FOLDING

WORKSHOP

© 2015 August Home Publishing Co.

 dream
shop
project

folding
Workshop
This “shop-in-a-box” combines a
full-featured worksurface with lots of
tool storage in a compact package.
1 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
Exploded View Details NOTE: POWER STRIP
(BEHIND LIGHT STRIP)
SUPPLIES ELECTRICITY TO
SMALL POWER TOOLS
OVERALL DIMENSIONS:
27"D x 30"W x 70"H (STORED) 27"D x 92"W x 703⁄4"H (EXTENDED)
TOP FOLDS
WRAP-AROUND BACK FOR
DOORS FOLD FLAT OVERHEAD
BEHIND PEGBOARD CLEARANCE
PANELS

LIGHT STRIP
ILLUMINATES
WORK AREA

PEGBOARD
PANELS KEEP
TOOLS WITHIN
EASY REACH

FACE VISE LAYERED CONSTRUCTION

POCKET MAKES PEGBOARD
PANELS RIGID
{  Compact Storage. When in
“storage” mode, the workshop
EXTENDED
WORKBENCH IS folds up to save a lot of space.....
NEARLY 8' LONG

SHELF BELOW
BENCHTOP HELPS KEEP DURABLE BENCHTOP
WORKSURFACE CLEAR BUILT UP FROM LAYERS OF
PLYWOOD WRAPPED WITH
THICK HARDWOOD EDGING

BENCH DOG HOLES

INCREASE CLAMPING
OPTIONS

TAIL VISE
POCKET
STORAGE
DRAWERS
RIDE ON FULL-
EXTENSION
DRAWER
SLIDES

STORE BULKY
ITEMS IN
LOWER CABINET NOTE: PULL-OUT VISE
FOLDING LEGS CAN BE INSTALLED
SUPPORT WINGS IN TWO PLACES ON
OF WORKBENCH WORKBENCH

NOTE: FOR HARDWARE

SOURCES, TURN TO PAGE 14

LARGE LOCKING
CASTERS MAKE IT
EASY TO ROLL CABINET
ANYWHERE
LEG LEVELERS
PROVIDE A STURDY
STANCE ON UNEVEN
FLOORS

2 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 start with the 1
FIGURE

Case B
TOP
(23#/4" x 26")

Having a space to work is an C

essential part of woodworking. DIVIDER
(23!/4" x 26")
Finding that space isn’t always
easy, though. That problem
spurred the idea for this folding, A C
roll-around workcenter. It com- SIDE
(23#/4" x 26!/4")
bines a large workbench (nearly D
8’ long), with a lot of storage BACK A
(25!/4" x 26")
space to keep all your tools and E
supplies close at hand.
B
When the workcenter is stored, BOTTOM
it takes up less than six square (23#/4" x 26")
feet of floor space. And best of
all, you can quickly set it up any-
where — from your garage, to the NOTE: ALL PARTS MADE
FROM #/4" PLYWOOD
driveway, or even the basement.
The requirements for building E
a fold-up workcenter may seem !/4" x #/4" CASTER PLATE
(3!/2" x 23#/4")
to be at odds with each other. For Ph SHEET
METAL SCREW
example, it has to take up as little 4" LOCKING
space as possible when stored, but SWIVEL CASTER

be as big as possible in use. Besides

this, the workcenter needs to fold
a. TOP b. !/4

TOP
up easily and roll anywhere. But
3#/4 4!/4
once it’s opened up, the work-
bench should be rock-solid. 9 DIVIDER
As you’ll see, the solutions to 9!/2 DIVIDER

these challenges are straightfor- BACK SIDE

ward. The result is a “shop-in-
a-box.” And while this is a big DIVIDER
project, it breaks down into man-
#/4" PLY. DIVIDER FRONT
!/4 VIEW
ageable components.
Simple Case. The workcenter
SIDE
begins with construction of a case VIEW
CASTER
PLATE c. SIDE
that forms the foundation for BOTTOM !/4

all the other parts. To meet this 1!/4 BOTTOM

need, the case combines a sturdy
material with rigid joinery. I used
3⁄ " plywood to build the case
4 FRONT
(and just about everything else).
It provides the strength and sta-
bility needed for making the big
panels of the case.
As for the joinery, ordinary
dadoes and rabbets lock each
piece together to create a rigid
assembly. Best of all, the joints are
easy to cut at the table saw.
You’ll need to cut rabbets and
dadoes across the sides to hold
the top, bottom, and a pair of
dividers, as in Figure 1. Another
rabbet on the rear edge accepts
!/4
the back. Take note here that the
top and bottom panels are wider
than the dividers. They each
have a rabbet to capture the case
back, as you can see in Figure 1a.
The back panel has a pair of
dadoes cut across it to accept the
two interior dividers, as shown
in Figure 1b. This interlocking
joinery helps align parts during
assembly. It also increases the
strength of the case. Once ready,
all the parts of the case can be
glued together.
CASTER
PLATE
VIEW CASTER
This section of the project con-
cludes by gluing on a pair of
plates to the bottom of the case.
These provide a solid mounting
surface for locking swivel cast-
ers. The plates extend beyond the
sides of the case and will serve as
registration points for parts that
are added later on (Figure 1c).
Drawers & Doors. You make
use of the space in the case by

