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Rolling Plant Caddies[8/4 · 4ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 3 rolling plant caddies
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 · 4ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 4' Lengths / 4-6"
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
Thick hardwood plant caddies on casters, so big floor plants roll to the light, away from the window in winter, or out of the way when you mop. Each top is four boards edge-glued into a solid slab about 14" × 16", with two cleats underneath that carry the casters. One 8/4 pack makes three, so the whole plant corner rolls.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top pieces | 12 | Boards 1–4, three each | 14" × 4" × 1¾" | 14" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Cleats | 6 | Board 5, ripped in half | 12" × 1 15/16" × 1¾" | 12" × 1 11/16" × 1¾" |
Tops: four 14" pieces edge-glued per top, long grain to long grain → 14" × 16" (S4S) or 14" × 14" (S2S). Corners rounded to 1½".
Cleats: two 12" cleats per top, ripped from board 5, running across the top's grain 1½" in from each end. Three #10 × 2½" screws each — round hole in the middle, slots at the ends, no glue.
Casters: four 2" swivel casters per caddy, one under each end of each cleat, #10 × 1" pan-head screws.
Finished size: S4S 14" × 16" × about 6" H · S2S 14" × 14" × about 6" H. Height depends on your casters.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 4ft (S4S or S2S)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- 12 × 2" swivel plate casters, rated 50 lb each, with a plate no wider than about 1¾"
- 18 × #10 × 2½" screws with flat washers (cleats)
- 48 × #10 × 1" pan-head screws (casters)
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: hardwax oil or water-based poly (water-resistant)
- A plant saucer for every pot
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide), push stick and splitter
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits, ½" counterbore bit
- 4–6 bar clamps, 18" or longer
- Jigsaw or bandsaw (corners)
- Router with ¼" roundover bit (optional)
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first. No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 1¾" × 4", ¼" to square an end · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean); we plan S2S at 1¾" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 Cut the top pieces. Square one end of boards 1–4 and clamp a stop block at 14". Cut three pieces from each board — 12 pieces, four per caddy.
- 2 Rip the cleats. Rip board 5 down the middle with a push stick and splitter — two strips about 1 15/16" wide. Cut three 12" cleats from each strip.
- 3 Glue up the tops. Sort the 12 pieces into three sets of four. Edge-glue each set into a top 14" long × 16" wide. Long grain to long grain, so the glue holds. Use cauls at the ends, clamp, and leave overnight.
- 4 Flatten and shape. Scrape off the glue and sand the seams flat. Trace a 3" jar lid on each corner, cut to the line and sand smooth. Round over all the edges ¼".
- 5 Drill the cleats. Each cleat gets three screw holes down its length: a round hole in the middle and a slot at each end. For the slots, drill two ¼" holes side by side and clean out between them, about ½" long. Counterbore every hole ½" deep with a ½" bit from the bottom face.
- 6 Fix the cleats. Turn a top upside down. Lay two cleats across it, 1½" in from each end and centred side to side. Pre-drill and drive #10 × 2½" screws with washers through the cleats into the top. No glue — the cleats cross the top's grain, and the slots let the top move.
- 7 Finish every face. Sand to 180 and wipe on hardwax oil or water-based poly, 3 coats, top, bottom, edges and cleats the same. Water from pots gets everywhere, and a top finished on one side only will cup.
- 8 Add the casters. Set a 2" swivel caster under each end of each cleat, about 1" in from the end. Mark the holes, pre-drill and drive #10 × 1" pan-head screws. Pick casters with a plate that sits on the cleat.
- 9 Set out the plants. Put a saucer under every pot, every time. Roll the caddy into place, then set the pot on it. Keep it to one big pot of up to about 80 lb.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish 1¾" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Cut the top pieces. Square one end of boards 1–4 and clamp a stop block at 14". Cut three pieces from each board — 12 pieces, four per caddy.
- 3 Rip the cleats. Rip board 5 down the middle with a push stick and splitter — two strips about 1 11/16" wide. Cut three 12" cleats from each strip.
- 4 Glue up the tops. Sort the 12 pieces into three sets of four. Edge-glue each set into a top 14" long × 14" wide. Long grain to long grain, so the glue holds. Use cauls at the ends, clamp, and leave overnight.
- 5 Flatten and shape. Scrape off the glue and sand the seams flat. Trace a 3" jar lid on each corner, cut to the line and sand smooth. Round over all the edges ¼".
- 6 Drill the cleats. Each cleat gets three screw holes down its length: a round hole in the middle and a slot at each end. For the slots, drill two ¼" holes side by side and clean out between them, about ½" long. Counterbore every hole ½" deep with a ½" bit from the bottom face.
- 7 Fix the cleats. Turn a top upside down. Lay two cleats across it, 1½" in from each end and centred side to side. Pre-drill and drive #10 × 2½" screws with washers through the cleats into the top. No glue — the cleats cross the top's grain, and the slots let the top move.
- 8 Finish every face. Sand to 180 and wipe on hardwax oil or water-based poly, 3 coats, top, bottom, edges and cleats the same. Water from pots gets everywhere, and a top finished on one side only will cup.
- 9 Add the casters. Set a 2" swivel caster under each end of each cleat, about 1" in from the end. Mark the holes, pre-drill and drive #10 × 1" pan-head screws. Pick casters with a plate that sits on the cleat.
- 10 Set out the plants. Put a saucer under every pot, every time. Roll the caddy into place, then set the pot on it. Keep it to one big pot of up to about 80 lb.
Why slotted holes in the cleats? A 16" top grows and shrinks across its grain through the year — a pot saucer that overflows makes it swell fast. The cleats run the other way. Slots at the ends let the screws slide as the top moves, so it stays flat and doesn't crack.
Why cleats at all? Casters need something solid to screw into, and screws driven straight into the top would come too close to the surface. The cleats give each caster 1¾" of wood and lift the top so it clears the wheels.
Why finish every face? Plant caddies live with water. Bare wood on the underside soaks up spills, swells and cups. Three coats everywhere keep the top flat.
Why pre-drill? Maple, oak and hickory split if you drive a screw without a pilot hole. Pre-drill every screw and countersink so the heads sit flush.
Make It Yours
- Round tops: draw a 14" circle on each top with a string and pencil and cut it with a jigsaw. Keep the cleats inside the circle.
- Locking casters: use two locking casters on the front of each caddy so it stays put on a slippery floor.
- Mixed set: make one caddy from each of three species — walnut, maple and cherry look great side by side.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Rip board 5 with a push stick and a splitter. Cut the short cleats with a stop block on the mitre saw.
- Set the caddy in place first, then add the pot. A big wet pot is heavy — lift with your legs.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
Four 2" casters rated 50 lb each carry a big pot of up to about 80 lb with room to spare. Keep the pot centred on the top.
It rolls on low-pile carpet, but hard floors are easier. For thick carpet, use 3" casters and pick ones with rubber wheels.
Choose soft rubber or polyurethane wheels for hardwood and tile. Hard plastic wheels can scratch and are loud.
Planned offcuts only: about 4¾" off the end of boards 1–4 and about 10" off each strip of board 5. Use them for pot feet or coasters. All 5 boards go into the caddies.
A 2ft 8/4 pack makes one caddy: one 14" piece from each of boards 1–4 for the top, and two cleats from board 5 ripped in half. For a set of three, use the 4ft pack.
