Save Your Back with this Plywood Dolly!

[@cobberpete1]

Great 'Tool', and great reminder tip about cutting larger rather than small pieces

[@paulmantegna76]

I made two of these years ago. The base on mine is the same front to back as the uprights. My uprights are twice as tall as yours. One set has fixed castors the other rotating castors. I drilled holes in the angled braces to accommodate the hooks of ratchet straps. I use them at the big box store and fit one at each end of a full sheet of 1/2 ply/MDF etc (up to a max of 4 sheets) strap them in, very easy to move full 8 x 4 sheets around the store aisles and it doesn't matter how far away I parked my pick up. When I had a van I could lift one end up into the load area and wheel the stock right in, reverse procedure when I got back to the shop.

[@joeshue9087]

Thank you for passing this on. My Back thanks you.

[@boyscout419]

Others below have mentioned they made two sets of these. I was thinking that one could have the fixed casters such as you show, but the other could have swivel casters, allowing easy "driving around the shop". For me that would work, because while I don't store a lot of large sheet goods, I will purchase them slightly ahead of the time I'm actually going to use them, so I do occasionally have to move them around. In these cases, the devices would act as storage dollies in addition to material handling dollies. It would be especially important to include the non-slip grabbers as you demonstrated. Thanks Colin for the great idea! Keep 'em coming!

[@Waffle_Hunter]

Darn I miss him assemblying the videos love the sounds of the timelapses

[@dellinger71]

Really great tool. I would probably mount a rubber band to the bottom, so I don't have to open it manually to place a sheet.

[@RobertKreese]

Awesome little helper that's really useful!

[@rjtumble]

Well, I guess I know what I'm up to in the shop today, thanks Colin!

[@jnrmrtn]

This is a great idea and very timely for me. I about killed myself moving full sheets of 3/4 mdf and melamine the other day. Now I need to move them out of the way. Great idea and thanks for doing this video!

[@jameskenis439]

This is perfect timing as I have to move 20 sheets of 5/8 drywall from my garage, around the house to the backyard and then into my basement

[@jrperki1]

I would add an extension spring between the casters so the normal state of the jig would be open until weight is applied. You could just drill small holes in the steel of the casters above the bolts. That would make it easier to just sit it on the ground and then place the sheet into it.

[@ausnutcase4460]

I totally agree that was my first thought…..it’s a brilliant idea now I have something to do on the weekend 😂

[@jrperki1]

@@ausnutcase4460I just finished a design in Fusion 360 that has a center piece that is about 3 or 4 inches wide with a v-groove to accept various widths and two separate sides that clamp above the v. I may end up building it and posting it.

[@ausnutcase4460]

@@jrperki1 very nice. Thinking that I may have to wait to build anything as it’s raining and my workshop is outdoorsy lol 😂 but I’ll watch KZbin instead 😁

[@huejanus5505]

Great dolly idea. A little fyi for your viewers. A few years ago I wanted to make a flat moving dolly and was surprised that the price of an already complete unit was substantially cheaper than just buying the exact same 4 wheels separately. This was at our local big box store.

[@rangersmith4652]

Harbor Freight or Northern Tool flat dollies are a real bargain. It's pretty easy to visualize a way to make a device like this from one of them. Get a cheap set of wheel chocks while you're there. You'll see why.

[@JedReynoldsBitratchet]

Thanks Colin! Really like this!

[@williambuckley1185]

Great idea, Thanks Colin

[@syedhasan6548]

Very Nice 👍 Thanks for sharing

[@davidbrewer7937]

I have used a similar dolly for decades to move large items around easily. I recently used a large version to move a 18ft long deck around on a landscape job. The client was in awe at the ease at which could maneuver this deck which weighed a good 3/4 ton or more on my own in a narrow alleyway where a machine could not go. The only suggestion I have is to make the wheels as big & soft tired as possible...they traverse the rough bits much better.

[@wolverine1694]

Brilliant.... absolutely brilliant... will definitely make one for around the shop... you stay one step ahead of me.. thanks ever so much

[@dragonflytoo]

THIS is a good idea. I already have a pulley system for putting plywood on the vertical saw bench, but this will help getting it from the truck to the shop 👍🏻👍🏻. Thanks

[@1959WoodWorkingHobby]

Congratulations on the beautiful work! Have a wonderful 2022 with great health and success!

