Can I Make a Better Flip-Top Tool Cart?
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
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Referenced videos:
• Making a Table Saw Ext...
• Flip Top Tool Stand wi...
• How to Make A Rolling ...
• It's Time To Upgrade Y...
• Shop Work: How to make...
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Can I Make a Better Flip-Top Tool Cart?
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Use fender washers over the receiving holes so you don't get tear out from the lock bolts going in and out
I was thinking that or lining the holes with a bit of scrap pipe and flaring the ends ... the washer.
I was about to suggest fender washers too!
Or maybe a T nut? Protects the outside and a bit of the inside as well to guide it. You’d have to drill the hole a bit bigger to accomodate that.
@@jptheberge I don't know if the bite of the tnut teeth are enough to hold it in after frequent use and pressure. But the plus side of the t nut is you don't have to modify them to screw them in , probably 3 drilled holes per washer, 1 enlarged center and 2 screw holes to get them to work.
Sounds like a job for the 3d printer lol
8:28 Because you referenced Drew Fisher's video, I feel compelled to quote him from that video: "What's a piece of shop furniture without some unnecessary walnut?" 😜
Carbon paper against the side, then release spring pressure of latch should give perfect mark for drilling. Great idea on this cart and flip side are cool - thanks
Great vid Bob, I'd have put the latches the other way around, back ones on top front ones on the bottom, but I really like how you did it all, definitely something I will add to my workshop at some point 😁
I love Brad's face popping up when you mentioned a brad nailer. Solid dad joke on his part and I love the reference. You guys are both awesome.
Superb cart! I really need to do something like this for my shop, for the same reasons. Thanks for a bunch of good ideas!
One thing I enjoy doing with my own shop furniture projects is to make instead of buy, such as hinges, drawer glides, etc. For the retractable casters, and where there's a few inches' available height in the cabinet bottom, I love the idea mounting casters to the bottom of those split panels connected in the middle by hinges, the edges of which are captured front and back inside the cabinet skirt/base under 2x2 cleats, so that when the hinged middle is up, the casters are retracted and the cabinet sits on the skirt. When the hinged panel is flattened, the casters project a half inch or so below the skirt to roll. The panel is flattened by a lever attached to one side edge of the back half of the panel, the lever projecting out the front of the cabinet, which can be stepped on to raise the cabinet on its wheels, and latched into place with a catch.
The math and measurements can be a bit tricky, depending on your cabinet dimensions, but it is SO satisfying to make this over buying a set of those retracting casters!
We used gate latch pins to secure some rolling shelves inside of an enclosed trailer a few weeks ago. I saw how you marked them off and wanted to tell you that we had a bit more ease by marking the tip of the pin with pencil lead and transferring it to the wood by twisting to smudge where we needed to drill into. Worked amazingly well.
Yes you can do the same with a bit of sharpie or paint
The classic is cheap fingernail polish or cheap lipstick.
@@paulheitkemper1559or a china marker which we probably all have and is way more manly😂
@@jeffro657-c5h hehe also good! And also far less messy.
When I made a similar latch for the swinging panel of a large garden cart, I installed thin-wall brass tubing to prevent the latch bolt from damaging/wearing the wood.
Good idea 💡 👏
Nice adaptation. The benefit for having the notches that secure to the outside like Brad from FTBT is that when you secure them down it provides more stability to the overall fliptop, especially if you mount a heavier piece of equipment like a 13" planer. I like the added side shelf and flip top! Nice work.
I do like your hardware idea. However, I liked the hard stop, storage, and cord integration on Drew Fisher's so much that I used that in my flip top cart. I ran 1.25" PVC as a pivot so I can run cords without having to clip an end.
Great build! Your dust collection integration is a fantastic idea too.
Solid idea there if space is tight.
I'll use that concept for my current cart that houses 3 tools on slide out boards because the body can't lift the boards holding the sander, router table and grinder any more. Looking at using "non-swivel" wheels on the back and solid legs in the front. It'll move easily (I hope) but will stay in place when using de tools. Thanks so much for that.
