How to Build an Outboard Motor Stand out of a Shopping Cart

Outboard motors, which are permanently attached to a boat, often have to be stored outdoors over the winter or when not in use. Smaller outboards, however, can be removed from the boat and stored indoors. Small outboards can be cumbersome to move and store out of the way, so some people purchase wheeled carts, which allow them to move the combustion engines more easily and store them in any available space.

Things You'll Need

  • Board, 1-by-8
  • Oxyacetylene torch
  • 4 bolts, 1/4-inch by 3-inch
  • 8 flat washers, 1/4-inch
  • 4 nuts, 1/4-inch
  • Drill
  • Drill bit, 5/16-inch
  • Tape measure
  • Wrench, 7/16-inch
  • Saw
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the inside width of the front of the shopping cart basket.

    • 2

      Saw two pieces of the board to the length you measured in Step 1 so they will fit the front of the shopping cart. .

    • 3

      Lay the two pieces of board on top of one another so their sides and ends are aligned.

    • 4

      Drill down through both boards with the drill bit, making one hole near each corner.

    • 5

      Hold one of the boards on the inside of the shopping cart at the front and the other on the outside of the basket, so the top of the boards are level with the top edge of the cart.

    • 6

      Put a flat washer on each bolt, then insert a bolt through each of the holes you bored in the boards.

    • 7

      Put a washer on the threaded end of each bolt, then tighten a nut onto each thread using the wrench, sandwiching the boards to the front of the shopping cart.

    • 8

      Use the oxyacetylene torch to cut a hole in the bottom of the wire mesh at the bottom of the shopping cart basket. Make the hole large enough to accommodate the propeller and lower unit of the outboard motor once it’s hanging on the boards at the front of the basket.