Miter Saw Cart
April 11, 2012 |
25 Comments
posted by Ana White
PDF versionMake a miter saw cart from a single sheet of plywood! Has folding wings to stow away in tight spaces.
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About Project
Author Notes:
Hi everyone! Great news - we were able to set all the trusses last night! Thank you for all the well wishes, everything went well! I will share all the details with you in a Momplex post tomorrow.
Today I am pretty excited to share this new project plan with you!
Remember when Gina built this cedar shed to store her tools and work from?
Well, this gives her about 18 square feet to store all of her tools and work from. We thought the best way to use this space for storing a mitersaw would be with a cart with extending leaves.
So together we came up with this plan, and this is what Gina made.
We took extra measures to get it all in a single sheet of plywood to save us all money building.
Here's from Gina:
This was a super super quick build. I had the base built in under an hour, and got all the hardware attached the next day while dinner was cooking. I definitely included the use of pocket hole screws in the shelves for added stability, and really recommend that they're used consistently. The caster wheels I used are from Harbor Freight (I got 3 without breaks, and one with a break that is at the front right corner of the table) found here and here. They work fine. They're not bad, but you might have to swivel the cart for a sec to get it to go in the direction you want. No big deal.
The support hinges (mentioned in the shopping list) are amazing.
Thank you Gina! Gina has also kindly put together a longer post with more details right here, so make sure you check it out for lots more tips and photos.
NOTE: The hinges used in this plan have not been tested for weight limits and are designed to be used to support boards being cut. Use and build at your own risk.
Dimensions
Dimensions:
Dimensions:
Dimensions are shown above. Materials and Tools
Shopping List:
1 – sheet 3/4" plywood cut in half lengthwise into 24” x 96” strips.
1 – 2x2 @ 8 feet long
1 – 1x3 @ 12 feet long – or 2 8 footers
4 – plate mount caster wheels with locking brakes
2 – shelf hinge supports http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2001690/3177/12-shelf-width.aspx
2 inch screws
1 1/4 inch pocket hole screws
wood glue
wood filler
Tools:
measuring tape
square
pencil
safety glasses
hearing protection
drill
circular saw
countersink drill bit
Cut List
Cut List:
2 – 3/4” plywood @ 24” x 36” (sides)
2 – 3/4” plywood @ 24” x 30” (shelves)
2 – 3/4" plywood @ 24” x 29 3/4" (leaves)
4 – 2x2 @ 24” (cleats)
4 – 1x3 @ 31 1/2" (supports)
Cutting Instructions:
Cut plywood into two strips 24" wide x 8 feet long. From these strips, cut one each 36", 30" and then the remainder for leaves to get all cuts from a single sheet of plywood.
General Instructions
Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold. Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good luck!
Step 1
It is very important to place the cleat the distance down from the top of plywood edge equal to your saw deck height. Measure carefully.
Step 2
I'd also recommend attaching the shelves with 3/4" pocket holes and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws and glue, or brackets just to provide a little extra support.
NOTE: You can add extra shelves as well.
Step 3
These will reinforce the joint. Another idea is to add more lower down, like a crate, and you could use the bottom shelf for scrap wood storage. Note that the bottom trim is mounted flush to bottom.
Step 4
Mount your caster wheels to the bottom.
Step 5
And then simply follow instructions to add the leaves to the sides with the hinges shelf supports. Take care to make sure the overall height of the leaf tops are flush with your saw deck.
Some ideas - add 2x2 with a appropriately trimmed yard stick on top as a quick measure fence for your miter saw to the tops of the leaves.
Step 6
Finishing Instructions
Preparation Instructions:
Fill all holes with wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed. When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces as well. Wipe project clean with damp cloth.
It is always recommended to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure color evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.
May I Suggest a Finish?
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Send by emailI think I would add two 2x2s
I think I would add two 2x2s under each wing running outwards where the hinge supports attach. Otherwise, with time, gravity is going to bow those wings downwards. The 2x2 fences will help this as well.
clips
Awesome Cart
As I posted on your blog, everyone needs something like this.
posted by claydowling | on Wed, 2012-04-11 17:16
clips
I am making this as soon as I
I am making this as soon as I can get to the lumber store. It looks so easy and very functional. Thanks for another great plan!
clips
Just what I was looking for
Thank you this looks like just what i need for my saw. have small shop so this is perfect
You Ladies Rock!
Building this shed as a first thing is good thinking. The rest will be here soon, hopefully.
posted by Daly @ NaturalPuppyFood (not verified) | on Thu, 2012-04-12 11:27
Yes!
This makes me so unbelievably happy! I can't event tell you how much I need a set up like this. I will be rushing out to pick up up the necessities to make this come together. THANK YOU so much for another great idea!
clips
Amazing
I took a wood working class and he had all the tools in the shop set up so they were sunk into the nice long tables surrounding so that there were no problems cutting big 8 feet pieces of wood. This solves the need for small space building but WAY better cutting technique. AWESOME!
posted by redhead_61 | on Thu, 2012-04-12 18:46
Just bought a miter saw last week
And was trying to figure out how to maximize my space (10x12 approx) room in basement for those long winter months. This will be great! I can have it set up by the wall, think workbench, but still be able to easily move the saw forwards when cutting longer lumber [so it can stick out the doorway]. Anyways... makes sense in my head :) Thanks Ana. LOOOOVE your site! Milca
OMG Thank you so much for
OMG Thank you so much for posting this. My husband and I were looking at buying a miter saw last weekend, but didn't have anything to put it on so decided to hold off. This will be perfect!!
clips
What a great cart!
