How to Build a Utility Cart | This Old House
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- čas přidán 20. 09. 2014
- This Old House general contractor Tom Silva transforms one sheet of plywood into a hold-all, easy-roll cart. (See below for a shopping list and tools.)
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Up in the loft, Tom showed Kevin how to build a simple utility cart suitable for transporting tools and supplies in a basement, garage, or workshop. Tom cut the pieces for the cart from ¾" AC plywood using a circular saw and straightedge, and he used a 1" diameter hardwood dowel for the handle. He then assembled the pieces using pocket screws and added casters to the bottom.
Shopping List for Building a Utility Cart:
- 3/4-inch A-C fir plywood [amzn.to/2TZtUpD]
- four 2 1/2-inch casters [amzn.to/324XPzP] (two fixed, two swiveling)
- pocket screws [amzn.to/31SX50m]
- carpenter's glue [amzn.to/2Z9Je93]
- 1-inch-diameter hardwood dowel [amzn.to/2Zbmdmn]
- sixteen 5/16-inch-diameter x 1 1/2-inch-long carriage bolts, nuts and washers [amzn.to/2U2ZUt5]
Tools for Building a Utility Cart:
- circular saw [amzn.to/2ZoJM6i]
- straightedge guide [amzn.to/2HnhOBz]
- miter saw [amzn.to/2Hm1Bgf]
- drill/driver [amzn.to/2zjlmkc] and 1-inch-diameter spade bit [amzn.to/2ZjE0ml]
- pocket hole jig [amzn.to/2L7YPMJ]
- cordless finishing nailer [amzn.to/2KXWH9W] and 1 1/2-inch nails [amzn.to/2ZgRDHd]
- router [amzn.to/2HoqVSD] with 1/2-inch-diameter straight-cutting bit [amzn.to/2ZnICrB]
- assorted clamps [amzn.to/2L8QlVx]
- ratcheting socket wrench [amzn.to/3250kCd]
The pocket screws and jig Tom used are manufactured by Kreg Tool Company [www.kregtool.com/].
Double-locking swivel casters are available online and at woodworking supply stores, including Woodcraft Supply, LLC [www.woodcraft.com/].
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers-and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Build a Utility Cart | This Old House
/ thisoldhouse - Jak na to + styl
Such respect for a man who can take a 4x8 sheet of plywood and make an amazing cart. Awesome work.
Matthew Pilarski *caht 😉
The master makes it look effortless. But Kevin truly has the best job working with all of the masters.
When Tommy said, "It's not going anywhere" at the end... That was perfect.
I'm a amateur and hobbyist.I watch these videos so I can build it right the 1st or 2nd time without cutting off body parts or gouging out my eyes.I use the same Kreg jigs and hand tools that they use as I can afford them. It works out soooo much better than when I started out in the hobby.They age great mentors to me and alot of other people as well.Will be watching for alot more projects.😁
Or maybe run the bolts through the top and secure from the bottom? Either way beats what I can do lol.
I love these guys because they make everything seem so accessible and doable. But at the same time they are pros and pull out the festool brand tools, lol
I need one like this to carry my tools rather than taking big tool box. great job. Thanks
PERFECT! FOUND MY NEXT PROJECT TO BUILD. THANKS GUYS!
These guys have every tool on the planet.
I want to see a circular saw (or worm saw) where a man can cut 4' in one shot.
Somebody will make it one day soon.
i had a workmate who added a paper towel holder for shop towels and a electrical power stip to our work cart very useful.
Have you ever just learned something existed and then suddenly see it everywhere? That just happened to me with pocket screws. Literally just learned about them a few weeks ago and now can't stop seeing them.
TOMMY IS THE ONE,AND ONLY ,GREAT MASTER !!!🤙☝️👋
Tom sure knows what he is doing, he's a joy to watch!
Is there a cut list for this project? I didn't hear mention of the width of the legs and side pieces.
I think that cart is just cool, nice to see two guys dovetailing together on a project. Like it!
Just made one but with three shelves. 24" x 36." 3/4" ACX birch ply. Its a beast.But four spinning casters makes it glide along. I also used a 1 1/4" dowel. Feels more solid in the hand
I was raised with this old house, they are the how to masters, easy to understand and easy to follow. Sure there are other ways to do what they do but their way is easy for anyone to follow.