Looks great! Can I suggest two improvements? 1) Add one of those automatic vacuum switches so the vacuum turns on/off when you turn the tool on/off, so you don't have to manually do that every time. 2) Buy or 3D print a small Y connector for the vacuum hose, so you can have the spindle sander permanently connected and have a separate hose to plug in one of the other tools when needed. Could even include magnets of some sort like what Izzy invented. Hope that helps
Not sure about the Y adapter, you'd be splitting the suction power and only get half the power on each tool. Unless you have some sort of gate to prevent suction on one side or the other as needed.
@@Syberz True. Adding gates would certainly be possible or you could test out if the setup without gates would make a noticeable difference to the performance of the vacuum cleaner and decide from there if gates are needed or you would want to stick with a single hose and move it from tool to tool. It also depends on what tool you use the most and how much you use the tools on the flip side of the cart. Only Bob can decide that for his situation and if any of us make one, we have to do our own assessment....
Bob. Elegant. Especially the change to relocate the lock pins to the underside. Chefs kiss.
I built the fishers cart flip top, and the integrated power works great. All my devices are hooked up to an internal power strip and then there is a single power strip to the wall from the cart. I love the integrated dust collection. That's a good idea. I also used the window latch HW to secure the flip top, and it works great. I think because the top is roughly balanced, there is very little force on the latch itself. So what you did was a little bit over-kill. Even if I was going to use gate latch HW, I would have put a stop-block so the top won't flip 360, and just used 2 latches.
I was thinking of a simple ball and cup system. The steel ball would be mounted and a spring would keep it pushed out. When you push it in, the spring would push back. The cup system would be a round divot probably in steel hardware. That means you would be able to simply rotate the plywood and it would snap into place.
Just wanted to say I have been watching you for years when you still had a day job and I can honestly I have absolutely enjoyed your videos and watching you and this channel grow. It's been awesome. Thank you
Wow, thank you!
Good job Bob.
This is cart #5 on my list of cart ideas. Your option of the side with your spindle sander is one I haven't seen before 👍 for that. I am not a fan of wheels that stick out, as I have two left feet that trip on things like that. I have other alternate ideas. Your idea of the gate latches would get in my way so I still like the type of cart with the lip that carries from one side of the flip to the other and side latches.
Keep up the good work, and keep on using your 3D printer for all the other stuff like I do in my shop - folks are amazed at all the printed things in my shop right down to the 3D printed Switch Plates with labels on them - printed labels of course.
Wonderful! First time viewer and I really enjoyed your tone, pace and easy style. I shall be joining your huge viewing team on a regular basis!
Bob
England
I was just about to build an outfeed table for my tablesaw, and those shelf brackets are going to be just the thing to support it. I just ordered a pair through your link - thanks!
This is great Bob. I like the locking mechanism for the flip. I too didn’t really like the other options I’ve seen. I think that is easier and better
Great project Bob. For the hardware, I think is the best hardware i've seen on a flip top cart, but i personally would have gone with less that 4 latches and in a different orientation. I feel like making sure all 4 latches are lined up and locked when flipping is a little cumbersome. Loved the cart and the video!
Bob, that is genius. I've seen a lot of flip tables, but yours is far simplier and very flexble!
Looks great! I like the hybrid fixed/flip style. I did something different that will be tough to describe without photos, but I think is worth mentioning.
I have 3 sanders. The exact same spindle and disc sander as you, plus an old ryobi drum sander that's 130 lbs, so I made one big platform. I cut arcs in the side so the pivot point for the pipe was above the top edge of the sides. Then I secured blocks on one the side of the platform that stop it against the plywood sides. So the platform only flips 180 deg. Then I attached draw clasps to the sides. So it's only secured on one side, but it's super heavy duty. And I cheated the weight of the sanders slightly towards the stop blocks, so you can flip it and it'll stay even when it's not clasped. Sorry that's hard to follow... I need to get pics online somewhere so I can link to them!
Looks great, Bob!
Love how a lot of people are getting on board with the Brad nailer joke 🤣
I really like the gate latch mechanism you used for this project.
