Tool stand/cabinet

[Salem Ganzhorn]

I have a 40" tall drill press and ~40" tall bandsaw. I would like to build some cabinets to bring them up to a comfortable working height and add some storage.

Each of these tools weigh ~180lbs. I have not designed/made many cabinets and would like some peer review .

The design is narrow and short: 16" wide, by 24" high, by 24" deep. The sides are 3/4 birch ply. The face frame is 3/4x2" on the horizontals and 3/4x1 1/2" on the verticals. The back is held together with 3/4x2" hardwood (or maybe birch?) straps on the top and bottom. The back is covered in 1/4 ply.

I also added 2 more 3/4x2" boards across the top to help with possible racking and to reinforce the table top.

The table top will probably just be ply or MDF.

Inside the cabinet I would like 5 four inch drawers. To attach them I have drawn 3/4x1" supports running from the front to the back.

What do you guys think? Will this hold 180+lb tools? I also wonder if I will regret not making these portable? (I am in 1/2 of a 2 car garage). I am not enamored with casters that are always in contact with the ground because then you 4 relatively slick points of contact. I wouldn't want the tool to move when I push on it.

I have attached an image of the SketchUp model.

Thanks in advance!

[jeff begin]

Have you thought about adding at least some feet if you don't want casters? It might be fairly difficult to level properly if you don't. I just ordered a set of these adjustable feet from Rockler for an offset router table stand I built out of standard 2x4's. UPS is going to be dropping it off tomorrow.

If you want to spend a bit more to get better mobility than feet and and better stability than casters, you might want to consider a mobile base.

[Salem Ganzhorn]

Have you thought about adding at least some feet if you don't want casters? It might be fairly difficult to level properly if you don't. I just ordered a set of these adjustable feet from Rockler for an offset router table stand I built out of standard 2x4's. UPS is going to be dropping it off tomorrow.

If you want to spend a bit more to get better mobility than feet and and better stability than casters, you might want to consider a mobile base.

Jeff, those leveling feet are interesting. Maybe I should do 3" on the bottom to leave room just in case I need them. And that is an interesting mobile base. Looks like it has 2 wheels always in contact with the ground and 2 "legs" that can be lifted off the ground using the 3rd fulcrum wheel. I might be able to build this under the cabinet which would be nice for my workspace. I would like to build a whole wall of cabinets and having the tool cabinets mobile but still able to be pushed back flush with the rest of the cabinets would be really nice.

[Dave Westover]

I have a 40" tall drill press and ~40" tall bandsaw. I would like to build some cabinets to bring them up to a comfortable working height and add some storage.

Each of these tools weigh ~180lbs. I have not designed/made many cabinets and would like some peer review .

The design is narrow and short: 16" wide, by 24" high, by 24" deep. The sides are 3/4 birch ply. The face frame is 3/4x2" on the horizontals and 3/4x1 1/2" on the verticals. The back is held together with 3/4x2" hardwood (or maybe birch?) straps on the top and bottom. The back is covered in 1/4 ply.

I also added 2 more 3/4x2" boards across the top to help with possible racking and to reinforce the table top.

The table top will probably just be ply or MDF.

Inside the cabinet I would like 5 four inch drawers. To attach them I have drawn 3/4x1" supports running from the front to the back.

What do you guys think? Will this hold 180+lb tools? I also wonder if I will regret not making these portable? (I am in 1/2 of a 2 car garage). I am not enamored with casters that are always in contact with the ground because then you 4 relatively slick points of contact. I wouldn't want the tool to move when I push on it.

I have attached an image of the SketchUp model.

Thanks in advance!

If it were me, I would widen the cabinet and add a fixed shelf to prevent racking. With the design you have, my greatest concern is that it might be top heavy when loaded down to 180lbs, especially if mobility is involved. Id go 24" inches wide and put a fixed shelf in the middle.

[Salem Ganzhorn]

If it were me, I would widen the cabinet and add a fixed shelf to prevent racking. With the design you have, my greatest concern is that it might be top heavy when loaded down to 180lbs, especially if mobility is involved. Id go 24" inches wide and put a fixed shelf in the middle.

Dave, I intentionally chose a narrow cabinet so it would not take up too much wall space. But I like the idea of putting in a fixed shelf. I may have to do this.
Thanks!
Salem

[Salem Ganzhorn]

Jeff, I also found these: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...orner%20caster

I really like the low profile and could fit them under the cabinet without really losing any space. And I bet with a drill press where there is not much horizontal force applied being on wheels wouldn't be too bad. I just keep remembering my friend's table saw with locking casters. That thing is dangerous, pushing a board through it can move the table even when the casters are locked! Maybe blocking the wheels would be sufficient...

[Mark Carlson]

Salem,

I recently made a rolling tool cabinet for my bench top drill press. It has 5 drawers, is 35in tall with the casters, 24in deep and 32in wide. I got the plans from a book called Smart Workshop Solutions by Paul Anthony. The top is 8/4 cherry, the sides, top and bottom are 3/4 left over cherry plywood, dominoed in place. The rest is mortise and tenon construction. The stand itself is really heavy and isn't top heavy with drill press. It also doesn't move with the locking casters.

~mark

[Salem Ganzhorn]

Salem,

I recently made a rolling tool cabinet for my bench top drill press. It has 5 drawers, is 35in tall with the casters, 24in deep and 32in wide. I got the plans from a book called Smart Workshop Solutions by Paul Anthony. The top is 8/4 cherry, the sides, top and bottom are 3/4 left over cherry plywood, dominoed in place. The rest is mortise and tenon construction. The stand itself is really heavy and isn't top heavy with drill press. It also doesn't move with the locking casters.

~mark

Woah... that is much too nice for my drill press .

[George Lohnes]

If it were me, I would widen the cabinet
.

I just want to echo what Dave said above.... The additional width will supply much needed stability.

And I understand what you said about "too nice for my shop". It is really humbling to see guys on the Creek making cabinets for their shop nicer than any I have built as furniture!

[Bert Johansen]

Salem, my drill press stand looks remarkably like your design. It is 18x24 and stands 32 inches high with the casters. The carcase is 28 inches high. The sides and top are ¾ melamine, the face frame, drawer fronts and top edging are jatoba. The back is ¼ ply. Bottom is ¾ ply. There are cross braces front and rear only. The unit does not rack at all. I chose to have only four drawers, with the bottom drawer larger than the others.

[Steve Kohn]

Some things you might want to consider.....

Cover the top in plastic laminate before you bolt your drill press down. I use my DP for drilling both wood and metal. When drilling metal you have oil also in use. That way if any oil lands on the top it is easy to clean.

Some of the benchtop DP's you can actually spin the head around to drill off the back. You might want to consider being able to cantilever the DP off the back of your stand if you need to drill something long.

I also would suggest you use the biggest wheels on any caster system you can find. I started out with 3 inch casters and found they got hung up on any kinds of chips on the floor. My tools are now all on 4 or 5 inch wheels.

I also use all rotating casters (double locking) and have removed all my fixed ones. Anyone have a need for about 10 3 inch fixed casters?