As summer gives way to fall, it’s a great time to strike up your arc and start welding some projects either in the yard or in the garage. If you’re looking for some practical welding projects that you can put to good use this fall, we’ve got a great list of useful projects that may be especially fun for this time of year.
We’ve got our fall welding round up below, but make sure you add your own project ideas in the comments if we didn’t list something that you’re working on!
Storage Rack Welding Project
Maybe this fall is finally the time for you to get your welding shop picked up, organized, and in tip-top shape. If so, then Gabriel Stafford’s award-winning storage rack is the perfect project for you.
Stafford’s rack measures three feet tall, two feet wide, and eleven feet long, weighing about 750 pounds with 28 different slots for various metal bars and tubes. He used heavy-duty angle iron for the frame and mesh wire for the long sides, with sheet metal slots for the materials. Keep in mind that Stafford worked on the project on the side for over seven months while taking high school classes, so it’s not a welding project to begin lightly!
Weld Your Own Cart
If you have some yard projects that require a lot of hauling, then consider this welding project. A simple cart that attaches to the back of a lawn mower or 4-wheeler can be created using angle iron or square tubing. A basic frame made of sturdy square tubing can be filled in with plywood or thicker boards if you’re hauling heavy loads.
Sides can be made out of angle iron that can be welded onto the metal frame or attached with bolts. Lastly, you’ll need to attach a hitch to one end and wheels roughly toward the center of the cart, the latter being the greatest expense for this welding project.
Weld a Grill for a Fall BBQ
Whether you’re grilling at home or tailgating, you can weld your own BBQ grill with some basic materials, such as square metal tubing for the frame and legs, sheet metal for the charcoal pit, and wire mesh for the top and sides. This particular design uses legs on the sides that form an ‘X’ and do not have to be welded into place. In fact, the bulk of the work for this project is cutting the metal properly.
You’ll begin by welding a rectangular frame. The frame will have a wire mesh grill attached to it. The legs can be bolted onto the metal frame once they’ve been cut and fastened together.
Weld a Child’s Go-Kart
The best welding projects are functional projects, and there’s no better place to be on a crisp fall day than outside. If you have kids, you can put your welding skills to good use by building a go-kart that can be pushed around the yard or rolled down gently sloping hills.
Welders with scrap metal around the shop may already have most of what they need for this welding project. A basic body with slats for the wheels and a steering frame can be constructed with scrap metal.
You’ll also need wheels, a steering wheel, and a seat. This particular welder made the body of the go-kart and the seat out of plywood. Depending on the kind of metal you have around, plywood may be lighter and if you’re using the go-kart in the sun on a hot day, it will be cooler.
Weld Your Own Garden Bench
Perhaps the best place to begin with your welding projects this fall would be something you can enjoy on a cool fall day in your backyard. A garden bench is a welding project that can be as simple or as complicated as you like, with welders choosing their designs based on either comfort or which materials are easily on hand.
There are many variations of this welding project on the Internet, but the basic concept is a series of simple frames that can be tacked and welded together.