3 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 UPPER DRAWER UPPER DRAWER UPPER DRAWER
FALSE FRONT F SIDE G BACK/FRONT a. CASTER
2
FIGURE PLATE
(4&/16" x 26#/4") (3" x 22") (3" x 23!/2")
I
H
DRAWER BOTTOM SIDE
(21" x 23!/2")
G
M TOP
CONCEALED
VIEW
22" FULL-EXTENSION HINGE !/8
DRAWER SLIDE w/SCREWS
4" UTILITY
DRAWER
PULL
F
w/SCREWS
J
2!/2 NOTE:
ALL PARTS
b. !/8
FULL-EXTENSION
SLIDE
LOWER DRAWER EXCEPT
SIDE DRAWER
BOTTOMS FALSE
(4" x 22") FRONT
MADE FROM
K #/4" PLYWOOD
LOWER DRAWER
BACK/FRONT
H (4" x 23!/2")

K 4%/8 DRAWER
J PULL
DIVIDER
!/4
MAGNETIC !/4
CATCH
L
LOWER DRAWER NOTE: ROUT
!/4" ROUNDOVER 2%/8
FALSE FRONT ON FRONT EDGES SIDE
(5!/8" x 26#/4") OF FALSE FRONTS LOWER DOORS
AND DOORS (13%/16" x 16%/16") VIEW !/8
M
DIVIDER
building the two drawers and A false front conceals the
!/4
two doors to enclose the case. drawer hardware (Figure 2b). I
The drawers are sized to use full- routed a roundover on the front
extension drawer slides, as shown
in Figure 2. The tongue and dado
edges to prevent the plywood
veneer from chipping.
c.
drawer joinery is both easy to The doors are simply plywood !/4
!/8
make and sturdy. A groove near panels with a roundover routed
the bottom edge of the parts is on the front edges. They’re !/2
sized to hold a 1⁄4" plywood bot- attached to the case with con-
tom, as you can see in Figure 2b. cealed hinges, as in Figure 2a. !/4 TOP
VIEW

Materials & Hardware

A Sides (2) 233/4 x 261/4 - 3/4 Ply.
B Top/Bottom (2) 233/4 x 26 - 3/4 Ply.
C Dividers (2) 231/4 x 26 - 3/4 Ply.
D Back (1) 251/4 x 26 - 3/4 Ply.
E Caster Plates (2) 31/2 x 233/4 - 3/4 Ply.
F Upper Dwr. Sides (2) 3 x 22 - 3/4 Ply.
G Upper Dwr. Ft./Bk. (2) 3 x 231/2 - 3/4 Ply.
H Drawer Bottoms (2) 21 x 231/2 - 1/4 Ply.
I Upper Dwr. False Ft. (1) 47/16 x 263/4 - 3/4 Ply.
J Lower Dwr. Sides (2) 4 x 22 - 3/4 Ply.
K Lower Dwr. Frt./Bk. (2) 4 x 231/2 - 3/4 Ply.
L Lower Dwr. False Ft. (1) 51/8 x 263/4 - 3/4 Ply.
M Lower Doors (2) 135/16 x 165/16 - 3/4 Ply.
N Risers (2) 2 x 3 - 233/4
O Fixed Bench Filler (1) 22 /2 x 22 /2 - 21/4 Ply.
1 1
P Fixed Benchtop (1) 221/2 x 24 - 3/4 Ply.
Q Fixed Bench Ft./Bk. (2) 1 x 3 - 30
R Wing Upper Layers (2) 21 x 33 - 11/2 Ply.
S Wing Fillers (2) 141/4 x 201/2 - 11/2 Ply.
T Inner Edges (4) 1 x 3 - 33
U Left Front Outer Edge (1) 1 x 3 - 297/8
V Right Front Outer Edge (1) 1 x 3 - 307/8
W Back Outer Edges (2) 1 x 3 - 307/8 • (52) #8 x 11/4" Fh Woodscrews
X Left End Cap (1) 1 x 3 - 231/2 • (4) 4" Locking Swivel Casters
Y Right End Cap (1) 1 x 3 - 221/2 • (16) 1/4 x 3/4" Ph Sheet Metal Screws
Z Vise Runners (4) 1
/2 x 3/4 - 123/4 • (6) Drawer and Door Pulls w/Screws
AA Side Blocks (4) 6 x 291/4 - 11/2 Ply. • (2 pr.) 22" Full-Ext. Drawer Slides w/Screws
BB Legs (2) 201/4 x 341/2 - 11/2 Ply. • (4) Concealed Hinges w/Screws
CC Braces (2) 12 x 20 - 11/2 Ply. • (4) 1/2"-dia. x 2" Dowels
DD Hinge Blocks (2) 12 x 73/4 - 11/2 Ply. • (6 pr.) 3" x 21/2" Surface-Mount Hinges w/Screws
EE Vise Plate (1) 83/4 x 123/4 - 3/4 Ply. • (4) 3/8"-16 T-Nuts
FF Cabinet Back (1) 30 x 633/8 - 3/4 Ply. • (4) 3/8"-16 Leg Levelers
GG Center Back Panel (1) 21 x 303/4 - 1/4 Ply. • (1) 7" Quick-Release Vise
HH Center Stiles (2) 3/ x 11/ - 303/
4 2 4 • (4) 3/8"-16 Threaded Inserts
II Center Rails (2) 3/ x 11/ - 18
4 2 • (2) 3/8"-16 Adjustable Handles
JJ Center Pgbd. Panel (1) 21 x 303/4 - 1/4 Pgbd. • (4) 3/8" Flat Washers
KK Side Back Panels (2) 221/2 x 303/4 - 1/4 Ply. • (3) 36" x 11/2" Continuous Hinges w/Screws
LL Side Stiles (4) 3/ x 11/ - 303/
4 2 4 • (4) 3/4" Rare-Earth Magnet Sets
MM Side Rails (4) 3/ x 11/ - 191/ • (2 pr.) 11/2" Wrap-Around Hinges w/Screws
4 2 2
NN Side Pgbd. Panels (2) 221/2 x 303/4 - 1/4 Pgbd. • (2) 4" Slide Bolts w/Screws
OO Upper Doors (2) 1113/16 x 303/4 - 3/4 Ply. • (2) Magnetic Catches w/Screws
PP Cabinet Tops (2) 123/4 x 30 - 3/4 Ply. • (1) 121/2" Strip Light
QQ Brackets (2) 5 x 5 - 3/4 Ply. • (1) 15-amp Power Strip
• (2) Self-Adhesive Felt Spacers

