As I’ve said before, I love keeping scrap wood around as you never know when a piece of wood may come in handy. So, ever since we rebuilt our kitchen we’ve been accumulating scrap wood, piece by piece and project by project. After several years of throwing all this wood into one corner of our garage, it was out of control, and it was time to do something!
This scrap wood organization turned into a two-part plan as I originally intended to install wood storage racks on the wall for the longer planks, and then return the plywood pieces to the corner in a more orderly fashion. However, after sorting the scrap wood, I realized I had WAY more wood than this plan accounted for.
After some deliberation, I decided I needed to build a scrap wood storage cart to store all the wood that would not fit on the racks. Plus, putting the cart on wheels would allow easy access to all the wood in the once chaotic corner.
So if you, like me, have a corner, pile, or place full of scrap wood, keep reading for instructions on building your own scrap wood storage cart!
MATERIALS
| MATERIALS NEEDED | TOOLS |
| Wood (See Cut List & Diagram Below) | Miter Saw |
| 2 1/2″ Pocket Screws | Circular Saw |
| 1 1/4″ Pocket Screws | Pocket-Hole Jig |
| 1 5/8″ Screws | Pencil |
| Caster Wheels (Set of 4) | Measuring Tape |
| 16 – 1/4″ x 1 1/2″ Lag Screws | Clamps & Corner Clamps |
| Washers | Drill & Drill Bits |
| Exterior Grade Primer (optional) | Socket Wrench |
| Exterior Grade Paint (optional) | Sandpaper or Sander (optional) |
| Paint Roller & Tray (optional) |
CUT LIST & DIAGRAM
| 1 – ¾” plywood at 48” x 24” (BASE) |
| 2 – ¾” plywood at 48” x 36”, then cut with an angled edge that runs 12” from the bottom to 12” from the back* (TRIANGULAR LARGE STORAGE AREA SIDES) *See the diagram below for a visual aid |
| 1 – ¾” plywood at 48” x 12” (SMALL STORAGE AREA SIDE) |
| 1 – ¾” plywood at 12” x 12” (SMALL STORAGE AREA FRONT) |
| 1 – ¾” plywood at 24” x 38 ¼” (BACK) |
| 1 – ¾” plywood at 12” x 12” (DIVIDER 1) |
| 1 – ¾” plywood at 12” x 18” (DIVIDER 2) |
| 1 – ¾” plywood at 12” x 24” (DIVIDER 3) |
| 2 – 2×4 at 48” length (BASE FRAME) |
| 3 – 2×4 at 17” length (BASE FRAME) |
To build this cart from scratch you need to purchase two ¾” plywood sheets, and two 2×4’s. However, I only purchased one sheet of ¾” plywood and then used scrap wood for the rest of the cart. That’s why you might notice a few differences in the photos than what my directions say. I’ll try and point out where things differ to help make things more clear. I encourage you to use your scrap wood for this project as well!
TIME COMMITMENT
| ACTIVE TIME: About 2 days |
| TOTAL TIME: About 2 days OR about 4 days* |
| *If you choose to paint your cart, you’ll need about 2 additional days for the paint to dry. If you don’t paint, the project can be completed in a weekend. |
STEP BY STEP
STEP 1 – CUT THE WOOD
The first step to creating a scrap wood storage cart is to cut all the wood you’ll need for this project. Use a miter saw to cut the 2x4s and a circular saw to cut the plywood. Refer to the Scrap Wood Storage Cart Cuts diagram above for the needed cuts.
TIP FOR CUTTING WITH THE CIRCULAR SAW:
Line up a straight board at the distance that keeps the sawblade on the cut line. Then clamp the board down at both ends. Make sure nothing is extending upwards on the board that could snag on the saw. (See in the image below how the orange clamps are placed upside down to not interfere with the saw). Now you can use the side of the board as a guide for the saw to glide along cutting a straight line.
STEP 2 – CREATE THE PLATFORM BASE
After cutting all the wood pieces, lay the cut 2x4s flat in a rectangle. The 48” boards will be the top and bottom, and the 17” boards will be the left side, right side, and middle. This will create a rectangle that measures 48”x24”. See the picture below.
Then, using the 1 ½” thickness setting on the pocket-hole jig, drill pocket screw holes on the top and bottom of the three 17” pieces. See the pictures below.
After drilling the holes, use the corner clamps to make sure the frame is square, and then drill the 2 ½” pocket screws into each pre-made hole.
After screwing in all 12 screws, it’s time to attach the 24”x48” plywood platform base to the frame. Place the plywood on top of the frame and center it. Then attach it to the 2x4s using the 1 ⅝” screws. The base is now complete.
STEP 3 – PREPARE ALL THE PLYWOOD PIECES WITH POCKET HOLES
The majority of this rolling scrap wood storage cart will be built using pocket hole joints. So the next step is to drill all the pocket holes on each cart piece. An important note here is to make sure to drill the holes on the unfinished/unsanded side (or the backside) of the plywood for every piece except the base. I find it helpful to mark the face of the wood where the pocket holes will go to ensure they end up in the right location.
