Introduction: CNC Table & Storage

About: I have an unhealthy relationship with pallet wood. I make fast paced and entertaining build videos on my YouTube channel that are made for everyone, but with the ultimate goal to get the younger generations ex…

CNC table made entirely from reclaimed 3/4" pine boards along with some plywood for the top and the drawers. I chose nice 3/4" hardwood plywood for the top because I wanted the top to be as flat as possible to reference off of.

This has been on my to-do list since I moved into the new shop - the X-Carve was getting sick of it's temporary home on top of some sawhorses. This was build tall, specifically because my body likes tall surfaces and also because I can fit 4 saw horses and my giant toolbox underneath (with all my framing tools inside).

Step 1: Lumber & Rough Sizing

I start in the lumberyard, aka my collection of reclaimed pine.

I start by ripping all the stock down to width on the table saw. Legs are 3" and aprons are 6".

I cut the legs down to length (36") and the aprons down to rough length (you'll see why later).

Step 2: Leg Assembly

Each leg is made from 3 pieces of 3/4" thick pine. I glue all of the pieces together...

Tack them together with a stapler...

And screw all 3 layers together.

One of the pieces is left 6" shorter so the skirt will fit on top of it on the left and right side, but I need to cut out a notch for the front and back.

Step 3: Table Assembly

This is the front skirt with a hole for the storage drawer. It's made from 2 pieces of 3/4" square stock and 4.5" pieces on each side for a total of 6".

I tilt the table saw over to 45 degrees to cut down the skirts to final dimension.

I predrill each with a countersink bit, then glue and screw.

I do the same on all 4 faces.

I add some comically small casters on each leg by predrilling and screwing them in place.

Step 4: Table Top

I use 3/4" hardwood plywood for the top to ensure as flat of a surface as possible for the CNC to live on.

I drill pocket holes around the perimeter for some hidden fasteners to attach the plywood tabletop.

After centering the tabletop I attach it with pocket hole screws.

Step 5: Plugs

The reason I used a countersink bit to predrill the holes was because I wanted to plug the holes and make it pretty.

I insert the plugs and then cut them flush and sand them smooth.

Step 6: Moving & Sliders

The hardest part of the project is lifting and sliding this beast in place without bumping anything out of alignment.

I then move all of the spaghetti noodles out of the way and temporarily move the sawhorses out of the way as well.

The table is moved into place and then I add top rails, side rails, and also a couple of rails along the bottom for the drawer to ride on.

The saw horses return +2 along with my giant toolbox that houses a bunch of my framing tools.

Step 7: Drawer

To finish this up it needs a drawer! I rip down some more of my reclaimed pine for the sides.

I predrill, glue, and screw the sides together.

For the bottom of the drawer, I use 1/4" luan plywood.

It's cut down to size on the table saw and then glued and stapled to the bottom of the drawer.

Step 8: Finishing Touches

It fits! It's a massive drawer too, about 36" deep.

The drawer front is added for looks, but also to act as a drawer stop. I use hot glue to temporarily fasten the drawer front while I line it up.

I couldn't get the screws to grab into the 3/8" plywood so I decided just to screw it through the face to hold it in place.

Then it just needs a classic Jackman drawer pull.

All loaded up and some paste wax added to all of the surfaces to lube it up (oh yeah!)

Step 9: Control Board Tray

I used some of the same 3/4" plywood to make this L shaped shelf.

I attach it with screws through one of the skirts and also through the top to hold it in place.

This shelf is used to hold the excess wires and control panel of the CNC. It's at this point that I realized it bumps out a bit more on the side than I thought...

I just cut out a groove in the side piece of plywood and put it back in place. It's a perfect fit, almost like I did it on purpose.

Step 10: Summary

Since It's on casters now, I can tighten up the belts and all that fun stuff. Now it's working at 100%!

It's a pretty simple build, but hopefully you picked up a few useful tips on this one.

Be sure to watch the build video for the full experience:

Tables and Desks Contest 2016

Participated in the
Tables and Desks Contest 2016

Epilog Contest 8

Participated in the
Epilog Contest 8

CNC Contest 2016

Participated in the
CNC Contest 2016