First Project Complete - Rolling Wood Cart

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Chuck N

Chuck
Corporate Member
In putting together my woodworking workshop I thought my first project would be a workbench. However, as I tried to organize the basement I realized I needed to find a way to store the wood I've been accumulating in my garage. I found plans for a rolling wood storage cart on page 24 of issue #55 of ShopNotes. It was a relatively easy first project since the primary material was 3/4" plywood which I could cut with my circular saw using sawhorses to support the sheet goods. I learned a lot from this simple project and even though the finished product is not perfect, I'm pleased with the result. I no longer have sheets of plywood and MDF on the floor of my garage. Other lumber is neatly stacked on the shelves. Sorry I don't have a photo of it loaded. It is tucked away in a corner of the shop where I can't get a good angle to take a picture.

Some comments:

The five inch heavy duty wheels were essential as the cart itself is heavy. It has a weight capacity of 1000 pounds.
I learned not to use slotted flat head screws for assembly. I'm now a fan of torx drive screws.
I learned the need to clamp the guide rail to the material each time I made a cut with the track saw. The grippy rubber on the bottom of the track wasn't enough to hold the track.
The plan instructions called for building a table saw sled to cut the angles for the bin dividers. I made the angle cuts on my MFT/2 table with the track saw in less time than it would have taken to build the sled.

I did not build the optional panel cutting guide.

Pictures before loading appear below. Next project is the workbench.
 

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novice99

New User
Mike
very nice work! I need to make something like this for my sheet goods which are forever in the wrong place!
 

merrill77

Master Scrap Maker
Chris
Looks nice. Workbenches are even more fun (and satisfying)! Have you decided what style of bench to build?
 

Chuck N

Chuck
Corporate Member
Here is a photo of the workbench I am planning to build. It is another ShopNotes project (Issues 65 and 66). I've purchased the wood. I finally bought a jointer so I can prepare the oak. Now that I've got the wood stored properly I can begin. It should be a challenge and a great learning experience. I am planning to build the storage cabinets underneath.

SN_Oak_Workbench.jpg
 

merrill77

Master Scrap Maker
Chris
I remember that issue. I'm almost done with my bench (it is usable now)...I should have built a decent bench a long time ago.

Have fun! And remember - we love pics. In progress, materials, mistakes, cries for help...any thing.
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
Good work there, hope it serves you well. I'd like to see it in a year or two.

I need to do something about wood storage, but that won't work for me. It would take a fourth of my shop floor, the fourth I walk on. I don't use sheet goods much and when I do I bring it home and break it down outside.

I do have space under my lathe that I'm thinking about using for wood and tool storage. Hope I can get to it this year or next.
 

Chuck N

Chuck
Corporate Member
The cart is definitely large and takes up floor space I often need for working. The wheels allow me to relocate it in the shop depending on what I'm doing at the time. I can also roll it out on the covered patio outside my basement, but I worry about humidity changes. Should I be concerned if I move the wood outside for a few hours while I'm working inside? Fortunately the shop is conditioned, while it can be very humid outside.
 

Bill Clemmons

Bill
Corporate Member
Great job on the cart, Chuck. I wish you could get pics of it loaded. Is there any room left? :)

The workbench will be a really fun, and frustrating, project. My only suggestion is to buy the vises before you begin to make sure they fit perfectly when you're ready.
 

Chuck N

Chuck
Corporate Member
Great job on the cart, Chuck. I wish you could get pics of it loaded. Is there any room left? :)

The workbench will be a really fun, and frustrating, project. My only suggestion is to buy the vises before you begin to make sure they fit perfectly when you're ready.

I made an attempt to photograph the cart loaded in the shop. As you can see the shop needs more organization (hence the upcoming workbench project as well as some more cleaning out of the junk stored in the basement). The three pictures below will give you an idea as to capacity.

As for the workbench I have purchased the vises as well as all of the hardware. All I need now is to allocate the time.

IMG_3281.jpgIMG_3282.jpgIMG_3283.jpg
 

Canuck

Wayne
Corporate Member
Nice cart. :eusa_clap

Just wish I had room for something similar. My floorspace just permits me to buy plywood by project requirements and just stack the cutoffs against the garage door.

The ability to just roll the whole stack at once will be a plus!

Wayne
 

red

Papa Red
Red
Senior User
I like the cart and looks like you did an awesome job. I may have to build one for my new shop area. Leaning sheet goods against the wall is not good to do. I'll have to look at my back issues of shopnotes to see if I have that one.

Red
 
what a great cart....... it looks even better loaded down and I think you have motivated me to make one now cause I have been storimg sheet goods and wood in my inclosed trailer but when I need just the trailer it has the wood in it and this way I could roll out the wood and use the trailer again and then roll the wood back in
 

Chuck N

Chuck
Corporate Member
So far the cart is working out well. If you build it I recommend validating the measurements of the internal shelves. The first shelf down from the top I cut to plan but should be about 1/4" wider.

I bought the wheels (5") from McMaster Carr. Fully loaded this cart is heavy so you will need heavy duty wheels. Mine have a weight capacity of 250 lbs each.
 

SubGuy

Administrator
Zach
SO.....I just looked at this thread and I notices something in your pictures. No sawdust. I have two dust collectors and about 100ft of duct. I still walk on sawdust. If you think you need to be organized you might lose you mind in mine. I have 2 subjects to advise...Make more sawdust, and write a post on how you organize. Thanks for the pics and enjoy the cart. Good job!
 

Chuck N

Chuck
Corporate Member
Ah, that's ok. I would have asked what an MFT/3 was, too. :)

It was an indulgence a woodworker friend talked me in to purchasing. It and the track saw are the most used items in my shop so far. I prefer it to the table saw for most cuts. It is very portable so I can easily move it inside or outside where I need it. After spending significant time adjusting it I find it to be very accurate. Plus I feel safer using the track saw with the table than my tablesaw.
 
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