Introduction: Rolling Printer Cart for TWO Printers + Storage

By Just Might DIY YouTube Channel;
About: My love of making things started young, with a mom who was always coming up with projects and a dad whose tool collection still gives me envy. I got my love of bright colors from mom and my love of working wi…

We recently ended up procuring a monster-sized color laser printer fit for a small business...literally. Ha! But that was just new printer #1. As we expand the DIY disciplines we work with, we also picked up an Epson EcoTank 2720 to convert into a sublimation printer. The problem is that we had nowhere to put these two printers. Which brings us to today's Instructable.

We built ourselves a great little printer cart to hold both printers, with the giant color laser printer on top and the sublimation printer on a sliding tray. Of course, printers need lots of accessories like ink, toner and paper, so we also added a couple of drawers to create an all-in-one storage station.

With the color laser printer weighing in at over 50 pounds, we knew this thing had to be sturdy, so we built the body of it out of wood. To save time and money, we purchased two drawers and a tray from the IKEA Komplement collection, so we built the dimensions of the printer cart around those.

Supplies

(Amazon links = Affiliate Links)

Birch Plywood Latex paint

Table or circular saw - https://amzn.to/3bCH4jK

Random orbital sander – https://amzn.to/37q46ca

Miter saw – https://amzn.to/2YDSAGw

Wood glue - https://amzn.to/3cKrJ1U

Measuring tape - https://amzn.to/3bKyTSz

Pencil - https://amzn.to/2WKMfKm

Drill - https://amzn.to/2GiNK9g

Paint supplies - https://amzn.to/39dsfWO

Nail gun - https://amzn.to/39VetYc

Air compressor - https://amzn.to/3sRRtC4

Speed square - https://amzn.to/39gJpDb

T-Square - https://amzn.to/3c2j8Kt

Clamps - https://amzn.to/2LSeFiW

Wood filler - https://amzn.to/3cdYiaS

Ikea Komplement Drawers - https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/komplement-drawer-wh...

Ikea Komplement Tray - https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/komplement-pull-out-...

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Step 1: ​Cut Wood to Size

The success of this project begins with making precise cuts. You want this to be fully square, so take your time on this first part.

Gather the following materials: sheet of Birch plywood, T-square, measuring tape, pencil, power saw (we used a circular saw, but a table saw with an outfeed table would work as well).

Follow these steps:

1. Use T-square to draw a straight line across the bottom of the sheet of plywood.

2. Cut along this line and double check that your board is square.

3. Cut the following five pieces:

2 Boards for top and bottom: 23" deep x 19 5/8" wide

2 Boards for sides: 23" wide x 29 3/4" high

1 Board for back: 18 7/8" wide x 29" high

4. Sand pieces so they are even.

5. Cut a few 1 3/16" wide strips from the plywood sheet for the facing. We recommend not cutting them to length until the next step.

Step 2: ​Build Out Main Structure

Now it's time to build the "carcass" of the printer cart. We'll attach the five boards you just cut, as well as add some trim to give it a finished look.

Gather the following pieces: all cut wood pieces, pencil, speed square, miter saw, wood glue, nail gun + air compressor.

Follow these steps:

1. Run a trip of glue along the edge of the bottom piece.

2. Butt the bottom of the first side to the top of the bottom piece.

3. Use the speed square to ensure that your pieces meet at 90 degrees.

4. Secure with a series of nails using the nail gun.

5. Repeat process, attaching the other side to the bottom piece, then the top and back piece.

6. Grab one of your wood strips and cut one end to 45 degrees.

7. Hold trim piece up to the unit and mark with a pencil.

8. Cut other side to 45 degrees.

9. Secure trim using wood glue and nails.

10. Repeat process for other three trim pieces.

Step 3: ​Drill Pilot Holes for Rails and Wheels

Now that the main structure is built, it's time to do all of the drilling for the drawers, tray and wheels.

Gather the following materials: drill, IKEA drawers + rails, IKEA tray + rail, 4 locking wheels, measuring tape, project board, pencil.

Follow these steps:

1. Flip the unit over onto its top and drill holes for all four wheels.

2. Flip unit back over.

3. Measure the placement of the rail on the drawer, making note of the distance from the front of the rail to the front of the drawer.

4. Place a couple of blocks of scrap wood in the bottom of the unit to enable the drawer to clear the bottom trim. Place the rail on the scrap wood and use measuring tape to position it the correct distance from the front.

5. Mark the holes for the screws and drill pilot holes for the rail.

6. Repeat the process on the other side.

7. Attach both rails with the screws and insert drawer.

8. Place a piece of project board on top of drawer to provide spacing between drawers.

9. Repeat entire process to drill holes for the second drawer and sliding tray.

10. Remove all rails once completed.

11. Use a forstner bit or hole saw to drill a hole for the power cord to pass through for the second printer that will sit on the tray.

NOTES:

The size will depend on your power cord.

We forgot to do this until after it was painted but recommend doing it before.

Step 4: Assemble IKEA Drawers

For both cost and time efficiency, we decided to use IKEA Komplement drawers and a sliding Komplement tray in this build. We kind of think of it as the "Rachel Ray" approach to woodworking. Some things you build full out, and in some places, you find efficiencies.

We'll show you how to install the rails in the next step. However, if you decide to go the same route, we have a whole video on how to assemble these great little drawers.

Step 5: ​Paint Printer Cart

Now comes the fun part: painting the unit! Before you pour the paint, though, there's some not-as-fun prep work that needs to be done.

Gather the following materials: wood filler, power sander, extra sand paper, paint supplies, paint of your choice.

Follow these steps:

1. Use wood filler to fill in all holes from nails, as well as any gaps at attachment points.

2. Let wood filler cure according to the instructions on the bottle.

3. Sand entire unit until smooth.

NOTE: We recommend sanding up to at least 220, if not higher.

4. Remove all dust from sanding using a tack cloth or similar.

5. Paint entire unit using your choice of colors. We opted to paint the inside a fun color to make it pop.

Step 6: ​Add Finishing Touches and Enjoy!

Once your paint is dry, it's time to add back in the drawers, tray and printers! We HIGHLY recommend putting the unit in the place where it will live first before you add in all of the drawers. Once you've done that, just add your printers and et voila! You now have a dual printer cart, complete with storage.

If you liked this project, please head over to JustMightDIY.com for other tips, DIY stories and more. And if you’re interested in checking out more of our tutorials, check out our Instructables profile or head over to our YouTube channel.

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