Looks very good! :thumbup:

Thanks I did make a rookie mistake. The first 2” weld looked really good. I was like I can do this. Then I was like I never welded before. I quickly looked over my settings and discovered I forgot to turn on the argon gas. :mad:

I fixed that and it went much better. This weld I had to walk around the part as I welded. You have to move fast with aluminum so this was a challenge.

I look forward to welding more aluminum so I can get better at it.

I want to make a stand for my Big Green Egg. I will go to the surplus steel later in the week.
I will look at SS or aluminum to make the stand from I prefer aluminum but you never know what they will have.

I might try my hand a cement top for the stand. I have never tried that but I think it could look good and last a very long time.

I just got back from the metal surplus place in Greenville SC. Then aluminum is $1 a pound and the mild steel is .38 a pound. I bought $36 aluminum and $53 steel.
I want to make a stand for my BGE out of aluminum. I need to take inventory of what I bought then come up with a plan to make it.
I also bought steel to make a press brake that will fit on my Harbor freight 20 ton press.
It will be kind of like these. I still need two springs for it.

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1504287478

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1504287478

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn1GsAJcpok

Someone is coming to look at my old welder on Saturday. They said they just went to the bank so hopefully they will buy it. it is like brand new.

My old Hobart handler 140 I bought it on sale for $429 shipped. I used it about two years and just sold it for $425.
It pays to get something for a good sale price. I am very happy and can apply that money to cost of my new welder.

I worked on my BGE stand over the weekend. It is so cool to take someone’s scraps from the surplus metal place and turn that into something useful.

I made good progress on it. I added some extra bracing it does weight 162 pounds. I did not want it to sag over time. I stood on it and it is very solid.


I might just put diamond plate on to shelf and top not sure yet see what I can come up with.
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1504613200

This weld was at the beginning.
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1504613200

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1504613200
The bottom of the legs I add a couple pieces to bolt the castors to.

In the third pic, it looks like you notched an inside corner. With aluminum especially, you want to wrap those corners and junctions with the strongest part of your welds. Aluminum is not as ductile or flexible as steel, and gets stress corroded with age. These junctions are where all of the stress builds up, and if you have notches or craters, they will crack and split apart. If your cart will be spending 99% of its life sitting around, it's not so much of an issue. But for things that will go over bumps or be twisted, lifted and such, I like to fill out those joints and sand or grind them down to fit or look good after the fact.

@ Jeff I just took too long on that weld and it burned in a notch. The others look better than that. I finally got the wire speed dialed in.

I bought some diamond plate aluminum today for the bottom shelf. The surplus place was out of big pieces of diamond plate. I did get a couple small pieces diamond plate to cover the bottom leg caster mounts. $2 worth should cover them all.

I had to go to the steel place and buy drop (diamond plate) it was not a very good price but it looks good.
$50 later and I will cut it up for the bottom shelf.
Now that I know how much diamond plate cost I would design it to use more surplus aluminum. I am at $88 so far not to bad.

I am still thinking about making a cement top for it.

I made some progress. I decided on 1/8" diamond plate aluminum for the shelf. I am going to do a concrete top with Charcoal color stain. I have the mold done. I am going to put broken glass down and when it is hard I will sand it to expose the glass.

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1505142312

Concrete top mold
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1505142312

Use old engine valve springs for your break release.

I made some more progress.
It will be a few days before I will take the mold off.

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1506345524
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1506345524
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1506345524

This is my first time doing a cement top. I based all the steps off this project.

http://www.diypete.com/diy-polished-...crushed-glass/