We have always loved the look of stacked firewood on the front porch especially since moving from AZ where you never needed firewood, however it can be difficult to move, I also do not like that wood is sitting directly on our wood deck knowing that it can harbor moisture which is an enemy to wood, dirt, and pests. So we needed something different!
This firewood cart design came loosely from an article on Pinterest that was for indoors. I saved that article because I plan on building it someday for inside. When I make it for inside I will mimic this one I built for consistency based on some of the modifications I made. I built this cart much more shorter (2') and wider (4') than the inside version so that if we have it on the edge of our porch facing the street we can still see over it if we are sitting on our rocking chair or bench. When I build it for inside it will be a 2' square & 6' tall.
It was simple to make, took about an hour or so to complete although that was interrupted by a plum sized hail storm as you can see in the picture and had to wait a day to chemically age the zinc coating on the wheels. The drawings and finished pictures are below, and the instructions are at the bottom.
This firewood cart design came loosely from an article on Pinterest that was for indoors. I saved that article because I plan on building it someday for inside. When I make it for inside I will mimic this one I built for consistency based on some of the modifications I made. I built this cart much more shorter (2') and wider (4') than the inside version so that if we have it on the edge of our porch facing the street we can still see over it if we are sitting on our rocking chair or bench. When I build it for inside it will be a 2' square & 6' tall.
It was simple to make, took about an hour or so to complete although that was interrupted by a plum sized hail storm as you can see in the picture and had to wait a day to chemically age the zinc coating on the wheels. The drawings and finished pictures are below, and the instructions are at the bottom.
Before and After: The finished firewood cart with our new shutters, new flower, pot, & stand on the new wood deck. The deck has to age for 3-4 weeks before we can seal it.
 |  |
Chemically removed the 'new' shine of the zinc plating on the casters, note I did not repeat the process on the Inside Corner Braces, don't forget that step.
The aging process for zinc or galvanized metal is simple, I brush on toilet bowl cleaner and let it sit for a day or more. While it is setting I sprinkle salt on it and the keep it moist with vinegar. These chemicals quickly take the shine off and will begin to rust in parts. I was too impatient to wait for the rust and figured since this is an outdoor piece rust will happen over time. I have done wheels like these before for our coffee table that is a converted old trunk and the caster rusted up perfect. It took 2-3 days. NOTE: Do not get the chemicals (cleaner, salt, or vinegar) in the bearings!
Parts List
- (1) 4"x4" x 8' pressure treated post (I was originally going to use cedar and then use vinegaroon to age it but the wood was twice the price so I went with pressure treated lumber instead)
- (1) 2"x4" x 8' pressure treated board
- (4) 3/4" x 24" steel black pipe nipple
- (4) 3/4" steel pipe floor flange
- (4) 3/4" steel pipe caps
- (4) casters, make sure (2) of them are locking and/or swivel
- (12) 2.5" Inside Corner Braces
- (72) #8 x 1" Pan Head Phillips Screws
- (16) #14 x 1-1/2" Sheet Metal Screws
- (16) #14 x 1-1/2" Wood Screws
Instructions
Refer to drawings and pictures above. If you have any questions leave them in the comments section below.
- Prepare the caster wheels to age and remove 'new' look (see above), you can/should also add (4) of the Inside Corner Braces to the mix since they can/will be seen (I forgot to do those prior)
- Cut 4"x4" x 8' post in half, creating (2) 48" pieces, these are the side rails
- Cut 2"x4" x 8' into (3) sections 11" each (I wanted overall depth to be 18", I may recommend 16" if you plan on using shorter firewood. As a result three pieces need to be cut for the crossmembers. Their length is based on the overall depth (my case 18") minus 7" (4"x4" is 3.5" x 2 sides) equal 11")
- Treat the wood with a sealer, paint, or leave normal to allow natural aging
- Measure in 4" from the ends of the 4"x4" posts on the inside and scribe a line and then mark the center of the 48" post with a line as well, place the (3) 11" crossmembers on those lines and then mark, and drill 1/16" pilot holes for the Inside Corner Braces and then attach using the (72) #8 x 1" screws
- Locate, mark, drill 1/8"pilot holes for the 3/4" steel pipe floor flange, and then attach the flange to the ends of 4"x4" posts on the top side using the #14 x 1-1/2" Wood Screws
- Thread the 3/4" x 24" steel black pipe nipple into the floor flange and then thread on the caps
- Flip the cart over onto the 24" nipples and then place the casters in the position that you want on the bottom of the 4"x4" posts and then mark and drill 1/8" pilot holes, use the 16 #14 x 1-1/2" Sheet Metal Screws to attach the casters (save the casters for last so that the project isn't rolling around on you while you are trying to work on it)
- Flip over and load up with fire wood
- Sit back and admire your stinkin' awesome work, your a MAN... or WOMAN and if not then show this to someone and they will believe you are!!!
RSS Feed
