Simple Tool Cart & Assembly Table

I had a lot of tools that came in various plastic cases, all odd shapes, so I decided to make this cart to hold the tools and the plastic boxes were recycled, except for the Makita drill box, that is useful. The design is open frame, no sides or back on this. The frame is hardwood (rubberwood) and the drawers are pine with plywood bottoms.

I had no plans when I built this, just simply built it and figured things out as I went. So I am writing this so you can reproduce this if you like with a more reasonable approach. I made this several years ago and it showed up in a photo of another project I posted and a person asked about this cart, today I pulled all the drawers out and took measurements and presenting here. If something is not clear, please ask and I will reply. I took all the photos while building this.

The wood used was ordered was dimensioned and sanded, as I did not have a table saw or miter saw, and I simply had to cut to lengths with a jigsaw. Pocket screws are used throughout this build as well as stainless steel brackets. Dimensions are mostly given in metric.

All the wood is 2cm (3/4") thick, if you make changes to the thickness of wood you are using then you have to check your measurements carefully, especially with the drawers.

When gluing, it goes without saying, have a damp cloth or sponge on hand to remove excess glue from joints.

Frame stock is all 2x6cm, or about 3/4"x2 3/8" (I used hardwood, it is common here but you could certainly make this out of pine).

Bottom and Top frames:

8 pieces each 44cm long.

Uprights:

6 pieces each 81cm long.

Clamp Holder:

1 piece 56cm long.

Tops (hardwood, I used rubberwood) are 2cm thick x 60x50cm and folding section is 60x31cm.

Lower 4 Drawers (pine): stock is 2x14.60cm

8 pieces, fronts and backs are each 37.5cm long.

8 pieces, sides are each 50.50cm long.

Top Drawer (pine): stock is 2x10.5cm, Step 6 will determine the exact width of this stock.

2 pieces each 37.5cm long.

2 pieces each 50.50cm long.

Drawer Bottoms (rubberwood plywood): 14mm (9/16") thick.

5 pieces each 37.50x54.50cm.

Hardware:

1 1/4" pocket screws as needed and wood pocket screw hole plugs.

stainless steel corner brackets (4x4x1.5cm), lots of them, with appropriate screws.

12 stainless steel L brackets (8x8x1.5cm) with appropriate screws.

5 pairs of 22" standard drawer slides with appropriate screws, I used Hafele brand.

1 pair of folding shelf brackets, 12", I used machine screws and washer head screws for attaching.

4 lockable casters, I used 2" casters and screws.

5 knobs or drawer pulls of your choice, plus screws.

Tools Used:

Combination square.

36" Steel rule.

Jig saw (feel free to use a miter saw and or a table as needed, it would make for much more accurate cuts).

Sander, with 80, 120, and 240 grit paper.

Corded drill for use of the pocket hole drill bit.

Cordless drill or screwdriver handle with PH2 bit for setting screws.

Pocket screw jig and bit.

Appropriate screw driver bit for pocket screws, Robertson or Torx, (Philips head pocket screws are not recommended).

Wood glue.

Bar clamps as needed, two 36" and eight 6" is perfect (can never have enough clamps).

Corner clamps, I used 8.

Pocket hole clamps, I used 2.

Corner braces, I used 2.

Polyurethane or finish of your choice, (I used a glossy finish water based polyurethane) and brushes as needed.

For the top and bottom frames, you need 8 pieces of stock cut to 44cm long, corner clamps, 36" bar clamps, 6" bar clamps, wood glue and some brackets.

Layout 4 pieces of stock like a rail and stile frame (rails go in between stiles) so that it measures 44cm on the outside of one side and 56cm on the outside of the longer side. Mark with a pencil the joints so they go back into the right places.

Position 2 pieces (the stiles) on the long bar clamps, apply glue and spread evenly to each end of a rail and position that in between the stiles as shown in photo 3, repeat for the other rail. Attach the corner clamps, turn the frame over and back onto the bar clamps. Tighten the bar clamps a little and check the frame is square using a square or corner brace, if square, tighten up the bar clamps, check for square again. You can leave the corner clamps on if you wish. Remove excess glue with a damp sponge. Use smaller clamps and clamp the joints if you have some uneven joints. Repeat with the second frame. I leave to dry overnight.

Once glue has dried, remove the clamps. First thing to do is install corner brackets with screws in each inside corner, as shown in photo 4, do this for each frame.

