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. 

4D