Shop Made Mobile Base Idea Kwestion

[Gary Groves]

LOML, scored a quantity (12 or so) of swival casters (3"). They were throwing them out. Yea for me!

Now, I finished my Router table, and want to make it mobile. (I'm still deluding myself into thinking the garage will still hold a car).

Since I've got these casters, I've been trying to think of how to attach them, or make a mobile base for my router table. Plus, since I need to build a cabinet to hold my bench DP, I figured I should make it mobile too. But, I don't have any ideas on fixing the casters, so once the unit is positioned, to get the cabinet more stable, and off the casters.

Any Idea's?

I saw one, on a thread from wood magazine, but can't see how it was done, and I've boxed up all my magazines in preparation to building book cases for my office.

Thanks.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Gary, I have seen this done a couple of ways. One way is to put wheels on one end of the mobile base and legs on the other, the same height as the wheels. Then you build a "hand truck" from two more casters, a peice of wood and a peice of dowel. You use the hand truck to lift up the front of the mobile base, off of the legs and then wheel it around.

The other way is to hinge a board to the bottom of the mobile base that is wider than the height of the wheels. You do this on two sides. When you have it in position, you lift up one side of the base and "kick" the board under, then the other. Reverse the process to get it mobile.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

[Jim O'Dell]

Gary, as you are starting to see, there are many ways to do this. I'll add one more...Mount the casters to the bottom of the cabinet(s), then close by each, but far enough so it won't interfere with the castors movement, drill a hole. Insert a T-nut from the bottom and thread a bolt through it. When you have it in the position you want to use it, use a socket on a drill and run the bolts down until they take the weight of the cabinet. It's not as quick as the other methods, and it does require some free room in the bottom of the cabinet, but it does allow you to level the cabinet easily if the floor is not level, and none of my garages have ever been level!!! You could probably get fancy and find some leveling feet on bolts from a hardware store, or maybe some place like Rockler, to have a more non-sliding foot for gripping a slick floor. Good luck! Jim.

[Gary Groves]

Thanks for the input.

I found an inexpensive, but slightly cumbersom solution.

Woodcraft had a 4pack of levelers for $15. You were supposed to attach them underneath the cabinet, and drill access holes. You could then adjust them with an allen wrench. I simply attached them outside the cabinet and lower them when the router table is positioned and raise them when I need to move it. Hopefully, I won't have to move it too often <grin>.

[Dan Gill]

You could also make little wheel chocks for two or more wheels. Make double chocks that wedge slightly under the front and back of the wheels. It's unlikely the cabinet will move enough under typical use to notice.