Now you can sand the frames with 120 grit paper. Mark one 44cm wide side as Front Bottom, that is now our reference.

Then we attach some L brackets. As shown in photo 5, I did clamp a block, same stock thickness to the corners (keep this photo in mind, where that block is is the side where the uprights go), place a L bracket on the frame, next to the clamped block and 3cm from the outside edge, center drilled each bracket and attached the bracket with screws, repeat for each corner. Only do this on one side of each frame. One frame will have L brackets facing up for the cart bottom, and the other will have the L brackets facing down for the top frame. Photo 6 shows a completed frame.

For these steps you will need a drill, pocket screw jig and bit, pocket hole screws, plugs, clamps, pocket hole clamps, corner clamps, corner braces, and corner brackets.

Get 6 pieces of stock cut to 81cm long, then you will need to drill 2 pocket holes in each end on one side only.

Clamp the bottom frame to a work surface, I use a portable folding bench for this, you want the Front Bottom side (44cm wide) sticking out from the work surface. Photo 1 shows two corner braces (orange), clamp those to the frame first, using a block to line them up with the outside edge.

Now take an upright, apply glue and spread evenly on just one end of the piece, put the glued side down onto the frame and clamp with pocket hole clamp, then square the upright to the orange corner brace and clamp that, insert a pocket hole screw, move the pocket hole clamp to the hole you just screwed, and insert the other pocket hole screw. Repeat with the upright on the other corner.

Now remove the orange corner braces one at a time, placing a corner clamp on the corner after removing the brace.

Install the uprights on the Back of the frame now, keeping the uprights aligned exactly like the front uprights. The wide surface of the uprights is where we are going to attach the drawer rails later on. When you get done, the bottom frame will have 4 uprights in place with pocket screws and corner clamps. Carefully lift that off the work surface and place on the floor.

Place the top frame on the work surface and clamp in place, position the orange braces and clamp in place. Lightly mark the areas where the uprights go, apply glue and spread out evenly. Take the frame you set on the floor, use another person to help you, and carefully turn that over and set on top of the top frame on the work surface.

Align an upright to the frame, clamp in place with a pocket hole clamp, clamp to the orange brace and insert a pocket hole screw, repeat the process for moving the clamps and inserting screws until all pocket hole screws are inserted. Photo 2 shows the frame nearly completed.

Just like the top and bottom frames, we are going to install corner brackets for strength and stability. Starting with the uprights on the back of the cart, attach a corner bracket as shown in photo 3, attach those at the top and bottom of the uprights in the back of the cart only.

For the Front of the cart, attach corner brackets only on the narrow edges of the uprights, on the top and bottom of the uprights. Now on the very front face of the frame on the front of the cart, install the L brackets, as shown in photo 4.

Last two uprights to install, these will depend on your drawer slides and placement is dependent on the screw hole place in the rails. Just place a rail on the bottom frame, flush with the Front of the cart, place an upright next to the cart and see where the screw holes line up, mark where you want the rail mounted, measure and mark the top and bottom of the location of the uprights. Clamp a block to hold the upright flush on the side and use glue and pocket screws as described. Repeat for the other side. Now your frame is complete.

Plug the pocket screw holes, apply glue to the hole, I use cotton swabs for this, then insert a plug, allow to dry. If using plastic plugs, wait until the sanding is complete before using those.

Sanding. If using wood plugs, you can cut them off with a zero kerf saw or just sand them. Photo 5 shows a corner of the sanded bottom frame and an upright with sanded plugs.

This was last minute when I decided to add this, since the right side of the cart was unused, why not hang some clamps on it.

I simply cut a piece of stock 56 cm long, cut 8 slots for my 6" bar clamps, drilled holes for 2 pocket screw clamps, and cut 2 square holes to hold the braces (the braces (orange) were used to hold the holder in place when I glued it). I sanded the piece before attaching.

Now since the cart top is going to overhang the clamp holder, I positioned it low enough to insert and remove the braces. Mark your lines where the holder goes, add glue and spread out evenly, and clamp the holder in place on each upright, allow to dry.

Once it was dry, I simply attached a corner bracket under the holder at each upright.

At this point, you can apply the finish of your choice, my choice was water based polyurethane. I apply 1 coat, allow that to dry, then do a light sanding with 240 grit paper, remove all the dust, then simply apply 2 more coats, allowing time for drying in between coats.

Now install the casters on the bottom.

