Shop Built Mobile Bases

[Jason Christenson]

My medium sized basement shop is about to become a small garage shop. Does anyone have plans for some good shop built mobile bases? I need to make at least a few large pieces of equipment mobile.

Thanks.

Jason

[Cliff Holmes]

I dispensed with "mobile bases" altogether, I built "mobile platforms" and move them with a pallet jack. http://www.thewoodnerd.com/workshop/mobileBases.html

[Dave Rathert]

I’ve got a light to medium weight shop built mobile base design. I’m not sure if it’ll do the trick for “large pieces of equipment” though. It works fine for my open frame router table. It would handle a lunch box plainer and other “bench mount” type equipment on stands. The casters engage/disengage with a foot activated leaver. It’s kind of a cool design that I modified after seeing a youtube video of a rig some guy had on a table saw (I think). The main drawback is that you can’t have a low shelf on the stand/table (or whatever you’re moving) and a cabinet is out of the question. It simply can’t work on closed bases. Anyway, let me know if you’re interested and I’ll take some pics.

-D

[Cliff McNeill]

Anyway, let me know if you’re interested and I’ll take some pics.

-D


I'd be interested in seeing some pics!

[Rod Sheridan]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=88687&highlight=a3-31+mobile+base

I'm partial to the above design..........Rod.

[Mark Elmer]

Cliff, I like the idea of moving tools around on the mini pallets. A nifty idea. Thank you.

[Dave Rathert]

I'd be interested in seeing some pics!

Cool, I'll try to get some pics posted in the next day or two.

-D

[Chip Lindley]

As Yogi Berra may have once said, "You can observe a lot just by watchin'!"

I have borrowed the design of HTC and Delta to weld up several ho'made bases to my machine's base sizes from junk steel @ 25cents/pound. The Delta base is very straightforward to make. Rockler sells a retractable swivel caster which works great.

If you don't weld, maybe time to learn, with a nice little 120v wire welder from one of the BORGs. A welder and a small metal-cutting bandsaw are great investments that open up a whole new world, even in a woodworking shop!

Delta 14" BS (unpainted)
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz142/zzarus/Mobile%20Stands/HoMadeStandFront.jpg

Delta RC33 Planer Stand
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz142/zzarus/Mobile%20Stands/RC33Stand.jpg

ShopFox 20" Planer Stand
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz142/zzarus/Mobile%20Stands/ShopFox20base1.jpg

[David Hostetler]

FWIW, My band saw, and drill press are on HF Heavy Duty mobile bases, and they work great. I am looking for ideas to build LARGE and SECURE mobile bases for my table saw with the obnoxiously wide table, and my lathe...

[Jim Kirkpatrick]

I dispensed with "mobile bases" altogether, I built "mobile platforms" and move them with a pallet jack. http://www.thewoodnerd.com/workshop/mobileBases.html

Hi Cliff, I like your idea of using a pallet jack for a mobile base. Genius! I also like your website. Good stuff!

[Mitchell Andrus]

Plywood and wheels, forget steps and drops. I'm 6'1" and I like not having to bend over those 5 or 6 extra inches anymore. Standing up straight at the jointer (now 8" taller than factory) is a welcome relief.

Also, consider the through-put height as wood passes from one machine towards another. The output height of my DD sander is an inch or two higher than my router table. I often need to sand something really long and passing it over the router table requires no tool movement. The DDS is on a base that's 8" tall. Again, no bending over, a plus.

The planer is 2" taller than the adjacent table, no need to move it to shoot a board through it so the tools can be located closer together.
.

[Jim O'Dell]

I built mine out of 4 X 4 Douglas Fir. See my thought process and progress here: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=129715

I still like it. It works well. I haven't had to make it mobile much. I did raise one end this past weekend to move it about 4" to the north to accommodate the repositioned overhead dust collection/guard. And it was easy to do that. When the wheels are off, it is rock solid on the ground. And that was a priority for me. Jim.

[Dave Rathert]

I'd be interested in seeing some pics!
OK Cliff, Here are the pics of my set up on my new garage router table. Like I said in an earlier post in this thread, it won’t work on closed bases and those with low shelves. It’s probably not gonna work on the big stuff but it’s a good set up for light to medium weight stuff.
It works like this; the pivoting leaver on the right presses down on the stationary leaver on the left. This action engages both sets of casters. Then it pivots back to lock under the latch and you roll. I’ve got this one set up to give about ¾” lift. This means the leavers are at a greater angle (sticking up) when the casters are not engaged. In other words, the less lift you need the more room you’ll have under your table/bench/tool. This is my “beefed-up” set up with 1 ¼” ply (1/2” and ¾” lam). I have a ¾” version on a small table/bench in the basement and it's fine for the light weight stuff. I’ll be happy to answer any questions.

-D

[Cliff Holmes]

That, sir, is clever!

[Kevin Gregoire]

nice work dave, very ingenious!