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Bag cart build ideas


AndyB

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So, I'm thinking of building a bag cart based on a hand truck. Pretty simple, just a hand truck with a shelf attached and a case of some kind on the bottom for spare cables, adapters and back up gear maybe. Most likely, I'd just use a decent sized plastic tool box attached with bungee cords. Also, a boom holder and cable and headphone hooks. I've been thinking about using a hand truck with a fiberglass/nylon frame, mainly because I don't have any drill bits for drilling through steel. Here's the hand truck I'm looking at...

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100095316/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=hand+truck&storeId=10051#.UJ7Z_6NXLIV

I would need to drill holes in the frame in order to attach the shelf, hooks and boom holder (probably the Quick Fist ones, with a pvc end cap at the bottom to keep the pole off the ground). My only concern before I get this project going is drilling the frame holes. I'm concerned that the frame might crack when drilling it. Has anyone else successfully drilled holes in one of these fiberglass reinforced nylon framed hand trucks?

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I'd love to hear about that method in more detail. SO, no issues in drilling through the frame? The shelf I have in mind would be made of 1/2" plywood, with a small lip around the edge. It would go near the top of the frame. Hooks and boom straps off the sides. Tool box strapped to the bottom. Considering adding a second shelf for another small tool box to carry a blimp or other bits and bobs. I have no problem taking this on, as long as I'm comfy with drilling the frame...

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The one that Mathew did is based on a Magliner and is by its very nature considerably more robust, rigid and able to handle more weight. The nylon hand truck that Kevin and I used is quite flexible and will require some additional bracing and some method of attaching the shelf. I'm not sure exactly how Kevin did his but I would be surprised if he bolted directly to the existing frame. I put soke aluminum angle stock and other bits, sort of sandwiching the nylon frame and then bolted through all of that to support the shelves that I had made. I would not do it again with the nylon cart since it really has just too much flex inherent in its construction. I was attracted to the light weight and the price but my end conclusion is that it didn't work out so well for me. Take into consideration, though, I was not building a "cart bag" but rather the attempt was a lightweight cart for a mixer, recorder and other stuff.

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Thanks for the input, everyone, and especially Jeff! The only weight this cart will bear on an added shelf is a bag with (currently) a PSC M4 MkII mixer and either Tascam HD-P2 or Fostex FR2-le recorder, plus a few Rx and bits. That would all go on the main shelf in a Petrol bag. Planning on cutting the gear down to a Zaxcom Maxx sometime next year, so that would lighten the load greatly.

I'm really just looking for a place for my light weight bag to land on those occasions when I don't need it strapped to the harness. Something that can fit in my trunk, help me haul gear, and then maybe be useful once we land.

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Andy!

This is my bag cart.

Here in the UK we can buy all the component parts for the Magliner sack truck. The options for handles that were available made it too tall so I manufactured one made from the castings and tube that we use on our large carts.

Malcolm Davies. post-233-0-03801900-1352627991_thumb.jpgpost-233-0-63589600-1352628021_thumb.jpg

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I'm still trying to figure out what type of "stand-up" bag cart I'm wanting Andy.

Are you wanting something to just set things on, and transport, or to then sit down and mix from?

At home I edit standing up, and want to do the same on set, so Matthew's Magliner cart looks like I could place gear high enough to not have to crane my neck down for 12 hours.

Wolf Seeberg has one of those Magliners on consignment at LSC ( a bit bigger though )...hmmm...

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Nice set up, Malcolm! Steven, I'm thinking something I can put the bag on and haul extra gear around, plus a boom caddy. It would keep the bag at stand up height, so I could boom a fairly stationary shot without needing the bag strapped on. I also do a good amount of corporate stuff where the boom is locked down on a c-stand, so it would work for that as well.

I've messed around with various ideas utilizing some old cymbal stands I have around, but those would just be a stand with no wheels or way to haul other gear. I've settled on the hand truck concept, but I'm still trying to work out how to do it on the cheap. Magliner would be out of budget for what I want to spend. I thought the nylon framed truck might be good, but Jeff's observations about their lack of rigidity gives me pause. I think it might end up being a steel framed hand truck now. I'll just have to invest in some metal cutting drill bits. That Aussie Trolley looks nice, but I have concerns about things that fold down like that.

At any rate, I should have something in the works this month. Hope to have it done and in service sometime in December. I'll post pics, of course!

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A friend strapped an aluminum case to a similar hand truck. The bag sits on top of the case.

He uses a cart with two separate handles, like this one: http://www.homedepot...-N#.UKDQVmdy2nQ and uses the handles as cable hooks. He's also mounted a cheapo boom for the shark fin, and a plastic tube to hold the boom when not in use. The case has lots of drawers and houses mics, TX, comteks, batteries, lots of little things one might need, and a spare Rycote basket.

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I don't think something like that would hold up for long, even with reinforcement. At this point I'm expanding my ideas to include the possibility a rack with a few drawers bolted to the base of the hand truck, shelf and assorted hooks and boom holders attached. Not sure how it will end up...most likely will be a combo of cost and utility.

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Actually, both mine (the top one) and Kevin's (the bottom "yellow" one) use the same nylon (plastic?) lightweight hand truck. Both Kevin and I did some re-inforcing to the basic structure and constructed shelves out of plastic pegboard squares available at Home Depot.

The re-inforcing I did, to the Milwalkee dolly, has made it quite rigid. Purchased from home depot, along with the 1/8 thick by 1 inch

3 foot long aluminum bars. Then pop-riveted into place with 3/16 inch rivets.

Handy hint: Put some green Slime in the tires, it helps keep them from losing air, due to sitting a long

time or thorns.

post-262-0-80027200-1352772968_thumb.jpg

post-262-0-05348700-1352773000_thumb.jpg

post-262-0-33181100-1352773026_thumb.jpg

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