Things You'll Need:
- 3" channel iron 2ft long
- 2" inch black pipe 4ft long
- 2 12 inch wheels (like the ones on garden trailors)
- a 12 volt two-way toggle switch
- 1" black pipe 18" long
- 2pcs 3/4" steel rod 1ft long each
- a 12 volt battery
- 14 gauge wire about 8 ft
- a welder and welding rods
- welding clamps
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Step 1
Get your welder ready settings on your preference, remember you are going to be welding pretty heavy stock. first you need to get you channel iron this is going to the basic frame of the whole thing, Lay it on your work bench channel down. then find center of the piece of 1' back pipe and find center or the channel about 1ft from whichever end is going to be the back. Line up the 2 center marks and clamp the black pipe to the channel, now you can tack weld those 2 together or wait till later. this is going to be the axle for the machine.Now get the 2 pieces of 3/4"steel rod, insert them in eather end of the black pipe axleso that 6" is sticking out on each side the rods should touch in the middle(you can also do this with a solid peice of rod but it will bend easier with haevier loads. now weld a bead aroung the ends of the black pipe securing the rods. that is the bases of your dolly.
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Step 2
Next we'll start working on the power train. first thing is to decide if you want to use a gaer drive or belt drive. For a gear drive you"ll nee to have about a 2' gear with a arbor hole tho fit the 3/4" rod in the axle. T use belt drive you need a 3" pulley to fit the axle,remember a belt drive slips easier under heavy loads). Which ever you choose you weld your gaer/pulley to the shaft on either side(keep in mind the side the gear/pulley is on is the same side the motor shaft will have to be on)about a inch and half from the frame.
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Step 3
Now we need toconsider the motor. First it must be 12 volt, and have enough power to do the job. It isn't as hard to pull a garden cart as it is a fifth whell camper so choose wisely when it comes to a motor. I used a motor from a old sailbout my dad had in the junk yard, it was the motor used to raise the sails so it had a good bit of power. Once you've chosen your motor next is to mount it,I suggest welding a plate to the frame to enable adjustment to the tension on your chain/belt The motor should be mounted as close to the rear axle as possible so as not to let the chain get too close to the wheels. Then you need to attached a gear/pulley to you motor's shaft aligning it with the on on the axle, you want to use a gear/pulley that is 2-3 inces bigger than the one on the shaft. Then measure around both gears/pullies to determine size of chain/belt you'll need.
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Step 4
Now you can mount the wheels. First install your chain/belt adjusting the tension till the chain/belt is tight (about 1/4 inch of play is sufficient). Now you have another choice to make do you want the tires mount the hard way or the easy way? the hard way is to use a tap and die and thread the ends of the shafts to enable the wheels to be secred with a nut. This way is the best but like I said it is the hard way. The easdy way is to drill holes in the axle shafts about a 1/8 inch in front of your wheel and another 1/8 inch behind the wheels, and insert heavy duty cotter keys. This will allow for some movement in the wheels but not enough to hinder the performance of the machine.
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Step 5
OK, now for the toungue you should have a peice of 2" black pipe 4ft long, this is going to be the steering mechnism for the dolly. Drill a hole big enough for a 3/4" bolt, drill the hole through both sides of the frame and one in the pipe you're using for the tongue. Insert a boltthrough the frame and tongue, making sure it will move up and down with ease.
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Step 6
Now for the wiring. I didn't mention how to mount the batery, because since the size of 12-volt batteries varies so much the methods of mounting can vary also, if you've made it this far you will probably be able to figure it out. install the switch between the battery and motor in a spot easily reached while holding onto the tongue and able to operate it while steering.
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Step 7
Ok we need something to hitch the trailor to. Get yourself a peice of black pipe about 2 ft long the width depends on the ball you use, the ball needs to sit snugly on the pipe so it can be welded in place. Then weld the pipe and ball about 3" from the front of the frame. To use your dolly with a fifthe wheel you will need to make a separate pipe and ball assembly long enough to sit over the existing one on the dolly and reach the hitch of the trailor. This is the handiest thing I've ever came up with and I'm quite proud of the way it works and saves me time and money.
