mobile

cutoff bin

© 2013 August Home Publishing Co.

 storage
solutions

mobile
Cutoff Bin
This handy cart
provides a home for all
those cutoffs that are too
good to throw away.

When I’m in the middle of a project and using the The construction couldn’t be easier — it’s made
table saw heavily, having a place to toss the cutoffs from plywood with butt joints reinforced with
is pretty important. The mobile bin you see above is screws. And the front rails are made from 1⁄2" EMT
the perfect solution. It’s home is usually right next conduit you’ll find at a home center or hardware
to my table saw. But it can be rolled wherever I need store. It’s a quick build that’s sure to go a long way
a handy place to save useable cutoffs. toward keeping your shop neat and clutter-free.

1 WoodsmithPlans.com SN13134 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 FRONT
DIVIDER

!!/16"-DIA.
THROUGH
HOLE CL
NOTE: ALL PARTS
1
FIGURE
EXCEPT RAILS MADE
FROM #/4" PLYWOOD #8 x 1!/2" Fh
WOODSCREW
C
REAR DIVIDER
(5!/2" x 23!/4 ")
17
C 9&/16
CL SIDE VIEW
7" RAD.
C %/8
13
9
FRONT
DIVIDER

8!/4 !!/16"-DIA.
THROUGH
5 HOLE

FRONT DIVIDER
A (7" x 23!/4") 1!/2

B
BIN BACK 17
(23!/4" x 38!/2")

B 13
9
BIN FRONT
(23!/4" x 38!/2")

5
D
a. TOP VIEW RAIL
(!/2" I.D. x 39!/4" EMT CONDUIT)
REAR
DIVIDER
CL
BIN BIN BACK
FRONT 9&/16

FRONT
DIVIDER REAR
DIVIDER
9!/16 12!!/16

Starting Off. To build the bin, TOP VIEW

12%/16 BIN FRONT
I worked from the inside out. The
three compartments in front are FRONT DIVIDER EMT RAIL
made from a pair of dividers and
metal conduit. Two large panels
form the front and back of the
four compartments in the middle CL
of the bin. The drawings above back of the compartments to size. There are a lot of screws, but BIN I BACK
show the details. You’ll need to drill several coun- still glued all of the joints.
Curved Dividers. Begin by tersunk screw holes that will be To help align and position the REAR
cutting the two front dividers used when installing the divid- parts evenly while clamping 9!/16
DIVIDER
to size. Lay out the curves, and ers. The Top View drawing above them, I used scrap pieces of ply-
then use a band saw or jig saw to will help in laying out the spac- wood as spacers. A spacer at the
cut them to shape, sanding them ing and location of the screws. top and bottom of the dividers 12%/16 TOP VIEW
smooth afterward. Rear Dividers. The rear divid- will help keep them square and
FRONT DIVIDER
To make the conduit easier ers are the last things to cut to fin- parallel to each other until the
to install, it’s important to keep ish up the inside compartments. screws are installed.
the holes in the front dividers They’re simply cut to size before Conduit Rails. The four con-
aligned. To do this, I stacked the you start the assembly process. duit rails are easy to cut with a
parts together before drilling the Assembly. Putting all the parts hack saw. I took some time to file
holes at the drill press. together involves clamping the the rough edges smooth to make
Front & Back. Set the dividers parts in place, drilling pilot holes, it easier to slide the rails through
aside for now to cut the front and and then driving in the screws. the holes in the front dividers.

2 WoodsmithPlans.com SN13134 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 2
FIGURE

SIDE VIEW
1!/2 %/8
E

8!/4 7" RAD.

!!/16"-DIA. x
#/8"-DEEP
COUNTERBORE

SIDE

E
SIDE 6%/8 17
BOTTOM (14" x 23!/4" - #/4" Ply.)
(20!/2" x 40!/2" -
#/4" Ply.)
F 13 9
8!/4
G
5

1!/2
G
G
#/8
CLEAT
(#/4" x 1!/2" - 12%/16")
#8 x 1!/2" Fh
WOODSCREW

c. SIDE
a. FRONT VIEW
b. CLEAT
#/8 !/4
SIDE BOTTOM
CLEAT !/4
!/4 EMT RAIL FRONT
VIEW
SIDE
BOTTOM
FRONT
SIDE VIEW EDGE

final placing the sides on the bin of hardwood cut to size and

Details
assembly will help ensure these installed with a pair of screws
holes are in the correct location. through the bottom.
Then drill the countersunk screw Rear Storage. You’ll turn your
holes and attach the sides. attention now to the rear of the
Finishing up the cutoff bin Base. Making the plywood cart. Blocking creates an elevated
involves adding the sides plus bottom follows along the same shelf for holding plywood cutoffs
a shelf and back that form a lines as the front and back you and strengthens the back to keep
pocket for storing plywood cut- made earlier. It’s cut to size and the cutoffs contained.
offs. You’ll also add a bottom and then predrilled for screws used to You can start by cutting 3⁄4" ply-
casters to make the bin mobile. attach it to the cart assembly. wood to size to make the block-
Sides. The pair of sides start I turned the assembly upside ing shown in Figure 3. These
out as rectangular blanks. Figure down on the shop floor to attach pieces provide a secure con-
2 shows how they’re curved to the bottom. I centered the bot- nection for the back and serve
match the curve you cut on the tom left-to-right and left a 1⁄4" to elevate the shelf. I installed
two front dividers. overhang on the front. Drive the the blocking with a few screws
The holes in the sides that screws to fasten it down before through the bottom.
accept the conduit rails aren’t flipping the assembly over to add Adding the shelf is just a mat-
through holes, so I couldn’t stack the cleats along the front. ter of cutting it to size and install-
the sides together to drill the Cleats. The three cleats you see ing it with screws on top of the
counterbored holes. Here, some above keep cutoffs from slipping blocking. Then the back panel
careful layout and temporarily out of the bins. They’re pieces can be cut to size.

