On Page 1 of this kitchen island cart plan we showed you how to get everything ready, how to cut the wood and how to drill the pocket holes.
Now comes the fun! Assembling your cart is simple with pocket hole joinery! Just follow the steps below.
Click here, or on the photo, to visit Page 1. Here you will learn how to get ready all materials and tools, how to cut, and how to drill the pocket holes.
The link to the pdf
for this free kitchen island cart plan
is at the bottom of the page.
Drawer Box Construction Comes First.
You will be using your assembled drawer box as a spacing jig when you assemble the cabinet box of this kitchen island cart plan, so it needs to be joined together first.
Lay one of the long side pieces on your flat surface. Align the drawer
bottom along the bottom edge of the side. Clamp in place, double-check
for square, and drive the Kreg screws into the pocket holes.
Lay the other long side piece of your drawer box on the flat surface. Align the drawer bottom with the bottom edge of that side piece. And, as before, clamp in place, double-check for square, and drive the pocket hole screws.
The short front and back pieces of the drawer box can now be joined to the sides and bottom using pocket hole joinery.
Once those 2 pieces are added, your drawer box is completed, and you can move on to assembling the cabinet box of this kitchen island cart plan.
Lay one of the side pieces, with the best side down, on the flat
surface, and clamp into place. Align the bottom shelf along the bottom
line of the side piece, making the front of the shelf flush with the
front of the side piece. This will leave a 3/8" gap at the back, where
the bead board will eventually go.
For the bottom shelf, you want the pocket holes to be on the bottom, where they will not seen.
Clamp into place, double-check for square, and drive the Kreg jig screws.
Repeat the same to attach the top shelf to the same side piece.
Again, align the front of the top piece with the front of the side piece
to create the 3/8" setback.
For the top shelf, the pocket holes could be on the top, as that will be
covered by the final top piece. Or, they could be on the bottom, as
that will be hidden by the drawer to this kitchen island cart
plan.
One of the Kreg clamps that is very helpful here is the right angle
clamp, often called the "ultimate clamp for joining 90 degree pocket
screw joints."
The steel pin on one arm of this Kreg clamp fits into one pocket hole.
The other arm clamps to back of the piece you are clamping. You drive
the screw in the pocket hole adjacent to the steel pin.
Since almost all of the joints in this kitchen island cart plan are at right angles, this would be very handy!
The 2nd shelf from the bottom can also be joined to the side.
The best way to do this is to take the piece of beadboard that is 14
1/4" high, and use it as a spacing jig. Set the beadboard on the top of
the bottom shelf, and then align the bottom of the next shelf on the
top of the 14 1/4" piece.
Use the beadboard again, when you join that shelf to the other side.
See the pdf at the bottom of the page to see how the spacing jig is used, or to learn more about the benefits of using spacing jigs, click here.
This photo shows the 3/8" space at the back of each of the shelf pieces.
You can now join the 2nd side of the cabinet box to the first side and the 3 installed shelves.
As before, clamp in place and double-check for square, before you drive the Kreg jig screws.
Next attach the Top To This Kitchen Island Cart Plan.
Before you put the next shelf in your cabinet box, you want to attach
the top. If you put in the shelf that will support the drawer first, it
will be difficult to attach the top.
Lay the best side of your top on a protected, flat surface. This free
kitchen island plan calls for the back of the cabinet box to be 5/8"
inset from the back of the finished top. This will give you a front
overhang of 1 1/4".
When positioned correctly, clamp the cabinet box in place. Drill holes
for the 1 1/4" flathead wood screws to go from the cabinet box into the
cabinet top. And then drive those screws.
The last shelf will hold up your drawer. Put your cabinet box on its
side. Place the drawer next to the top of your cabinet box. Align your
shelf next to the bottom of your drawer, making it flush with the front
of the side.
Clamp the shelf into place and double-check for square, before you drive the pocket hole screws.
The 3 horizontal cleats can now be added as follows:
One just above the bottom shelf;
One just below each of the middle shelves.
The vertical cleat (not shown in the photo) is joined at the center of
the front of the bottom shelf, and the 2nd shelf up. It will be behind
the 1/8" gap between the cabinet doors.
The bead board back can now be attached. Lay the cabinet on its face.
Mark where the cleats would come on the bead board. Lay the bead board
piece in place, and attach it to the cleats using 5/8" brads or
finishing nails.
When you roll the build kitchen island cart around, the back looks almost as great as the front.
Insert the Other 2 Pieces of Bead board.
The smallest piece of bead board will fit behind the open shelf space on
the inside back of the cabinet, just below the top cleat. Use 5/8"
brads to attach this piece to the outside back bead board.
The 14 1/4" piece will fit behind the closed shelf space on the inside
back of that section of this kitchen island cart plan. Use 3/4" brads to attach this
piece to the two lower cleats.
The addition of these pieces gives the kitchen island cart a pleasing, and cohesive look.
Lay the best side of your drawer front on a flat surface. Align the
front of your drawer box so that it is centered on all 4 sides of the
drawer front.
When it is centered, clamp in place, and drill holes for the 1 1/4"
flathead, wood screws. Then connect the drawer front to the box with
the wood screws.
The completed drawer fits perfectly into the top space you created for it.
You can now do your final sanding. The customer wanted this finished with stain and varnish. But this would be a fun project to try with some milk paint!
The wheels we used added 1 5/8" height to our build kitchen island cart.
They were fastened to the bottom shelf using 5/8" wood screws. The
wheels we used were rated for 33 pounds each.
With the wheels attached, you can roll out your kitchen island cart for
more counter space while making pancakes for a houseful of hungry,
middle-school boys!
May this kitchen island cart plan, and the other free wood working plans on our site, encourage you to make furniture for your home, and for the family and friends you love!
Click here, or on the photo, to check out some of the cabinets you can build with your Kreg jig.
Mar 09, 16 11:04 AM
Repair cracked wood chair instead of throwing it out! It is easy!
Feb 16, 16 09:42 AM
This DIY hanger rack is simple to make! Costs almost nothing. Need only a few tools.
Jan 29, 16 10:08 AM
Yes! You can make this ladder for laundry room! Step by step instructions!