[HEIRLOOM TECHNOLOGY C^SA^HR^OT^P C^PH^INA^GIR ]

By Tim Anderson

TURN A SHOPPING CART INTO A
COMFORTABLE AND STYLISH WHEELCHAIR.

Visitors to the United States are astounded by our shopping carts, which are the largest in the world. Also amazing is their abundance miles from the stores from which they came. No homeless person will ever want for a shopping cart. The best selection of shopping carts can be found near a “redemption center” where homeless people get paid for recycled soft drink containers.

 

To turn a shopping cart into a chair, look for a cart that really wants to be a chair. That way you won’t have to cut or bend much to release the inner chair.

Let’s get started. Pound, twist, and pull out the retaining rods and remove the front bumpers. Save them. You can use one later to cover the front edge of the seat. Now, follow along using the photos on the next page. 1. Plan the cuts you will make in the wire basket. Blue tape marks where the cuts will be made.

Iron origami magic will make nice arms from

those weird projections. This particular cart had very high sides, so I thought I’d try a new style of arm bending. I’ve been making these things for a couple of decades, but there is always something new to try.

I used a Sawzall reciprocatiing saw to cut along the lines, but a hacksaw, bolt cutter, or angle grinder will also work well. Hand tools have a lot of advantages over power tools. They’re quiet, so you can have a conversation while using them. They’re light and easy to carry. They’re