I like the way you explain (with illustrations) what you plan to accomplish for the video. It really helps me understand better while I'm watching you build. 👍
For mounting the tools onto the swivel top, mark out the mounting holes before you do the glue and drill each set of holes through 2 layers of the ply and sandwich T-Nuts between all the layers. This is also a good way of changing out tools on the different tops. I have multiple holes in my bench (all measured and based of one hole) to mount various tools to my bench quickly and easily
During build up, on the flipping table consider creating recessed cavities on the exposed edges to form pockets for mounting the spring loaded gate bolts. The would remove them from the surface of the flip table and create a cleaner look.
Awesome Bob, I've looked into buying one recently, never considered building it. This is going to be a great addition to my set up
Thanks!
Great solution, Bob~! I too saw Drew Fisher's tool stand and i like the way he cut the flip-top & sides to create the positive stop before latching. Yours is a quicker build and the hardware looks just too easy. Thanks for sharing this~!
Great video. I also have a small workshop, 12’x24’, and I have the same problem with sanding tools. This is an outstanding solution to a well problem. I will not only be hitting the subscribe button but I will be starting the build tomorrow. Thank you.
18:01 Ultimately, this comes down to the idea of "does this method work within how I wanted it to work?"
Added bonus, you can make small changes later, or replace if they break
Fantastic work, Bob! Those latches are just brilliant! Well done!!! 😃
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
I do like the gate latches better. Them being spring loaded is the key factor. And I like how you put two on one side and two on the opposite side. The bonus lower shelf and cubby for shop vac HUGE plus. Great job
I love this sort of video. Approachable, straight forward, useful and adaptable.
Is that enough airflow for the shop vac to breath and not overheat? Also, while that is great if you only have two tools to switch between wouldn't it be better to just have the tools on their own shelf and quick swap the shelves when you need to change the tool? It would be more work to swap tools, but you can have an infinite amount of shelves to swtich from and you can store them on a shelf rack when they aren't in use.
I've watched more cart building RUclipss than I care to admit. However, you have some unique ideas. I was considering using a wooden dowel rod which would certainly be strong enough instead of the cost of black pipe and the difficulty of cutting it to length. After seeing yours, I may consider the electrical conduit but I wonder about its strength for carts holding a Steel City mortising jig and a 735 Dewalt Planner, (each with its own cart) both of which, alone, are heavier than what your cart is holding. Hmmmmm... the vote is still out. I like that folding shelf bracket idea! Nice build!
I have a suggestion for an upgrade for the cart...
In the shopvac cubby, add 3 weather resistant device boxes, the first one is mounted right at the edge of the opening so it's in easy reach, in that one, you install a 2-pole switch and a 20 Amp. power cord.
The second device box is mounted farther back in the cubby, you install a receptacle. Plug the spindle sander and shopvac into that.
The 3rd device box is installed on top beside the hole the shopvac hose pokes out of, in that you install a receptacle that the other 2 sanders are plugged into...each receptacle is wired through the switch so they only have power when the switch is turned on...
Now, you must turn on the shopvac before you can turn on the sander. It also simplifies plugging everything in since it's all connected to the switch power cord...
I suggested the weather resistant device boxes as the rain seals should help keep the dust out of the boxes and away from the wire connections, reducing the long-term fire risk, though regular commercial device boxes would work just as well, though you should remember to take the covers off and vacuum them out at least once every 6-12 months...
I don't use latching hardware. My flip-top cart uses short dowels through holes in the support sides then into holes into the flip top itself. And hard stops on the same principle as Fisher's. Just two (9mm diameter if I recall correctly) dowels at the front (one each side). Remove them, flip the top, and reinsert them in the same place in the support sides (into a second pair of holes in the flip top itself). It's quite stable; I've never thought that four would be better.
Maybe a heavy and odd weight distribution would make four necessary, but I have a drill press on one side and a mitre saw on the other, with no problems.
And for movement, four retractable castors that are brought into use by pressing a foot lever at the front (inspired by Carl Holmgren's "Retractable Casters for Power Tools" on RUclips). Release the catch holding the lever, and the castors lift to allow the cart to rest on its feet. _Much_ easier than unlatching four separate castors, plus the castors are underneath where you can't trip on them.