4 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 FIXED BENCHTOP
P (22!/2" x 24" - #/4" Ply.)
DOG HOLES ALIGN

3
OVERIVEW WITH DOG IN TAIL VISE
Q 9%/16
3&/8
45°

NOTE: DRILL THROUGH BENCH

DOG HOLES AFTER ASSEMBLY
4!/2 1!/2

O N
FIXED BENCH FILLER RISER 1!/2
(22!/2" x 22!/2" - 2!/4" Ply.) (2" x 3" - 23#/4")
LEFT WING PROVIDES A N
POCKET FOR INSTALLING
A FACE VISE Q FIXED BENCH FRONT
1!/2-RAD. (1" x 3" - 30")
NOTE: PIVOT PIN GLUED TO
!/2"-DIA. x 2" FIXED BENCH FRONT
DOWEL
#/4"-DIA. DOG
HOLES FRONT
1!/2 VIEW FIXED
BENCH FIXED

add the folding 1!/2 BENCH

LEFT FRONT
FIXED

Benchtop
BENCH WING

!/8
DOWEL
TOP
The main feature of this proj- 2!/4 VIEW
RISER
ect is the folding workbench. It a. b.
gives you just as much space as
a full-size traditional workbench. The center is fixed to the case create clearance above the case
Thanks to its unique construc- and is built up from four lay- for bench dogs, hold-downs, and
tion, it’s surprisingly stout, too, ers of plywood. Hardwood rails a shelf for tools.
as shown in Figure 3. It’s made up on the front and back cover the The lower three layers of the
of three sections — a fixed center plywood edges and serve as top are identical and are simply
section and two fold-down wings. the pivot points for the folding glued together. The upper layer is
Building the benchtop pro- wings. This assembly is then slightly longer and is beveled on
ceeds from the center outward. attached to hardwood risers that the ends (Figure 3a). The bevels
create clearance for the folding
4
FIGURE
T 1!/2-RAD.
wings. Otherwise, they would
bind on the lower layers as they
!/4" ROUND- 1%/8 were raised or lowered.
OVER
1
R 5&/16
WING TOP DRILL !/2" PIVOT HOLE
(21" x 33" - 1!/2" Ply.)
3!/2 AFTER ALIGNING WITH
4 FIXED BENCH
#/4"-DIA. DOG
3 HOLES w/!/8"
CHAMFER
W
BACK 8#/4
OUTER EDGE T
(1" x 3" - 30&/8")
INNER EDGE
(1" x 3" - 33")
X
LEFT END CAP
(1" x 3" - 23!/2")
1!/2
U
NOTE: ROUT !/4" LEFT FRONT
3 OUTER EDGE
S WING FILLER
ROUNDOVER ON
OUTSIDE EDGE OF (14!/4" x 20!/2" - 1!/2" Ply.) (1" x 3" - 29&/8")
3!/2
SLIDE BOLT POCKET 10#/4
AFTER ASSEMBLY 3

