Need plans for a "flip" type mobile cabinet

[Jason White]

I want to build a cabinet for my portable thickness planer that will allow me to "flip" the top and let me use my portable drill press. I'd like to have both tools mounted permanently.

I saw these two on WOOD magazine's site, but am looking for additional options...

http://www.woodstore.net/flwoce.html

http://www.woodstore.net/swivtoolcab.html

Any suggestions?

Jason

[Dewey Torres]

Jason,
I have made the one from the wood plans that you posted. I can post pics or talk through some recommended modifications of you deice to go with that one.

If I may recommended however that you not try this with a drill press. Even a portable one is going to be REALLY heavy and awkward for a flip top.

I am not trying to stop you but a drill press stands tall enough that you are going to be forced to make the cabinet deeper and the planer will be higher than with most flip tops. Also you could knock your teeth out it the thing ever slipped.

[Dewey Torres]

A thread to look though:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=92122&highlight=flip

[Jason White]

Actually, I was thinking I'd make it pretty tall anyway, since my workbench height is 40". I figured I'd make it so the workbench could serve as outfeed support for the planer/DP cart.

JW


Jason,
I have made the one from the wood plans that you posted. I can post pics or talk through some recommended modifications of you deice to go with that one.

If I may recommended however that you not try this with a drill press. Even a portable one is going to be REALLY heavy and awkward for a flip top.

I am not trying to stop you but a drill press stands tall enough that you are going to be forced to make the cabinet deeper and the planer will be higher than with most flip tops. Also you could knock your teeth out it the thing ever slipped.

[M Toupin]

Rather than trying to build it to a set plan, I'd suggest tailoring the basic concept to fit you particular tools and needs.

I built this one based on an idea from Glenn Bradley to fit both my SCMS and planner. Glenn's method of locking the top is simple and 100% solid when locked down. The lock knobs add to the rigidity and make the entire unit stiffer. I also built another smaller topped sized one to fit my mortiser. I made both of mine so the out feed top of the tools would be at 31" so I can use my TS as a out feed/support for the others.

I wouldn't worry about the weight so much, the trick is to pick two tools of roughly the same weight and center of gravity height so they counterweight each other when you flip the top. Note the pic of the planner/SCMS balanced in the half rotated position.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=926110&postcount=8

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=91236

Mike

[peter leyden]

I built a flip top stand to hold my DW735 planer, delta 8" grinder and belt/disc sander. I located the tools on the table so that they were as well balanced as I could get them and it still a bit scary when flipping the top. Flipping the top with only one tool on one side of the top sounds even scarier. Find another tool to mount on the other side so there is some semblance of balance between the two sides.
All that aside, I decided to "go my own way" when it came to securing the top - I used four hanger bolts screwed into the top corners of the cabinet sides and made four wooden turnbuttons which are mounted on the bolts . The turnbuttons have rubber pads glued to the part of the button which contacts the top. The buttons are tightened onto the top with four threaded knobs. When it is time to flip the top the buttons are loosened and turned to one side. This has worked out so far and the only cost was for the threaded knobs and the hanger bolts, and there are no critical measurements involved in implementing this.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I want to build a cabinet for my portable thickness planer that will allow me to "flip" the top and let me use my portable drill press. I'd like to have both tools mounted permanently.

I saw these two on WOOD magazine's site, but am looking for additional options...

http://www.woodstore.net/flwoce.html

http://www.woodstore.net/swivtoolcab.html

Any suggestions?

Jason

I purchased the plans for the second listing (swivtoolcab) and resized it according to what I needed. The plans are striaght forward and the design is very is to modify. If you search around, you'll find that most people used a different pivot method and different latches than whats in the plans.

I resized the cabinet to fit a Delta 22-560 planer with the dust collector attachment installed. The planer is mounted in the same orientation as the picture, but with the DC hood attached, the outfeed table cannot be raised. I also modified the top to be 4 boards, two 3/4 plywood outsides and 2 3/4 particle board insides. The trim design from the plans adds a ton of strength. The pivot is a 3/8" threaded rod run through a 1/2"OD (3/8" ID) steel tube). I only have one tool attached, the planer, and it flips very easily. I use the other side as a temporary workbench for now.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I'm currently building a couple of the ones from Woodsmith ( issue 111). For the pivot, I'm using 1/2" drill rod, though 1/2" bore flanged oil lite bearings. Shaft is held in place by two lock collars. Remember cabinet doesn't need to be same height as bench, only the bed of the planer needs to be that height. Only major modification to original Woodsmith plans was to use two fixed casters, and a lifting caster, that I purchased from Rockler.

