Sheet Goods Cart

Wes Bischel

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I'm finally getting back on track and one of the first projects I need to tackle is a sheet goods cart for the basement. I need something that can roll out of the way so we can get to the shelves behind the stock. This cart is for stock that has been ripped to size for a project (to acclimate), or for smaller "on hand" stock. I really can't maneuver 4'x8' sheets around the basement, so everything is cut down outside. 4'x4' (or the occasional 5'x5') will be the maximum size for the cart.

Anyhow, I did some homework and came up with this design by modifying some larger units. It's a 2'x4' footprint with 4'x4' central spine to lean the sheets against.
Lumber Cart assembled.jpg
The base is a torsion box made with 3/4" ply both sides and 2"x4" stock for the frame.
Lumber Cart frame.jpg

I am planning on building the spine in a similar fashion – torsion box style with the ends dropping down to the bottom edge of the base. I think it will be stout enough to hold the weight.
Lumber Cart spine framing.jpg

So far I’ve built the torsion box and sanded it flush.
Lumber Cart torsion box.jpg
Torsion Box Structure.jpg
Torsion Box Belt Sanded.jpg
Next on deck is casters and sides. Then I’ll need to get on the spine!

Wes
 
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wes, the most important thing about your cart, is the quality of the caster.
youre design is great, the secret to great mobility of carts and alike are the quality, size and material of the castor.
I built a 7 foot cart but failed to realize the quality of castor makes or breaks it.
choose the castor also on factors like if you need it to roll easily over small obstacles like extension cords, small scraps, uneven floor or cracks.
 
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This is the only photo that I have of my full sized cart that shows it loaded, sheet goods on the left, cutoffs on the right and lumber down the middle. I used 3” red rubber casters from Woodcraft and they haven’t failed me yet. It is a swing out “wall” that separates my “shop” from my wife’s half of the garage where she parks her car. When she goes to work, I swing it out and, presto, I have a larger “shop”. The wheels roll over an expansion seam every time I move it. No problems.

28Apr09woodcart.jpg
 
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Finally! I grabbed a bit of time and got the casters mounted on the base.
sheet goods cart casters.jpg (Kinda reminds me of a turtle on it's back.)

For stability I mounted them as far outboard in the 2' direction as I could. They are attached with 3" lag bolts. I thought my arm was going to fall off after putting the first caster on. Then I got smart and chucked up one of those little socket adapters for my drill. Started them by hand and finished by hand so I didn't strip the hole. I had added the extra framing in the corners to accept the bolts and to spread the load. Maybe overkill, but I don't want to redo this if I don't have to.
sheet goods cart casters upright.jpg
You'll note the close quarters in the pictures. Part of the reason is the stack of ply and MDF stacked against the shelves. They take up a lot of room and block the shelves - so stuff doesn't get put back.:eek:

Allen, I hear you on the size of the casters. These are 2" wide and 6" diameter with zerk fittings on the hub and swivel. I picked them up at our local Habitat Restore. They look like they'll do the job - famous last words.:D
caster.jpg

Chuck, that looks like it would hold my whole shop, let alone my lumber! Smart thinking using the other parking space as swing space.:thumb:

I'm hoping to get the spine attached sometime this week so I can load it up.:rolleyes:
Wes
 
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Amazing! I was able to get the sides and rails for the spine cut today!:thumb:

I used my EZ Smart rail outside since I can't do much in the shop due to the clutter.:( The EZ Smart really shines doing these angled cuts - no jig set-ups for the table saw needed.

spine side cut layout.jpg
Spine side cut.jpg

I even impressed myself with the accuracy of the cuts.

Spine sides top edge.jpg

I also cut the framing members. I eyeballed the angles - they were pretty close. I did cut the first top rail too narrow, so it will get used for one of the cleats at the bottom. They'll need a few swipes with a plane to clean up the bit the saw couldn't cut. (about a 1/16" too deep for the saw)

Top rail cuts.jpg

Next, a few more cuts and assembly.
Wes
 
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Wes, That looks like it will get the job done.
Chuck, why is you wife parking in the garage..LOML let me take over all three bays of my 3 car garage and park out side. Now I got it filled with work..:thumb:
I picked up another antique to repair, refish and re-kane the seat.
 
Well, I finally got this thing done - almost. I took a hiatus for vacation and to get a few other things done. Stole a few hours the past few nights and got the "spine" done. Hand screws came in very handy to align everything.:thumb:
sheet goods cart upright installation.jpg
Above shows the upright with the hand screws used as a ledge for alignment.
The top rail and cleats were made from scrap 2x - and I was reminded why it was scrap. A wee bit of warp and twist - again, a few hand screws came to the rescue and clamped the 2x4 into submission.:thumb::thumb:
sheet goods cart twisted lumber.jpg
sheet goods cart cross bar and uprights.jpg
I added chains to make sure the sheets don't flop off. Since I'm not the only one moving this thing, I figure better safe than sorry. A little extra chain and a carbiner make for easy adjustment and allows me to get it out of the way during loading/unloading.
sheet goods cart chains.jpg
So, here it is, half full of MDF. particle board, and a few assorted pieces of hardboard. The other side is going to be for all the stuff cluttering up the shop. and if it doesn't fit - it goes!:thumb: So far it's easy to maneuver in these tight quarters - Allen's advice on casters is spot on! Only thing left are a few handles on the ends. I'll head over to our Habitat Restore to see if they've got any before shelling out full price at the borgs.
sheet goods cart finished.jpg
sheet goods cart finished and loaded.jpg
Now, on to the next project!!:rolleyes:
Wes
 
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