3 wheel or 4 wheel mobile base?

[Sean lennon]

Sooo...

I get my Delta 12"-14" (AKA "Swine Deluxe") in the shop and fab up a quick 4 wheel mobile base for the saw...

Only to discover that my floor is not nearly as flat as I would have hoped and the saw spends much of the time on 2 or 3 wheels. this is not a big issue as I raise it on the pads but I wonder if i should have just gone with 3 wheels instead?

any thoughts out there on 3 vs 4?
My Monarch toolroom lathe uses a 3 point "Kinetic" mount to prevent twisting the bed.
What are the chances of twisting the table on the saw over time? (I have no doubt it will outlast me anyways)

Thanks for any input

cheers,
Sean


http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii240/Chalet_2008/woodworking/base.jpg
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii240/Chalet_2008/woodworking/wheel.jpg

[John Thompson]

I have a DW scroll saw on a 3 wheeled mobile stand and that is no problem. But.. I think I would prefer the weight of that TS on 4. As far as the floor un-even.. probably about everyone has the same problem. What is the problem as I notice you have screw levels on at least two of the caster positions? I would think that would solve the problem?

[Sean lennon]

I have a DW scroll saw on a 3 wheeled mobile stand and that is no problem. But.. I think I would prefer the weight of that TS on 4. As far as the floor un-even.. probably about everyone has the same problem. What is the problem as I notice you have screw levels on at least two of the caster positions? I would think that would solve the problem?


Hi John,
Weight was my primary reason for using 4, the saw tips the scales with outfeed rollers and extension table at ~1,000 lbs.

I do have adjusters at all 4 corners and I can level it that way but, as with machine tools,I have a bit of concern about inducing twist into the cabinet and subsequently the table....i am probably just over-thinking things.

as for the floor....I thought it looked fine...until now!

oh well.


Sean

[Mike Heidrick]

I finally have gotten smart and just bought a 5500lb capacity pallet jack and now just put my BIG tools on a platform with pallet jack access. One $200 jack moves them all (well, the two tools I have on platforms now anyway). The pallets always sit flat and there is NO movement. The platforms are about $10 to make.

[Cliff Holmes]

I'd be really nervous about being on three wheels, unless the triangle formed completely encompasses the top it would probably be unstable and tend to tip toward the edges where the top is overhanging.

[Joshua Layne]

I think it kinda depends - the vintage unisaw cabinet (yes, it is a lighter saw) actually has 3 contact points on the floor, even though it looks like a continuous rim around the base. Basically this ensures that the saw won't rock back and forth (usually), but the rest of the rim is close enough to the floor that in the event that it does tip out of balance (and you can get it to rock... DAMHIKT) it doesn't tip far before it stabilizes - I imagine you could use a similar principle in your mobile base - also, provided the base of the saw is supported by your base (all the way around), why would you worry about twist? - the saw is totally supported even if the base isn't perfectly stable (and I'm not saying it isn't... :P)

anyway, hope my ramblings help somehow.
-josh

[Chip Lindley]

No reason you can't build a heavy tricycle base for your Swine Deluxe! Those 20" import planers weigh around 800 lbs. and have a built-in 3-wheel base. Those use a foot pedal retractable caster wheel 2" wide x 3" dia.

Rockler sells the foot pedal caster: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2383&source=googleps . Replace Rockler's lighter duty wheel with something heavier rated.

This caster from Surplus Center has a 700 lb. load rating!! and is only $3.99!! https://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=3508012522533235&item=1-3134&catname=

Adjustable feet at the four corners are still a good idea to perfectly level the saw. But, when moving time comes, the trike base will work well without all the rocking.

BTW, your *quick, fabbed-up* stand is really spiffy!

[Sean lennon]

Thanks for all the input.
good points all around.

My wife had the deciding comment last night;
"Look, the thing is painted now, move on! some have 3, some have 4, yours has 4, level it and be done already."

hard to argue that point.

I am going to level it out and check the table periodicaly.


thanks,
sean

[Lewis Cobb]

Thanks for all the input.
good points all around.

My wife had the deciding comment last night;
"Look, the thing is painted now, move on! some have 3, some have 4, yours has 4, level it and be done already."

hard to argue that point.