5!/2 8#/4 b. LEFT

END CAP FRONT VIEW
!/2 LEFT FRONT
EDGE
!/4
!/4 Z !/4"
VISE RUNNER ROUNDOVER
VISE
RUNNER (!/2" x #/4" - 12#/4")

END VIEW a. VISE

RUNNER
#8 x 1!/4" Fh
WOODSCREW

5 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 WING TOP R
(21" x 33" - 1!/2" Ply.) T W BACK OUTER EDGE
5
FIGURE (1" x 3" - 30&/8")

INNER EDGE 1%/8 4

(1" x 3" - 33")
T #/4"-DIA. DOG HOLES
WITH !/16" CHAMFERS
1!/2" RAD. DRILL !/2" PIVOT
5&/16 HOLES AFTER 1
ALIGNING WITH 3!/2
FIXED BENCH 3
!/4" ROUND-
OVER
1!/2

1!/2
Y
a. FRONT VIEW RIGHT
END
11#/4 2!/2 S RIGHT END CAP
(1" x 3" - 22!/2")
CAP POCKET FOR 8#/4
SLIDE BOLT !/4" ROUNDOVER ON
OUTSIDE EDGES OF
POCKET AFTER
7#/4 ASSEMBLY

VISE RUNNER
V
RIGHT FRONT 3!/2 3 3
3#/4 1 OUTER EDGE
(1" x 3" - 30&/8")
Z
S WING FILLER
(14!/4" x 20!/2" - 1!/2" Ply.)
Once all four layers are glued
up, you can add the hardwood VISE RUNNER
Z (!/2" x #/4" - 12#/4")
rails at the front and back. These
pieces have a radius on each end
and a hole that acts as the pivot
point for the wings (Figure 3a).
b. 5!/2

RIGHT
The center section can then be END CAP
glued to the risers. #8 x 1!/4" Fh
Folding Wings. You can now WOODSCREW

turn your attention to the folding

wings. The two wings are identi-
cal in size but have a slightly dif-
ferent construction. You can see
the differences is Figures 4 and 5.
The reason for these differ-
ences is to accept a removable
vise. Each wing has a pocket
to hold the vise. The left wing
pocket (Figure 4) allows the
vise to act as a face vise. The end
pocket on the right wing turns it
into an end vise, as in Figure 5.
Like the center section, each
wing is made up of four layers.
The two upper layers are full-size
tops. I cut a tongue on the front
and back edges of this glued up
panel. This tongue will interlock
with the hardwood edging that
covers the front and back.
The lower two layers are small
filler pieces that allow the sup-
porting legs to nest inside. You
can glue up identical blanks for
each wing. Then cut the vise
pocket and a smaller pocket that
houses a slide bolt to keep the
wings stowed. Here again, take
FRONT OUTER
EDGE
note that the pockets aren’t the
same on each wing. When the
pockets are complete, you can
glue the panels to the tops.
Edging. The next order of
business is to make and attach
the hardwood front and back
edge pieces to each wing. These
are made up of two strips each.
The inner pieces form the mat-
ing half of the pivoting joint with
the fixed center section. These
pieces also have a groove cut in
them to mate with the tongue on
the panel. They’re attached flush
with the end of the top.
The outer layers extend past
the end of the panel to capture
the hardwood end cap. The
exception is the left front edge
piece. This piece is flush with
the inner piece to account for the
vise, as shown in Figure 4b.
Speaking of the vise, you’ll
notice that several of these edge
INNER
END VIEW
EDGE
pieces have notches cut in them
to accommodate the vise plate.
You’ll want to lay out these
notches and cut them at the table
saw with a dado blade. Then glue
up the edge pieces and glue them
in place on the wings.
Next you can make and attach
the end caps. Note that you’ll need
to cut a notch in the right end cap
before attaching it. The final detail
is to add some thin hardwood
strips to the inside of the vise
pockets to serve as runners for the
vise (Figures 4b and 5b).
Assembly. To connect each
wing to the center section, I sup-
ported one wing at a time on saw-
horses. Then I shimmed it level {  Easy Pivoting.
and flush with the center section. The folding wings
The holes in the center section of the benchtop
serve as a guide for drilling the pivot on hardwood
pivot holes in the wing. Then I dowels.
installed hardwood dowels to
serve as pivot pins, as in Figure 3.

