- Dec 2, 2012
- 44
- 11
Howdy folks from Texas!
Been working on the cart for a couple of days and haven't gotten to the mailbox part yet. The project actually became a bit more involved than I was planning, but oh well... Today I got the cart somewhat where I want it to be and I'll try to finish up the mailbox tomorrow.
Bought a three shelf service cart w/wheels from Harbor Freight for 50 something bucks minus 25%. I wanted wheeled version so I can move the whole thing around if need be as I have yet to figure out the actual placement of it in the patio.
Plan was to use the two bottom shelves and just cut access to the sides for the door and mailbox. Well... The metal used on the shelves is wimpy as hell, and after I cut the openings and put the smoker on the shelf, the cart almost collapsed as it lost a lot of it's rigidity when I removed the sides.
So... Back to the drawing board... Bought some aluminum angle stock from Home Depot and used it on the long sides to give it rigidity both at the bottom and the middle shelf. Also put two pieces across the shelf under the spot where the smoker will reside. No more flexing, that's for sure!
Wasn't really planning to spend this much money on it, but eventually it became a challenge and I wasn't about the be beaten... It's still work in progress as I'm planning to add a shelf to the left side of the smoker and maybe some other things. The whole contraption will also be sprayed matte black with bedliner stuff or plastidip, but those will have to wait for now and I will update the thread as the work progresses. I just want to get it operational for my Christmas smokes.
Stay tuned.
Been working on the cart for a couple of days and haven't gotten to the mailbox part yet. The project actually became a bit more involved than I was planning, but oh well... Today I got the cart somewhat where I want it to be and I'll try to finish up the mailbox tomorrow.
Bought a three shelf service cart w/wheels from Harbor Freight for 50 something bucks minus 25%. I wanted wheeled version so I can move the whole thing around if need be as I have yet to figure out the actual placement of it in the patio.
Plan was to use the two bottom shelves and just cut access to the sides for the door and mailbox. Well... The metal used on the shelves is wimpy as hell, and after I cut the openings and put the smoker on the shelf, the cart almost collapsed as it lost a lot of it's rigidity when I removed the sides.
So... Back to the drawing board... Bought some aluminum angle stock from Home Depot and used it on the long sides to give it rigidity both at the bottom and the middle shelf. Also put two pieces across the shelf under the spot where the smoker will reside. No more flexing, that's for sure!
Wasn't really planning to spend this much money on it, but eventually it became a challenge and I wasn't about the be beaten... It's still work in progress as I'm planning to add a shelf to the left side of the smoker and maybe some other things. The whole contraption will also be sprayed matte black with bedliner stuff or plastidip, but those will have to wait for now and I will update the thread as the work progresses. I just want to get it operational for my Christmas smokes.
Stay tuned.