How to Build the Most Amazing Mobile Grill Station
Did you see the mobile grill station I built for Father’s Day?
If you didn’t… it looks like this.
I have to say I was so happy with how it turned out. And the fact that I started this on a Monday, finished it completely by Thursday, and kept it a secret from my husband in the meantime made me feel even more awesome about it.
Today I want to give you a run through of exactly how I built this. I saw something like it online, but could never pinpoint any actual instructions. So as usual I decided to wing it.
Planning my mobile grill station
Before I ever bought anything or made a single cut, I decided on a few key points.
First, I wanted the top to be one solid surface. But I decided to use 2 project panels to be a little more cost-efficient. Ultimately it just required sealing the seam in the middle.
Another thing I knew I wanted to include was a sink. Looking at sinks first and choosing one beforehand allowed me to make my grilling station the correct dimensions to accomodate it.
Because I knew I wanted a sink, I knew it would need a cabinet surrounding the underneath. At the kids’ suggestion, I also decided to add a center shelf on the opposite side.
I also wanted to make sure it ended up being countertop height. For reference, the dimensions on this piece are 72″x32″x36″.
Deciding these things helped me determine the materials I would need.
The frame
Putting the frame together was made much easier by using clamps to hold everything into place and by using mending strips to attach the pieces to one another. If you don’t have clamps, that’s fine. You can do it without.
You could also attach the pieces by drilling pocket holes for the screws instead of using mending plates. I don’t have a Kreg Jig quite yet so I opted not to do this.
I only used mending strips for the top of the frame. I attached the legs and other pieces using corner braces and reinforcing with screws from the top and outside.
After the frame was complete I made sure the countertop fit. This is an important step I’ve forgotten in the past. It would’ve been such a pain to finish the entire cabinet and then learn the top doesn’t fit. Learn from my mistakes, y’all.
Inside rails
For the inside rails (for both the bottom and middle shelf) I cut the pieces to the correct length and predrilled the holes for the screws about 6 inches apart. Then I drove the screws into the rails while they were on my workbench. Make sure the screws don’t come out on the other side just yet. I feel like doing it this way saved me a lot of time and trouble.
I secured the rails to the inside bottom of each 2×4 with clamps to make sure they didn’t move. After that, screwing them into place was a cinch. I also found it easier to attach the rails for the middle shelf to the 2x4s at my workbench. Although you’ll see from my pictures that I didn’t attach them during the framing process. Looking back, I wish I had.
There will also be 2x2s on the inside of the back left and center legs as a railing for the slats on the back of the cabinet. This was the last thing I did before adding the slats for the shelves.
Attaching shelf slats
I used one of the slats as the spacer between the others as I glued them to the rails. After the glue was dry and the slats were secure, I flipped the entire thing (with the help of my teenage son). Then I screwed them in from the bottom to fully secure them. Doing this from the bottom with hide the screws from sight and give your grill station a much more streamlined and professional look.
Side slats
I followed the same process for the slats around the cabinet.
For the left and right sides, the slats were both glued and screwed from the inside of the cabinet. For the back, however, the slats were glued from the outside, then screwed in from inside the cabinet.
We flipped the grill station each time we were gluing to make sure all the slats stayed in place and were as evenly spaced as possible.
Building the door
The door for this mobile grill station has 2- 2x2s on the inside and the slats on the outside match the rest of the cabinet.
Since I wasn’t building this door in place it was important for me to check everything to make sure it was all square. You can’t put an offset door in a square space, and you can’t put a square door in an offset space. So making sure I was squaring everything up as I went along was super important.
I glued the slats onto the 2x2s, spacing them like I like the others. Once they were dry, I screwed them in from the 2×2 side so the screws wouldn’t show from the outside.
I attached the door with 2 hinges, and added a magnetic door catch at both the top and bottom inside the cabinet to help keep it closed.
The top
If you plan on adding a sink, place the countertop on the frame, making sure it’s square. Now that you can clearly see every piece, place the sink on the countertop (upsidedown) and trace around the edge.
Most sink instructions will have you draw another line (your cut line) 5/8″ inside that. But check your instructions and follow them specifically to ensure the perfect cut.
You can attach the countertop to the base before or after cutting the sink opening. I decided to attach mine after. Then I glued it to the top of the base and secured with screws from underneath.
Any time you can get your screw heads out of sight you’ll be better off. It will cut down on the puttying and sanding required to finish your project.
Cutting out for the sink
If your countertop is a solid piece, you’ll want to predrill pilot holes at each corner of the cut line. Make sure the holes are big enough for your jigsaw blade. Then you can use your jigsaw to cut out the space needed for the sink.
If you’re seaming together 2 or more pieces you probably won’t need pilot holes. Because my seam went down the middle lengthwise, I was able to cut from the inside of each piece before attaching them to the base.
The sink
I had never installed a sink before so that was quite an adventure for me. Usually, I would’ve asked my husband for his expertise. But since this was a surprise I had to turn to YouTube instead.
Thank God for YouTube.
Even the instructions that came with the sink were not enough to help me figure out what to do with the sink clamps. Anyone who has ever installed a sink is laughing at me I’m sure. It seems so simple now, but I was so clueless.
The faucet and drain
The drain was easy to put in. I didn’t attach any piping to it though. I plan on letting it drain into a 5 gallon bucket inside the cabinet. This seemed like the best solution since there’s no plumbing where we wanted it.
After installing the faucet according to the included instructions, I learned that the water hose I bought would not fit the bottom (under sink) part of the faucet to supply the water.
After a little digging I learned that all I needed was an adapter so my 3/4″ hose could attach to my 1/2″ faucet. I found it at Lowe’s without any problems… after asking a friendly associate where I could find a pipe to hose adapter. Easy peasy.
Finishing the mobile grill station
After getting it all put together I sanded the whole thing with medium-grit sandpaper. Of course, after that, there was dust everywhere so I took the leaf blower to it. It totally worked. But if you ever plan on doing this make sure you’re able to leave the garage until the dust settles.
Once it did, I went in with a cloth and wiped down all the surfaces to get it ready for sealing.
I decided to go with shellac to seal it because it’s pretty water-resistant and also food safe. It isn’t 100% outdoor proof though, so I’ll have to reapply from time to time.
I’m honestly thinking of coating the countertop with epoxy to create a solid, shiny finish. It would also probably stand up to the Texas heat a lot better.
Regardless of what you decide to seal with, you’re going to need multiple coats. Make sure to let each coat dry thoroughly (as per instructions). Then gently sand with fine-grit sandpaper and wipe clean before each additional coat. This is how you’ll achieve the smooth, beautiful surface you desire.
Making my grill station mobile
Last but not least, if you plan on having a mobile grill station don’t forget to add swivel casters to the bottom of your base. Whether you choose locking casters or not will be up to you and how you plan on using your station.
Ours is in the grass and not a patio or concrete surface so I chose regular swivel casters. We actually had to roll it out of the garage and down the street to get it into the backyard. I was so happy that it had wheels! I’m sure we were quite a sight.
Grill Station Plans
If you love this grill station and want to build it for yourself, you can find the free printable PDF plans below.
Not only will it be a showstopping asset to your grill area but it is versatile enough to use almost anywhere.
Have a great week and happy building.
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10.27