[@mariaaparecidacarvalho6530]

Thank you Colin. Have a good 2022! Sao Paulo - Brazil. 💚💛🇧🇷🇺🇲

[@guloguloguy]

IMHO: YOU SHOULD GET A COUPLE OF "EXTENSION SPRINGS, AND BOLT THEM ACROSS THE HINGED JOINT, ON THE BOTTOM, ...SO THAT THEY WILL NATURALLY HOLD THE BASE FLAT, AND "OPEN", READY TO CARRY THE LOADED SHEET MATERIAL(S)...

[@guybowers9094]

Simple idea for a great tool. Going to make this for the shop

[@scottsimpey2965]

Really cool little dolly, where have these been for all of my hobbyists woodworking life lol. Thanks so much for sharing this Colin. I have a couple of these really rather heavy metal dolly’s that have been 4 swivel casters on them and a V groove in the middle (they are more for snowmobiles or things like that) and while they are certainly better then nothing for moving plywood around they are really rather cumbersome. A couple of these are going right at the top of my list of things to be made. Thanks again for sharing.

[@scottbryant2235]

Neat! Think I would a a spring of sorts to the bottom side to keep it open.

[@Ismail.7...]

Thank You. Allah bless you and your family.

[@brainwashingdetergent4322]

This is some pretty cool “sheet”!

[@matsu223]

Great. I am waiting for the cut-list already. I have a friend that is probably very interested in this.

[@UpperSkyDJ]

Hi @Mat Su the parts/cut list is in his article that is linked in the description above.

[@EitriBrokkr]

What a piece of sheet :)

[@MrMarkpeggy]

Very clever! Thanks for sharing Colin 👍

[@edgarallanpoe1822]

A nice trick really Thanks for revealing these trade secrets

[@woodsniffer]

good video thanks for posting Colin

[@richcroteau9234]

I made one of these and it works great Thanks for your videos

[@mikecrawford5331]

Great idea!

[@richardstrada212]

Thanks for the great tip and the advice on how to use it.

[@dennisbrown2571]

Great idea. Gonna make one for sure.

[@grahamrankin4725]

Great modification to other versions I have seen.

[@brianbealer3572]

Why not use magnets in between the plywood on the base. That would hold it open, but the weight of the sheet food will break the connection allowing it to close and grip the wood

[@georgedavall9449]

Seriously? Wow magnets, 😆 😂

[@jeytex3161]

As always, great tool thanks for sharing it!

[@weldabar]

Good tip about largest piece. I probably would have cut a small square and then cut that in half somehow.

[@chewbacca5986]

Great idea, thank you for sharing

[@AxellTh]

You could make two of them. Pne for each end of the board so you dont risk damaging the lower edges. Especially drywall is so fragile.

[@georgequalls5043]

I was thinking bungee cord and low and behold you included it towards the end.

[@mp6814]

Good idea, thanks for sharing! Could one use two of these with the second dolly having rotating wheels? Less of a chance to hit the ground?

[@richardparkin8559]

I love the idea but the only thing I did is put spring loaded hinges that keeps it open till you put a sheet in it. Ty

[@MCsCreations]

Excellent little jig, Colin! Thanks! 😃 I'm definitely going to build one... But if you discover something to help me go upstairs with a sheet of plywood... Please, let me know. 😬 Merry Christmas! And stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@richardreed3016]

can I use this to go up stairs

[@ahednuman3333]

i like it realy very nice idea and helpful

[@davidsneddon2242]

Colin I’m sure I’m being a bit thick here but can tell me exactly how to find the cut list please. Brilliant by the way.⭐️👍

[@nagamendo5655]

GREAT IDEA! Just as a matter of thought: In your version you have added these small pieces of wood to keep the big board from tilting to one side or the other. The size of these small pieces of wood determines how thick the big board should be to be held up straight. What if you add an axis (parallel to the slot) to the gripping parts instead of having these small pieces of wood? In this case the gripping parts will change their angle according to the thickness of the big board you want to transport and it will always stand straight. Love your channel. Great idea. Thx 4 sharing. Greetings from Switzerland 🇨🇭

[@javitoto]

Hi, just read this and I was wondering if you could share a quick sketch to visualize your suggestion, seems like a good idea but I can’t visualize it. Thanks!