6 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 VISE SLIDES
making the 6
OVERVIEW INTO POCKETS
IN WINGS

Support
Assembly
The center case of the workcen-
ter carries the lion’s share of
the weight — especially when
it’s all folded up. What the case
won’t do is provide support for
the wings of the benchtop when
they’re lowered for use. This gets BRACES ARE
tricky since everything needs to HINGED AT
LEG AND SIDE
fold up compactly, as well. OF CABINET

The task of supporting the

wings when in use falls to a three- a. END VIEW VISE
part, hinged assembly made up
of the legs, a brace, and a hinge
block, as illustrated in Figure 6. LEVELERS
FRONT
The legs angle outward to create ENSUREVIEW
BENCHTOP IS
a more stable stance. Leg level- LEVEL AND
FLUSH WITH
SIDE
SOLIDFIXED BENCH
ers allow you to compensate for FRONT VISE BLOCK
PLATE LEG
uneven floors and level the wings.
The three parts are joined by !/4"
hinges. This allows the assem- These L-shaped pieces create
ROUND-
OVER
shape, I routed a 1⁄4" roundover
bly to fold flat against the side of a recess to house the support on all the outside edges before
the workcenter. In fact, the three assembly when retracted, as you gluing them to the case sides.
parts will “snap” into position can see in Figure 7. The Legs. With the side blocks
against the case to prevent the The side blocks are cut from in place, you now have a defined
wings from dropping. two glued-up layers of plywood. space in which to fit the support
Side Blocks. Before making They should fit snugly between assembly. I started on this task by
and installing the support assem- the caster plates and the fixed making the legs.
bly, you need to add a pair of benchtop, as shown in Figures 7a Like the side blocks, the legs,
blocks to each side of the case. and 7b. After cutting the pieces to as well as the braces and hinge
blocks, are made from two lay-
7 FRONT a.
ers of 3⁄4" plywood, as shown in
Figure 8. When making the sup-
VIEW
2 port parts, my main goal was to
FLUSH WITH
FIXED BENCH get the dimensions accurate. This
FRONT way, the assembly is guaranteed
to fold and unfold easily and fit
17#/4 !/4" into its pocket smoothly.
ROUND-
OVER Once the legs are shaped, you
AA can round over all the edges with
the exception of the top edge.
!/4"
OVERHANG
OVER
b. Then drill a deep hole in each foot
to hold a leveler, as in detail 8b.
CASTER
PLATE The legs still need hinge mortises,
but I held off here until the brace
and hinge block were made.
Brace & Hinge Block. Making
AA the remaining parts goes quickly.
!/4"
SIDE BLOCK FRONT ROUND- Both the brace and hinge block
(6" x 29!/4" - 1!/2" Ply.)
VIEW OVER
can be cut to size from glued-up
blanks. However, I left the hinge

7 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 NOTE: USE
CLAMP FOR
HOLDING a. LEG

8 WINGS UP
UNTIL LEGS
ARE
MOUNTED SIDE VIEW
BB !/8
14#/4
BRACE
1

4 4

CC
SURFACE-
BB HINGE MOUNT HINGE
LEG BLOCK w/SCREWS
(20!/4" x 34!/2" - 1!/2" Ply.)

NOTE: GLUE
HINGE BLOCK
DD b.
ONLY 2

4
block extra long
at this point. In order
to achieve the “snap !/4" ROUNDOVER
TOP AND BOTTOM LEG
lock” mentioned earlier, EDGES

you’ll custom fit it later. FRONT VIEW

Hinge Mortises. After
rounding over a few edges,
you can fit the hinges that con-
nect the parts. As explained on
page 11, a router and a template
make creating the hinge mor-
tises an easy job. Just take care
to rout each pair of mortises on
the correct face (Figure 8).
Final Assembly. Now with
the leg and brace connected, I
attached the leg to the wing and
9 over the bottom outside edge,
NOTE: FOR MORE
ON ROUTING CC
HINGE MORTISES, 1
SEE PAGE 11 BRACE
(12" x 20" - 1!/2" Ply.)
!/4" ROUNDOVER DD
ON SIDES AND T-NUT
BOTTOM EDGE HINGE BLOCK
(12" x 7#/4" - 1!/2" Ply.)
clamped the wing in its stowed
position. Figure 9 shows how to
fit the hinge block. I positioned Adding the Vise. Since the
it snug to the brace and marked wings are now functional, you
LEG
where it met the caster plate. can add the vise. The details of LEVELER
After cutting it to length, round doing so are shown below. The
glue it to the case side, and screw
vise is mounted to a plate that
can be inserted into the wing and
the hinges into the mortises. then locked down.

Removable Vise
#/8"-16 x 2!/2"
HINGE CARRIAGE
BLOCK BOLT w/ NUT
AND
WASHER
#/8"-16
THREADED
INSERT
FOR MORE ON
ROUTING HINGE MORTISES,
SEE PAGE 28
EE
VISE
PLATE
a. (8#/4" x 12#/4"
- #/4" Ply.)

