Simple log splitter cart

[Crater Creator]

Hello folks.
Well, after chucking out the old battered wooden table I was using to balance the log splitter on, I decided to take the plunge and make a wheeled stand which would be able to be moved around over rough ground without breaking my back - the thing is pretty heavy - not sure how heavy but I can pick it up with the help of a few choice expletives.
I got some 50x50 box section and some solid rubber wheels, 16mm axles, and cannibalised the bits of the splitter's old wheels/stand. I saw you can buy these type of stands online but they're 25mm box, and I do occasionally drop quite big logs around the thing, so thought I would go for something which I could fell a tree onto!
Still need to paint it, but I think these welds are starting to look a bit better than my first MIG attempts, think I may be getting the hang of the technique a bit better - not so "seagull sh*te" looking now!
Due to a computer error (ahem) , I made it 40mm to wide, so will need to chop out 40mm from the main crossmember, which shouldn't be too difficult, but I could have kicked myself when I found out. Measure twice, cut once and all that......
For the time being it's just offset by one bolthole and is holding one end on 2 bolts instead of 4, but will work fine until I get round to chopping it back.
I know there's a gaping crater in one of the welds - check my username....

Hehe - cheers folks.

 

[gordon stephenson]

Useful looking tool, welds look good, but don't start and stop on the corners leaving somewhere for stress cracks to begin, gussets or struts from the uprights to the axles would help with extra strength.

 

[Crater Creator]

Gordon,
Thanks - yeah I did think the corners would be a place for stress (but more likely corrosion in my location) to set in. I will work on welding round corners, not something I have managed yet - but I could probably only manage two sides without stopping or slipping a disc due to contortion
Thanks for the comments, I will try to do a round-corner weld when I repair my 40mm mistake and I will post the results.
Cheers!

 

[Crater Creator]

Useful looking tool, welds look good, but don't start and stop on the corners leaving somewhere for stress cracks to begin, gussets or struts from the uprights to the axles would help with extra strength.

Sorry, forgot to mention - the reason I did 50mm square was so I didn't need bracing. The eBay 25mm ones don't have any bracing so I reckoned 50mm square would be total over-engineering, just the way I like it! I did try jumping on it, and using it as a type of skateboard down the garden before attaching the splitter - my version of a "factory acceptance test"... seemed to survive

 

[gordon stephenson]

Hi,Even with 50mm box, I personally would still fit some reinforcement to the uprights, You may get other opinions to the contrary, we will see what others think. You don't have to weld all round in one go but, start/stop on the flats.

 

[Parm]

I always tend to over engineer things and would definitely have fitted gussets or some sort of diagonal bracing, but that's just me

 

[Bill Edwards]

It's probably OK, 50mm box is quite sturdy and it doesn't look all that heavy or high.

It would be nice to have some form of bracing, though as somebody who does tend to over engineer I am coming to see that sometimes it's a better skill to know where to stop - we can all fit gussets everywhere but you can easily end up wasting time, materials and money when you vastly over engineer things.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Good job , and you've never loose it with those tyres fitted......