Using a folded MFT on top of carts?

[ddr90036]

Hi FOG,

I'm considering building two carts that will sit under each side of an MFT/3.  I'll put the cart on locking wheels.  It will be set up like two file cabinets and a board that make a desk.  Does anyone have an opinion if this is a bad idea? Will it be stable? I need to save as much space as possible so I just thought of doing this and wonder what everyone thinks of it.

Thanks

 

[Gregor]

In case the carts are sturdy I see no problem.

Could be an idea to make some mortices in their tops to register the 4 rubber feet on the corner brackets of the MFT so it can't slide off by accident...

 

[ddr90036]

excellent idea on the mortises!  Would you chisel them out from a template?

 

[nclemmons]

It would be sturdier to have a full 'cabinet' under the table than two carts I would think.  Is there a reason not to go full width and create more storage underneath? 

Are you thinking the carts are the width of a Systainer to allow storage?  If you go with two, what is the center area used for? 

You might think about the possible challenge of 8 casters on the ground, where you have a higher likelihood of one or more of the casters not being level if your floor is not flat.  I do think you may have the chance of 'racking' with the two end units even with a plywood top than a more robust cabinet interior back / sides to provide more stability.  I'd definitely use locking wheels that lock caster rotation as well as rolling.

If you want to do mortises, I'd probably just use a template and a bearing or guide bushing driven router to give you consistent depth and size on each corner rather than chiseling them.  You could also just glue in four blocks on the interior of the MFT base directly to the plywood top and not worry about a mortise, but still stabilize it from slipping.

 

[Sparktrician]

Given the dimensions of the MFT, it makes no sense to me to use two separate cabinets to support a single MFT.  There's not enough room left over for an effective kneewell.  As suggested by [member=167]neilc[/member], I used four glued-on blocks to keep the MFT from sliding off the rolling sysport a few years ago.  If I were to do it again, I'd use four Qwas Dogs to locate the MFT rather than the glued-on blocks.  YMMV...

 

[sprior]

There are a bunch of good designs for cabinets that go under a folded MFT. Here's a thread discussing mine

 

[ddr90036]

Thanks to everyone for great feedback!

 

[Kodi Crescent]

Will you be removing the MFT?  I have 2 such carts.  One has shelves for sustainers, the other does not and stores other random tools (e.g. planer, TS 75, etc.).  I removed the legs on my MFT's.  I can reattach them if necessary.

One cart does not have any mortises or blocks or such keeping the MFT in place (at least not that I remember adding, as I built this many years ago).  The other cart does have some bolt-on blocks that hold the MFT in place.  Both carts put the MFT's at the same height so that I can configure the workstation as needed.

One thing I found vital with using the MFT - The MFT is small.  You MUST have a space to place other things that you use in whatever your task is (e.g. tape measure, chisel, screwdriver, clamps, etc.).  You will find yourself moving these items constantly.  So you must account for a buffer space.

I built my carts to make use of that dead space between the top of the cart and the bottom of the MFT.  The folded legs would get in the way, hence their removal.  If you could mortise in the legs to the top of the cart, then try that.  I don't know if I considered that at the time, but the ability to get my hands under the MFT and scoop out small things that drop from the holes (e.g. screws, etc.) is important.  Having the legs in the way or mortises may make retrieving these items a frustrating task.

Don't ignore the use of that dead space.  You will need it.  Otherwise, you will find yourself spending tons of time "transferring" items from one space to another in the course of your task.  Things like clamps, sandpaper, screwdrivers, you name it.  You have to have a place to set them down, and the MFT top isn't a good place for them if you are using the top.  These "transfers" are inefficient, and get old and frustrating really fast.

Due to this dead space, my working heights are not the same as the original table with the legs out.  If I were to build the cart at the original height and include that buffer space, I wouldn't have much room for sustainers or a CT 22 or 26 extractor under it.  So I'm not working at the optimal ergonomic height.  But this was an acceptable tradeoff to gain that dead space I mentioned.

Some things to consider in your design.

 

[waho6o9]

Does anyone have an opinion if this is a bad idea? Will it be stable?

That's a great idea and to make it stable lag it to the wall. That's what I did and it's solid.

 

[Kodi Crescent]

I have the legs removed on mine.  My cart has blocks that fit into the table corners that keep the table from falling off the cart.

I wouldn't put the MFT folded on a cart unless the cart had mortises for the legs to hold it on.  Plus, scooping small parts out from under it would be a pain with the legs in the way.

 

[Acrobat]

Yes to removing the legs from the MFT if you don't wish to use it elsewhere. Removing them gives you a bit of accessible space under the mft top to clamp and put things.
I agree also on just having a single cart (rather than two smaller ones), easier to roll around to the position you want in the workshop. Use locking wheels. 
I just have corner blocks screwed down that stop the top/frame moving, so its still easy to lift the unit off if I ever need to.
There are a ton of carts made and shown on this site, most quite similar just with variations of drawers for the systainers or the sizes of the side drawers etc.