And install the bottom rails, rails and slides are side specific and marked normally as left and right. Keep in mind that this type of drawer rail is angled downward at the back end of the rail, so keep the rails level to the bottom of the frame. Keep the front of the rails flush with the front of the cart, screw them to the 3 uprights on each side.

Photo 2 shows the completed frame.

This is the steps for the bottom 4 drawers, take your time with the first one and you will get better as you make more.

These are basic drawers and very easy to build, basically a frame set over a bottom, no rabbets needed as the bottom is not recessed into the drawer frame. The reason I chose this method is the drawer slides fully support the drawer from the bottom plywood.

The frame will be pocket screwed together. The bottom is glued and a few screws added after the glue dried.

Cut the stock to length for the sides and front and backs of each drawer, keeping in mind, different stock used with the top drawer.

Photo 1 shows the pieces on the plywood bottom, and I was checking square across the corners. After this I drilled the pocket screw holes. Photo 3 will show the spacing of the holes on each end, which was just clamp the jig flush with one side of the board, drill the holes, reposition the jig to the other side, clamp, and drill. Holes are only drilled on the side boards, NOT the fronts or backs.

No photos of the assembly of a drawer but here are the steps, very easy, photo 3 gives you a very good idea as to how these are assembled. Start with the front board, pick the best side and lay that side down on a work surface, lightly clamp a corner brace on each side of the front board at one end, you are going to use those to keep the side board vertical. Position a side board on top of the front board, flush with the edge, now you can tap the board or the braces to adjust the side board exactly flush. Now take that side board, apply glue to just one end, spread evenly, place glued edge down onto the front and hold in position with 2 pocket hole clamps then clamp to the upper part of the brace, insert the pocket hole screws. Remove the braces and clamps and add some corner clamps.

Repeat with the other end of the front board, installing another side board. Now you have the drawer front and 2 sides sticking up. Go ahead and pick that up and turn it over so the front board is on the top and it is standing on the side boards.

Now take the back board, pick the best side and lay that side down on the work surface. For this step, you are going to glue both sides at the same time. If you have 4 corner braces, great, use all of them, if like me and you have just 2, then use 1 on each end of the back board, and use a piece of scrap stock as the second one. Position the corner braces, then pick up the the piece you just assembled, and place onto the back board, adjust the clamps to keep the sides flush with each end of the back board. Turn the assembled piece over, apply glue to the ends of the sides, spread evenly, turn the piece over and set back on the back board. Use clamps to hold vertical and pocket hole clamps to hold the pieces together. Insert the pocket hole screws. Use a steel rule or tape measure and measure across the corners to check for square. Add corner clamps to make any adjustments. Allow to dry overnight.

Glue in the hole plugs, I like to place a corner brace on them and clamp them, as shown in photo 2. Allow to dry overnight.

The bottom panel is just plywood cut to the outside dimensions of the drawer frame, which should be 37.50x54.50cm. After you have a bottom cut, fitted and checked for flush on all sides, apply glue to the edge of the frame, all the way around, place the bottom on the frame and clamp on each end, then you can turn the drawer over, as shown in photo 3, so you can remove any excess glue on the inside of the drawer, then turn it over again and add clamps as needed to secure the bottom in place evenly all the way around. Feel free to add a few screws now you can wait until the glue is dry. The screws are not really needed. Allow to dry overnight.

Next day, use a zero kerf saw and remove the excess plug material, or just sand them off. Now sand the drawer with 120 grit paper.

Repeat the steps 3 more times to make the 4 bottom drawers.

Apply finish of your choice.

This step will install the drawer rails on the frame. The rails are mounted in the frame, and the slides are attached to the drawers, you have to angle the front of the drawer up in order to get the slides in the rails, and when it is inserted, it cannot be pulled straight out. These are the basic drawer slides that are common and quite durable for this purpose.

Setting up the spacing on the drawers took some time, basically, you need to have at least two lower drawers built to determine the rail spacing.

The two bottom rails were added in a previous step.

Easiest way to explain this, pick the frame up and set it on your workbench (less bending down later on).

Attach the two drawer slides to a drawer with the screws on the bottom of the slides, keeping in mind left and right sides. Turn the drawer over and insert it into the rails on the frame, push into the closed position and the drawer front should be flush with the front of the frame. At this point, feel free to a knob or drawer pull on the front of the drawer.

With the drawer in the closed position, use a pencil and mark the top of the drawer on the frame uprights. Remove the drawer and place the frame on its side on the workbench.

