A few years back, I built a bench that ended up becoming a bit of a thing. It was called the Atomic BF/MFT—basically my own oversized take on the Festool MFT. I wanted something that could handle full sheet goods, offer endless clamping options, and stand up to just about anything I threw at it. It worked. People took notice. I ended up building a few for friends, and over time, hundreds of others followed suit with their own versions. Of all the things I’ve built, it’s probably been the most productive and efficient tool in my shop.
But woodworking has always been more of a hobby for me—a way to unwind. My real passion lives in the garage, buried under layers of grease and history: traditional hot rods and early Porsche race cars. And while the BF/MFT often pulls double duty as a mechanic’s bench, I started to feel the need for something smaller. Something more nimble. Something I could roll right up to the car without it getting in the way.
So I built one.
I call it the Atomic S/MC—short for Small Mechanics Cart. I filmed the entire build process, but as I started editing the footage, it became clear it was basically a mini version of the BF/MFT build. Rather than repeat myself, I figured I’d focus on what makes this thing different.
It starts with size. The S/MC measures 36 inches wide by 17 inches deep, and stands 35 3/16 inches tall—same height as the BF/MFT. I landed on those dimensions after a year of testing a rough prototype. I needed something narrow enough to fit between open doors and quarter panels, but still long enough to offer real working space. The result is something surprisingly versatile. It fits where I need it to go, but never feels cramped.
And yeah—I got a little carried away with the casters. They’re 4-inch units scavenged from a hospital gurney, chosen because they roll over power cords and air lines like they’re not even there. Zero friction, zero frustration.
The drawers mimic those in the BF/MFT, but they’re outfitted for quick access—just the tools I constantly need, plus a few dedicated accessories. One of the stars of the system is Gridfinity. If you’re not familiar, it’s a modular bin system that uses a gridded base to keep things organized. I use it for all the little stuff—nuts, bolts, washers—and also for organizing smaller tools. I’m still sorting out what deserves a permanent home in the cart, but honestly, that’s half the fun.
You’ll notice one drawer slot is missing. That’s where I built in a power center, anchored by a Milwaukee M18 inverter. I relocated the battery to the side panel with a 3D-printed bracket, so now power runs from the battery, through the inverter, and out to a handful of outlets and USB-C ports around the bench. That powers everything from my iPad to a task light—more on that in a second.
Why a powered cart? Easy. I wanted to be able to use things like my soldering iron without dragging extension cords across the shop. Also, I had a nice piece of aluminum plate collecting dust and needed an excuse to use it. A few printed grommets, a hacked extension cord, and suddenly I had something that looked way more polished than it had any right to be. And it works—so far I haven’t drained a single HD12.0 battery in less than a full day.
Originally, I envisioned the bench with a ½” aluminum top. That didn’t happen—aluminum prices exploded halfway through the project. Instead, a friend-of-a-friend who runs a skateboard factory handed me a sheet of ½” hickory, easily the hardest plywood I’ve ever dealt with. I laminated that to ¾” birch, CNC’d it to fit, and now I’ve got a vacuum-fit 1.25” thick top with a clean ½” lip around the edge. It wasn’t what I planned, but it’s worked out beautifully. One day I might still go aluminum, but for now? No complaints.
Now for the extras.
Because I spend a lot of time working on old Porsches and referencing service manuals, I added an iPad mount. I couldn’t afford the paper versions, so PDFs have become my go-to. The mount itself is just a modified aluminum desktop stand, bolted to the 80/20 frame. Simple. Super functional.
Lighting? That’s handled by a repurposed aluminum mic stand. It already had a ¼-20 thread on the end, so I attached a USB-C powered video light. The setup lets me position the light exactly where I need it and adjust both the brightness and color temperature. It has its own internal battery, but when that runs low, the M18 system charges it right back up.
And then there’s the vise—a gift from a Garage Journal user. It’s a very early Versa Vise. It needs a full restoration, but even in its current state, it’s fantastic. Lightweight, fully adjustable, and perfect as a third hand. When I don’t need it, it pops off its mount and slides neatly into one of the drawers.
Actually, everything on the bench stows away. That was intentional. Since the S/MC matches the height of the BF/MFT, I can use it as an extension when I need to. But more importantly, I wanted the option to roll it out of the way entirely. When I’m done, the cart slides under a bench and disappears. No clutter. No footprint.
So yeah—that’s the Atomic S/MC. I’ve been using it for a few weeks now, and it’s been exactly what I hoped for. Completely unnecessary… and absolutely worth it. If you’re curious about the details or want plans, just reach out… I’m working on putting together a package with all of my .STL files as well as some plans. In the meantime, here’s a quick rundown of the parts I used:
Extruded Aluminum: I used Parco Inc this time. 40-series. They were affordable and even did all the machining for me… Saved me a ton of time.
iPad Stand: Cheap and shitty… I cut off a part of the base, drilled some holes and mounted it to the side extrusion of the bench. The one I used is no longer available, but this one is similar.
Mic Stand: This is what I used to mount the light. Again, it was surplus in my lab… But it’s made well and infinitely adjustable.
Light: I’ve owned this unit for years and have used it quite a bit. Fantastic light for all sorts of purposes… Plus, it’s tiny and absurdly light.
Milwaukee M18 Inverter: Got mine here. These are pretty great…
VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO: Justin Blevins for all of the help with the M18 inverter STLs. You can find his work here.
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And that’s about all I can think of at the moment as far as parts go… If you have any questions, just fire away and I’ll add to the list if anything else comes up.
Also, if you build one of these – I wanna know about it!
