# homemade 2 wheel cart



## kentuckyhippie (May 29, 2004)

I'd like to build a 2 wheel garden cart using bicycle wheels but I don't know the best way to make an axel and attach it to the cart body. has anyone built one and can give me some tips? thanks


----------



## seedspreader (Oct 18, 2004)

kyhippie said:


> I'd like to build a 2 wheel garden cart using bicycle wheels but I don't know the best way to make an axel and attach it to the cart body. has anyone built one and can give me some tips? thanks


There is a perfect one with plans in a book I have by charles someone or the other... let me see if I can find it... plus I have plans in a rodale book that I have.

Unless someone can give you a link to a good site, I can photocopy them and send them to you.


----------



## kentuckyhippie (May 29, 2004)

that would be great. I did a google search but couldn't find anything that I really understood. I'm not very mechanical LOL but if I have a picture or diagram I can usually figure things out. If you can make copies I will be glad to repay you the costs of copying and the postage, just let me know


----------



## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

http://www.vintageprojects.com/home-garden/garden-cart-plans.html


----------



## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

Here's another
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/sanders45.html

(the charles someone)


----------



## seedspreader (Oct 18, 2004)

DocM said:


> Here's another
> http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/sanders45.html
> 
> (the charles someone)


That's IT!!!!! (In my best Lucy from the Peanuts scream)

That's one of them that I have and it's a great cart. The book he has published with it in it is: http://www.amazon.com/Self-Reliant-...ef=sr_1_1/102-9117659-2499326?ie=UTF8&s=books

But the article is really good and has color pictures. Let me know if you still want copies of if this does it for you.


----------



## Beeman (Dec 29, 2002)

kyhippie said:


> I'd like to build a 2 wheel garden cart using bicycle wheels but I don't know the best way to make an axel and attach it to the cart body. has anyone built one and can give me some tips? thanks


 Are you using actual bicycle wheels? If you are then you will have to build an outboard frame to support the outside length of the bicycle axle like the first B&W picture Doc M linked. You could possibly try welding each axle from each bicycle wheel to a length of iron pipe, but I don't think it would support enough weight. If you can do a little machine work you might possibly try threading the ends of a piece of stock so you could make 1 axle that goes across the bottom of the cart and both bicycle wheels attach on each end.

The 2nd link from DocM has store bought garden cart wheels that just slide over a solid axle like the Garden Way cart's wheels attach.


----------



## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

If you look around, you can find heavy duty bicycle wheels (try freecycle but you will probably have to junk the rest of the bike, look for mt bikes) and easily modify the hubs with different bearings, to accept a regular tubing style axle. My son has done this several times in building goat carts.


----------



## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

Beeman said:


> Are you using actual bicycle wheels? If you are then you will have to build an outboard frame to support the outside length of the bicycle axle like the first B&W picture Doc M linked. You could possibly try welding each axle from each bicycle wheel to a length of iron pipe, but I don't think it would support enough weight. If you can do a little machine work you might possibly try threading the ends of a piece of stock so you could make 1 axle that goes across the bottom of the cart and both bicycle wheels attach on each end.
> 
> The 2nd link from DocM has store bought garden cart wheels that just slide over a solid axle like the Garden Way cart's wheels attach.


Make your box put a tongue on it and bolt the front forks and wheels from a bike on . 
or go get a pair of highwheel lawn mower wheels and a piece of 1/2" cold rolled bar stock for an axel.


----------



## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

bed rails could make good stock for the iron in the plans.


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Be aware of limitations of real bicycle wheels. Even the heavy duty ones wont hold up to more than say a bale or two of hay. Regular garden cart wheels with the solid rubber tires do better. Front motorcycle wheels next. And having owned and used a homebuilt cart for many years, I finally modified my cart to use an axle made from 1 1/4 inch pipe, two front hubs salvaged off an old Mazda rear drive car, and two ancient steel milk cart wheels. My cart will now not wimp out if I want to load it with rock or an engine block, yet the heavy duty high speed bearings in the car hubs make it easy to push. Good bearings are worth a lot for such an application.

By way I used the stamped metal insert from an old refrigerator (one before all insides were plastic) for the body. These are light and very strong and just right proportions.

And originally I did use bike wheels and axles from very old $5 thrift shop bike. I just framed around the refrigerator insert with 2x2 pine, leaving gap wide enough for bike wheel to fit between the 2x2s on each side. And just couple small pieces of angle iron cut and notched with hacksaw, bolted to each of the 4 supporting 2x2s for the bike axles to slip into. Believe me with the bike wheels and the refrig insert this is as light weight as you can do without factory molding one out of plastic.


----------



## kentuckyhippie (May 29, 2004)

thanks for all the info guys, think I can do this now, those are good sites. I won't need anything really heavy duty, bale of straw or bag of chicken feed will probably be the heaviest thing it carries, not able to carry anything much but I can still push a cart


----------



## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

At a flea market I located the front forks and wheels from 2 old Honda motorcycles. 2 for $15


----------



## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

i may have to put some of my old bicycle junk to work!


----------



## thechickenladyx (Jul 5, 2006)

i tried bike wheels, but the hole size in each one was different. finally found some golf cart wheels, and a piece of rebar for the axle. so far so good.

jesse


----------

