How to Make a Grill Cart

Form two planks of 30-inch, 1-by-3 lumber and two planks of 14-inch, 1-by-2 lumber into a rectangle, with the 14-inch planks on the inside so the outer dimension of the rectangle frame is 16-by-30 inches. Glue the frame together. Repeat so you have two identical frames.

Cut a 1-by-10-inch strip off of one end of two pieces of 40-inch, 1-by-3 lumber, so that the end is formed into a handle. Insert two pieces of 14-inch, 1-by-3 lumber between the two 40-inch pieces, one flush with the non-handle ends, the other 10 inches in from the handle end. Glue this frame together.

Secure all three frames with three 1 1/2-inch screws through each joint, from the outside of the longer sides, into the ends of the 14-inch planks.

Secure a piece of 16-by-30-inch, 1/2-inch plywood over the top of the two 16-by-30-inch frames with 1 1/2-inch screws driven through the plywood into the frame every 3 to 4 inches. These two frames will make shelves for the grill cart, and the frame with the handle will be the top.

Center a heavy-duty caster on the end of four pieces of 35-inch, 2-by-4 lumber, which will be the cart legs. Secure the casters in place using the screws that come with the casters through the screw holes of the caster mount plates into the ends of the legs.

Lay the three frames on their long sides, approximately 10 inches apart, with the handled frame at the top. Place two cart legs over the sides of the frames and adjust their position so that the top of the legs are flush with the top of the handled frame and the bottom of the legs are flush with the bottom of the last frame. The middle frame should be centered, and the legs also flush with the edges of all three frames.

Secure the legs to all three frames using four 3-inch lag bolts through the outside of the legs into the frames. Turn the legs and frames over, and repeat with the remaining two legs on the other side.

Stand the cart up on the legs and place a piece of 20-by-30-inch wood countertop on top of the handled frame. It should be flush with the end of the frame that doesn’t have the handles, so that the handles protrude past the countertop 10 inches.

Secure the countertop to the frame with screws through the countertop into the frame. Choose screws long enough to go through the countertop and around half the frame.

Fill the screw holes with spackle and let dry before finishing the cart in the desired wood finish. A weather-resistant varnish is ideal, so the cart will survive being left outside.