3 WoodsmithPlans.com SN13134 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 3
FIGURE
BACK
(23!/4 x 40" - #/4" Ply.) SIDE VIEW a.
J BACK
!/4" RAD.
ON TOP EDGES
SHELF

SIDE
BLOCKING

BOTTOM

b.
SHELF

BLOCKING
SHELF BACK
(5!/4" x 40" - #/4" Ply.)
I VIEW

BOTTOM

H
4"-DIA.
SWIVEL
!/2 c.
CASTER
!/2

H #12 x #/4" Ph
#8 x 1!/2" Fh WOODSCREW
WOODSCREW H
BLOCKING 13
(3" x 5!/4" - #/4" Ply.) 4"-DIA. BOTTOM
LOCKING SWIVEL
CASTER
BOTTOM VIEW

Installing the Back. The back Casters. Once again, you’ll dirt and grime off the plywood.
panel rests on the bottom and is need to flip the cart over to install And since the cart will collect a
screwed to the blocking and shelf. the four swivel casters. Two lot of dust near my table saw, a
To help ensure that I installed of the casters are locking and I finish makes it easier to vacuum
the screws into the blocking, I installed them at the front. Figure away the sawdust when it comes
extended pencil lines from the 3c shows how the caster plates time to tidy up the workshop.
edges of the blocking out to are inset from the edges of the The last thing to do is find
the edge of the bottom panel. bottom. Drill pilot holes before a convenient spot to place the
Now you can put the back installing the pan-head screws. cutoff bin. You’ll want to keep it
panel in place, aligning the out- Applying a Finish. Because within reach near your table saw
side edges flush with the outside it’s a shop project that will see or miter saw. It’s a handy place
blocking. Adding a few clamps to quite a bit of use, I like to apply a to keep cutoffs that are too big to
hold it in position frees up your couple coats of wipe-on varnish. throw away. Who knows when
hands to drill the screw holes and (You can also use a spray finish if you just might need those pieces
drive in the screws. you prefer.) The finish helps keep for a special project?

Materials & Hardware

A Front Dividers (2) 7 x 231⁄4 - 3⁄4 Ply. I Shelf (1) 51⁄4 x 40 - 3⁄4 Ply.
B Bin Front/Back (2) 231⁄4 x 381⁄2 - 3⁄4 Ply. J Back (1) 231⁄4 x 40 - 3⁄4 Ply.
C Rear Dividers (3) 51⁄2 x 231⁄4 - 3⁄4 Ply.
D Rails (4) 1 ⁄2-dia. x 391⁄4 EMT Conduit • (69) #8 x 11⁄2" Fh Woodscrews
E Sides (2) 14 x 231⁄4 - 3⁄4 Ply. • (2) 4"-dia. Locking Swivel Casters
F Bottom (1) 201⁄2 x 401⁄2 - 3⁄4 Ply. • (2) 4"-dia. Swivel Casters
G Cleats (3) 3⁄ x 11⁄ - 125⁄ • (16) #12 x 3⁄4" Ph Woodscrews
4 2 16
H Blocking (4) 3 x 51⁄4 - 3⁄4 Ply.

4 WoodsmithPlans.com SN13134 ©2013 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 Mobile Cutoff Bin
Materials List
A Front Dividers (2) 7 x 231⁄4 - 3⁄4 Ply. I Shelf (1) 51⁄4 x 40 - 3⁄4 Ply.
B Bin Front/Back (2) 23 ⁄4 x 381⁄2 - 3⁄4 Ply.
1 J Back (1) 231⁄4 x 40 - 3⁄4 Ply.
C Rear Dividers (3) 51⁄2 x 231⁄4 - 3⁄4 Ply.
D Rails (4) 1⁄ -dia. x 391⁄ EMT Conduit • (69) #8 x 11⁄2" Fh Woodscrews
2 4
E Sides (2) 14 x 231⁄4 - 3⁄4 Ply. • (2) 4"-dia. Locking Swivel Casters
F Bottom (1) 201⁄2 x 401⁄2 - 3⁄4 Ply. • (2) 4"-dia. Swivel Casters
G Cleats (3) 3⁄ x 11⁄ - 125⁄ • (16) #12 x 3⁄4" Ph Woodscrews
4 2 16
H Blocking (4) 3 x 51⁄4 - 3⁄4 Ply.

Cutting Diagram
48" x 96" - #/4" PLYWOOD

B B

F
J

48" x 48" - #/4" PLYWOOD #/4" x 3!/2" - 48" HARDWOOD (1.2 Bd. Ft.)

A
E
G
A

E
C

H H H H

GRAIN DIRECTION

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