Good design. I also used spring bolts. My tip? To make it more economic, put the front bolts on the bottom and the rear bolts on the top. Thanks for sharing!
Nice project. You might want to consider a cyclone separator on that dust collector. I imagine the filter on that shop vac gets clogged quite quickly with fine dust due to the nature of the sanding station.
I did the same in my all in one work table. I used the gate latches for my 13" planer and my 7 1/4" miter saw. Each top is flat and the tool is on the under side. Shop vacuum is underneath the tool bench too. I only installed 1 set of the spring latches and it's been 3 years now. No signs of wear and tear either.
outstanding Bob! Turned out great!
Nice. I think one thing I would have done differently would be to make the cabinet deeper from, front to back. Then I would put the latches on the front, not on top. Of course, that would probably also require an extra piece of plywood across the front and back so you're not mounting the latches to end grain of plywood.
Great space saving bench I have similar sanders so thanks for sharing this build you’ve given me some great ideas to work with
Very nice! Two improvements I’d make: 1, an easier latching system that requires less reaching and leaning and individual latching/unlatching, and 2, a more elegant vacuum solution than plugging the vacuum into whatever tool you’re using. I’m thinking maybe I’d make the pivot pipe a larger PVC pipe and use it for vacuum on the rotating side as well. I think you could probably make some baffles that would automatically block vacuum from the tool on the bottom as well.
Of course, this kind of overthinking is the reason I usually don’t even start building anything in the first place. 🤦♂️ I make such complicated designs in my head that I decide they’re going to take too much time to build!
Great build! I've been looking at flip top options and like what you have done here a lot. Thank you for sharing.
I just made one of those springy things out of some junk parts, just need to cut a section out of a washer that fits against a tab or burr on the shaft to do the twist lock and be able to release (and to assemble, haha! Don't try bending it on after like I did the first time and trying to close it back up, unless you have better washers than I do lol which you probably do.. but the simple chunk removed with tin snips worked great. Spring doesn't need to be strong either..
The gate pins are realy smart, id sugjest switching them thou, if possiable, so the ones on the back are on top and you can see them from the front side and the front ones gets tucked out of the way under, that way all the preasure you might put on it is on the bolt and wood and not on the screws
great vid! It's holiday time, buy a remote control for outlets, so you can start your shopvac with a remote.
a couple of electrical conduit nuts will thread on regular pipe and cleat into the wood locking it in and are only 1/8 thick or so. you could even counter sink with a forstner bit for the flat bottom and not have Any stick out
I really like this design. I have been needing a cart like this. I think that I would add a power strip to the non flip side and add cord keepers for the tools on the flip side.
Great video and design. I built a flip top 3 years ago... One side is a belt/disk sander and the other side is a thickness planer.
All I have for the pin is a single ½" dowel. 🤷♂️
Awesome project, I'm planning on ordering this plan. As far as fusion software I'm not sure yet I'm going to watch the videos before I decide. The price sounds really reasonable compared to other CAD programs
Great build! Quick thought, is there a way to mount the casters on the insides of the walls and cut little holes in the bottom so they don’t make the footprint way bigger and prevent it from sitting against other things??
Nice design! I really like the table/cabinet on the side. It makes a lot of sense. Also, I appreciate you adding the thumbnail from my video in the beginning. 😊
Nice. i generally work alone and use wood screw clamps to hold panels upright while assembling. I like the fence hardware but the aesthetic bothers me. i know function over form 😉. Ive over-engineered this in the past with bearings, hdpe, but would like latches built into the rotating top that look nice and dont stick out. Thinking out loud, you could use the same hardware and put them on the end of the top if you extend the sides.
I my opinion, this is the best flip top cart I've seen. Excellent creation.
I'm interested to see how you find the placement of the latches over time. Originally, I thought you were installing them the opposite way around, so the set in the back would be on top, and the set to the front would be on the bottom, to access all four a little easier. Maybe it doesn't matter as much if it's on wheels and you can move it around though?
