Making garden and construction wheelbarrows with your own hands

When working in the garden or on a construction site, we often have to use various kinds of auxiliary equipment. This is necessary to perform certain types of work. One of its types, which is used both in gardening and in construction, is the most common wheelbarrow. Recently, they can be easily purchased at the store.

Unfortunately, the wheelbarrows presented in the store have two drawbacks. First, they are not always made of high-quality and durable materials, which is why their service life may be short. Second, their cost is often too high, which makes their purchase unprofitable. Today we will talk about how to assemble a construction or garden wheelbarrow with our own hands from scrap materials.

So, in order to get a high-quality garden or construction wheelbarrow, you need to carefully consider the selection of materials, and also have all the necessary tools in stock. Let's start with the wheels. Any garden or construction cart requires one. Depending on designs and preferences, they can be made of plastic, rubber, molded or pneumatic and have a tread.

You can simply buy wheels from specialized garden centers, markets, or elsewhere. The best option is to buy solid polyurethane wheels and high-quality 4-layer rubber tires. Much will depend on the number of wheels. A one-wheel car will be simpler and cheaper, but its carrying capacity will not be so high, and more weight will fall on the person's hands. A two-wheeled one does not have such disadvantages, but it costs more.

It is also easy to admit the use of wheels from any equipment or bicycles. The most popular option is to take the wheels from a moped. You can come up with some exotic options. For example, the option on tracks.

The next important component is the material for the bodywork. Factory models usually have a steel or aluminum body. At the same time, a bowl made of aluminum will be more durable, and the steel version must necessarily have a zinc coating. But that's not all. Other materials may be used.

• Sheet metal must be galvanized or powder coated to prevent rust and corrosion from developing or spreading.
• The body can be made of wood. This is a fairly affordable material when you look at the cost. But it must necessarily be treated with various septic tanks and substances in order to prevent its destruction under the influence of natural phenomena. It also needs to be painted.
• Plastic option distinguished by lightness and resistance to corrosion. At the same time, it is extremely susceptible to mechanical damage.

You can come up with a simple option - to assemble a wheelbarrow from old structures. For example, in the form of half of a barrel or a metal headboard from the bed.If we talk about the shape of the body, then it can be trapezoidal, with a sloping front, or the traditional square.

Now let's talk about the handles. They are most often made of metal with special rubber pads that are lightweight and do not slip off your hands. All wood variants can be fitted with the same handle.

Speaking of the materials that will be needed to assemble homemade cars, the list will be something like this:

• roulette;
• ruler;
• hammer;
• marker;
• hacksaw for metal or wood;
• welding;
• angle grinder;
• spanners;
• screwdriver.

If you need to paint a wheelbarrow or treat it with something, then it will not be superfluous to prepare brushes of various sizes. And the main thing that you will need to have on hand are drawings, where all dimensions will be indicated, including the actual length, width and height of the structure, what should be obtained, as well as the physical parameters of various parts.

Now let's talk about the methods of making a wheelbarrow at home. Since it is impossible to cover all the options for creating such a transport, we will restrict ourselves to a few solutions that are considered the most simple, affordable and popular.

To assemble a wheelbarrow from a barrel, a container made of any material - plastic, wood or metal - is suitable. Here you just need to consider what kind of goods will be transported in it. It will be especially difficult to work with a wooden version. From an ordinary barrel, you can collect two cars at once, since it will still have to be cut in half. The build order will be very simple:

• cut the selected barrel in half into two equal parts;
• we make a frame, which in its shape should resemble the letter "A";
• now it is necessary to attach racks to the frame on the sides, which will fix half of the barrel;
• in the place where the top of the letter will be, that is, in the bow, it is necessary to attach the wheel;
• we make out the handles, for which cellophane and electrical tape are suitable.

After that, the homemade car will be ready. As you can see, everything is simple and easy.

