GETTING STARTED
$300 buys all the material you need to construct the ultimate tool stand. We used 3/4-in. MDF to build ours.
The only tools you need are a circular saw, a router, a drill, a tablesaw and an accurate straightedge. A pneumatic nail gun makes assembly a lot easier.

Butt Joints, screws and glue make for simple, sturdy construction.

DIMENSIONING THE TOOL STAND
There are two things to consider when dimensioning your tool stand:

1. The height of the bed on your chop saw.
2. The height of your tablesaw.

The tool stand consists of two boxes permanently fixed to the top to form a tool well (Fig. A). The 4-1/2-in. height of each box was determined by the height of our chop saw’s bed mounted on a 1/2-in. plywood base. Adjust the width of the ribs (C5) to match the height of your own chop saw. The 34-in. height of the tool stand is just below our tablesaw so it can be used as an outfeed table. If you need a different height for your saw, adjust the length of the sides and dividers (C2) accordingly.

ACCURATE MACHINING OF PARTS
Any part that’s a little bit out of square or not exactly the right size will have a ripple effect on the outcome of this project. Sides and dividers that are not square or exactly the same size will result in an uneven top. Out-of-square tops and bottoms make for poor-fitting inserts.

THE SQUARE TEMPLATE
Here’s a recipe to guarantee square, perfectly sized parts:

First, rough cut the tops, bottoms and sides about 1/2-in. oversize with a circular saw (Photo 1). Then rip all the pieces to finish width on your tablesaw. Organize your work so the fence is set just once for each dimension. This guarantees that every piece is exactly the same width.

Each piece must be crosscut perfectly square. One surefire way to get a square end is to use a straightedge and a router with a flush-trim bit (Photo 2). Once you’ve created a perfectly square 24 in. by 72-in. piece, use it as a template for routing the other three 24 in. by 72-in. pieces. Simply clamp the finished piece over the rough one making sure the edges are exactly flush and the ends to be cut overhang about 1/4 in. Then trim the ends with a router and a flush-trim bit.

Use a 24 in. by 24-in. piece as a template for trimming the ends of the other 24 in. by 24-in. pieces. The smaller parts can be accurately cut on your tablesaw or chop saw.

USE THE CARCASS AS AN ASSEMBLY TABLE
There are two problems with building a large torsion box:

We’ve solved both of these problems for you.

Create a flat surface on which to build the torsion box by building the carcass first. Assemble the carcass top, bottom (C1) and sides (C2) using glue and screws. The dividers (C2) are fastened with screws only, so the interior divisions can be altered for future needs. Be sure all the edges are flush as you build. Use a perfectly square back (D4) to square up the cabinet. Laid on its back, the assembled carcass now provides the dead-flat surface needed to build the torsion box.

Rough cut sheet stock down to a manageable size with a circular saw. A piece of 1-1/2-in. foam board makes an excellent backer. Make sure the blade is set to cut only slightly deeper than the thickness of the stock you’re cutting! Remember, MDF is dusty stuff, use dust control whenever possible.

 

Make a part template FROM MDF. Square a straightedge on a rough-cut end, then rout a perfectly square crosscut with a flush-trim bit. Once you have one 24 in. by 24-in. piece perfectly square you can use it as a template for making other square cuts.

Gang all the torsion box core pieces together and notch them on the tablesaw. Mark the common ends of each core piece so they can be assembled in the same orientation they were cut.