Since the plywood for these pieces is ¾” thick, use the ¾” thickness setting on the pocket-hole jig, but if you’re using a different thickness of plywood be sure to set your jig accordingly. Once set, drill holes for the pocket screws spaced about 6”- 8” apart.
To make it easier, the below diagram shows where all the pocket screw holes belong on each piece of wood. The dashed lines show the sides where pocket holes should be drilled. Remember all the holes, except for the base, should be on the backside of the plywood.
WRITTEN CHART
IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE DIAGRAM, BELOW IS A WRITTEN CHART OF WHERE TO DRILL THE POCKET HOLES.
| TRIANGULAR SIDES: Drill the pocket holes along the back and bottom (the 36” side and 48” side) |
| BASE: Drill the pocket holes along the back edge* *These holes will be drilled after you’ve already attached the plywood base to the 2×4 frame in step 2 |
| BACK: No pocket holes needed |
| SIDE: Drill the pocket holes along the bottom and back (this will be the right side of the board if it is lying on the ground with the backside of the plywood facing up) |
| FRONT: Drill the pocket holes along the bottom and both sides |
| DIVIDER 1: Drill the pocket holes along the bottom and both sides |
| DIVIDER 2: Drill the pocket holes along the bottom and the left side, on the right side drill holes that only come up 12” from the bottom |
| DIVIDER 3: Drill the pocket holes along the bottom and the left side, on the right side drill holes that only come up 12” from the bottom |
STEP 4 – SAND, PRIME & PAINT (OPTIONAL)
I chose to paint my scrap wood storage cart for two reasons. The first reason is the wood is more protected by painting it meaning it should hold up better over time. The other reason is simply that I thought it would look nice painted, and I already owned all the paint!
If you decide to paint your cart, you’ll want to paint before assembling. Sand all the pieces, then use an exterior-grade primer on them. Using the can for guidance, wait the recommended amount of time for the primer to dry.
Once the primer is dry, paint on the first coat of paint. Again, check the can to see how long it needs to dry until you can paint the second coat.
Finally, paint on the second coat and make sure everything is dry before assembling.
DIFFERENCE TO NOTE: Don’t worry you’re not going crazy, you will not have a piece of wood that looks like the gray piece. Since I built this with scrap wood from my wood corner, I couldn’t find a good piece of wood that was 38.5” x 24” for the back. So I attached two pieces of plywood using a scrap plank of MDF. Ignore that piece and continue on!
Choosing to paint adds about 2 days to the project because painting/drying times for each side take about a day. If you don’t want to paint, skip this step and then this project can easily be accomplished in one weekend.
STEP 5 – ASSEMBLE THE LARGE PLYWOOD STORAGE SECTION OF THE SCRAP WOOD STORAGE CART
5A – BACK AND BASE
It’s now time to assemble your rolling scrap wood storage cart. The first step is to attach the back to the base. Lay the base you created flat on the ground, then line up the back piece along the back side of the base (where the pocket holes are). It should stand perpendicular to the base, with the bottom edge touching the ground. Once it’s in the right place, attach the back to the base with 1 ¼” pocket screws.
5B – OUTSIDE TRIANGULAR PIECE
Now that the back is secure it’s time to attach the outside triangular piece. Line up the triangular piece so the two straight ends fit inside the “L” the base and back created. The 36” end lines up against the back and the 48” end against the base. See the diagram below for reference.
Now use the 1 ¼” pocket screws to secure the triangular piece along the back and base edges.
DIFFERENCE TO NOTE: Since I built my rolling scrap wood cart out of scrap wood I couldn’t find a piece that was 38.25” x 24” for the back. My back piece is 39″ x 23″, so it’s only 23” across, and that’s why the back piece does not come to the edge of the base in the above photo. However, if you follow the directions here, your back will come to the edge. So rest easy, you’re doing great!
5C – INSIDE TRIANGULAR PIECE
The next step is to attach the inside triangular piece. To know where to attach this piece, measure 9.75” from the inside edge of the triangular piece installed in the previous step. Then draw a line across the back and the base at this distance. This line shows where the inside edge of the inside triangular piece will be installed.
Line up the inside edge of the inside triangular piece with the drawn line and drill in 1 ¼” pocket screws along the pre-drilled pocket holes. The pocket holes will span the connection between the back and base pieces, and the holes themselves will be on the inside of this storage section.
Once all the screws have been added, the large plywood storage section of the cart is complete!
STEP 6 – ASSEMBLE THE SMALL WOOD STORAGE AREA OF THE SCRAP WOOD STORAGE CART
The first step to assembling the divided small wood storage area is to decide how big you want the storage sections to be and thus where you want to attach the dividers. I did this by laying some scrap wood at various distances and comparing it to what I wanted to store in each section. I then made the widths of the divided sections match my needs.
However, I’ll give measurements to create four equal-sized divided spaces to simplify these directions, even though mine are different sizes.
