Habitat TV

We built this cart with new parts for less than $150, but it could be even more budget-friendly with upcycled timber and old pram or wheelbarrow wheels. Paint your trolley in bright, fun Resene colours to make a day at the beach even sunnier or paint it to match your vegetable patch and use it for carting around garden tools and paint.

You will need:

• Timber pieces to make the cart box, tongue, handle and wheel chassis. See below for full cutting list
• Power sander or sandpaper, plus rag for dust clean-up
• Jig saw
• Power drill
• Measuring tape, pencil and ruler
• Drill taps, 8.5mm and 10.2mm
• Flat drill, 25mm
• 4 galvanised saddle clamps, 20mm
• 2 galvanised steel axles, 810mm x 15mm, with 2 x 1mm holes on each side: 6mm in, 75mm between each hole (ours are from Richmond Wheels and Castors, Auckland)
• 4 pneumatic wheels, 250mm, 16mm axle bore
• 8 split pins, 50mm
• Flathead nails (about 40mm)
• 8 flat washers, M1.6
• 4 flat washers, M10
• 4 flat washers, M12
• 1 engineer M10 bolt, 110mm
• 1 engineer M12 bolt, 75mm
• Timber screws, 20mm

Resene shopping list:

• 1L Resene Lumbersider in your choice of colour – we used two coats of Resene Elephant
• #1 roller and sleeve, 150mm
• Resene testpots in your choice of colours – we used Resene Canary, Resene Red Berry and Resene Resolution Blue
• 1L Resene Concrete Clear
• MacGyver brush, 63mm
• Resene testpot brushes
• Masking tape

Timber cutting list

Prepare piece 1 (base piece):

• From the top of the piece, mark 390mm down from each side.
• Also mark the midway point along the top.
• Draw a line from the midway point to the 390mm mark on each side to create a triangle.
• Create a curvature within the triangle point at the top. Cut out with a jig saw.
• From the top point, measure 75mm down and mark the midway point (along the width).
• Create a hole at this point using a 10.2mm tap drill

Pieces 2 and 3 (long side pieces of box):
810mm x 350mm x 12mm

Pieces 4 and 5 (short side pieces of box):
576mm x 350mm x12 mm

Piece 6 (front wheels):

90mm x 600mm x 20mm
Measure the centre of piece 6, length and width ways, and mark. Create a hole at this point using a 10.2mm tap drill.

Piece 7 (back wheels):
90mm x 600mm x 20mm

Piece 8 (swivel piece):
215mm x 90mm x 20mm

At the bottom of the piece, sketch a semicircle by tracing around the M12 bolt and cut out with a jig saw.

Piece 9 & 10 (handle sides):
140mm x 90mm x 20mm

To prepare piece 9 & 10 (handle sides):

• At the top of the piece, measure and mark the midway point.
• Mark out 20mm on either side.
• Draw lines from those marks down to the bottom. Cut to create an isosceles trapezium shape.
• Measure 25mm from the top and mark the midway point along the width. Use an 8.5mm drill tap to make a hole.

Piece 11 (handle):
935mm x 45mm x 45mm

To prepare piece 11:

• At the top, measure 40mm down and midway across. Use a 25mm flat drill bit to create a hole.
• At the bottom, measure up 35mm and midway across. Use an 8.5mm drill tap to make a hole.

Dowel 25mm, cut to 200mm 

Sand all pieces with a power sander, and wipe with a cloth. Paint all pieces in Resene Lumbersider tinted to Resene Elephant and set aside to dry.

To build the beach cart

Step 1: Cut your wooden pieces using the cutting guide, then create a box with pieces 2-5 using a power drill and timber screws.

Step 2: Attach box to piece 1.

Step 3: Fill in any holes with wood filler, leave to dry then sand. Wipe away any dust with a cloth.

Step 4: Paint the box and cut pieces of wood using a roller. Leigh used two coats of Resene Elephant.

Step 5: Once dry flip the box over. Place the M12 bolt through the hole at the top of the base and thread piece 6 onto it, using M12 washers between each piece. Secure the bolt with a small bit of give for swivelling.

Step 6: Attach saddle clamps on either side of the length of piece 6 about 20mm in from either side to form the axle.

Step 7: Secure the axle with box nails placed tightly against and along the axle piece, with the axle piece sitting tightly against one side of the saddle clamps. Hammer the top of the nails so that they sit flush over the axle.

Step 8: Attach the wheels to each side in this order: butterfly pin, then washer, top tip You can adapt this to be smaller or bigger, depending on your needs. Visit second-hand stores for old wheelbarrows, hand trollies or prams with working wheels. You can also use timber offcuts, instead of new wood. then wheel, then washer, then butterfly pin.

Step 9: From the bottom, measure up 140mm on both sides of the width and draw a line across. Sit the bottom of piece 7 flush against the line and screw the piece onto the base.

Step 10: Screw the axles onto piece 7, repeating steps 6-8.

Step 11: Take piece 8 and screw it to the base of piece 6, lining the semi-circle hole with the bolt.

Step 12: Flip the cart over, and screw pieces 9 and 10 on either side of piece 8, at the top.

Step 13: Paint the inside of the box. Leigh used two coats of Resene Seagull.

Step 14: Place the dowel inside piece 11 at the top hole to make the handle.

Step 15: Place the other side of the handle between pieces 9 and 10 and use a M10 bolt and washers to secure together.

Step 16: Touch up with Resene Elephant. We also painted stripes of varying sizes in Resene Canary, Resene Red Berry and Resene Resolution Blue for a beachy feel. Finish your cart in Resene Concrete Clear for extra outdoor protection.

Have fun at the beach!