The wood I used was poplar and the whole thing is put together with glue and screws. The finish is a Behr water-based outdoor paint and I topcoated with some waterbased poly. Now since this cart has a light and a refrigerator on it, it is NOT water-resistant. And given the choice of finish, this is probably not a bad thing. I talked with a number of you about the finish and as we all know, there really aren’t any environmentally-friendly water-based finishes that can hold up to the weather quite like an oil-based product. So we’ll see how this one holds up over time.

Now here are some of my favorite features. The first thing you’ll probably notice is the porcelain tile work surface. This is great for very hot pans or really messy utensils. The surface is incredibly easy to clean and the tiles even pop out so you can give them a thorough cleaning. I have a raised shelf for storing spices or condiments. I also use this space to store my wireless thermometer. Under the shelf is a small fluorescent light. There is nothing worse than trying to grill in the dark, and now with the flip of a switch, I can illuminate the entire space. I also included a built-in paper towel holder, for obvious reasons. On the sides and back are numerous hooks for hanging all those BBQ utensils. The bottom shelf has room for your charcoal, the chimney starter, and perhaps the coolest thing ever on a barbecue cart, a small refrigerator! This is not only great for keeping drinks cold, but also gives me a place to put uncooked food until I am ready to throw it on the grill. And the whole unit is mobile thanks to a pair of durable lawn mower wheels.

Oh and just a funny side story. I turned on the little fridge and loaded it up with stuff so that I could take a nice picture. Living in Arizona and being relatively frugal, I decided to unplug the fridge after the photo shoot. I wish someone would have reminded me to remove the beer, juice and condiments too. lol. Oops.

Now the voting starts May 1st and the prize is $5000. With an impending house move and a new shop to build, this would be incredibly helpful to say the least! Unfortunately, this is one of those voting deals where you can vote once per day. So it becomes a matter of persistence rather than a count of actual voters. So I will probably be a pain in the butt and post reminders frequently.

Check out all the great projects from my fellow challengers at at BHG.com.