Rolling Stand for a Portable Air Conditioner

Portable AC Cart

I made this rolling stand from some old wafer board that had previously been the side of a shipping crate. The legs were cut from a couple scrap pine 2x6 boards.  

Stand Alone

The center bulge is for a 5 gallon pail to collect the water from the AC's drain. 

The pale pail. 

 

Drain Hose Attached

Four old casters add mobility to the stand. Their stems extend through the wafer board and into the pine legs. 

Old Casters

A stiffening rib made from northern hard maple was glued and screwed to the bottom of the bottom shelf to keep the weight of the water from bending it.  

Stiffening Rib

The wafer board was marked and distracting.  I ran it through my drum sander a few times, then painted both sides before assembling the stand. The paint is a dark red latex left over from a previous project. The pine legs were shaped to compliment the top and bottom. A bit of detail continuity. They have a spar varnish finish on them for some protection from the environment.  They compliment the red of the top and bottom.  

A simple design.

I used my CNC to cut out the top and bottom outlines and pocket holes where the caster shafts are.  I also used a V-bit to mark where the screws needed to be for screwing the legs to the top and bottom.  With the holes marked I took the boards to my drill press to drill through and chamfer the screw holes.  

The shelves have 1" radiused corners.  The rounded corners of the legs I put a 3/4" radius on with the intent to set them in from the shelf edges 1/4".  I made this jig to help inset them when assembling the cart.

Inset jig

Legs inset 1/4" from shelf edges

For the radius on the legs I first used a moulding toolpath on my CNC.  Results were varied as  the 2x6 boards I started with were a bit beaten up.  Before putting a finish on them  I ran the corners through my router table past a 3/4" radius roundover bit.  Then a couple passes through my drum sander to smooth both sides.  Still a bit imperfect, but fine for this little stand. The casters are happy to have a new use.  The wafer board and 2x6 boards are also happy to be parts of something useful rather than scraps in my garage. 

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B&D Workmate Update for my CNC Bridges

Bridge Vise for Vertical Clamping

The Black and Decker Workmate is an ingenious product.  The split top serves as vise jaws along with the bench dogs to allow clamping boards of most shapes snuggly to work on. I've owned one for 4+ decades and found many uses for it. 

On my CNC I use 3 bridges rather than a t-slot or vacuum bed to hold boards in place. T-track in each bridge top let me slide wood clamps to hold down projects.  I woke up early on 2/27/2026 with the idea of modifying two of the bridges so I can also use them as clamp jaws.  (Bridges)

First step was to double up the thickness of the jaw faces. I glued another piece of 18mm Baltic Birch plywood to them to create more surface area on the mating faces. I then applied some Cat's Paw friction tape to their surfaces. 

Doubled Up

There is roughly 22" between the right side rail and the radial axis tailstock rail.  Swing room for the crank handles may eat up 1.5" on each side.

The bridges don't need to open more than 1.5" or so for what they may need to clamp vertically.  Short lengths of all-thread, a couple lock collars and Teflon washers on each side, and a couple handles.  I'm using 7/16-14 all thread.  My local True Value store had 2' lengths of 7/16-14 all thread. I bought one and cut two 9" sections from it for this project

Some blocking to bring the thread collar out flush with the edge was added.  Collars and square nuts were ordered from the Jungle store. 

Collars arrived 3/11/2026.  I drilled a recess for the collars and the Teflon washer on the inside of the front bridge using a 1.25" Forstner bit on my Nova Voyager drill press. 

I made the Teflon washers for the 7/16" all thread. I clamped down a 1/16" thick sheet of Teflon on my CNC to cut the center holes that will ease the process.  I sliced off the row, then snipped them apart before sliding them onto the all thread.   I clamped them in place with a hex nut on each side, then mounted them on my hobby lathe to turn them round.  

3/16/2026: I finished up this project this day.  I chiseled out a slot for the square nut to be able to slide under the top of the bridge, then glued a board next to the nuts so they wouldn't be able to turn when tightened down. To keep the nuts in place I added magnets next to the shafts

Square Nut. Round Magnet

First test holding a 3/4" thick section of plywood proves they work.  As with the Workmate though the pressure from each side needs to be the same for flat boards.  Best strategy is to make sure the front side is parallel to the front frame rail and locked tight to the side rails. Screw the back bridge/jaw tight, then lock it tight to the side rails.  

