Get The Pottery Barn Look With This Galvanized Cart
I love the look of metal and saw this cart on Pottery Barn's website. Love the cart, hate the price. I knew I could make it for less and put my own spin on it.
Galvanized trays, tubs and bins are the rage this summer so finding a few trays wasn't too hard. I found two trays at Hobby Lobby for 66% off!
For the legs, I purchased 1/2" steel pipe in the electrical department at Lowe's
I began by cutting the pipe to length:
4 - 12" - - these pipes were the bottom legs that would hold casters
4 - 20" - - these pipes were the upper legs
Cutting the pipe is really easy using a pipe cutter. You can purchase one at any home improvement center for a few dollars and if you are a DIYer, you'll use it more than once.
Once the pipe was cut, I had to attach the casters to the bottom of the 12" legs.
A - I purchased a 5/8" wooden dowel and cut it into 4, 1.5" pieces
B - I placed the wooden down on top of one end of the pipe and hammered it inside the pipe. This takes a little bit of muscle.
C - I then drilled a hole in the center of the dowel. Make sure your drill bit is the same width as the post on the caster.
D - I inserted the caster into the hole. It fit snuggly so I tapped it in with a rubber mallet.
To attach the legs to the trays, I purchased 12 floor flanges which can be found in the plumbing section of your home improvement store. (I purchased black instead of galvanized as the black were less expensive).
A - I placed each flange in the corner of the inside of one tray and marked the holes with a Sharpie.
B - Before drilling the holes, I placed a piece of scrap wood under the tray so I wouldn't drill into my work surface then I drilled the holes on my Sharpie marks.
C - I laid the flange in the inside of the tray and using 1/4" x 20 x 3/4" machine screws, I inserted the screws into the holes.
D - I then placed another flange on the back of the tray, lining it up with the screws and attached both flanges to the tray using nuts.
For the upper tray,
A - I turned the tray on it's back and marked the flange holes with a Sharpie
B - I drilled on the Sharpie marks
C - Using 1/4" x 20 x 1/2" machines screws, I placed the screws going from the inside of the tray to the back
D - then lined a flange onto the back of the tray, lining up the screws. I attached the tray to the flange with nuts.
My pipes weren't threaded so:
A - I used 1/2" set screw connectors (found in the plumbing department)
B - I placed a connector onto the other end of the pipe with the casters and tightened the screw.
C - Then I screwed the connector and pipe into the flange on the bottom of the tray.
Set screw connectors were place on both ends of the 20" pipe and tightened.
The 20" pipes and screw connectors were inserted into each flange and tightened.
I use my cart for craft and office supplies to keep my desk clear. You can use this cart for anything from bar supplies to an outside drink station to a mobile toy organizer. The possibilities are endless.
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Love this idea! It would look great with my Grain Bin outdoor Kitchen!
Thank you for sharing
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Wow great idea and money saver as well! Personally the galvanized metal look isn't for me but I appreciate how much time and effort you put into this project because it really does look fantastic! I was thinking why not use plastic trays or wooden trays or even wicker to make this, I think it can be done with just about any type of material if you're creative and handy enough so why not just give it a go! Great job! 👏😍👏
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What is your est. total cost? P.S. Looks great!
You bout 12 flanges-why?