Implement for a Different Kind of Horsepower

[Iplayfarmer]

I learned today that my upholstering skills are about the same as my welding skills. I'm good enough to make something that will work, but I'm no professional.

Here are pictures of today's progress. The first picture is the front side of the seat and seat back. The second picture is of the bacK of the seat back and the bottom of the seat. My wife helped me with this part of the project. I'd have been lost without her. It took all four hands to hold everything in the right places and staple it. Not to mention she has a lot of experience sewing and stuff, so her knack for folding and stretching was very valuable.

We did find a youtube tutorial that showed us how to fold the corners. The corners are by far the hardest part. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pa6S6zaiig]How To Fold Canvas Corners - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I've made some progress, but nothing really picture worthy yet.

Based on some recommendations here, I have made a few modifications to the design. I'm going to attach the cross member for the single tree to the shafts rather than to the frame of the cart. I'm also going to take the advice of grsthegreat and add some braces between the cart frame and the shafts. I cut out and fabricated some of the subcomponents, but I haven't attached anything to the cart yet.

My plan is to get all the little pieces made up, and then take one evening to weld it all to the cart. Once the welding is done I'll attach the seat and the wood decking.

Here's a question for the collective brain trust of TBN... should I add the receiver hitch on the back of the cart? I have about 10" of receiver tube left. It would be easy to add it now. I don't know right now exactly what I'd use the receiver for. I have visions of pulling my little ATV trailer behind this forecart or maybe modifying my homemade dump cart to work with a ball type coupler.

Let me know your thoughts.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I remembered to take the camera out to the shop last night. Here are a few pictures. Progress is slow. It's partly because I only get an hour or so at a time to work on the cart lately. I decided to go ahead with the receiver hitch. I figure I can't use it if I don't have it, but I don't have to use it if it's there. The first picture is the receiver assembly ready to install.

Picture two is the receiver attached to the bottom rear of the cart.

Picture three is the pin stub that I'm going to use for the added braces between the shafts and the cart frame. I have another pin stub welded to the shafts, but I didn't get a picture of it.

Picture four is the single tree assembly attached to the shafts. I still need to weld some hooks to the single tree, but it's removeable so that will be easy to do later.

The fifth picture is my one weld I'm proud of. I had to include a picture of it here because I'll likely never get a weld that good again. It was done with 0.35" flux core wire on a Millermatic 135 at 130 amps on approximately 3/16" steel. In contrast you can magnify the picture of the pin stub and see the gloppy weld I did there. I'm not very good at round welds. Give me something flat, level and straight.

 

[grsthegreat]

Whats the receiver hitch for????

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Whats the receiver hitch for????

I don't even know yet.

I figured it would be a nice place to hook a harrow. I can also see myself making little attachments for this cart... Maybe a little Mother-in-Law seat that trails out back.

 

[grsthegreat]

I don't even know yet.

I figured it would be a nice place to hook a harrow. I can also see myself making little attachments for this cart... Maybe a little Mother-in-Law seat that trails out back.

The reason i ask, is if its for an attachment, it HAS to be directly over the rear axle.

I have a forecart , and when we made it we placed the receiver behind the axle, and when we attached anything to it, it lifted the pole (or shafts) and tried to lift the horses off the ground.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

The reason i ask, is if its for an attachment, it HAS to be directly over the rear axle.

I have a forecart , and when we made it we placed the receiver behind the axle, and when we attached anything to it, it lifted the pole (or shafts) and tried to lift the horses off the ground.

I figured that would be the case. The applications I have in mind now would be low or no tongue weight (i.e. harrows). I guess that anything I build for it in the future would have to take tongue weight into consideration.

Thanks for your input.

 

[grsthegreat]

I figured that would be the case. The applications I have in mind now would be low or no tongue weight (i.e. harrows). I guess that anything I build for it in the future would have to take tongue weight into consideration.

Thanks for your input.

ya, a harrow shouldn't make any difference.

 

[dfkrug]

The Wheels will be from motorcycle forks I got when I traded an old parts bike that was my youngest brother's.

Your project is looking good!

I recently used some free m/c wheels for another ATV trailer. They roll
SO much better than the ones on my AgriFab trailer.

The photo with your daughter is precious. Get her started early with
wrenchs and other tools, too.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Your project is looking good!

I recently used some free m/c wheels for another ATV trailer. They roll
SO much better than the ones on my AgriFab trailer.

The photo with your daughter is precious. Get her started early with
wrenchs and other tools, too.

That cart is awesome! It looks like it was super simple to build, but incredibly useful. Did you make another cart out of the other half of the tank?