Soon after we built our portable shop carts (March 2009), a reader told us he constantly was looking for ways to make his shop work mobile. He too had built portable carts and worktables to bring the tools and workspace he needed to the job.

Finished project: Here's the completed planning center. With a few pieces of steel, we've built a work desk that rolls to the site. (Progressive Farmer image by Rob Lagerstrom)

That got us thinking. Shop work efficiency is more than having carts and workbenches that carry tools and parts to the worksite. Work flow benefits also from having a surface on which to sketch plans for equipment modifications or to keep a list of parts needed for repairs.

We looked at the empty top of our welding cart—one of our portable shop projects—and saw a great space for a simple planning center.

With scrap sheet metal and angle iron, a couple of hours of work and less than $25, we built that planning center with the help of welder Joel Ort. It is sized to fit the dimensions of the top of our welding cart—31 x 37 inches. Here's how we did it.

1. Build the shelf frame.

Cut four pieces of ¾-inch angle iron—two pieces 30 inches long and two pieces 16 inches long. To ensure proper assembly, notch one section of angle iron at each corner (see photo below). Use a framing square to keep the shelf frame square.

2. Add legs to the shelf frame.

Cut four 12-inch lengths of angle iron to serve as legs. Weld one to each corner of the shelf frame, positioning them so there are 10 inches of space between the top of the welding cart and the bottom of the shelf frame. Use a framing square to ensure the legs are attached to the frame at 90-degree angles.

3. Tack weld the legs of the shelf frame to the top of the welding cart.

Remove paint, grease and other contaminants from the places where the legs are to be welded to the cart. Cut one piece of 16-gauge steel to fit the opening of the frame. Drop it into place. Notice how the angle iron is positioned to create a ledge for the shelf (see above photo).

4. Install the sides.

With three pieces of 16-gauge steel, enclose the two sides

and back of the planning center.

5. Build a ledge.

With three sections of round bar steel, create a ledge around the remainder of the welding cart top. Position the round bar sections slightly above the surface of the welding cart and weld them into place.

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