Also, the cart can be made from a bicycle. More precisely, a special trailer is made for the bicycle, with which it is very convenient to go to the store, say, for shopping. To make such a simple wheelbarrow, you will need two wheels from a bicycle of the same size, several pipes with a round or square cross section. You will also need 4 thick metal plates, nuts, bolts, plywood or a board, as well as welding, wrenches and a drill.

In order to start making a wheelbarrow, first we take the metal plates, make cutouts in them in size so that the wheel axles fit in them simply and well. On the base obtained earlier, we lay plywood or plank flooring, put on it a box, seat or whatever is needed, depending on the goals. In order to fix the flooring on the frame, you will need to drill holes in the frame, and it will be possible to fix it with nuts and bolts. This completes the bike cart. Making it, as you can see, is extremely easy and simple.

It should be said that a cart or wheelbarrow can be not only a garden or construction one. She can still perform a decorative function. For example, to be located in the garden and act as a decorative pot for a flower or shrub. The most interesting is the wooden version, because aesthetically it is very pleasant and perfect for the formation of compositions. So, to make a decorative wheelbarrow you will need:

• a piece of plywood;
• a pair of wheels;
• a threaded stud that can be replaced with a pipe cut;
• wooden bars.

First you need to make a frame. If there is a pipe, then we simply bend it into the shape of the letter P. It is easy to knock it down from the bars. After that, we drill holes from the bottom of the frame, into which the axis will then be inserted.In the role of it, a pipe or threaded rod will be used. The axle, which will protrude from the frame on both sides, must be equal to double the wheel width. The axle in the frame is fixed very tightly using self-tapping screws or bolts, which must be tightened with nuts. After that, it is necessary to put the wheels on the axle and secure them with cotter pins. They can be purchased, or they can be removed from some unnecessary bike. If there are none, then you can form the wheel yourself from a piece of thick plywood. In order for it to serve as long as possible, it is necessary:

• first, plywood should be impregnated with linseed oil or an antiseptic solution;
• the wheel should be hit with a metal strip, put a tire on it and wrap it in thick rubber;
• bearings should be installed in the holes for landing the wheels;
• Lubricate wheels and axle with grease.

The last stage remains - to form the body. It is also usually made from plywood. First, you need to cut out the bottom and firmly fix the part to the frame. If we talk about the sides, then different options are possible. They are mounted motionless in relation to the bottom of the box or with the help of hinges, after which they can be folded. Fastening should be done as follows:

• one side should be attached directly to the bottom;
• the second, which is located opposite, is attached through an adapter in the form of a bar, its thickness will be equal to the side thickness;
• the end board must be fastened through a transition bar, which must have a double thickness, that is, the trolley in the folded state will be simply flat;
• to prevent the sides from falling when in working position, hooks or latches should be installed.

If we talk about safety in the manufacture of garden and construction carts, then we should talk about safety when working with tools - a hammer and a hacksaw. Also, special attention should be paid to safety when working with an angle grinder. In this case, you should remember the basic rules of working with this tool.

Separately, it should be said about the safety of working with welding. This process should be carried out exclusively in a protective mask and gloves. In the case of welding, it will not be superfluous to invite a specialist. Another important point will be that all bolts should be tightened as tightly as possible, do not forget to do this. And after assembling the wheelbarrow, it will not be superfluous to check all the fasteners again. Separately, it should be said that the car will be equipped with a motor. In this case, safety will also need to be observed when working with it. That is, fill it with only proven fuel and carefully turn on the unit.

If the wheelbarrow is made of wood, then care should be taken when working with various drying oils and septic tanks. The application and impregnation of wood should be carried out only in special clothing, as well as a gas mask or, better, a respirator. The fact is that such substances have an extremely negative effect on the human respiratory system. In general, it should be said that making garden and construction wheelbarrows with your own hands is a rather simple process that even a person who is not too dedicated can carry out.

You can learn more about how to make a construction wheelbarrow with your own hands.