I am going to level it out and check the table periodicaly.


thanks,
sean
Sean - I get the same sort of lecture from my wife all the time on various projects I am fretting about :)

That's a nice looking base you fab'd up for the saw. I took a welding course for adults last year and have a new welder out in the garage now so I'm going to be making some mobile bases for my machines in the spring.

What size angle and plate etc. did you use for your base? Nothing I have is close to 1000 lbs so if I follow your material sizes I'll be in good shape. Are those Hartville casters ?

Cheers from up here in Canada,
Lewis

[Sean lennon]

Sean - I get the same sort of lecture from my wife all the time on various projects I am fretting about :)

That's a nice looking base you fab'd up for the saw. I took a welding course for adults last year and have a new welder out in the garage now so I'm going to be making some mobile bases for my machines in the spring.

What size angle and plate etc. did you use for your base? Nothing I have is close to 1000 lbs so if I follow your material sizes I'll be in good shape. Are those Hartville casters ?

Cheers from up here in Canada,
Lewis

Thanks for the compliment,

sorry for the delay in posting , I have work travel that seems to get in the way from time to time.

with regards to the casters;
they are Trio Pines casters rated at 300lb each, General caster here in Detroit has them for $10 each or $11 each for units that lock. they are a nice caster for the money with urethane wheels and ball bearing support on both sides of the load plate, they turn quite nicely under load.

the structure is 1.5"x1.5"x.25" angle.
the pockets that the casters sit in happen to be 4X6X1/4 structural pipe that I had sitting around...more dumb luck than anything else on the size but the caster swing radius allows it to fit perfectly in the structural.
I made a couple of 45deg and a couple of 90deg cuts and 10 min later I had a set of pockets.

the angle is way overkill for the task except for the fact that the it allows me to simply weld the caster supports on the side of the angle without any other support to prevent twisting of the angle.

the leveling feet were 75 cents each at general caster...not much to say other than they work.


As I said above, the entire setup was more dumb luck than planning, there are no drawings other than some dimensions on a napkin, it worked out well enough that I am going to use the same concept for other bases in the shop.

I weighed the saw the other day and it tips the scale at 1,342 lbs with all extensions and sliding table mounted. it rolls quite easily on 6 of these casters(I added a rolling support under the extension table legs) and i have not yet seen much indication of developing flat spots on the wheels but time will tell.


cheers,
sean


Lewis,
Where in Canada are you?
My wife is from Halifax and we lived in Windsor for 10 years.

[Lewis Cobb]

Thanks for the compliment,

sorry for the delay in posting , I have work travel that seems to get in the way from time to time.

with regards to the casters;
they are Trio Pines casters rated at 300lb each, General caster here in Detroit has them for $10 each or $11 each for units that lock. they are a nice caster for the money with urethane wheels and ball bearing support on both sides of the load plate, they turn quite nicely under load.

the structure is 1.5"x1.5"x.25" angle.
the pockets that the casters sit in happen to be 4X6X1/4 structural pipe that I had sitting around...more dumb luck than anything else on the size but the caster swing radius allows it to fit perfectly in the structural.
I made a couple of 45deg and a couple of 90deg cuts and 10 min later I had a set of pockets.

the angle is way overkill for the task except for the fact that the it allows me to simply weld the caster supports on the side of the angle without any other support to prevent twisting of the angle.

the leveling feet were 75 cents each at general caster...not much to say other than they work.


As I said above, the entire setup was more dumb luck than planning, there are no drawings other than some dimensions on a napkin, it worked out well enough that I am going to use the same concept for other bases in the shop.

I weighed the saw the other day and it tips the scale at 1,342 lbs with all extensions and sliding table mounted. it rolls quite easily on 6 of these casters(I added a rolling support under the extension table legs) and i have not yet seen much indication of developing flat spots on the wheels but time will tell.


cheers,
sean


Lewis,
Where in Canada are you?
My wife is from Halifax and we lived in Windsor for 10 years.


Thanks for the info Sean. I'm going to file it away for when I get to making my bases.

I'm in Fredericton, New Brunswick. It's about 4-5 hour drive from Halifax.

Cheers,
Lewis

[Curt Harms]

'use your own rails' 3 wheel mobile base. It didn't work well at all-too tippy in the front. I bought two of the Rockler foot lift casters and put one in each corner and bolted a 1X4 between the pedals. I worrried about the casters lifting unevenly but that has proven to be a non-issue. Two Rockler lifting casters has worked out well for me. Of course I have a smooth level concrete floor which certainly helps.