Fit check
Before You Build: Measure Your Welder and Bench
These plans were drawn around one specific set of equipment. Ten minutes with a tape measure tells you whether yours fits as drawn, or which numbers to change.
Measure these six things
CHECK 1
Bench height, casters off
The drawing assumes 29". If yours is different, add or subtract the difference on all five post lengths. Everything above the bench moves with it.
CHECK 2
Bench body footprint
The design uses 46⅛" × 18³⁄₁₆". The corner pads are 6 × 6, so there's some slack, but confirm each caster plate lands on a pad before you weld them in.
CHECK 3
Welder and cooler, stacked
Measure the welder on top of its cooler, including any handle. It needs to be under about 39" above the deck to clear the upper shelf by a hand's width.
CHECK 4
Welder length
The design uses 28" to the farthest point, with 5" in front for the leads. The welder's back sits flush with the back of the cart.
CHECK 5
Cylinder diameter
The rear row is 13½" deep and sized for cylinders up to 250 cu ft. Check your bottles' diameter against the layout before welding the spine.
CHECK 6
Caster height
The pockets are sized for 6½"-tall casters with a 4 × 4½ top plate and about a 4" swivel radius. Spin one in its pocket before welding. Different casters change the deck height and may need bigger pockets.
Three questions that depend on your equipment
The plans leave these to the builder, because the answer depends on the machines you choose:
Which plasma cutter
The plasma bay is about 18" × 10" with roughly 15" of clearance under the middle shelf. Check your machine fits before committing.
Where the welder and cooler pull air
The bench side has only a 3⅜" gap. The back and the right side are fully open. If your machine breathes from the bench side, that gap is the limit.
Which side the MIG spool door is on
A spool door on the bench side won't open in a 3⅜" gap. If yours is there, plan to move the welder or widen the gap.
Different welder?