Built to work.
Made to learn.

01 / Set up a safe, comfortable workspace

Clear a level working area with room behind the sliding saw and at both ends of a long board. Arrange supports so offcuts cannot fall into the blade area. Have eye protection, hearing protection and dust collection ready; use suitable respiratory protection for wood dust. Keep loose clothing and jewelry away from moving parts.

Remove the battery before measuring, adjusting, drilling near or mounting the saw. Read the manual for the exact model and type on its nameplate. Never defeat a guard or copy a cutting motion from a drawing. For plywood, use a guided circular/track saw with full sheet support, or the store’s panel-cutting service; the little miter saw cannot cut a 24-inch panel in one pass.

Why it matters: A supported workpiece and a predictable work area let you concentrate on the lesson.

Check before moving on: The saw is unpowered, the floor is clear, and both the workpiece and its offcut have support.

02 / Measure the saw, not its photograph

Place the saw on a flat surface. Lay a straightedge across its fixed work-table surfaces, away from the blade and any debris. Use a square and rule to measure vertically from the mounting surface to the underside of the straightedge. Repeat at several points; resolve rocking or conflicting readings. Record this offset as S, provisionally 3 9/16 in.

Trace the feet and factory mounting holes on paper. Mark the blade’s cut line, front edge and fence position. With the battery removed, move through the full slide, miter and bevel ranges following the manual; include the handle, battery and dust-hose clearance. The approximate 30-inch depth is a moving envelope, not a mounting footprint.

Why it matters: A small offset error carries into every wing and height measurement.

Check before moving on: All feet fit the 32 × 24 in deck with sound material around every hole; no bolt lands where a rail prevents washer and nut access.

03 / Mock up the floor space

Mark a 32 × 24 in rectangle on a bench or cardboard. Add 24-inch wing outlines on both sides. This version uses 1½-inch-thick external bracket backers, so allow about 83 inches plus hardware offsets and working gaps when open. The central cabinet remains 32 inches wide. With wings folded, backers, bracket thickness, fences and caster swivel arcs make the stored width greater than 32 inches; verify it at full size.

A 24-inch cabinet can work if the feet fit and the complete assembly stays stable. It is not automatically stable because the saw is small. Check forward slide extension and one-sided stock support on a level floor. Use independent stands for long or heavy material; never lean or sit on a wing.

Why it matters: Cabinet size, saw movement and usable shop clearance describe different things.

Check before moving on: The planned location clears the saw at all settings and leaves access to the wheel locks and bracket releases.

04 / Label stock and make two joinery samples

Sight along each 2×4 and reject serious twist, splits or knots where a joint will land. Mark a reference face and edge on every part. Measure actual thickness. For ordinary 1½-inch stock with a compatible standard Kreg jig, set the guide and depth collar to 1½ inches and use 2½-inch coarse pocket screws. Drill a scrap joint using the jig’s hole-spacing guide, clamp it flush, and drive on a low clutch setting. Examine for splitting, breakthrough and gaps.

For deliberate dowel practice, make a small removable U-shaped pencil corral from one 8-inch 1×2 back and two 4-inch returns. The returns butt against the ends of the back’s face. Mark two 1/4-inch dowel centers per joint, spaced along the 1½-inch face and centered in 3/4-inch thickness. Use the same reference face against the jig on both mating pieces. For 1-inch dowels, drill approximately 9/16-inch deep in each part, checking a scrap first; the face-drilled holes must stay blind. Dry-fit, add a little glue, clamp square and let cure. It can rest on the lower shelf.

Why it matters: Samples reveal setup mistakes cheaply; the dowels teach registration without complicating the loaded frame.

Check before moving on: The pocket joint closes without splitting; both dowel joints fit by hand without hammering or breaking through.

05 / Cut the fixed panels and fit the frame parts

Inspect sheet edges for square and damage. Rip one true 24-inch-wide strip from the full sheet with a supported guided saw. From it crosscut the 32-inch deck and two 24-inch wings, placing the kerf on the waste side of each line. At a 1/8-inch kerf those three pieces consume about 80 3/8 inches, leaving room for end cleanup. Save the narrower remainder for the rear brace, fence blanks and caps.

Cut the shelf blank from the separate true 24 × 48 panel. Do not ask the store to split a full sheet into two exact 24-inch halves. Rough-cut long framing pieces, square an end, then cut matching parts against a verified stop. Cut the 29-inch and 17-inch rails only after confirming the stated leg orientation and actual lumber dimensions. Cut the four legs only after completing the height worksheet. Label each part.

Why it matters: A consistent reference edge and kerf allowance prevent small errors from accumulating.

