Work or garden cart!!
For months I have wanted to build a "work cart"...or for some it would make a perfect garden or deck cart. I have the plans drawn up and a material list made...I even bookmarked this site, "Between Naps on the Porch." Fantastic step-by-step tutorial on how to build a garden cart. Susan did a beautiful job and this cedar cart would be perfect for a deck or even inside the house! I love the large metal casters and the color of the cedar!!! (Check out her site...awesomeness!)
As beautiful as this is, I just wanted something I could put my chop saw and work tools on and easily roll in and out of the garage! I bought a little grill cart that had been converted into a work cart...it was just the right size for my large chop saw, but it only had two wheels on one side so it was a little difficult to move around and it didn't have a very big bottom shelf. I really wanted something with casters and a shelf for the nail guns and skill saw!
You can kind of see it in this picture, behind the fold down work table I featured here....
Fortunately I found the exact thing I needed at an auction Saturday.
Okay, so it isn't exactly what I wanted. Aside from the fact that it was pretty filthy, I wasn't real keen on the MDF top shelf or the old sign that was used for the bottom shelf. It was constructed out of 1x3 and 2x2 and the casters aren't the really nifty metal ones, but it was sturdy enough for what I wanted to use it for and it moved easily on the four casters. It just needed a few simple modifications.
The first thing I did was remove the top shelf and the bottom shelf material. No biggy, except for the fact that it was put on with NAILS!!! I build everything with screws. First, it is easier to "deconstruct" if needed and second if you make a mistake it is easier to back out a screw than it is to dig out a nail!
After removing the top and bottom "shelf," I chalk painted the frame and distressed it. Not that I really care what it looks like but nobody wants "ick," even in their garage! I had a little bit of off white chalk paint leftover from a project so I slapped it on there!
I added a few additional "supports" between the top and bottom frames just to make it a little sturdier, then I covered the top and bottom with 1x6 treated wood. I cut the top pieces to run the width of the cart and the bottom shelf pieces were cut to run the depth of the cart.
I even applied one of my metal yard sticks across the front like I had on my other cart! It's really handy when you need to quickly measure something!
There is plenty of room on the bottom to store my nail guns and skill and jig saw! And eventually I will add some hooks on the side for a few tools I need handy all the time, like pliers and hammers! And I may even add an electric outlet and extension cord...kind of like the old Cosco carts!
Treated wood needs to "cure" a bit before you seal or stain it. While some manufacturers say you can seal treated lumber right away, I personally don't buy it. And my personal experience tells me otherwise! So I will wait 6 months or so before I apply a sealer...maybe even a pretty stain. Who knows, by then I may be ready for something different!
For now this works perfectly and cost me a fraction of building a new one from scratch!