#/8"-16
ADJUSTABLE
{  Quick Change. An added
HANDLE w/ plate lets you quickly slide in
WASHER
and secure the vise on either
MARK
CUT-OFF NOTE: USE HOLES IN VISE workstation wing.
POINT ON NOTE: INSTALL TO LOCATE HOLES IN PLATE
HINGE BLOCK THREADED INSERTS
IN UNDERSIDE
OF WING

8 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 I I
CENTER RAILS
add more 10 (1!/2" x 18")

Storage #8 x 1!/2" Fh
WOODSCREW
JJ
CENTER PEGBOARD
PANEL
(21" x 30#/4" - !/4" Pgbd.)
Construction of the workcenter
is in the home stretch. Here, the NOTE: STILES
AND RAILS
task is to add some additional ARE MADE HH
FROM CENTER STILES
storage above the work- #/4"-THICK (1!/2" x 30#/4")
bench. And I also wanted to HARDWOOD

create a way to enclose the work- NOTE: STILES AND

RAILS ARE SIMPLY
center at the end of the day. GLUED IN PLACE
To handle storage, there are
three large pegboard panels. This GG
provides a lot of options for orga- CENTER BACK PANEL
(21" x 30#/4" - !/4" Ply.)
nizing tools and accessories. The
FF
two outer panels fold in to form CABINET BACK
the sides of the workcenter when (30" x 63#/8"
- #/4" Ply.)
it’s all closed up. 4!/2
Now, all that’s needed is a way
!/4
to close up the front and top. A
pair of doors and a two-part top CABINET BACK
IS FLUSH
complete the transformation WITH BOTTOM
FRONT VIEW
OF CASE
from a workbench back to an
unassuming storage cabinet.
Cabinet Back. The first step in There isn’t
accomplishing all this is to add much involved
a large cabinet back (Figure 10).
This plywood panel serves a cou-
here, either. The
back is simply cut
a.
ple of purposes. to size and glued and
First, it acts as the mounting screwed to the lower case a three-layer sandwich. The outer
surface for the pegboard storage and the fixed workbench section. layers consist of a 1⁄4" plywood
panels. The other thing the back Pegboard Panels. Attached to back and a 1⁄4" pegboard front.
does is create an anchor point to the front face of the cabinet back Between these lies a framework
lock the workbench wings and is one of the pegboard panels. of stiles and rails that create the
legs in the upright position. You can see in Figure 10 that it’s necessary clearance for attaching
hooks to the pegboard. When the
FIGURE 1!/2" x 30#/4" MM
KK 11 CONTINUOUS
HINGE
panel is assembled, it’s screwed
to the cabinet back from behind.
SIDE BACK PANEL SIDE RAILS
(22!/2" x 30#/4" - !/4" Ply.) (#/4" x 1!/2" - 19!/2")
MM
a.
1!/2
NN

1!/8

FLAT
WASHER
RARE-EARTH
MAGNET

NN LL
SIDE PEGBOARD
PANEL
(22!/2" x 30#/4" - !/4" Pgbd.) b. TOP VIEW
CABINET BACK

RARE-EARTH
MAGNET

SIDE PANEL CENTER

PEGBOARD
LL PANEL
SIDE STILES
(#/4" x 1!/2" - 30#/4")

9 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 CABINET TOP #8 x 1!/2" Fh 1!/2" x 30" CONTINUOUS
(12#/4" x 30" - #/4" Ply.) WOODSCREW HINGE

12 PP
FIGURE
PP
NOTE: ROUT !/4" ROUNDOVER ON TOP
AND BOTTOM EDGES OF TOP PANELS

WRAP-AROUND QQ SLIDE
BOLT
a. SIDE VIEW
HINGE MAGNETIC BRACKET
CATCH (5" x 5" - #/4" Ply.)
UPPER DOOR
(11!#/16" x 30#/4" - #/4" Ply.) BRACKET 1#/4
OO
{  Slide Bolt.
45°
Lock each fold-
down bench wing
OO to the cabinet
!/2 back with a simple
1
slide bolt.

3
b. TOP SIDE
!/8"-THICK
FELT SPACER
VIEW VIEW

WRAP- 2
12 AROUND SIDE PANEL UPPER
HINGE ASSEMBLY DOOR

UPPER
DOOR

And let me point out that the
panel is centered on the back and
is positioned with a slight gap
above the worksurface to pro-
vide clearance for the doors, as
illustrated in Figure 10a.
Side Panels. Hanging on
either side of the center panel are
a pair of swinging pegboard pan-
els. These panels share the same
construction as the center one, as
you can see in Figure 11.
I needed a way to hold the
panels in the open position. So
I installed a pair of rare-earth
magnet sets (washers and cups)
on each door, as in Figures 11a
and 11b. The wide “tabs” of the
cabinet back provide bracing for
the panels as well.
Wrap-Around Doors. The final
additions to the pegboard panels
are a pair of doors, as shown in
Figure 12. They’re simply pieces
of plywood cut to size. The doors
are attached to the swinging peg-
board panels with 270° hinges
(Figure 12b). This allows them to
fold flat behind the panels and
out of the way. A cutout on the
edge creates a “zero-clearance”
pull to open the doors.
!/4" ROUNDOVER ON
OUTSIDE EDGES c.
Cap It Off. The final pieces to on the doors keeps the doors
add to the project are the cabinet closed, as in Figure 12c.
tops. My goal was to include a There are a few more items to
way to enclose the top without install. First, a slide bolt under
limiting headroom or blocking each wing fits into a hole drilled
light. The solution is a two-part in the cabinet back (upper mar-
top assembly. The back section of gin photo). Then I mounted a
the top is screwed to the cabinet power and light strip under the
back (Figure 12a). A pair of brack- top, as shown in the box below.
ets provide additional support. At last the workcenter is done.
The front section is hinged to Once you’ve gathered up all your
the back section. A set of mag- tools, you’ll have an ideal place to
netic catches installed on it and build your next project.
Light & Power
<  Fully Wired.
I attached a light
and a power strip
to the underside
of the fixed top to
improve visibility
and provide a
handy place to
plug in small
power tools.
The cords pass
through a hole
drilled in the back.