Check before moving on: Matching parts agree, the four legs are identical, and the deck, shelf and wings measure the selected sizes.

06 / Assemble the two front/rear frames

Lay two legs flat with their 1½-inch dimension across the 32-inch frame width. Fit a 29-inch upper rail between them, flush to the leg tops, and a 29-inch lower rail with its bottom flush to the leg bottoms. Both rails are on edge, 3½ inches tall. Orient pocket holes inward. Apply a thin glue film on clean mating wood, clamp to a flat surface and drive the pocket screws as proven on the sample. Repeat for the rear frame.

Join the frames with the four 17-inch side rails, two upper and two lower, fitted between the legs’ 3½-inch depths. Clamp before driving; lay out pocket holes so screws entering a shared corner do not collide. Check the outer size and diagonal measurements at both levels. Nudge the frame square before the glue sets.

Why it matters: Equal diagonals and a flat assembly surface limit twist that would otherwise show up in the wings.

Check before moving on: Outside frame is 32 × 24 inches; diagonals match closely, joints are closed and all four leg bottoms share a plane.

07 / Add bracing, caster pads and shelf

Fit a plywood rear brace in the opening between rear legs and upper/lower rails: nominally 29 inches wide by L − 7 inches high. Screw 1×2 cleats inside that opening, recessed by the actual plywood thickness from the rear face. Fit and screw the panel to the cleats, with glue on bare mating faces, while the frame is square. Predrill and choose screw lengths that cannot emerge. This panel resists side-to-side racking.

Make four corner pads: two 7-inch 2×4 pieces laid flat side by side, with a 7 × 7-inch plywood cap glued and screwed beneath the pair. Dry-position each pad under a corner, within the cabinet’s footprint. Trace the caster plate, all holes, swivel circle and brake sweep. Through-bolt the caster through the cap and blocks; keep every hole away from edges and the block seam. Arrange bolts clear of the rails above. If a head must be recessed for a flat pad bearing face, make only a shallow, accurately sized recess that leaves sound wood. A plate that cannot fit needs a redesigned/larger pad and a new height check.

Attach the pads firmly upward to the lower rails with rated structural wood screws, distributed into both intersecting rails’ side grain. Follow the fastener maker’s pilot, embedment and spacing requirements. Do not rely on screws driven up into leg end grain. Plan the caster and attachment holes together before drilling; the metal parts must not collide.

Notch the shelf corners to the legs, using a paper template and a little assembly clearance. Rest it on the lower rails and fasten down with predrilled wood screws; keep access to caster nuts. Install it before the deck closes access. With help, turn the cart upright and lock all four casters.

Why it matters: Bracing keeps the rectangle square; laminated pads spread wheel loads into the lower frame.

Check before moving on: No wobble, pad movement or caster interference; all locks engage and through-bolt washers bear on sound material.

08 / Install the deck and bolt down the saw

Place the deck flush to the frame and mark screw locations over rails/leg tops, away from planned saw holes. Predrill and countersink 1¼-inch wood screws through the plywood where they have adequate purchase in the frame. If actual stock needs another length, check penetration before driving. Keep the top flat and heads just flush.

Set the unpowered saw on the deck using your footprint template. Check the full movement again, now including the backers and planned fence segments. Mark the factory holes, remove the saw, and drill supported through-holes in the wood. Deburr. Refit the saw with one correctly sized bolt per foot, flat washers and locknuts. Tighten evenly to secure it without distorting the casting; follow the saw manual. Never enlarge factory holes or force bolts through.

Why it matters: Bolt access and motion clearance are easier to correct before the wings are installed.

Check before moving on: Saw is firmly seated, washers and nuts are reachable, and every slide/miter/bevel setting clears the cabinet.

09 / Fit the backers and folding wings

Choose brackets whose manufacturer permits a 24-inch projecting worktop and the available spacing across a 24-inch-wide wing. Two locking brackets support each wing. Use the full-size hardware template before cutting the 2×6 backers to final length. Mount each backer vertically on an outside cabinet side, overlapping a front or rear leg with enough solid wood for its fixings. The nominal 12-inch blanks extend above the deck to support the elevated wing; bracket geometry determines their final top edge.

Clamp backers in place and trial-fit the brackets. Transfer the actual saw-table plane to both wings with a long straightedge. In the deployed position, the entire wing surface should be coplanar with, or just a hair below, the saw table—never above it. For a bare plywood wing the underside is H minus actual wing thickness; an added underside mounting layer changes bracket elevation again. Leave a small working gap at the cabinet for free folding. Do not use the 3 9/16-inch estimate as a bracket screw-hole measurement.