Handles were needed.  I drew up a design and cut them out on my CNC from a thick scrap of red oak.

Red Oak Handle

Two Hex Nuts Jammed Together

Handle slips over the outer hex nut.

This idea works well for holding boards vertically to CNC joinery on their end. Dovetails and box joints and variations are now fairly easy to cut using my CNC.  The details of this project are prototype solutions.  As I use it needed improvements will like show up. I'll append them to this blog post when/if they happen. 

In use this bridge vise has proven to be quicker/simpler to use than my compound angle clamping fixture here:  Fixture.  Clamping anything from long boards that need joinery on their end, or small parts that may need a curved surface on their top edge is quick and easy to do. 

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Wood Handles for my Wood T-Track Clamps

 

Star Handle

I made a few new wood clamps for my X/Y drill press table, and needed handles for them. This star shaped handle is based on an old design that used an imbedded hex nut for the threads. 

Old Design

The new handles use T-nuts I had on hand for the threads.  These were a bit more complex to make, but they work as intended.

Insert T-nut

With the threads starting at  the bottom of the handle they can be used with short T-bolts.  The old design with the nut on top barely found threads to screw onto short bolts.

My CNC cut the bottom details, including the recessed outer area, the recess for the t-nut, the holes for the t-nut shaft and 5/15-18 bolt, the slots for the t-nut barbs, and the outer profile. The tiny slots for the barbs were cut with a 1.5mm diameter spiral end mill. 

Render from Aspire

Details

Once off the CNC I used my bandsaw to cut them apart, my trim router with a flush cut bit to flush cut the edges, then rounded off the top edges at my other trim router table.   The t-nuts were pressed into the handles using my bench vise. 

This was another quick CNC project, made from a small scrap of birch hardwood.  It took more time to draw up the file and create toolpaths than it did to cut them out.   The nice thing about using my CNC to make them is that I can use the same file to make more if/when I need them. 

My clamp design.   

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Drill Press X/Y Table

I previously made and used an X/Y table on my Delta floor standing drill press.  I've since sold that tool and replaced it with a Nova Voyager direct drive drill press. 

This post is about making a new (and improved) X/Y table for the new drill press. 

Nova Voyager Press

The previous table slid on 1/4" thick metal plate guides that slid in slots cut into plywood. With the leverage of threaded rods it worked well enough, but there is plenty of room for improvement. This version runs on linear slides salvaged from an old CNC project. 

A little sketching helped me visualize the assembly strategy.  There are 3 layers, a top, middle, and a bottom.  

Three Layers

1. The long rails mount on the bottom of the  top layer. 
2. The slides for the long rail mount on the top of the middle layer. 
3. The short rails mount on the bottom of the middle layer.
1. Four rails, 300mm long, were offset and used so the X/Y table could move forward 8.25". The 2nd layer is supported by 4 slides. 
4. The slides for the short rails mount on the top of the bottom layer. 
5. A removable fence mounts on the top rear edge of the top layer.
1. The fence/alignment strategy might mount on pins that drop into holes. 
2. The fence could be an L shape, with a short side and a longer side.
1. It could mount short side forward, or
2. Long side forward, or
3. Thickness edge forward. Perhaps the sides of the L fence are different thicknesses. Either thickness could be the forward edge. 
   
6. The height crank on the drill press needed to be accounted for.  Thus the notch in the rear right corner of the table. 
7. X and Y handles move with the table.  What they thread through is attached to the layer below. 
8. T-Slots running left to right on the top layer provide the best option for clamping parts down. Top layer is a sandwich of 12mm plywood with 5mm plywood between the tracks. The track is embedded into the 12mm layer so only 5mm sticks up. Track is .75" wide and .375" thick.  It works with both 1/4" and 5/16" t-bolts. One 48" long strip was cut in half to make two strips for the 24" wide X/Y table top. 
9. Strips of 1/8" thick plywood sit sandwiched between bottom layer and the drill press table. They account for the heads of the screws that hold the sliders to the other side. 