Measure along the outside edge of the base starting at the back of the cart and mark every 12 inches. Then measure along the edge of the inside triangular piece starting at the back of the cart and mark every 12 inches. Draw a line to connect the marks. These lines are where the divider pieces will go. See the diagram below in step 6A for a visual aid.
Remember, the boards don’t have to be spaced 12” apart. Feel free to place the dividers at a distance that makes the most sense for the wood you plan to store.
6A – ATTACH THE FRONT PIECE
When attaching the front and each divider, the pocket hole side will face the back of the cart when attached. This means it’s easiest to start with the front piece and work back towards the back end of the cart. So the first piece you’ll want to attach is the front piece.
Line the front piece up with the front edge of the base and the short edge of the triangular piece. You’ll notice that the front piece isn’t long enough to span the remainder of the base, and that’s okay. There will be a ¾” gap between the edge of the base and the edge of the front piece, this is where the side piece will be going once all the dividers are installed.
Then attach the front piece to the base and triangular side piece using 1 ¼” pocket screws in the pre-drilled holes. When facing the board on the side with the drilled pocket holes, this will be the left side and bottom.
There will be unused pocket holes on the right side of the front piece that will be used to attach the side piece of the cart after all the divider pieces are in place.
6B – ATTACH DIVIDER #1
Locate the divider 1 piece, this is the shortest of the three divider pieces. Line it up with the line drawn for its location and attach it along the bottom and left side using 1 ¼” pocket screws.
There will once again be unused pocket hole screws along the right side.
6C – ATTACH DIVIDER #2
Now locate the divider 2 piece, this is the medium-length divider piece. Line it up with the line drawn for its location and attach it along the bottom and left side using 1 ¼” pocket screws.
Like the two before it, there will be unused pocket hole screws along the right side.
6D – ATTACH DIVIDER #3
Now locate the divider 3 piece, the last and longest divider piece. Line it up with the line drawn for its location and attach it along the bottom and left side using 1 ¼” pocket screws.
It goes without saying, but I’ll say it again anyway: there will be unused pocket hole screws along the right side.
6E – ATTACH THE SIDE
After all the dividers have been attached, it’s time to attach the side piece. Line the side piece up against the edge of the base and back. Make sure the pocket screw holes face the inside of the cart, and in doing this the holes should line up with the cart’s back and the base.
Starting along the bottom edge, attach the side to the base of the cart using 1 ¼” pocket screws. Then attach the side to the back panel of the cart. Finally, attach the front piece and each divider piece to the side using the pocket screw holes previously left unused.
NOTE: Attaching the divider pieces to the side was a tight fit when using the drill. To make it so I could angle the drill in the right place to screw in the pocket screws, I had to swap out the long pocket screw drill bit, that came with the kit, for a shorter square drill bit. This made it so the drill could fit in the tiny space and get to the pocket screws.
DIFFERENCES TO NOTE: On my cart, I didn’t have a 12” x 48” piece of wood so I made my side edge out of two pieces rather than one piece.
Another difference is that the side piece in my cart overlaps the back edge and connects even with the front piece. In the directions you’re following however, the side will connect evenly with the back edge and overlap the front piece. So don’t worry if your result doesn’t look like my picture.
STEP 7 – ATTACH THE WHEELS
There’s only one final step remaining, and it’s an easy one! It’s time to attach the wheels!
7A – MARK THE WHEELS
To attach the wheels, first, carefully tilt the cart over so it’s resting against the back edge. This allows access to the bottom.
The wheels I bought came with bolts, but I purchased ¼” x 1 ½” lag screws to use instead so that I could drive them into the wood better. Therefore, the next step is to mark where they go so you’ll know where to drill starter holes.
To do this, take a caster wheel and line it up in the corner of the base, centered on the 2×4. With a pencil, mark the location of the holes.
7B – DRILL HOLES
Remove the wheel and drill pilot holes at the marks you’ve made. Since the screws are 1/4” thick, use a 5/32” drill bit. Since the screws are 1 ½″ long you’ll want to make sure your pilot holes go 1 ½” deep. An easy way to do this is to mark the drill bit with tape at the 1 ½″ length. Then you only need to drill until you reach the tape. I got lucky and didn’t need the tape because my drill bit was 1 ½” long so it wasn’t necessary.
7C – ATTACH THE WHEEL
After pre-drilling all four holes, it’s time to attach the wheel. Place a washer between the lag screw and the wheel, and using a socket wrench, drive all four screws into the bottom of the cart. The wheel is now secured.
Repeat the above steps 7A – 7C for the remaining three wheels.
After attaching all the wheels, flip the cart back over and test the wheels out.
STEP 8 – LOAD THE CART UP WITH SCRAP WOOD
Congratulations, you’ve made it to the fun part! Now that you’ve built the cart, load it up and organize it with all the scrap wood lying around the garage!
BEFORE & AFTER
I could not be happier with both this scrap wood storage cart and the wall-mounted wood storage racks! Our scrap wood pile is now clean, out of the way, and easily accessible! Just look at the before and after!
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