At each pencil mark you made, add 1cm above that. Now measure from the bottom frame to the newest mark, measure that on the front two uprights, the measurements should be the same (this is your front spacing measurement). Now measure from the bottom frame to the new mark on the uprights at the back, they should be the same (this is your back spacing measurement), and may be slightly less than the measurements at the front uprights, that is due to the downward angle of the rails at the back. Yes, you have to turn the frame from one side to another to do all these measurements and rail installs.

If the measurements in the front are the same, and the measurements in the back are same, go ahead and mount the next set of rails, with the bottom edge of the rail set right at the newest marks you made. Stand the frame back upright, place the first drawer in the lowest slides.

Attach the slides to the other drawers, exactly like you did the first, insert a drawer into the next set of rails. You should now have a 1cm space on all sides between the first and second drawers.

If the spacing is ok, remove both drawers. Lay the frame on its side, and using the front and back spacing, measure and place marks for 3 more sets of rails. Install the rails.

Stand the cart up and now place back on the floor. Insert the lowest drawer, then another one above that, then insert the other drawer above that, the spacing should be the same between the drawers. Insert the 4th drawer, the spacing should be the same, and the space between the top drawer to the top frame should be the same all the way around.

Photo shows the installed rails and 2 drawers (I know the photo has the top installed, that is going to happen in Step 7) but was the best photo showing the rails.

Now place a slide in place on the top rail, measure between the drawer rests and the bottom of the top frame, reduce that measurement by 1 cm, and that is the width of the top drawer stock you need. The lengths of the sides and front and back are just like the first 4 drawers.

Assembling the top drawer exactly how you did the first 4 drawers, except you are using narrower stock and just 2 or 3 pocket screws are needed on the joints.

Now, since the drawer has to be raised in order to get the drawer slides into the rails, we are going to trim up the back end of the drawer. You can do this before you assemble the drawer frame, or after.

As shown in photo 1, the back of the drawer is ripped down by 1cm, and the sides in the back of the frame are cut down by 1cm, that side measurement is 12cm from the outside back board.

Attach the plywood bottom exactly as you did before, plug the holes, sand, and finish like you did for the other drawers.

Attach the slides and insert the drawer into the top most rails.

I used a rubberwood (hardwood) laminated sheet, if you are in the US, probably the easiest would be to use a good quality 3/4" sheet of plywood.

You need 1 piece 60x50cm for the top, and 1 piece 60x31cm for the folding part. (I used a 60x81 sheet and simply cut that with a jig saw).

Sand all sides of each piece and you want the best square sides to meet at the folding part.

To attach the top, very easy, we are going to use glue and some screws from the underside, and some corner brackets visible from the outside, I have no photos of that process but photo 1 shows the screw pattern from the underside for the most part.

Remove all the drawers and set aside somewhere out of the way.

Since the frame is finished, you need to sand the top of the frame to remove the finish you applied. Clean off all the dust from the entire frame.

On the left side of the top frame, measure in from the side 5mm and put a mark at the front and back on that top frame. You will align the top to this. Photo 2 (and the frame is on its side at this time for another reason) but it shows the front mark and the reason for this is to make an edge for the folding top to set on when it is raised.

With the frame siting upright, add a line of glue in the center of the frame, all the way around. Place the top on the frame, the shorter side to the front, aligning the left edge on the marks you made and the back flush with the back frame, clamp in place, from underneath the top frame, set 3 screws along the front of the frame, then set a screw in the middle of the frame between the front and back on each side, then set 3 screws on the back of the frame, so 8 screws in total. If there is any excess glue, go ahead and wide that away. Now place 3 corner brackets and attach them with screws as shown in photo 3. Let the glue dry.

Photo 1 again, extend the folding hinges to fully open them, place on the middle of the left front upright and the middle of the back upright, use clamps to hold them in place. Place the folding shelf piece in place, on the edge you made on the left side. Adjust the position of the folding hinges to keep the folding shelf perfectly in place, then clamp the shelf to the hinge, as shown in photo 4. Attach the folding shelf to the hinge with washer head screws.

Center drill the holes on folding bracket part on the uprights, I used machine screws with washers and nuts to attach these through the uprights for added strength, or you can just use washer head screws.

Apply the finish of your choice to the folding shelf and the top.

The cart is functional in regards of holding tools as well as providing a work surface to assemble smaller projects. The folding side allows me to park it in my workshop in a smaller space. This has been a great addition to my workshop.