stand fan and set it at the door if you want to cast inside with your set up.

Rich

[Frozone]

I use a cart as well. I have one of the metal "kitchen" carts.
It's about 15" x 32" x 30" high and has a wooden top and 2 mesh shelves.

It works well but it's just a little unstable if bumped hard.
I have to be careful with a full pot. It won't tip over but it'll splash the melt easily.
I also wish the casters on it were a little more industrial.

Best part is it fits in the garage just right ;-)

[44 WCF]

lucked out and picked up a metal office desk in great shape at a church thrift store. It's 30x60, a 2 drawers each side one is file drawer. Heavy as heck cost $10.00. Next to it a restaurant had donated their old chest type freezers, that also weighed a ton and they also had 4 caster carts (furnitrue dolly on steroids) that went under the freezers, I suppose so they could move the freezers and clean under etc. $5.00, Anyway, I only had cut down the the cart length, run a new 2x4 frame around the outside. and the desk fit right on top. I have holes drilled for master caster, star sizer, lyman 450, lube heaters, mold and ingot prewarmer, 110 volt power strip, 25 ft extension, thrift store office desk lights, reloading press,all, and even drilled holes on other side so two or three people can cast, gas check, size, reload whatever. When smelting, that' the only thing I do but two us can smelt, pour ingots, etc. I roll it around my garage or outside. Built in storage makes it handy. Those old steel office desks are treasures for reloading. A friend put one the middle of his reloadign room and has his stations fixed around it and with chair on rollers he's setup. I'm in the hunt for one to put bench table saw etc on, even a rifle and pistol cleaning station if I coud find on a little lighter duty.

[imashooter2]

Nothing wrong with the cart idea, but...

Most garages have a big door to let the cars drive in and out. That is insufficient ventilation?

[winelover]

I like to cast outdoors and I use a B&D WorkMate with a scrap piece of 3/4" plywood clamped to it. Very stable and somewhat adjustable, has a built in foot rest too, if you prefer.

Winelover

[Dan Cash]

My setup is on a compact scaffold, 24 x48. I cast in the basement but it is surely handy to pull out for cleaning, that is it was until I hard mounted my exhaust ducting.

[yovinny]

I use a cart/table I built out of 1"square tubing and 11ga sheet metal.
It's on casters, measures about 24x36 and has 3 shelves.
It's very stable, but then again it does have about 300lbs of alloy on the bottom shelf.
If I built a new one, I'd get bigger casters than the 2" 275lb rated ones I used.

[mold maker]

All my accessories are in a HF 20X36 2 shelf cart. The turkey frier and pot are on a dolly just to move for storage back in the corner. I never move it hot. It only takes a couple minutes to move everything out under the carport for salvaging scrap.
I cast indoors with an old kitchen exhaust fan into a chimney flue. Thats a perminate setup. My blood lead levels have never been over 4, which is low normal.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Its ok, but make sure that the cart is stable (molten lead loves to slosh if the cart is bumped) and that the wheels are blocked or chocked to prevent any movement. If setup is near the garage door the natural convection of the warmer air will provide adequate ventilation. Any rain coming up....just unblock the wheels and move the setup further into the garage. LLS

[Walter Laich]

I use a metal table with a wooden top and built a wooden frame for wheels.

I roll it out of the garage and plug it in. Only drawback is waiting for the lead to harden at the end of the casting session. I always like to top off the pot so I'll be ready for the next casting session. Only takes 10-15 minutes to harden so I can roll it back in.

[Longwood]

I loaned out my pot last summer and told the guys using it to not sit it on anthing that is the slightest bit wobbly.
They did not do like I told them and the son has a big scar on his leg now.
If you do it on a cart or table that will move even slightly, temporarily secure it to a wall or something.

[PacMan]

I found this shop cart at a garage sale for $25.00. The Saeco has since been replaced with another Star.

[ihmsakiwi]

I like to cast outdoors and I use a B&D WorkMate with a scrap piece of 3/4" plywood clamped to it. Very stable and somewhat adjustable, has a built in foot rest too, if you prefer.

Winelover

What Winelover said X2

[Finnmike]

Dang, that is a nice setup! My wife suggested a cart but I was leery - thanks for the pics!




I found this shop cart at a garage sale for $25.00. The Saeco has since been replaced with another Star.

[KevH]

I looked at various shop carts at a couple hardware stores and all were between $50 and $200 and made in China or some other foreign locale.

I started searching craigslist and in about 25 minutes found an old steel and aluminum "restaurant cart" for $50 made in the US. It is industrial stregnth, about 10x sturdier than the **** at the hardware stores, rolls smooth and has zero wobble.

Looks like I'm in business. I'm going to order a pot from Waage next paycheck and I'll post pics up online when my setup is complete.

Thanks guys!

[canyon-ghost]

You aren't the only one, I have a carport. It's not the ventilation being insufficient, it's the wind blowing through, and dust.

I use the Lyman Master Casting kit to cast, pick it up and run everything outside. The lubesizer stays indoors. I've been doing it mobile since day one.

[Longwood]

I found this shop cart at a garage sale for $25.00. The Saeco has since been replaced with another Star.

I have seen rollaway tool boxes that weighed about a ton, tip over when a couple of heavy drawers were opened at the same time.
If I had your setup, I would bolt or clamp it to something secure or be ABSULUTELY sure I had enough lead on the opposite side of the cart from your pot.
I can see someone moving that container of bullets then,,,,

[PacMan]

I have seen rollaway tool boxes that weighed about a ton, tip over when a couple of heavy drawers were opened at the same time.
If I had your setup, I would bolt or clamp it to something secure or be ABSULUTELY sure I had enough lead on the opposite side of the cart from your pot.
I can see someone moving that container of bullets then,,,,

I weigh 220lb and can sit on the shelf that the pots are on and it will not tilt.And that is with the 25lb pot full.I do appericate your input and concern for my safety.
Thanks
Dwight

[1bluehorse]

I use the bottom half of my old double stack roll-a-round tool box. Plenty of drawers for molds and such, large area in the bottom for lead storage. All metal, room for two pots on the top if needed. You can pull all four drawers out at the same time and it won't tip over [smilie=1: fact is you can barely tip it over on purpose to lube the wheel bearings. Roll it out of the way when done. [smilie=2: Works for me...

[ErikO]

Now I have another great reason to get my 'new' workbench in place to repalce the Workmate I'm using as my reloading bench. :)

[markshere2]

Casting is done on my workbench. I put down a sheet of stainless to make spills easy to clean up. b Full lead pot stays out, and moulds and ingots on the bench or shelves.

Smelting is done next to an open garage door on a turkey fryer and cast iron pot.
Couple of short benches to hold ingot molds and I'm in business.

Different jobs, different locations and equipment.