The bottom/last layer then was mounted to the drill press bed. I needed to screw up from under the bed into the bottom layer. There are square nuts embedded into the bottom layer's top surface.  8mm bolts screw up from below the table to hold the X/Y table in place. 

As I can move the top forward and back I see no reason to make the fence adjustable front to back, but it was  worth making it removable as well as variable in width and height. Fence yet to come. 

For the all-thread I used HDPE to make the blocks. One was drilled and tapped for the steel all-thread.  All were fit into CNC cut pockets for precise positioning and screwed in place. Between the bottom and the middle the all thread is flat on the bottom board.  I cut a shallow groove 1/16" deep below it using a 1/2" ball nosed bit it so it doesn't rub.  The second block is for the middle plate and collets to hold the all-thread in place. It took a bit of work after the CNC was done making it to get it to fit into the pocket made for it. Nylon washers are between the collets and the HDPE blocks. 

Y axis

X axis

Assembly started with the top.  T-track screwed into slots.  Rails screwed to the bottom. Collet block installed and screwed in place.  Middle layer installed by feeding it onto the all thread, and screwing it onto the slides.  Y axis rails screwed to the bottom side of the middle layer.  Bottom layer fed onto the all-thread, then screwed onto the slides.  

Last step was to mount this X/Y table onto the drill press table. 

Bolted down

The handles can slide off and be re-positioned if they bump into boards clamped to the table. The all-thread can also be turned quickly with a socket in my hand drill. 

The relatively thin 12mm Baltic Birch layers can flex under pressure of the drill press.  Support blocks I added between the layers to transfer any pressure down to the metal OEM table.  A single block centered on  the bottom layer stays in place as the layer above moved forward or back.  A row of blocks with Teflon tape on them stay in place as the top layer moves left/right over them.  No matter how much forward the top is there is always support directly under the center of the drill chuck.  

This X/Y table makes positioning work more precise, and allows spacing a sequence of holes easy by counting turns of the handles. One 360° turn moves the table 1/16". A half turn moves it 1/32".  A quarter turn moves it 1/64".   Sixteen turns move it 1". Eight turns move it 1/2". 

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My Push Button Quick Adjust Hand Screw Clamp

I'm a big advocate of push button releases on machines and hand tools.  The push button depth stop on my bench drill makes setting the depth simple and quick. The push button release on my CNC bed vises make opening/closing the jaws quick over 19 inches of jaw travel. 

Push Button Adjust Clamp

I have a couple of classic hand screw clamps, inherited from an Uncle. Both are rather slow to open or close the jaws for what needs to be clamped.  This project is my quest to make my own version that uses push buttons to release the 3/8"-16tpi threaded shafts for quick opening or closing. The jaws are 1" thick, just enough thickness for push buttons and the spring below them. 

Making this work with standard all-thread rather than left/right threads on the shafts was the tricky problem. To control the space between the jaws both screws needed to stay attached to both jaws. The threads can only be in one jaw though. The push button side is the threaded jaw. I needed to trap the thread in the other jaw so it can spin but can't come out. I also needed to allow the trapped ends to pivot.  It passes through a 5/8" HDPE rod that has #6-32 machine screws 90° intersecting the 3/8" hole where the grooves on the shafts are. 

HDPE Inserts and #6-32 Screws

I drilled the 5/8" holes through the jaws using my drill press. I cut the taper to the end on each jaw using my band saw.  My band saw removed most of the wood against the line I drew.  Then my disk sander sanded them down to the line.

I used the rotary axis on my CNC to make the grooves around the threaded shafts.  The bit used was a 1/8" diameter milling bit (4 flutes). I offset the bit by 3/16" and set X, then set Z on the top of the threaded rods, then set Y where I wanted the groove to be.  I turned on the router (set to its lowest speed), stepped Z down .01" then spun the rotary axis 360°.  Stepped down another .01" and repeated the 360 rotation until I was down .19" (a bit below center).  I checked the inner diameter which should have been .25" or a bit less. First try and the groove was a little too shallow   I jogged in .005" and repeated the above steps until the groove was deep enough.   Once I had a good groove on one shaft I repeated the same process on the second shaft. 

Groovy!

