Kitchen island using tool trolley

[Karlster69]

This clever kitchen island uses a tool trolley and hardwood panel to create more storage and space to eat and entertain.

• The project
• More inspiration for your kitchen

The project

I created a kitchen island using the Ultimate Storage 42" 7 Drawer Tool Trolley. The idea was to create extra storage in the kitchen using the tool trolley while allowing seating for eating and entertainment by adding a tabletop. The tabletop was made using an Interbuild 2200 x 600 x 26mm Acacia Solid Oiled Hardwood Panel that I had cut in half at my local Bunnings store. I cut four small pieces off one half of the panel and biscuit joined it onto the other half to increase its width.

With the timber edge exposing raw timber, it was impossible to consider matching the oil finish. I sanded the panel back to bare timber and applied Feast Watson Oak Prooftint Interior Stain. The final coat was mixed with a few drops of rosewood to create the red tint that I was looking for. I applied several coats of Feast Watson Epoxy Resin to seal the panel. It took a week to complete this process.

I then removed the original rubberwood top from the tool trolley and fixed the panel to it. Lastly, I swapped out the bulky industrial-look castors for Moveit 100mm Rubber Castors for a smooth and silent roll on the tiles and to match the height of the existing kitchen benchtops. I added a couple of stools to finish the look.

I can store cups, plates, cutlery, appliance accessories, baking dishes and pots in these drawers. Weight distribution was a concern. A lot of thought went into the layout of the drawers so that it doesn't fall forward. We don't have too much weight at the front of the drawers and never have too many open at once.

More inspiration for your kitchen

For more project inspiration, check out our Top 10 most popular storage projects and Top 10 most popular kitchen projects.

[chequered]

Was discussing dong this with hubby for months now, great idea and thank you for showing the outcome.

[Dave-1]

Good Morning @Karlster69 

I only posted the other day an idea I have of my whole kitchen done this way! hahahah I thought I had come up with a brilliant idea But you beat me to it well and truly. 

Love the idea obviously but so many questions!

Have the drawers stood up toeveryday use?

The timber top, was it easy switching it out from the existing (As in going from the 450mm to 600mmplus)?

I hadnt thought of switching over the castor wheels but really like the idea. Where they just screwed or welded? (I havnyt got down on the Bunnings floor to check them )

And the last Question, would you do it again?

Dave

[Karlster69]

Hello @Dave-1 

Thanks for the interest and sorry for the late reply.

In answer to your questions

1) The drawers are made of steel with heavy duty drawer slides so no problems yet and I don't foresee any problems for years to come. Further, the drawer slides are super smooth and which makes for a good quality action and feel. I was concerned about overbalance but I've since forgotten about that as the cabinet has never felt like tipping even once.

2) The timber top was not difficult swapping out however a couple of the screws were a little difficult for my big hands to access. There is nothing to mention really, the steel is level with the bottom of the table top so no spacers were required and there was nothing to wrack my brain over. The only advice I can offer is to use the screw holes in the bottom of the original table top and transfer their positions onto the bottom of the new table top. pre drill and the screws will find their mark very easily.

3) The original castors were big plastic wheels that had a horrible sound so I replaced them with 100mm blue rubberised castors available at Bunnings. The holes didn't properly match so I had to adjust two of the holes on the replacement castor. Using appropriate washers allowed me to fix them properly to the cabinet at all four points. I don't like cutting corners so it's done to a good standard, no plates or welding was required.

As for your last question, yes, I would do it again. It's a straight forward project. This was the first time I did an epoxy job so I had a learning curve. I would try a different brand epoxy as the Feast Watson took days to cure at the correct ratio but the finish was spectacular and hard wearing. Perhaps something that cures a little quicker would be better, one without excessive heat as heat could warp the timber. Air bubbles were a problem and flaming them wasn't very effective.

I'm currently building an extension onto my tiny house that includes a kitchenette. I plan on making a project panel bench top exactly as I've done with the kitchen island above so I'm excited about getting stuck into that and seeing the final result.

Karl

[Dave-1]

Afternoon @Karlster69 

Thank you for answering the questions, So now its bumped the idea of a whole kitchen from maybe 30% to about a 60% chance I really like the idea. The biggest question was "would you do it again" and that is what bumped it up the notch. If someone says yes to that then its a good idea really. 

Now back to daydreaming about how I would "sort" out the kitchen especially if I want to reconfiguring it during its lifetime! 

Dave

[Dave-1]

@Karlster69 

And please post the kitchenette even if its in stages That is something that would be interesting to follow!

Dave