Through-bolt each backer to its leg with at least two vertically separated bolts, washers and locknuts, positioned in sound material away from edges and from pocket/bracket screws. If the hardware instructions demand a larger support, different spacing or additional fasteners, revise the backing before drilling. Attach brackets with their specified fasteners and fix the wings without screws piercing the work surface. Brackets provide the folding pivot; do not add a second hinge unless the hardware calls for it.

Support each wing from below while fitting and folding it. Check release access, lock engagement and clearance around the pads, casters and fence. Recheck with light stock on one side while the saw is off. If the cart rocks, flexes or begins to lift a caster, stop and revise the support arrangement; do not solve that by leaning on the opposite side.

Why it matters: The wing must support the board without lifting it from the saw table, and must lock reliably every time.

Check before moving on: Both locks engage per wing, the surface repeats its elevation, and folded parts clear brakes, floor and hardware.

10 / Align the fence and calibrate the stop

Use straight plywood fence blanks on each wing with removable mounting tabs. Locate their front faces with a straightedge against the saw’s factory fence; the extension faces should not protrude forward and push a board out of line. Keep them as low as practical and leave a clear central gap for the complete blade, guard, slide, bevel and miter sweep. No single continuous fence bridges the moving saw.

If adding T-track, match the track and flip stop first. Use a fence with enough remaining wood beneath the specified groove, or surface-mount an approved system; do not rout a generic depth into 3/4-inch material. Position the track so the stop reaches the work surface. Fasten, test folding and retest every saw movement before applying tapes.

Choose the tape direction separately for each wing so values increase away from the cut line. The edge of a wing is not zero. With a square crosscut setup and a securely clamped, safely long sample, make and measure a test piece following the saw manual. Set the stop to a known finished length, then position the tape so that reading sits at the stop’s actual contact reference. Verify a second length. Account for blade kerf by referencing the finished-piece side of the cut, not the blade center. Use the stop for the retained workpiece; do not trap a loose offcut between a stop and blade. Recalibrate after blade, fence or saw-position changes; the square-cut scale does not automatically apply to miters.

Why it matters: A straight fence establishes alignment; a test cut establishes length. A printed scale alone establishes neither.

Check before moving on: Two measured test lengths agree with the stop setting, and the stop and fences clear both the blade path and folding motion.

11 / Prepare, condition and stain

After the dry fit is proven, label and remove hardware that obstructs finishing. Mask threads, glue surfaces still to be joined, moving parts and any surfaces the hardware manufacturer requires to remain bare. Ease exposed plywood edges lightly; do not round the flat reference faces of the fence.

Remove glue residue before staining. Sand with the grain, progressing through appropriate grits—often 120, 150 and 180, but follow the stain label’s final-preparation grit. Plywood face veneer is thin; use light pressure and avoid aggressive edge sanding. Remove dust. Choose conditioner matched to the stain chemistry and porous wood, then follow its timing window for staining.

Stir the Provincial semi-transparent interior stain. Test the application and wiping method on scrap. Apply evenly with the grain and remove excess as directed; do not leave a thick sticky film. Let the stain dry for the selected topcoat’s specified over-stain interval under the actual shop conditions. Dry-to-touch is not proof that a different coating is ready to bond.

Why it matters: A full sample catches blotching, color mismatch and coating incompatibility before they cover the whole project.

Check before moving on: The sample has the desired color and passes the product instructions for recoating; the station has no glue blotches or tacky excess.

12 / Apply three clear coats, then allow curing

Select a water-based polyurethane approved over the chosen stain. A water-based oil-modified product can add warmth; a clear-drying formulation preserves a lighter color. Do not assume a product called Polycrylic is the same formulation as polyurethane. Use the exact can’s preparation, temperature, drying and recoating instructions.

Stir gently and apply thin, even coats with the recommended applicator. Coat edges, undersides and exposed framing too. After the first coat, remove raised grain or dust nibs only as the label directs, clean thoroughly and apply coats two and three. Add an optional fourth coat to deck, wings and shelf if the product permits. Sand lightly between coats only when required; avoid cutting through the color.

Separate recoat time, light-use time and full cure. Wait for the specified cure before bolting hardware tightly over finished surfaces, applying adhesive tapes or loading the worktop. Follow finish-label ventilation and waste-disposal instructions. Oil-stain rags can self-heat: never leave them crumpled or piled; handle and dispose of them exactly as the label and local waste guidance direct, away from ignition sources.

Why it matters: Thin compatible coats protect the work without a soft finish trapped beneath hardware.

Check before moving on: Finish is cured for its intended service, hardware operates freely and saw/wing alignment has been checked after reassembly.