[@ILuvMsMarvel]

Question/Suggestion: Could one not make a detachable ramp to make it easier to get the sheets onto the dolly? Materials can be heavy and thus difficult for some to just lift up onto the dolly, so could just slide the piece up a ramp into the uprights. Like make a hole in the dolly then have a dowl or rod on the ramp and you can just hook/unhook as needed.

[@brucelee3388]

A 'Shop Burro' - just put a leading rein on it (a piece of rope) and it would also make it easy to pull out from under the sheet.

[@philshock3805]

Pretty cool. My shop is around 50ft from my garage with a typical sidewalk in between. I've used a furniture dolly in a similar fashion before and it works but you've got to be on your toes to keep the sheet balanced and going where you want. This would be much easier (maybe even a pair of them with one outfitted with fixed wheels and the other with swiveling wheels). Now if only plywood and MDF would get reasonably affordable again! Can't believe 3/4 MDF is $50 in my area!

[@tommyammo6135]

$60.00 here at HD in south jersey today

[@billj5645]

The little pieces at the bottom could be beveled or triangular so they wouldn't catch the bottom of the sheet when you put it in.

[@I_like_pears]

What a neat tool! I have a question: why not add a second pair of wheels to help it not tip? Does it not pivot well with that second set? Some other reason? Thanks!

[@brucelee3388]

Exactly - with more than 2 fixed wheels it won't pivot. You could make two folding platforms, one for each end, then when you need to go around a corner you just go to one end, lift most of the weight off one dolly and drag it around while still attached to line it up with the new direction.

[@homewurks1]

Hi Colin. I'm sure you did a video where you showed us a box you had made for your router jig which doubled up as a working platform. I cannot find it. Was it you? Where is the video?

[@tlum4081]

Colin, PLEASE BOOST THE VOLUME !!!!

[@colrodrick8784]

Cool Colun

[@donniesutton2230]

Use an auto hinge and it will keep it open

[@misterhat5823]

Why not use a spring on the bottom that's strong enough to open the clamp?

[@Mario-iv5tu]

Dove si trova la lista di taglio dei pezzi?

[@jimbalz3017]

useful

[@oneeyedphotographer]

I think that the holding (vertical) plates are closer together, they will hold better. You might still need to grip at the bottom, I'm not sure. If you size if for 25mm sheet goods, you can use a pair of three or six mm shims to resize if for thinner goods, and another again for still thinner goods. More weight outside the wheels will make the whole thing more inclined to fall open, ready to load.

[@JohnLobert]

See my version on his FB page. It’s much smaller and much simpler.

[@JosephNyzio-g2i]

Good video for smooth surface. Unfortunately it isn't useful for moving across grass to a workshop.

[@kellanaldous7092]

I want to make one of these but I'm worried that my plywood Patsy might get jealous.

[@dennisbrown2571]

I believe the centering blocks should read: 3/4" x1" x 4". Not 24".

[@stephanholland6181]

Good video! I've been thinking about making one of these. My shop is very tight and moving sheet stock is a problem. I think I would make two changes to your design, though. Replace the two centering blocks on the clamp faces with triangular wedges that match the clamp face height. this will guide your stock to center as the clamp closes and give more surface for the non-skid material. Get an adjustable solid rubber bungee cord with the elongated holes for the hook. Cut short lengths and stretch them across the bottom of the clamp. Fasten them with screws and washers. The slots will allow tension adjustment. Now the clamp closes and releases and you lower or raise your stock.

[@marilynmoore6752]

My husband uses shelf liner for anti slip material. He found this at walmart and at the dollar store here in the States. He uses it to hold his material when he uses his random orbital sander, it works great and isnt expensive

[@andreysuday2559]

👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍👍

[@wolfman75]

💯😎👍

[@morrislevy6994]

your topics are very educational and interesting but alas, I have to leave you because the volume of your videos very low. take it as constructive critisizem.

[@robertivey3268]

Why leave??? So Colin puts out fewer video's than you might like, continue and watch the video's that he does post and glean some great idea's from them. I sounds like you are just cutting off you nose to spite your face. Just a thought.