10 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
Shop
Short
Cuts
The workcenter relies on several
pairs of hinges so it can transform
from a compact storage cart to
full-featured workcenter. And in
order for the folding components
to operate smoothly, the hinges
need to be installed properly with
a square fit and consistent gaps.
But installing hinges can often
1 2
MAKE LIGHT
PASSES WITH
A KNIFE TO
SCRIBE THE LINE
!/16" SPACER
Hinge Mortises
be frustrating. It’s one of those
fussy tasks that requires extra
attention to the details.
Fortunately, there’s an easy
technique for installing hinges.
It starts by scribing the outline of
the hinge on the workpiece with
a knife (Figure 1). The scribed
lines not only mark the location,
!/4" HARDBOARD
TEMPLATE
ALIGN
TEMPLATE WITH
LAYOUT MARKS
AND AFFIX WITH
DOUBLE-SIDED TAPE
Routing
but it severs the wood fibers so
you’ll get a clean cut when you
rout out the waste.
The next step is to make a
template with an opening that
matches the size of the hinge. I
use 1⁄4" hardboard for the tem-
plate. All you need to do is mark
the width of the hinge and cut
out a recess at the band saw.
As you can see in Figure 2, I
attach the template to the work-
piece with double-sided tape.
Now you can rout the hinge mor-
tise using a dado cleanout bit like
the one shown in Figure 3a.
Complete the mortise by squar-
ing up the round corners with a
chisel. This method guarantees a
snug fit every time.

3 a.
#/4"-WIDE
CHISEL

DADO
CLEAN-OUT BIT
BY LEAVING THE
TEMPLATE ATTACHED
TO THE WORKPIECE, IT'S {  Perfect Fit. Accurately installed
EASY TO SQUARE UP THE
CORNERS WITH A CHISEL hinges allow the wings of the
workcenter to fold smoothly.

11 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 folding Workshop
Materials List
A Sides (2) 233/4 x 261/4 - 3/4 Ply.
B Top/Bottom (2) 233/4 x 26 - 3/4 Ply.
C Dividers (2) 231/4 x 26 - 3/4 Ply.
D Back (1) 251/4 x 26 - 3/4 Ply.
E Caster Plates (2) 31/2 x 233/4 - 3/4 Ply.
F Upper Dwr. Sides (2) 3 x 22 - 3/4 Ply.
G Upper Dwr. Ft./Bk. (2) 3 x 231/2 - 3/4 Ply.
H Drawer Bottoms (2) 21 x 231/2 - 1/4 Ply.
I Upper Dwr. False Ft. (1) 47/16 x 263/4 - 3/4 Ply.
J Lower Dwr. Sides (2) 4 x 22 - 3/4 Ply.
K Lower Dwr. Frt./Bk. (2) 4 x 231/2 - 3/4 Ply.
L Lower Dwr. False Ft. (1) 51/8 x 263/4 - 3/4 Ply.
M Lower Doors (2) 135/16 x 165/16 - 3/4 Ply.
N Risers (2) 2 x 3 - 233/4
O Fixed Bench Fillers (3) 22 /2 x 221/2 - 3/4 Ply.
1 KK Side Back Panels (2) 221/2 x 303/4 - 1/4 Ply.
P Fixed Benchtop (1) 221/2 x 24 - 3/4 Ply.
Q Fixed Bench Ft./Bk. (2) 1 x 3 - 30
R Wing Upper Layers (2) 21 x 33 - 11/2 Ply.
S Wing Fillers (2) 141/4 x 201/2 - 11/2 Ply.
T Inner Edges (4) 1 x 3 - 33
U Left Front Outer Edge (1) 1 x 3 - 297/8
V Right Front Outer Edge (1) 1 x 3 - 307/8
W Back Outer Edges (2) 1 x 3 - 307/8
X Left End Cap (1) 1 x 3 - 231/2
Y Right End Cap (1) 1 x 3 - 221/2
Z Vise Runners (4) 1
/2 x 3/4 - 123/4
AA Side Blocks (4) 6 x 291/4 - 11/2 Ply.
BB Legs (2) 201/4 x 341/2 - 11/2 Ply.
CC Braces (2) 12 x 20 - 11/2 Ply.
DD Hinge Blocks (2) 12 x 73/4 - 11/2 Ply.
EE Vise Plate (1) 83/4 x 123/4 - 3/4 Ply.
FF Cabinet Back (1) 30 x 633/8 - 3/4 Ply.
GG Center Back Panel (1) 21 x 303/4 - 1/4 Ply.
HH Center Stiles (2) 3/ x 11/ - 303/
4 2 4 • (4) 3/8"-16 Threaded Inserts
II Center Rails (2) 3/ x 11/ - 18
4 2
JJ Center Pgbd. Panel (1) 21 x 303/4 - 1/4 Pgbd.
LL Side Stiles (4) 3/ x 11/ - 303/
4 2 4 • (4) 3/4" Rare-Earth Magnet Sets
MM Side Rails (4) 3/ x 11/ - 191/
4 2 2
NN Side Pgbd. Panels (2) 221/2 x 303/4 - 1/4 Pgbd.
OO Upper Doors (2) 1113/16 x 303/4 - 3/4 Ply.
PP Cabinet Tops (2) 123/4 x 30 - 3/4 Ply.
QQ Brackets (2) 5 x 5 - 3/4 Ply.
• (52) #8 x 11/4" Fh Woodscrews
• (4) 4" Locking Swivel Casters
• (16) 1/4 x 3/4" Lag Screws
• (6) Drawer and Door Pulls w/Screws
• (2 pr.) 22" Full-Ext. Drawer Slides w/Screws
• (4) Concealed Hinges w/Screws
• (4) 1/2"-dia. x 2" Dowels
• (6 pr.) 3" x 21/2" Surface-Mount Hinges w/Screws
• (4) 3/8"-16 T-Nuts
• (4) 3/8"-16 Leg Levelers
• (1) 7" Quick-Release Vise
• (2) 3/8"-16 Adjustable Handles
• (4) 3/8" Flat Washers
• (3) 36" x 11/2" Continuous Hinges w/Screws
• (2 pr.) 11/2" Wrap-Around Hinges w/Screws
• (2) 4" Slide Bolts w/Screws
• (2) Magnetic Catches w/Screws
• (1) 121/2" Strip Light
• (1) 15-amp Power Strip
• (2) Self-Adhesive Felt Spacers

