How to Build an Outdoor Grill Cart

When you’re grilling outdoors, you need to have enough space for your utensils, marinades and sauces and whatever you plan to grill. That’s where a grill cart is invaluable. You can load up the cart with everything you need from the kitchen, wheel it outside by the grill and work from there. Building your own cart requires basic know-how with a drill.

4 planks 2-by-2 lumber, 30 inch
8 planks 2-by-2 lumber, 12 inch
Wood glue
Drill
2 3/4-inch wood screws
1 sheet 3/4-inch plywood, 16-by-30 inch
2 1/2-inch wood screws
4 planks 2-by-6 lumber, 30 inch
3-inch lag bolts
Heavy-duty casters and accompanying screws
Wood countertop 25 by 35 inches
Wood finish
Paintbrush or rags

Instructions

- 1
  Lay two pieces of 30-inch 2-by-2 lumber 12 inches apart on a work surface. Glue a piece of 12-inch 2-by-2 in between each end of the 30-inch pieces, making a rectangle shape. Glue two more 12-inch pieces evenly spaced across the rectangle. Repeat so you have two frames that are the same size.
- 2
  Pre-drill two pilot holes, sized a little smaller than 2 3/4-inch wood screws, through the outside of the 30-inch sides of the frames into the ends of all the 12-inch pieces. Secure the joints of the two frames with 2 3/4-inch wood screws through the pre-drilled holes.
- 3
  Place a piece of 16-by-30-inch, 3/4-inch plywood on top of one of the frames; the edges of the plywood should be flush all around with the edges of the frame. Secure with 2 1/2-inch screws driven through the underside of the frame into the underside of the plywood. This way the top of the plywood is not marred by screw holes. This is the shelf for the grill cart.
- 4
  Stand the two frames on a 30-inch side. The shelf frame should be 20 inches below the top frame with the plywood facing up.
- 5
  Place two planks of 30-inch 2-by-6 lumber over the sides of the frames for the cart legs. The tops of the legs should be flush with the top of the first frame, and the sides of the legs flush with the ends of both frames.
- 6
  Secure the legs in place with four 3-inch lag bolts through the inside of the top and shelf frames into the legs. Turn the legs and frames over and attach two more legs on the other side.
- 7
  Center a heavy-duty caster on the end of each leg and secure it in place with the screws that come with the casters. Stand the cart upright on its legs.
- 8
  Apply wood glue to the top of the top frame and the top of the legs. Center your wooden countertop over the top frame and press down to bond it with the glue.
- 9
  Secure the slab in place with 2 3/4-inch wood screws through the underside of the top frame into the underside of the slab every 3 to 4 inches around the frame perimeter, as well as through the central 12-inch planks.
- 10
  Finish the grill cart with the wood finish of your choice.

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