I am so excited to begin building this cart! Great job on the plans, Ana, and wonderful build, Gina. I do have a question regarding the placement of the shelf for the saw. If I place the cleat exactly the same distance from the top of the plywood as the height of the deck, and then attach the shelf to the cleats, won't that raise the deck 3/4" above the height of the wings? OR does this have something to do with the placement of the folding shelf brackets? I am not good at figuring this stuff out, so would appreciate your explanation. Thank you.
clips
Shelf placement
Hi Linda, that was my question initially! It works out that the brackets bring the shelf up 3/4" above the sides, so it evens out!
Gina - Lady Goats
DIY Blogger (when I'm not procrastinating)
http://www.ladygoats.com
posted by Lady Goats | on Thu, 2012-04-19 22:52
Hinges
Hi, great job with this. Planning on building this for my shop now. Do you know if the shelf hinges come in pairs? Is that why you put two for the quantity needed?
Yes they are in pairs.
They do come in pairs. The same supplier is also having a special on casters, FYI if you choose to get it all from one source.
Does anyone know of a way to
Does anyone know of a way to reduce the price of building this? The hinges are $32 for the set of four, and my budget is like $30 total :/ Is there some other way to make the shelf supports? Regular hinges and some kind of wood brace, maybe? I really really want this to be my first *real* project because it is a step towards all of my other projects going smoothly...
Well, you could possibly make
Well, you could possibly make some stops out of 2x2 that run from the front of the wings to the back, then hinge another piece made out of 2x4 with both ends mitered that you manually raise to brace the wings... One side against the wall of the base, the other against the side of the stop.
Let me know if you need a sketch...
clips
Reducing the $ of building the miter saw cart
Scroll sown to "build the flip-up assembly table" on this site http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Woodworking/Workbenches/modul... - gives a cheap way of accomplishing the flip-up aspect. It's a little inconvenient having to store/find the boards to hold the leaves up, but if you can manage, it'll save the $$ of the hinges!
Gina - Lady Goats
DIY Blogger (when I'm not procrastinating)
http://www.ladygoats.com
posted by Lady Goats | on Wed, 2012-05-16 15:23
clips
Support without expensive hinges
This is a prime opportunity to pull out some tricks from the world of drop leaf tables. My personal favorite, for ease of construction, is a pair of sliding bars under the leaves that slip into the table when they aren't needed.
The other cool trick was used by somebody here to put leaves on the farmhouse table. There were bars attached to the underside of the leaf that slid into sockets in the table.
posted by claydowling | on Wed, 2012-05-16 21:39
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I love the idea of the
I love the idea of the supports sliding under the saw when the leaf isn't being used. Now if I can pull that off in the building :)
<>< Tamara :0)
Philippians 4:6
posted by exuma_momma | on Fri, 2013-05-17 12:51
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A small update about the miter saw cart
Hi everyone! A few days ago, one of the leaves fell off of my miter saw cart as I was lifting it to do a project. It just pulled right off of the screws, and landed uncomfortably close to the big kid, who was painting some scrap wood nearby. Freaked. Me. Out!
My initial thought was that the leaf was too heavy for the screws that came with the hinges (they state that they can hold up to "x" amt of weight, but that's when they're upright... It didn't say anything about how much weight the poor little screws can hold when it's dropped down!). So I took a smaller ply scrap that I had and screwed it on. It wasn't very pretty, but it was workin' so far....
Fortunately for me, a friend was asking about the leaf size the next day (what're the odds? She had the leaf cut a little too short and wondered if that'd be ok!), and I told her what happened. She then went and asked around for advice, and it seemed like all of the suggestions were to add another support that folds out under the leaf when it's lifted (which just didn't seem to make sense to me.. the hinges hold the weight, and that doesn't affect the screws)... Blah blah blah, back to the story!
The screws pulled out of the leaf, but were still strong on the cart itself, so I put 3/4" anchors (the kind that you use in drywall - but the ones I have I got from walmart and they said they work in drywall, stucco and wood, so I'd just look for ones that work for wood) into the holes in the leaf, and screwed the leaf back onto the hinge.
I spent about an hour lifting and dropping the leaf (making sure to engage/disengage the hinge each time), and have been using my saw regularly in the past couple days, and I'm not seeing any sign of the screws loosening. I'll definitely keep you posted if there's a change!
Gina - Lady Goats
DIY Blogger (when I'm not procrastinating)
http://www.ladygoats.com
posted by Lady Goats | on Tue, 2012-05-22 22:45
Gonna build, but a little different...
Thanx for the plan! I'm gonna build, but with a removable saw shelf that has 2 heights...one for the miter saw, and once for my table saw. I'll post pics when I'm done.
Mitre Saw Cart!
Thanks for the plans and these comments! I made the cart this afternoon out of an old Ikea cabinet that was junk from a friend's kitchen reno, and some building material scraps. I had to make the wing "locks" out of 2x2's bc i live out in the country and didnt want to make a special drive past out nuts-and-bolts hardware store. Total investment- $15!
The best part- now I can roll the mitre saw outside when I do projects, and keep the garage from getting so dusty!
Built it!
It was super-easy to build this. My tips are:
-- buy locking caster wheels. That really should have been obvious, but wasn't to me.
-- don't forget to acquire fasteners for the support pieces. I used nails left over from previous projects
-- do only one folding shelf if you need to reduce costs (or if you forgot to buy two PAIRS of brackets)
-- a long clamp will serve you well when you're screwing it together. Otherwise, you may need another set of hands to get everything square.
posted by coasterbrake | on Thu, 2013-04-04 11:14
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