Cutting Diagram
1" x 7!/2"- 96" MAPLE (5 Bd. Ft.)
T T X

T T Y

1" x 7!/2"- 96" MAPLE (5 Bd. Ft.)

U W Q

V W Q

Z Z
2" x 3!/2"- 48" MAPLE (2.3 Bd. Ft.)
N N

1" x 5!/2"- 96" PINE (3.6 Bd. Ft.)

HH LL MM

II II

12 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 Cutting Diagram cont.

24" x 48"- #/4" BIRCH PLYWOOD (2 SHEETS)

BB

GRAIN DIRECTION

48" x 96"- !/4" PEGBOARD 48" x 96"- !/4" BIRCH PLYWOOD

JJ H KK GG

H KK

NN NN

48" x 96"- #/4" BIRCH PLYWOOD 48" x 96"- #/4" BIRCH PLYWOOD

M
A A B O O O P

QQ
EE
PP PP

B C C

OO OO

48" x 96"- #/4" BIRCH PLYWOOD 48" x 96"- #/4" BIRCH PLYWOOD (2 SHEETS)
J J AA
K K
R R AA
L I
D
AA

AA

E S S DD DD
E
F FF
F BB
G CC CC
G

13 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 MAIL Project Sources
ORDER
SOURCES • Lee Valley
4" Locking Casters. . . . . 00K20.01
Woodsmith Store
800-444-7527 Reversing Hinges. . . . . . 00H37.50
36" Cont. Hinge. . . . . . . 00N01.31
Rockler 22" Full-Ext. Slides . . . . 02K30.22
800-279-4441
rockler.com
• Rockler
Lee Valley 7" Quick-Release Vise. . . . . . 37375
800-871-8158
leevalley.com
• McMaster-Carr
McMaster-Carr Surface-Mount Hinges. . 1798A25
630-833-0300mcmaster. Strip Light. . . . . . . . . . . . 8342K31
com Strip Outlet. . . . . . . . . . . 7361K48
Woodworker’s Hardware Adjustable Handle. . . . . 6305K28
800-383-0130
wwhardware.com • Woodworker’s Hardware
Surface-Mount Hinges. . . LAXX1
Essentra Components
800-847-0486 Magnetic Catches. . . . . . . A09793
essentracomponents.com
• Essentra Components
Leveling Feet. . . . . . . . . . . . TES-20
Pull Handles. . . . . . . . . . KHO-10

Manufacturers and retailers will

periodically redesign or dis-
continue some of their items.
So you’ll want to gather all the
hardware, supplies, and tools
you need before you get started.
It’s easy to adjust dimensions or
drill different-sized holes to suit
your hardware.

14 WoodsmithPlans.com SN12330 ©2015 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.