Sloped slots for the threaded rods were cut using the fluting toolpath in Aspire.  The shafts can pivot up to 30° either way. 

Sloped Slots

For the push buttons I started with an aluminum rod that was .76" in diameter.  I trimmed the ends square with my metal cutoff saw. Next I clamped the rod vertically in my CNC frame, and then trimmed the rod down to .75"d.  Next step was to mark where the 5/16"d hole needed to be, as well as where the bottom needs to be cut.  Both were done with the rod clamped horizontally in my CNC table vise.  I then removed the vise (with the aluminum rod still clamped tight) and took it to my drill press to drill the 5/16"d hole through the aluminum rod. Then I clamped the vise vertically in my bench vise and used a 3/8-16 tap to cut threads through the rod.  The last step was to open up the intersecting 3/8" hole next to the threaded hole using my CNC and a 1/4" end mill.  The toolpath started in the center of the threaded hole, then moved over to profile around the 3/8" hole.  No plunging into aluminum needed.

Aluminum Buttons and Conical Springs

Once all the details of the buttons were done I cut them off the ends of the aluminum rod. That was done at my cutoff saw. 

All the Parts

With all the parts done I assembled the clamp.  Conical springs in a centered recess below the push buttons keep the threads tight against the 3/8" shafts. Push the buttons down to release the threads and slide the jaws where you want them. Release the buttons to lock the jaws back onto the threads. It sometimes it takes a 1/2 turn of the handles to register the buttons to the threads and get the buttons to pop back up. 

Closed Tight

Wide Open

The sloped slots allow 30° of tilt in either direction. 

Angled Open

Angled Closed

This project was another interesting design challenge. Allowing the threaded shafts to pivot relative to the jaws took a few iterations, some research, and some creative CNC vectors to solve. 

I've already been using this clamp.  It delights me with how quick it is to adjust.  The handles were left overs from my CNC Vise design and may need a few iterations yet.  These work fine but a variation may be needed if I want to use the clamp flat on a table/bench. 

Comments and questions are encouraged and welcome.

4D  

New Updated CNC Bed Vise

My low profile CNC vise gets regular use,  It's only "flaws" are the limited opening, the slow movement of the jaw using a 3/8"-16tpi threaded shaft, and the moving jaw isn't attached to the shaft when backing out.  

This new vise design has a push button release for quick action, and a 19 inch opening for larger project boards. The jaws hold on to the shaft as it pulls back with a rare earth magnet. 

I made two bases using up-cycled 12mm thick baltic birch plywood with walnut veneer on the bottom side salvaged from an old coffee table top. 

Thickness of the jaws had to make room for the push button and conical spring below it. Button travel is close to 3/16" to push down an open 3/8" hole for the shaft threaded shaft. All vertical parts are a stack of assembled  layers. End jaw is two 12mm layers atop the 12mm base. The bottom layer that the shaft runs through is actually two 6mm layers.  Top 12mm layer on all pieces.  

Push Buttons

For the button I ordered a 3/4" diameter 12" length of aluminum rod to make the buttons from. The button shape was cut on the end with the aluminum rod clamped vertically. Next I clamped it horizontally and the CNC marked where to drill the 5/16"d hole and the bottom edge. My benchtop drill press cut the 5/16" hole.  I threaded the hole with a 3/8-16 tap with the rod held vertically in my bench vise. Then back on the CNC clamped horizontal to open up the 3/8" through-hole.  I hacksawed the button off the long aluminum rod, then put it back on the CNC to mill flat that rough end. It took a little filing and finagling to make the buttons slide easily.  

Button and Spring

I cut all the jaw and button end  parts from small pieces of 12mm and 6mm thick plywood. Alignment holes for 1/4" dowels were be added to each layer. 

The center hole for the threaded shaft needed to be perfectly placed. It was more precise to cut that center layer as halves from 6mm plywood.  A 3/8"d ball end bit cut the shaft slot in each. 

Rather than a stepped slide I chose a 14 degree dovetail slide. I used Teflon as the slide.  The center slot for the slide doesn't have to cut all the way through except in one spot where the slide can slip in to be attached to the jaw.  That spot was cut from the bottom side. Two flat head screws attach the Teflon to the moving jaw. 

