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Carba-Tec Brisbane
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Focus Project: Workshop Trolley
Workshop Trolley Project
A friend made me a pair of these trolleys years ago when I moved into a new workshop.
I was very focused on getting my commissions finished and I wasn't very good at
taking time out to make workshop accessories. I have since learned that every
hour you spend setting up your workshop properly is well rewarded in the future.
These trolleys saved me a lot of timber handling, particularly when dressing large
quantities of material with the thicknesser. If you have two, you use one on the
infeed side and one on the outfeed side and when all the timber has gone through
on one setting, swap the full one for the empty one and off you go again on the
next setting with very little lifting involved. I also use them constantly as
glue-up and layout tables.
Construction
This is a tried and true method of table construction. It can be used to make
just about anything from a dining to a coffee table and it also makes a good
beginners construction project. Having restored many old tables, I always prefer
mortise and tenon joinery. These are joints that stand the test of time. Even
after the glue fails the structure still holds together. Alternatively, you
can use dowels, a loose tenon system such as the Festo
Domino or Beadlock or the Kreg joinery system to join the rails to the legs.
Cutting List
I have gone quite heavy with my leg material because I want the
trolley to be very strong and able to handle heavy loads. Because of the
wide rails, I have chosen 8mm twin tenons cut on a Leigh
FMT Super Jig. This gives me maximum glue surface area. All the material
was purchased already dressed from my local hardware store.
LEG MATERIAL
- 4 x 65 x 65 x 740
- RAILS ( allow for length of tenons 30mm each end)
- 2 x 450 x 140 x 19
- 2 x 550 x 140 x 19
- TOP 19mm plywood (exterior)
- 600 x 700
CASTORS
4 x Kreg
Heavy duty castors. They feature a dual locking mechanism that won't
roll or pivot.
Item No. KR-PRS3090
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| Step 1:
Cut all your material to size. Take care to ensure your cuts are
square. Mark out the face edges and tops on you rails and which sides your
mortises will be on the legs. |
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Step 2:
Cut the mortises and tenons. I have chosen a tenon width of 8mm
and a depth of 30mm cut with a Leigh HSS upcut spiral bit used in conjunction
with the Super FMT ( Frame Mortise and Tenon) Jig and a plunge router.
I have found the
Leigh Super FMT very simple and effective to use. A plunge router
is fitted to the top plate of the jig.
If you don't have access to a jig or machinery, you can cut your tenons
using a handsaw and your mortises with a chisel and/or a drill. The key
is in accurate marking out, they don't have to look pretty, but they do
have to line up properly and fit well. A tenon should be a firm press
fit, too tight it may split the joint. But if you turn it upside down,
it shouldn't fall out.
Carba-Tec stock many books on joinery that take you through step by step
procedures to cutting joints by hand. The New Best of Fine Woodworking
from Taunton Press and Woodworking
Basics by Peter Korn cover several methods of cutting mortise
and tenons and I highly recommend them. They can be viewed in our book
section. |
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Step 3:
Once all the joints are cut, dry assemble the base to check that
all the components fit.
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Step 4:
I have used the Mini
Kreg Pocket Hole Jig to drill the pocket holes in the rails to hold
the top on. This is easier to do before assembly. I use 1" Kreg screws
to hold the top down.
Alternatively, you can screw through the top into the base if you are
happy for the screws to be seen. If not, table clips or shop made blocks
are an effective way of holding a table top on. If you choose this method,
run a groove to anchor them from 6-8mm wide along the inside top of the
rails using a router or a tablesaw. |
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| Step 5:
Using a 12mm forstner-style bit drill the holes for the castors.
This is also easier to do before assembly as you can lock individual legs
into your vise. |
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| Step 6: Glue
and clamp the short sides together and leave overnight. I always like to
glue two sides at a time so they are completely dry before gluing and clamping
the remaining two sides. This eliminates the juggling with clamps and the
bad temper that can accompany glue-ups. I have chosen Titebond
III for its strength and its ability to also be used outdoors. These
trolleys are designed to be workhorses that can be used in any environment. |
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| Step 7:
When the first two sides are completely dry, glue the remaining sides.
Take care to remove the excess glue with a damp cloth when it is wet. If
you wait until the glue is dry, there is a lot of extra sanding to do and
you will get a shadow line under the finish if it's not all removed. |
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Step 8:
Sand the base and top. It is a trolley and not a fine piece of furniture,
so finishing with 180gr sandpaper is enough. It is worth giving it a couple
of coats of Danish
oil to seal the timber. Finally screw the top to the base, and fit
the castors.
Then you're ready to go to work.
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