Eddie Espinosa I grew up watching this show too.. are you from Massachusetts as well?
Norm and Bob are the true masters.
Tommy has FUckin Balls of Steel
wheel placement and putting the carriage bolts facing up bothered me.
👍 Thank you Tommy and Kevin!
Remember Jim, corn grows just as good on crooked rows. 😊😊😊😊😊 When the corn is chest high no one can tell.
I was really impressed at the very beginning of the video when Ken stepped over the shaves, instead of you trying to push him back over you just said, “ let’s try that again”. It worked perfectly the next time. That’s what good teachers do. Instead of constantly correcting, they say “let’s try that again“
By the way, I’ve tried several times to figure out how to spell shaves. I have tried the Internet, no luck. I can’t spell it close enough to get a correct spelling either. HELP.
Nice simple build. Would leave out the pocket hole screws but other then that might have to make me one of these. Thanks!
People that comment cheaper to go buy one miss the whole point😢
Tommy is the best! So much knowledge there.
A dolly (trolley) for heavy household appliances is what I would like to see built. I made a dolly for my fridge, so it can be rolled effortlessly without damaging the kitchen floor. But also would like a dolly for my clothes washer and dryer. Dollies that are sold pre-made are sometimes not large enough and never constructed with quality materials. Castors can be expense, btw. Something like $15 apiece for good ones.
Well made cart for a shop ! Wood carts are so much better than the. Plastic ones. For making modifications to keep them more versatile. In a shop IMO
Nice project; well done. Festool and Fein (from Germany) - can't do much better for tools. In a class on their own.
made it look so easy
6 pocket screws, glue AND brad nails...In one leg...
Jesus the hardware folks must love you guys....jeeez...
plus.. that thing could support the engine block out of an Edsel. Overkill throughout.
@@markw3598 Hey, Look... I liked my own comments too. This is fun.
What really makes this show is their New England accents.
Thanks 😂
hizo64HH I am from the Midwest but I lived in Boston for many years back in the 80s & 90s. While there, the locals would always comment about "my" funny accent. ;-D
@Duke Of Prunes - Cliff Claven. Classic
I may have to do this. Good project.
Love it and all out of one piece.
That’s it I’m building one next weekend!
Did you build it
Nice little cart but the rigid wheels should be either swivel or on the opposite side of the handle for best control leverage. With such a small area this cart is in the need for rigid wheels is not necessary. The ability to spin the cart in small areas is needed.
I wanted to say the same thing about the wheels placement. Fortunately those wheels can be swapped very easily for everyones needs. Other than that good and easy to make cart :)
Wow. This is exactly what I need for my new job. I happen to have enough 3/4 birch plywood. Well done guys.
These guys are great👍👍👍
Coach bolts at the end ruined it - the drill holes split the ply... Kevin must have done these 😎
Great job guys...
I have gotten the 3" casters on sale for $1.99 at HF before and if you have scrap wood laying around then this is about a $10 project if you just use regular screws, nails and glue.
Tommy should tell Kevin to keep his mitts off the Festool track...those things don't need anyone holding on to them when cutting. They have a rubber footprint that does just fine
I think this would be great with slightly larger casters for a mobile tool cart for doing car repairs in the driveway.
Look s very useful. Well done.
He must get paid per pocket screw used. Holee shit what is that thing going to support?
I'm making one too, but with 2 by 3 studs instead.
If it was me I wouldn't waste my time with the pocket screws. It's a utility cart it doesn't need to be pretty. Also I'd reverse the carriage bolts so the nut was underneath.
Yep.
@Ronald Trump Or maybe his comment is helpful...
lol. Love how people want to correct a master, experienced carpenter
Nice cart but I think the swivel casters would be better on the handle end.
Much better!
A small fortune in pocket screws.
My 2 year old kitten started to watch this video, and then tried to grab the wood! 🤣
The total cost of the casters were probably twice as much as that sheet of plywood.
Ha ha! I was thinking the same thing.
Agree only half way.... Harbor Freight's casters are pretty decent quality (I've used them for the past eight years) and half the price!
While you are at Harbor Freight, just go ahead and put that caster money towards their polypropylene cart and call it done.