They should have been inside the boards with the pipe, with only the handle ends sticking out.
i guess i would have put the ones in the front on the underside of the flip top, and the ones in the back on the top. that would have made them easier to use
@@Trickmanii I think that would make it hard to use the locking mechanism that makes it easy to pull out all 4 latches at the same time.
I thought the same thing. It would be clearer at the front and also easier unlock the back latches that way.
Nice, easily approachable project that puts a unique twist on the flip-top cart idea. Those gate latches should be plenty strong enough and with the springs should be easy to use. I will be interested to see if you close both sets every time you use it, or if you end up just closing two out of convenience. Thanks for sharing!
Great idea inas a machines would only add 1 thing your locking part is great but with that kind of weight over time your holes may elongate and be a problem .if you put a piece of tubing or nylon tube you can make with your printer you will never have that problem I myself would op for nylon bushings
I would only lock the front pins and would have them on the bottom to keep the out of the way. I also would do what Drew Fisher did with the cord management. I love your casters. I will be buying some as those are the first I have seen that do the job at a reasonable price. Nice build.
I built a similar one of these with plans from an old woodworking book. I think your latches are a better style than what the book used which was a rotating eye bolt. Good stuff!
I drilled holes a little larger and epoxies a piece of brass pipe in the hole. I like brass because it's easy to drill out for a perfect fit. Nice cart.
Love the set up . the gate latches are awesome , But I would have ( you still can ) drilled the holes out bigger and added metal sleeves to eliminate any chance of wear
Integrated power would be the cherry on top. Awesome build regardless. I like the three tools in one approach.
really like the spring loaded bolts but I would suggest installing them under the flip table in the Front and on top in the back. this would allow easier access to them and also keep them out of the immediate work area in front of the tool
Looks great! I really like the gate latches. If the holes ever wear you can install a bushing in the plywood to help stop the hole from getting bigger.
I use a metal plate screwed to the side with two screws and with a hole drilled between the screws. Works well.
I think you kept to the KISS principal very well. Many of the other flip tops are too fussy. I love the folding shelf and immediately bought two pairs!!
All that said, I think the latch hardware is a miss. The best design I’ve seen for securing the flip top is Drew Fisher’s. I don’t like his internal cord and wiring, but that positive stop notch is genius.
Always fun to watch your content. Rock on!
I like the idea of flip carts quite a bit, but I've always worried about the piece of pipe holding the weight over a long period of time. Thinking about it from a weight perspective, I came up with a neat idea that I may use for a mobile cart for sanders and the like. Basically, every tool would be mounted to its own base, with t-track bolts on the bottom. Each tool would be stored on its own shelf when not in use, and could be secured to a top with t-track when in use.
Nice cart and design though!!! I love the idea of the spring latches that you used!
Yep, this is a better flip cart. Really simple which makes it elegant in my book. The only thing I think you over engineered are the locking bolts. It seems to me that two are sufficient to keep the top locked. I would still install four, but only drill holes on the front/top so I don't have to reach around/under to lock the other two when they are not needed. The two not in use could just remain retracted until they were back on top.
If you have a dust collection system, cut a hole to have a flexible hose, then make drawers to store the tools and accessories to support the attached machines.
Nice job bob turned out very nice I like this set up a lot better dosnt take up much more of a foot print and you technically get 4 tools on yours rather than 2 on all the other flip tops
Added this to my “Want To Do” list‼️
Great project, Bob, as always. Enjoy your channel a lot. Thanks
Hardware seems brilliant. Now let's see how it hold up against the test of time. Man keep up those videos, it's great, especially like this where its accessible to almost anyone with a jigsaw and a brain. Thanks man ✌️
Well done, easy but smartcould be next idea to do in my lab for some equipment... Bravissimo (Micky from Italy)
Love it! Very simple and functional 👍🏼
Good job Bob (as always). I enjoy all your videos because I enjoy your style as much as the content it’s self.
Looks great. It looked like you were storing belts and pads in the old furniture. Image it would be pretty easy to add a way to hook that on to this station.
Just a suggestion. On the spring loaded stops, I'd place a reinforcement in the holes. This would ensure that the holes don't widen due to rubbing.
