NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
Use your browser's Print (Ctrl/Cmd + P) and choose Save as PDF. This page works offline once you've opened it with a signal.
Plywood cart on locking casters, sized to double as table saw outfeed. Solves two problems with one box.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sides Height depends on YOUR saw. See step 1 — do not use this number blindly. | 2 | 3/4" × 24" × 30" | Plywood | ☐ |
| Top | 1 | 3/4" × 24" × 48" | Plywood | ☐ |
| Bottom shelf | 1 | 3/4" × 24" × 46 1/2" | Plywood | ☐ |
| Middle shelf | 1 | 3/4" × 24" × 46 1/2" | Plywood | ☐ |
| Back Full plywood back. This is what stops the cart racking as it rolls over a cord. | 1 | 3/4" × 30" × 46 1/2" | Plywood | ☐ |
| Divider Optional. Splits the shelves so things don't slide around. | 1 | 3/4" × 23" × 22" | Plywood | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Birch or shop-grade plywood, 3/4", 4x8 Shop-grade is fine here. Nobody is inspecting your cart's veneer. | 2 sheet | ☐ |
| Locking swivel casters, 3" ALL FOUR must lock. Rated for 200+ lbs each — this cart will end up holding far more than you think. | 4 each | ☐ |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 80 each | ☐ |
| Wood glue | 8 oz | ☐ |
| Clear interior finish (hardwax oil or wipe-on poly) Optional, but a sealed top wipes clean and lets work slide instead of catching. | 8 oz | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Tape Measure
Measure from the floor to the top of your table saw's table.
Cart height = saw height − plywood top thickness (3/4") − caster height − 1/8".
That 1/8" is deliberate: the cart top sits just *below* the saw table, so a board sliding off the saw glides onto the cart instead of catching on its edge. A cart even 1/16" too tall will snag every single board and you'll hate it.
Adjust the side height in the cut list to whatever your arithmetic gives you.
Tools: Circular Saw, Table Saw. Materials: Birch or shop-grade plywood, 3/4", 4x8
Circular saw and straight-edge to rough size, then trim to final on the table saw.
Don't try to muscle full 4x8 sheets over the table saw solo — that's how sheets get away from you.
Tools: Bar / Pipe Clamps, Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Pocket-hole the shelves to the sides, then add the back. Glue and screw everything.
The back is structural — it's what keeps the cart from folding into a parallelogram when you shove it across a shop floor. Don't skip it or substitute thin ply.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4"
Screw the top down from underneath through the shelves, or pocket-hole from the inside. Countersink anything that comes through the top surface.
Nothing may sit proud of the top. A screw head 1/32" proud will gouge the underside of every board you slide across it.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Impact Driver. Materials: Locking swivel casters, 3"
Four locking swivel casters, one at each corner, bolted (not just screwed) through the bottom shelf.
All four lock. Two locking casters means the cart still pivots — usually right when you're pushing a heavy board through the saw.
Tools: Combination Square. Materials: Clear interior finish (hardwax oil or wipe-on poly)
Roll it up behind the saw. Lay a straight-edge from the saw table across the cart top.
The cart should be a hair low. If it's high, you have a problem — take it apart or shim the saw. If it's low by more than 1/4", shim the casters.
Then seal the top, load the shelves, and enjoy never chasing a falling board off the back of the saw again.