Teflon Dovetailed Slides

The Teflon slides I cut at my router table with a 14 degree dovetail bit.  1.5" wide sections were cut from a longer strip. First test fit of each showed the slides were too wide.  I used my small hand plane to trim material off the edges until the slides slipped in and slid easily. 

Two 1.25" long flat head drywall screws attach the slides to the moving jaws. Action is smooth up and down the slot.  

The 1/4"d x 1" long rare earth magnets work to keep the sliding jaws attached to the threaded shafts.   

Rare Earth Magnets

Lastly sandpaper was glued to the face of the jaws for a much better grip on wood parts that are held in the vises.  Handles were CNC cut from a small scrap of dense white oak. 

White Oak Handles. 

These new vises will hold larger pieces of wood that will have the top surface carved/pocketed on them.   I can easily clamp the vises to my CNC bridges.

They also can be used on vacuum tables.  Hang the handle end over the end of the bed. The wide bases stays stuck in place. 

Comments encouraged!

4D

Variable Height Coffee Table

18 Inches Tall

This coffee table raises and lowers. The height adjusts from 14.25" to 18". 

The table is 16" wide and 42" long. The top of leg frames move in and out.  The bottom edges simply rotate in place. An intersecting panel maintains support of the top as it moves up or down. 

14.25 Inches Tall

A hand crank raises or lowers the table height.  The top of the leg frames remain attached to the underside of the table top as they slide. A HDPE slide in a T-slot connects to a barrel nut embedded into the top of the leg frames does that job. 

HDPE sliders

Inserts that pivot with an embedded square nut on one side, and two lock collars for the other side hold the ends of the hand crank shaft. 3/8-16 threaded rod. 

I haven't yet made or found a hand crank. I may make a nice one from hardwood.  The threaded rod  stays registered through one leg, and threads through the other leg. Spinning the shaft clockwise pulls them together lowering the table top. I used lock collars on either side of a pivoting insert. 

To allow the pivot panel to pivot I made four blocks like the block below. Twin tapered tenons wedge tight even without glue.  Adding some glue prevents them from ever dropping out. A nylock nut embedded in the pivot block keeps the screw from rotating/unscrewing as the leg rotates around it. 

Twin tapered tenons

In place and set back from the top sides this pivot bracket discretely does the job.

In place

Square blocks with 5mm pins inserted into their sides pivot in the leg panels as the 3/8-16 threaded shaft pulls them together or spreads them apart. Lock collars keep the shaft in place on the crank end. 

Nut Pocket Revision

With the nut dropping in from the top of the block, it can't come out if the threaded shaft it running through it. I made a plug to glue in over the nut, and another plug to fill the square hole in the other block. 

Test Pocket for Pivot Block

Two small blocks with a hole for the pivot pins, inset next to the hole.  They are 5/8" deep with the pin hole centered 3/8" down from the top:  

Pivot pins are trapped in place.

Thin plastic washers were needed to keep wood from rubbing on wood. I had to make my own as I couldn't find any the right thickness this size.

Plastic Washers

The steps needed to make the washers I've documented here: Making Plastic Washers.

I needed a link between the sliding slots to synchronize the movement of the leg panels.  I drew up and outline of the needed link plate and sent a DXF file to SendCutSend.com.  They sent me 2 copies of the stainless steel link plate I designed.  Just under 1/16" thick. The plate won't scratch the wood as it pivots as Teflon tape has been applied to the side between the plate and the underside of the table top

I chamfered the edges of the leg panels. I 3D printed end stops so the slides won't pop out.  Simple 1/2" diameter cylinders with a chamfered hole for a 1/2" long wood screw.   

3D Printed End Stop

Installed into the slot.

There remains a small danger potential. Over-cranking past limits may stress and break something.  I need to work on a way to indicate when to stop.  If the shaft was motor powered I could install limit switches. Adding a motor and Up/Down switches was considered.

The table was stood up and the top edges were profiled using a ball end bit and a roundover bit.   

15.5" tall.

The table can be set to any height including and between 14.25" and 18".  I don't anticipate changing the height frequently.  This table was more about solving the engineering to make it work than contemplating how it would be used. I leave that for the eventual owner to figure out. 

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