How to build a Tool Cart v1.0
A quest for an organized workshop
You may have encountered the following scene before: a workshop buzzing with activity, full of people, tools, and the designs they’re bringing to life. In this environment, organization is key to maintaining an efficient workflow. Propelland’s shop has been expanding recently as the ever-growing variety of design projects require new tools, and in such a state of change, things have mostly ended up where they’re needed to finish the job at hand (translation: “Where the heck is that tape measure?!”).
To better complement this just-in-time method, we decided to design a flexible yet more compact storage system in the form of a movable tool cart. Here’s a quick rundown of the process for anyone who’s interested in replicating it or just getting inspired.
1. Take Stock
Taking pictures and measurements of the tools let us sit down and sketch out some options for configurations. Thinking about all the tools and supplies at once helped us realize that certain items would do better in storage, while some that were in boxes needed to be more visible — the key principle being to accommodate the user’s workflow. People in a hurry may not bother opening a drawer to put something back.
Because every project is different, customizing every inch of the cart would be unwise. Instead, we decided to balance tool-specific storage (such as holes for pliers and screwdrivers) with more flexible areas of open shelving and pegboard.
2. CAD It Up
A rough mock-up in Fusion 360, including boxes representing different tools, helped us work out the dimensions and move things around as necessary. The vertical segment is biased to one side for maximum shelf depth, but still offset from the edge for a more stable center of gravity.
We sourced the frame from 80/20 aluminum bars and hardware. Working with an engineering intermediary helped us take the basic model of bars and panels to an 80/20 order that contained everything needed for the body of the cart.
3. Assemble the Cart
Note: if you’re looking to reproduce this design, leave a comment and we’ll be happy to provide more details (including the 80/20 specifications). We’ve also hosted the CAD files here in several file types if you want to customize your own.
Materials list:
- 80/20 kit: aluminum bars, nuts, screws, and casters
- 100x Machine screws — 1/4 20 x 5/8" flathead
- x1 sheet of plywood — 48"x96" at 3/8" thickness
- x3 sheets of pegboard — 24"x48"
- Pegboard hooks
- White paint
- x4 Stackable bins from Uline
- x2 Galvanized steel handles
The bars come packaged only by length, so the original drawings are needed to determine how to assemble them. Important note: the more economical basic T-nuts need to be slid into the slots before any assembly.
Shelves and side panels can be cut to size with a table saw or circular saw. We used a laser cutter to make notches where the shelves meet the uprights of the frame, but this could be done with a router or jigsaw as well. Holes were countersunk for the flathead screws and the edges were painted for a more finished trim.
4. Organize!
Just as important as building the cart was arranging the things it holds. Here are some features we specified in the design:
So far, the tool cart has definitively decreased clutter and improved workflow in the shop. Another step forward as we build our own ideal work environment to make ideas real.
Feel free to replicate or modify the plans provided here for your own purposes, we only ask that you send us a photo of the result at make@propelland.com. We welcome any questions or stories of your own organization strategies. And from the whole propelland team: happy making!