If it were mine, I'd be trying to find a way to rig up a pulley system to pull out the 2 or 4 pin locks at once. Could be overthinking it, but this would all you to mount the pin locks within the sandwich, and have the pulleys be accessible from both sides. Definitely more complicated.
Having built the Fisher's Shop cart, I can see the value in both latch systems. Both have their place.
I really really like this! Think a 12" planner would fit on the flip cart side? I was thinking a small drill press and planner.
Great job 👏 with those strong pins dont think you would need to lock the rear ones too. I have no need for this but want to make one now
The casters are great, but can be expensive. Rockler sells mounting plates that you can buy for all your other tools and move the casters to the tool when needed. Also the black pipe would have been stronger and a small 1/16" dado would have allowed it to fit within the 3 layer sandwich. Great built all around and like the spring loaded latches you choose.
You have such a huge knowledge base, I actually thought you would go with something like pneumatic pistons for the flip-locks, operated with a switch. Awesome how it turned out, though!
I like the idea of the gate latches to hold the flip top in place. I am wondering if two of the latches would be enough to hold it instead of using four.
That's a lovely looking cart. I find fliptops have a few problems sometimes: the height is often too high, determined by the height of your tallest tool; and you need space to flip it, necessitating not just wheels but enough space to rotate outwards.
If one of the key problems was the tools taking each others left and right space on a long bench, perhaps having them able to independently slide out like a drawer would be more convenient.
The sides of the cart for the spindle sander platform should come up to the table top on the sander so that your fold down extensions act as table extension(s)
Great video as usual !!! One thing i would add is a cyclone for your dust collection.
Nice job. On the latching piece, as the sides are higher than the pivoting table add 2 boards equal to that height difference and hinge them to the top of the sides. Lift them up to flip the table and swing them down again to lock the table in place. No extra hardware required (everyone has hinges in a drawer somewhere) and only 2 movements required instead of 4
I like the idea, but I can still envision a little wiggle there, unless there's so little tolerance that you have to wedge them in, and pry them out...but that DOES give me an idea using toggle clamps mounted to the tops of those side walls; now to figure out how to link the pair on each side together... 🤔
Cool idea!!
I like your videos, man. Whether it's something I'd make or not, you make quality entertaining videos, from which I always learn something new.
You didn't show it in the video, but did you incorporate power into the cart at all? It would be nice to just plug the cart into an outlet with all the tools plugged into a vacuum switch that powers the dust collector automatically. Also, dust is going to collect in the bottom of the flip cart as it is used, so you could put something down there to collect that dust to make cleaning much easier.
Well done.
Nice and simple. I probably would have swaped the bolts around so the back one where on the top and front underneath for ease of access.
You could of incorporated an arduino project into your latches . Simple push button 4 electric actuators with a bolt at the end . So all 4 actuators activate and lock or unlock with the push of one button wires could be run through the pipe and out to each one . Loved this anyway
Not everything needs to have an electric point of failure lol. I don't know how safe it'd be to have the table able to come unlatched while yur using a heavy tool atop it
@SheepUndefined true, but it could be done and I get there are points of failure to it but I think it could make the flipping and locking off quicker more efficient if you just press one button and all 4 locked in place at once rather than having to lock off each one. Was just a thought anyway
@@davesmith7671 Yeah my main thinking is just that for something that's the one thing preventing my work surface falling out from under me, or turning around and smacking me in the chest, I'd want that to be something that's dead simple, even if it's less convenient.
Fixing the pipe to the sides will provide additional support to the outside wall at the top.
The latches on the flip top, I would have mounted them the other way: under the front and over the back:
- less intrusive at the front if they are under the flip top
- easy to access from the front only
And you could make the top flip only by 180 degrees, back and forth instead of a full turn. That would prevent electric cords twisting one with the other and could have the tools permanently powered.
Metal fabricator here. Pipe is classified and named with its ID. Round tubing is named with its OD. So next time you need round metal and care more about the OD, get round tubing. There are other considerations like seam vs seamless and grade and stuff as well
Well this is just flipping great!