@@digitalman269 Clearly someone has never even tried HF casters.
David Friederick Cleary I think you misinterpreted the guys comment, his knowledge of the specific type of castors available from HF indicates, to me, that he knows his harbor freight products pretty well and was merely suggesting that for around a similar price to castors alone, you could get a decent quality cart from HF already built with said castors etc. internet tends to muddy intent pretty well tho. Have a great day
This is April. I like it.
The only change I would have made is that I would added extra plywood squares to the bottom and lag screwed the castors in place so there were no bolt heads sticking through the bottom shelf. Minor quibble otherwise neat little project.
Yea.. I would probably put the lag screws the other way around, so the nuts were under the cart.
Was that caster arrangement intentional, or a goof? Seems the cart would be much more easily maneuvered with the swiveling casters at the handle end, rather than as they're installed in the video.
Still, it's a good instructional video, especially for its demonstration of the tack and glue method followed by pocket screws. That method is sturdy and simple, great for getting a shop functional with minimal time and expense.
Yeah, it's why we reverse in to parallel Park. Get better manoeuvrability when steering with the rear wheels. Same goes with a forklift. Ah well!
You may lose some low speed maneuverability in this configuration, but it makes up for it in high-speed maneuverability. What many people don't realize is that Tom Silva moves twice as fast as a normal person. When filming, they playback his actions at half-speed. This cart is configured for what they call in construction lingo "Silva-speed" .
If I followed this correctly, the entire weight of the top shelf and its contents is born by the shear strength of the nails and glue where the legs attach to the bottom shelf. Probably fine for how a cart like that will be used, but if they had added a square of plywood under each leg (and also under the bottom shelf), then mounted the casters on that square, the weight would be born by the wood of the legs and those squares.
+Jay Benedict Brown Hi Jay. At about the 5:20 mark they mentioned putting 4 thin pieces in each of the inside corners of the sides to support the top.
a quick job, but not a perfect design
Well.. unless you are putting your collection of engine blocks on it it should be fine
Great project.
Angie Overton Your hot..
@@jjbenz9633 calm down kid
Very good video, it is very helpful
Nice.
Good video guys I love it .. I was wondering about how to make an outdoor bar.
legend has it tommy built pinocchio and that's how he came to life
It makes more sense to put the locking casters on the same side as the handle.
Otherwise you have to walk around to the otherside of the cart everytime you want to lock it in place.
I'm in the US but I googled the title of this video and found it on the This Old House website.
Nice Tom Silva :-)
I always wanted an UTLITY cart!
Dyslexics of the world...UNTIE!
Very nice,.
Thisoldhouse do you have plans on the Internet for this or your other projects?
Problem I have is that you bput the swivel caster farthest away from the handle giving you less fulcrum if there was a heavy object in the cart.
That's a wicked awesome straight edge design. Would you recommend that saw and straightedge combo for finish carpentry such as cabinets?
Festool IS intended for cabinet makers, just saying.
are the measurements for each piece available somewhere ??
I think the swivel wheels should be at the back where the handle is. Try rounding a corner with that cart and you'll know what I mean.
big ups to my boy tommy
Nice👍😀👍
This is great - Just wondering how one could judge the strength of the cart? Would it hold 500lbs of parts?
Thank you, may I ask you the exact name of that Jaw with hole in the movie? Thanks
+Far id Are you talking about the pocket hole jig at around 3:10? It's a Kreg jig, looks like maybe a K5
+grandolddrummer Yes I am talking about hole jig . Thank you so much
This would be handy in my home brewery. Getting brew kettles, etc back & forth from brewery to kitchen stove. A kettle of beer wort is getting too heavy to lug back & forth.
When you build it try not to have a taste testing before hand.
I definitely had to stop doing that on brew day!
3:06. “Put the wood in my jig”
What happened to 'using a wet rag to clean up the glue' they suggested? The holes drilled for the wheels look a little rough.
As usual great stuff.......thanks guys.
Very nice. Is there a list of sizes for the plywood somewhere?
Can you explain the saw that you used to cut the plywood with?
festool track saw
Wow 😲, nice! 😍Need a cart like that...,wanna sell? 😂😉👍
Where do you find the plans for this cart
i can use this cart at the auto shop if i paint it many times red tremclad
They should've put the swivel casters on the handle side of the cart...
