Project Build: Under-The-Stairs Rolling cart.
Look elsewhere for “fine woodworking”. This is just a plywood box on wheels!
We have this awkwardly shaped storage area at the foot of the stairs. It's fairly deep, so it's awkward to access the back, and it looks messy. We wanted something better.
One of my goals was cheap/free — trying to mostly just use materials on hand.
Another goal was keep it simple — I did NOT want to take the time for an elaborate built-in
Finally, I wanted it to be completely closed up in the front, so we could hide away the storage.
Here is a rough sketch that I made to guide my build. I decided to make a simple rolling cart, with a large triangular door on the front.
I cannibalized some rollerblades for the wheels. The advantage of rollerblade wheels is that they don't pivot, which is exactly what I want here -- I just want the cart to roll straight in and out.
one side of the cart needed to be low, to fit under the stairs. The other side needed to be high, to help hold and support the front. So I took a piece and cut it in half diagonally to make the ends.
Assembling the box:
Assembled box: The wheels will be mounted in those gaps between the boards.
Drilling holes for wheels
Laying out the big diagonal door. This is a thin 1/8” thick piece of underlay plywood that I had. It is sized 1” narrower in all three dimensions to fit the opening.
The door is too thin on it’s own, so I framed it up by gluing some wood along the edges.
Wheels installed, front door ready to be installed
Finished - closed
If you prefer moving pictures, here is a youtube build video that I put together:
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Originally Posted by Andrew Hughes
