A yard and garden dump cart is useful for tasks such as transferring dirt, spreading mulch or carting leaves off the yard. A cart designed with an open front allows easy access to filling the cart and dumping it once you reach the destination. The two-wheel design provides better balance than wheelbarrows, which makes this dump cart ideal for older gardeners or those who have a lawn with hills or rugged terrain.
Measure and cut a bit of pressure-treated 3/4-inch plywood with a circular saw to 24 inches wide and 46 inches long for the bottom of the dump cart. Cut one piece of 3/4-inch plywood to 24 by 8 inches for the cart’s back.
Cut two pieces which measure 46 by 12 inches for the sides. Cut out a wedge 8 inches long and 4 inches high from one end of each side piece, which makes an angled cut which meets these two points.
Place the bottom piece of plywood flat on a work surface with one 24-inch side slightly overhanging the work surface. Stand up the rear piece lined up with the edge of the bottom piece.
Apply a thin bead of construction adhesive along both edges; repeat this in all joints in which boards connect. Push 1-inch wood screws up through the bottom piece and in the narrow side of the rear piece. Repeat this procedure with both side pieces. The angle-cut edges of the side pieces should match with the sides of this 8-inch tall rear piece.
Cut four pieces of 2-by-2-inch lumber to coincide with the dimensions of the bottom plywood piece, subtracting three inches from the dimension on one side to accommodate the depth of their 2-by-2-inch boards. Arrange the trim boards at a rectangle on the work surface and place the box structure on top.
Drive 2-inch wood screws through the plywood bottom and in the 2-by-2-inch planks, spacing the screws 4 inches apart.
Measure the distance between the 2-by-2-inch planks from long side to long side and trim the other 2-by-2-inch board to match that space. This should measure about 21 inches. Expand this piece in place throughout the middle of the bottom plywood piece, creating a hexagonal figure-8 pattern with the 2-by-2-inch planks.
Measure and cut 2 46-inch extended parts of 2-by-2-inch lumber and one 21-inch long piece to earn braces for the interior of the cart. Put the long planks along the inside edge where the sides meet the bottom bit; drive 3-inch wood screws spaced 4 inches apart to secure them. Expand the 21-inch piece where the back meets the bottom.
Push a 3/4-inch washer on a 3/4-inch diameter threaded rod. Push a 26-inch pneumatic tire (that requires a 3/4-inch diameter axle rod assembly) onto the rod. Slide another washer on the rod and tighten the assembly with a 3/4-inch lock nut.
Hold the rod and tire assembly on the bottom of the cart box, lining it up so the tire has only enough room to maneuver freely. Measure the clearance distance required. Insert the 24-inch width of this box bottom to this measurement and include the clearance distance measurement to await the second wheel. Cut the 3/4-inch axle rod to this last measurement.
Install the second 26-inch pneumatic tire on the axle rod with 2 3/4-inch washers along with a 3/4-inch lock nut.
Measure five inches from the front of the dump cart box assembly on each side. Put the axle rod and tire assembly throughout the box so the front edges of the tires lineup with the 5-inch mark on both sides of the box.
Expand a 1-by-2-inch board on both sides of the rod to keep the rod from moving front to rear. Put a 1-by-4-inch board above the axle and screw it in place into the 1-by-2-inch planks.
Cut two pieces of 2-by-2-inch lumber to 13-inch lengths to the legs. Place them evenly on the bottom of the box, then about 12 inches in from the rear edge of this cart. Push 2-inch wood screws down through the inside bottom of the box and into the top of their legs.
Cut 2 pieces of 2-by-2-inch lumber to approximately 30 inches or a comfortable length for the grips, based upon your height and arm length. Drill a 1/2-inch diameter hole through one end of each plank, about 2 inches apart from the end of their planks.
Cut a 1/2-inch wooden dowel to 27 inches — the width of the cart plus the width of each handle. Apply construction adhesive liberally to the ends of the dowel and the interior of the holes at the handles.
Push the handles onto the ends of the dowel. Push a 1-inch screw via the grips and into the dowel to secure it.
Position the handle and handlebar assembly on the sides of the cart box, then adjusting to find a comfortable position which suits your requirements. Drive 2-inch wood screws through the plywood on the inside of the box and into the grips to secure them to the box.
Allow about 2 weeks to the pressure treated lumber to fully dry. Paint or stain all of exposed wood to protect the timber, using an outside paint, exterior stain or a waterproofing wood sealer.