If I built that my wife would have it piled four feet high with all her crap the minute it was done . I would never see it again just like that exercise machine she turned into a clothes rack for the basement .
Randy Scott absolutely just PMSL
cool great instructional video, but with all those tools does not really make a project like this feasible, would be easier just to buy one.
You don't need all those tools. A circular saw with a handmade guide for your saw, glue, and a drill to drive the screws and drill holes for the caster bolts.
what is that circular saw thing called//i am a very novice novice/just bought cheap table saw i may not need waht is that saw thang????
where can i get one this dude rocks btw
..."so Tommy I've cut all the blah blah blah"...sure you did buddy...sure you did...
jajaja I said the same thing
Daniel Serrano
Bumped into Kevin at the airport, he's a prick.
@@paulhawkins3763 Really?
Z
Those casters look awesome. Anybody know who makes them?
pretty sure i've seen those at home depot
Not a fan of the Kreg jig. I have found that trim screws work a little better.
I would have put the swivel wheel on the handle bar side !!!
How can i get a copy of the plans or at least a cut list
These guys know their shit
Do you guys have stock in Kreg?.
Lets say you spend 30 on the plywood. 5 each for the casters, 2 or 3 for the handle, and a hand full of screws. I got a utility cart form a hardware store. It cost less than 50 bucks, it was made of metal, and took 5 minutes to put together. All in all though its a good project.
And you will be buying another one in a couple years after the cheap Chinese crap falls apart.
In my case, I always feel great satisfaction when I do and finish a project that I'm sure the techniques used are the best, it is strong, i chose a good quality materials and there is no doubt it will last for a loooooong period of excellent service and at last but not least... I made it!! Blessings and a big hug from Puerto Rico for all of you!!
No way the casters are costing $5.00; try more like $12.00 to $15.00
25 to 30 plus tax and shipping if you buy from the awesome hardware catalogue from north of the border.
If you don't have the materials already. If you have a shop with leftover material this is an easy project since it's smaller.
Where's the cutting diagram?
Good job. Should have used a piece of pipe for the handle.
I want to make one with the selves. height- 5ft
length- 3 ft
Width- 2.5-3ft
Any suggestions?
Height between selves 2.4 ft.
Danyal A. Yes, make this but bigger. With shelves.
Pete Webb Ok
could we get schematics for this build please?
If you need schematics to build something this simple, you should probably sell your tools to someone who can use them.
@@MAGAMAN can you help me find someone to sell my tools to?
Video is not available right now
dmhutchi What country are you in? Have you tried to delete cookies and go to your flash app and clear it's history?
Thankyou. I have a question for you. I noticed with this project that you cut all your pieces with a festool plunge saw and a sliding mitre saw. I would like a table saw, but this is not going to happen as my wife, ( and myself ) think that the table saw is too dangerous. Methinks that I could get away with a good quality plunge saw like the Makita. I have all other tools like the circular saw, mitre saw, jig saw and plenty of hand tools , but for rip cuts and cross cuts I think that a plunge saw will be better for me. I am retired and took up woodworking about two years ago in my garage which I converted into a workshop. For cutting down 4" x 2" I will just have to put up with buying smaller sections from B X Q. i would like to hear your thoughts , ( and others too ) on this matter. Thankyou once again. I have just finished making two work benches on wheels ( Kreg design ). My output is not great but I do enjoy making things from wood.
well, technically a plunge saw is just a circular saw with a track. You already have the circular saw, so just build a track/jig for all your ripping and cross cutting needs.
and it will be a fun series of projects to build up your skills.
Gallande 34 ha! Gaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy
i have used a table saw for years as a professional. you just have to be aware of kick back and always use a push stick.most table saws have a riving knife to prevent the boards from getting pinched on the saw blade and with the guard it has a dog to prevent kick back
All tools, even hand tools, can be dangerous if you're careless or don't know how to use them. Just research them and follow the instructions. With table saws, the two biggest dangers, imo, are kickback and not using push sticks when you should.
what is the width of the widest leg?
How can I get the plans for this cart?
Can’t help but think has Tommy ever injured himself over the years