I have finally completed my version of a cut off/stock cart.

Made out of 3/4 plywood with lap joins where the strips of plywood meet.

Each lap joint is glued and nailed with 5/8" brads.

Each corner joint is glued and pocket screwed.

The back area has a 48 1/2" left to right opening. The front area is evenly divided left and right.  Both openings are 12" from front to back.

The bottom is a solid piece of 3/4 plywood. The bottom is held on with glue and screws. I drill some 1 1/4" holds in the bottom to help empty out dust.  

I used 2" neoprene wheels held on with 5/16"x1" carriage bolts and lock nuts. One end has straight wheels and the other end has swivel wheels with wheel breaks.

I had to use two sheets of plywood to complete because it was over 4' wide.

 

What would I do different?

• alternate the lap joint front and back on each piece. 
• brace the upper area of the back piece. It is a little weak at the lap joint. 
• use 3" wheels instead of the 2".
• put castering wheels on all four corners.
• get wheels that have caster and wheel locks.
• consider changing the size/design of the cart so that one sheet of plywood could be used.

 

Benefits of this project:

• learned about lap joints
• got a dado set
• cleaned up garage

 

 

Edited December 8, 20178 yr by Ron Dudelston
tags added

Looks good to me. I need something like this in my shop.

11 minutes ago, ACR_SCOUT said:

What would I do different?

add 1/4'' plywood gussets.. horizontal, vertical and diagonal...

learn locking lap joints...

4'' swivel casters...

learn rebated miters...

less pocket screws and more perpendicular...

 

 

why 2 sheets of ply???

 

 

1 minute ago, Stick486 said:

why 2 sheets of ply???

 

Grandpa I will post the SketchUp imagine latter and it should show why two. Basically, because the back is wider than 4' I had to cut the horizontal rails out of the 8' side of the plywood.  Once I cut all the rails there was not enough length left on the four foot size to cut the 36" styles so they had to be cut from the 8' side as well.  With that said because it was over 4' wide, I had to use the 8' side of a new piece to get the bottom cut out.

I am not saying someone more creative than me might have figured out a why.

 

Awesome Job! Congrats

 

I learned that the smaller casters are difficult to use in my shop. I opt for 3" minimum and 4" for tools. Also, I gave up on the 2 rigid/2 swivel casters. I use swivel casters for all four wheels. I get the locking ones, but I have not really used them. Also, I go for the PE wheels instead of the rubber wheels, the rubber sometimes gets a flat spot if the load is heavy and they do not see a lot of movement.

Nice job! Wish I had room for one that size!

Well done.   I like the cart and that you got something useful out of it and learned something too.   when i built my tool box for the garage (i had a pile of 3/4' laminated cutoffs from Glenn's), i put 2" steel casters on it.   They roll ok on the concrete floor, but the least little thing stops them dead (pea gravel, etc.)   I was also worried about the possibility of it tipping over if multiple  drawers slid open (this was before i used window pins to lock them in place).   I would try the larger poly wheels if i were doing it over.  what's that old saying about live and learn??

 

Still...nice!

 That looks good and should serve your needs.

Now that you know what changes you want you can start building the second one because just like closets there is never enough room.

10 minutes ago, DuckSoup said:

 That looks good and should serve your needs.

Now that you know what changes you want you can start building the second one because just like closets there is never enough room.

 

I wish I did have enough room for another and the money but I do not. Besides another one or a bigger one would give me a reason to keep trash (fire) wood.

Nice cart.  You will need another in a few years.

 

 

Well done, I like that. I need to do one of those as well. I also need to make notes for myself about things I should do different. Usually by the time I think to make those notes I forget what I should have written down.

Edited January 12, 20179 yr by Fred W. Hargis, Jr

Nice job, I need to get one or more of these done soon for my shop.

 

I could not figure out how to edit the original post but here is the SketchUp drawing.  Each style and rail is 2"

WoodCart.skp

Edited January 12, 20179 yr by ACR_SCOUT
Added clarifying information.

16 hours ago, Stick486 said:

 

less pocket screws and more perpendicular...

 

 

I thought pocket screws were cool. Are they not the best method? Teach me oh wize one.

37 minutes ago, ACR_SCOUT said:

could not figure out how to edit the original post but here is the SketchUp drawing.  Each style and rail is 2"

 

FYI: If I remember correctly, you only have 3 hours from the time you post till you can no longer edit it

if you had M&T'd the horizontal rails to stiles you would have stretched your material a lot further..

your rips would have been 46 & 3/16''...

 

the pocket screws - they are goo but so little of the screw is actually holding they''ll fail under load...

cover your bases by adding 1/4'' ply gussets (front, back, sides) over the joints for strength, reinforcement and racking control...

add them on all corners... say 5 or 6'' right triangles w/ the points clipped off....

 

Nice looking cart you got there. It will make your life much easier having a place for those cut off pieces, but it will fill up fast! ;-)

 

 I used to store my cut off pieces in tubs and Home Depot buckets and then I decided to make one as I saw one that another woodworker online had made. It was one of the best things that I ever built for my shop.
 

19 hours ago, ACR_SCOUT said:

19 hours ago, Stick486 said:

why 2 sheets of ply???

 

Grandpa I will post the SketchUp imagine latter and it should show why two

SNORK...

dang, hot coffee burns coming out of my nose...

Nice looking and well done ACR...since you have your revisions/ change orders for the next one, when you build it, can I have this one? Thanks for sharing the thread.

In making a jig or shop fixture for lumber storage I just use countersunk screws. Much stronger support with glue and less work than M&T. This is my rack,but I do wish I had used larger wheels as is is tough to turn this monster.

The back side has space for ply sheets