Flip flop, flip top stands out of 2x4s and plywood scraps. Using what I have...

[dbhost]

I saw a video the other day that made me think.

In order to do the plywood flip top stand builds, I need sheets of cabinet grade plywood, and that stuff is getting expensive these days, and decent sheets are not exactly easy pickins...

Well, the video that made me think is this guy that made his flip top stands using 2x4s. I have LOTS of those at the ready.

Simply speaking he half lapped the corners to make a square for each side panel, slotted them with flipped kerfs to end up with something like a 1/8" slot and assembled them with 1/8" tempered hardboard, another product I have in abundance in my shop...

The only part I will need plywood for is the bottom fill panel, and the mounting surfaces for the tools. But my tools are already mounted on 3/4" thick plywood boards and if I flip sideways, everything would easily clear... So only need for plywood would be the bottom fill panels. Which would EASILY come out of my scrap bins.

That leaves me with a need for casters, I have one set, need a second from Harbor Freight, Some manner of doing a flip stop. Stupid easy tells me piece of 3/8" hardwood dowel at each corner as a removable stop pin, and of course a pivoting axle and a means to retain said axle. I will have to get some 3/8" steel smooth rod, and some keeper caps for the smooth rod.

I have been practicing with the Japanese pull saws, and I am getting pretty good at making the cuts nice and straight enough to get a glue line perfect joint face with maybe a minute of sanding after cutting...

Will they be the prettiest flip top stands? Nope. That is NOT my intention. Rather I am looking for space efficient, STRONG and inexpensive.

The big issue is going to be the accessories for the oscillating sander. And I am planning on just building a pocket inside the stand inner wall at the bottom to capcture that stuff.

I might draw it up, or just post pics when done. Just depends.

And since I already got a good start on this, and before anyone asks. YES I will be painting these hunter green just like the sharpening station stand...

Honestly with the painting kick I have been on, the miter saw bench will be lucky if it doesn't get a coating of hunter green. Although by the gallon I am thinking of just color matching and going with a cheaper paint to keep costs down. And no real need for an oil based paint on wood...

[Jim Frye]

I hinged the drop leaf out feed table on my saw using 1/2" dowels secured with rubber cane tips on each side. I made all of the tool stands from 2 by scraps from the houses being built around me with the builder's permission. They are painted with "CHB" (Chicago Home Builders) white paint. A cheap paint about one step up from white wash. Casters are 3" fixed (rear) and locking swivel (front) styles from HD. The cabinet doors are 3/4" scrap plywood hung on interior door hinges salvaged from a previous remodel at our old home. Door latches are cheap spring loaded ones from big box stores. You can see all of this in my tools album over at Woodworkingtalk.

[mpc]

It sounds like the side panels will be rather thick - from 2x4s if I understand you correctly. That's thicker than a layer of plywood and about as thick as two plywood sheets glued together. But certainly a lot less expensive. With hardboard making up the filler panel you will have a shallow reveal, right? Don't center the hardboard on the 2x4s: offset it closer to one edge so you have almost an inch deep pocket. That'll hold some accessories, manuals, etc. I'd put the hardboard closer to the inside of the 2x4 frames so the storage pocket was on the outside. Make shallow 1/8th rabbets on the 2x4 frames around the pocket; then you can glue/screw smaller hardboard planks across the pocket to hold stuff. Glue up "L" shaped bits to make storage shelves in the pockets, similar to narrow shelves folks make to store spray paint cans on closet doors.

Such pockets probably would not be deep enough for the bigger sanding drums... unless you made one side's 2x4 frame double-thick. Just tossing out ideas.

mpc

edit: I have more trouble finding quality double-sided tempered hardboard around here unless I want huge sheets... Quality pegboard in the small hole variety (since I have oodles of skinny pegs) is getting tough to find too.

[dbhost]

You are right there with what I was thinking. After I posted my first. The idea occurred to me to rabbet the inner parts of the inside edge so the hardboard panel could simply be glued in place and act as the back of the pocket. Some thinner plywood scraps making an attached 3 sides + bottom sized up so even the largest spindle fits and call it good. Probably use a dowel at a 45 degreee inside the leg arrangement to hold the washers...

[dbhost]

So digging through my parts in the tool chest. Yeah that crap needs to be gone through and put to use, recycled, or done away with but I digress...

I found I have 4 of the 3" urethane light duty swivel casters with brakes.

https://www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/tires-casters/3-in-clear-polyurethane-light-duty-swivel-caster-with-brake-69538.html

I need 4 fixed 3" casters without locks, however the wheels do not seem to match for the fixed casters. I'd rather not have swivel casters, so assuming height to the mount plate is the same I am thinking of getting 4 of these...

https://www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/tires-casters/3-inch-polyurethane-rigid-caster-96407.html

So shopping list.

1 @ 48" 3/8" smooth rod, and not sure what they are called, but those hammer on retainers like they use on garbage can or lawnmower wheel axles.. I have plenty of washers...

4 @ 3" fixed poly casters.

Gallon of cheap scrubbable interior latex gloss paint color matched to Rustoleum hunter green. Again I fully intend on painting these gloss hunter green.

Mind you, the presence of the 2 flip top stands will absolutely necessitate the removal of the floor run for the DC as it is in the space the stand would live in...