Book cart plans

This step by step diy article is about book cart plans. Although there are many designs you could choose from, in this article we will show you all you have to know about making a rolling library cart out of common materials. If you have worked with lumber before, the carpentry techniques should be familiar to you. Make sure you adjust the size of the cart to suit your needs.

Buy quality lumber, made for building lumber, if you want to get a durable wooden cart. Nevertheless, you could save some money if you purchase lumber with knots, which could even enhance the look of project, giving it a rustic appearance. Select the slats with great attention, checking if they are in a good condition (the lumber has to be straight and without chips, dents or cracks).

Always aligned the components before locking them together with screws. In addition, we recommend you to pre-drill the lumber, otherwise the wood might easily split. Add glue to the joints, if you want to enhance their bond. Smooth the cut edges with fine grit sandpaper and remove the residues using a vacuum cleaner. Make sure you take a look over the related plans to get an idea about what you can build for your home. See all my Premium Plans in the Shop.

Building a rolling cart

Materials

A – 2 pieces of 1×12 lumber – 30” long SIDES
B – 2 pieces of 1×12 lumber – 34 1/2″ long, 1 piece of 1×10 – 34 1/2″ long SHELVES
C – 1 piece of 3/4″ plywood – 28”x34 1/2″ long BACK
D – 2 pieces of 1×3 lumber – 34 1/2″ long TRIMS
E – 4 pieces of caster wheels CASTER WHEELS

1 piece of 1×12 lumber – 12 ft
1 piece of 1×10 lumber – 4 ft
1 piece of 3/4″ plywood – 4’x4′
1 piece of 1×3 lumber – 6 ft
caster wheels
1 1/4″ screws
glue, stain
wood filler

Tools

Safety gloves, glasses, Miter saw, jigsaw
Chalk line, tape measure, spirit level, carpentry pencil
Drill machinery and drill bits

Tips

Pre-drill holes in the wooden components, before driving in the screws
Smooth the exposed edges, by using a router with a 1/4” bit

Time

One day

Building a book cart

Building the sides of the cart

The first step of the project is to build the sides for the book cart. As you can easily notice in the plans, we recommend you to build the components out of 1×12 lumber. Round the top corners of the side components and cut out notches for the handles. Smooth the cut edges and remove the residues with a cleaner.

Attaching the bottom of the cart

Drill pocket holes at both ends of the bottom components and fit it between the sides. Leave no gaps between the components and add glue to the joints in order to create a rigid structure. Insert 1 1/4″ screws through the bottom component into the side components.

Attaching the side of the cart

Build the back of the book cart out of 3/4″ plywood. Drill pocket holes along the side and bottom edges of the plywood piece and fit it to the frame of the book cart. Make sure the corners are right-angled and insert 1 1/4″ screws through the back into the frame of the cart. Plumb the sides with a spirit level and make sure the corners are square.

Attaching the middle shelf

Attach the middle shelf to the cart after making sure it is perfectly horizontal. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the shelf and secure it to the side components using 1 1/4′ screws.

Fitting the side trims

One of the last steps of the project is to attach the 1×3 trims to the cart. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the trims and secure them to the frame. Make sure you leave no gaps between the components and remove the excess using a damp cloth.

Fitting the caster wheels

Attach caster wheels to the four corners of the bottom components, as described in the diagram. Align the components with great care and lock them into place by using several screws.

Book cart plans

Last but not least, you need to take care of the final touches. Therefore, you need fill all the holes with a good filler and let the compound to dry out properly, before sanding the wooden surface with 120-grit sandpaper.

Thank you for reading our article about book cart plans and we recommend you to check out the rest of our home improvement projects. Don’t forget to LIKE and SHARE this projects to your friends, using the social media widgets, if you’ve found it useful.

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