[Eddie Kaden]

I finally got all of my Xmas gifts finished so I could get to work on my cabinet for my new planer, plus had a few extra days off of work. Here's my design. I hope to have it completed this weekend. My flip top is mostly made from maple for strength. I'm using a 3/4 steel rod for my pivot point that rides on brass bushings. Maybe a little over kill, but I wanted to protect my investment. The rod then sits in alum plates that I made and resessed in the side panels. When completed, the outside edge of the cabinet top will have a 4" wide clamping rail and the front will have a door to fully enclose my planer. I resessed T-nuts inside the top for my bolts to mount the planer so the opposite side is a completely smooth work surface. I also have T-nuts in all for sides that hold stop blocks to secure the top in whatever position its flipped in.

[Eddie Kaden]

More photos of my hinge design.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Here is my newly finished flip top stand. It is based on the design from the wood magazine site. I resized it to fit my delta 22-560 with the dust collector hood.

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[Anthony Whitesell]

I used a 1/4" diameter core box bit to route a groove along the center to place a 1/2" OD steel tube.

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The edge pieces are red oak milled into a C-shape with mitered corners to grasp the plywood center for extra strength.

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The top is made of 2 3/4" plywood layers in the center and 2 3/4" particle board layers on either side. You can see the steel rod protruding from the center. Through the rod I slid a 3/8" threaded rod capped by a jam nut and acorn nut.

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[Jason White]

That looks great! Did you deviate from the plans at all?

Jason


Here is my newly finished flip top stand. It is based on the design from the wood magazine site. I resized it to fit my delta 22-560 with the dust collector hood.

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[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

If I may recommended however that you not try this with a drill press. Even a portable one is going to be REALLY heavy and awkward for a flip top

I built one that's based on the M.Toupin/Glenn Bradley design.
(but no where near as nicely done as either)

The basic difference is mine is 30" high to accomadate the 29" height of my benchtop drill press. (~ 90 lbs)
The flip side holds my DeWalt 734 planer. (also ~ 90 lbs)

The DP is a heavy cast iron beast w/most of the weight up top in the motor/pully area.

Prior to mounting the planer, I flipped the top several times with just the drill press bolted to the top.

I was pleasantly surprised that the cart showed very little tendancy to "skip backwards" when flipping the top heavy DP.

The sides are 3/4" borg birch ply, the bottom is 3/4" borg ply and the top is a double layer of 3/4" borg birch ply. For a rod, I used a 1/2" threaded steel rod and some hardwood supports added to the ouside of the skins.
When the weather breaks, I plan to add some copper pipe hangers as bushings for the threaded rod to sit in.

Also, due mainly to the extra height, the cart needs some face frames on the sides to help resist racking.
Once the top is secured tight & some plastic shims added where the crossbolts are, it's rock solid.

I also added a table to the drill press made of 3/4" borg melamine. The table is a full 42" wide. I used my Festool TS55EQ to cut ~ 1 foot off each end of the table. I routed a 3/4" groove in those wings and added T-track. Next I used a piano hinge to reattach each wing.
When I flip the DP into the down position, I slip a bungie cord on the wings to hold them from flopping around. When the DP is flipped up, the fence w/the track bolts hold the wings solidly in place.

Aside from having to allow some extra height for the DP and some extra girth to the base overall for stability, the DP works well on the flip cart.

I'll snap a couple of pictures tomorrow and post them.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I did in several places.

The carcass construction and trim work remained the same. The drawer is basically the same, except I used a drawer lock joint without a false front and full extension slides. I also rescaled it as necessary to hold the planer with the dust collector chute.

The trim for the top is similar, but I used two pairs of sheet goods to make two halves held together by the banding. The two sheets for the top were laminated using contact cement. The change in the top was spurred by the change in the pivot design. I used barrel bolt latches for the hold downs instead of the wooden toggles.

I have a sketchup file of my modified design if you are interested....and I can find it. But be warned, I may have deviated from that from the time I drew it to the time I built it.

[Don Bullock]

Instead of a fliptop I placed my table top drill press and mortiser back-to-back on top of a mobile cabinet. It works great. The drawers hold my hand drills drill bits and a lot of other drill related tools.

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