One of the daily functions of our interns is to scan Craigslist for "deals" which match items on our "want list." About six weeks ago, a seller had listed this steel cart for sale. We haggled on the price, but were unable to finalize the deal. Last weekend, the seller contacted us and offered it to us at half-price if we would come pick it up ASAP. Not one to walk away from a great deal, we agreed to the terms and arranged to pick it up the next day.

When we got there we realized the cart was not only long, but way more cart than we needed. It was built like a tank. The welds on it are so beefy that the cart could probably hold 1000 lbs! Comparable units can cost up to $3000. If the deal wasn't so awesome, we probably would have passed on it.

The cart measures a full 60" long, 30" wide, and 24" off the ground. Even though the cart has wheels, it was not an easy piece to maneuver, as it likely weighs over 100 lbs. Good thing the seller lived on the first floor and that we had borrowed a van to use for the pick-up. When we got the cart back to the office, it wasn't going anywhere but the first floor.

We were looking for a utility cart for a specific reason, but when we got it back to the office we realized that it was way too large for our original purpose. As the cart was so well constructed, we wanted to see if we could find a different way to utilize it.

A few years ago, we built a base for a board made of cherry and made ourselves a conference/dining table. The base was very sturdy, but had a few problems which made it uncomfortable to use with more than four chairs. We went to IKEA for some new legs but none of them fitted our office's vibe. One of the editors suggested using the cart as a base. We took a look and thought if nothing else, it would be a good place to park the cart until we could sell it.

"Shopping" on Craigslist is a funny thing. One never knows what one will find. We went there looking for a utility cart and ended up creating a table which is both functional and unique. The cart with the cherry top on it does look pretty nice and will serve as the base for our conference/dining room table, but it is about 6" too low. We have some ideas on how to get everything to the proper height. (Hint: it involves IKEA), but will save that for another day. [Permalink] -Cart To Table

BTW, we would love to know the background/history of this cart. If you have any information on the manufacturer or any other tidbit related to this piece of equipment, drop us a note. We would really appreciate it!