mobile bases yet again...

[Alan Muller]

I want to let my stationary tools roll around. Due to space limitations it would be most convenient to have swivel casters all around. I have a stash of casters. Have not had good luck with braking casters on tools, so prefer a design that lifts the caster or lowers a stationary foot. Using overcenter clamps to do this makes sense but a quick look suggests prices in the range of $15 each. Are there cheaper sources?

Northern has this (http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200483216_200483216?cm_mmc=Google-pe-_-Material%20Handling-_-Dollies%20+%20Movers-_-156512&ci_sku=156512&ci_gpa=pe&ci_kw=mobile%20tool%20base&ctype=2) for $30 at the moment. One might combine two of them.....?

This Rockler design (http://www.rockler.com/gallery.cfm?Offerings_ID=2383&r=3&TabSelect=Details) seems to make sense and wouldn't require getting down close to the floor....but again isn't full swivel. They sell the overcenter-caster-lifter by itself. Has anybody homebrewed something like this?

Somehow it seems there must be a really simple/cheap/elegant solution to this around.....preferably structurally wooden (after all.....)

Alan

[Cary Falk]

Many people use thes kind of casters.
http://www.greatlakescaster.com/great_lakes_caster___swivel_caster_with_stabilizer _leg___175_stabilizing_casters_with_a_220lbs_capac ity_in_motion_and_a_550lbs_capacity_when_the_stabi lizer_leg_in_extended-LV-1710-NYP-S-M12.php
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2021166/25291/WoodRiver-Machine-Leveling-Caster-Plate-Mounted-4-Pack.aspx

[Casey Carr]

Biggest problem with what the stores sell is they're not big enough in diameter. I have the rockler one under my router table and it does well enough, and the over-center caster is actually made by Delta I believe. I have this on my mobile base for my table saw also. The over-center caster has also broke on my table saw, so it's not the greatest in my opinion. Unfortunately, like everything else, you get what you pay for regarding casters. I wound up buying through Caster City, I think the 5" diameter Poly on Glass Filled Nylon with sealed precision bearings. The straight wheels are fairly cheap, the swivels are not. From what I remember, I wound up paying about $170 for the four, two locking swivels and two straight. I put them on my 1100 pound jointer and the locking mechanism seems to work very well. I haven't tried pushing any wood through yet though. Need to find some time to set the machine up, but just getting it rewired and what not, was using the locks quite often. Don't remember it moving while doing all this.

[Bob Faris]

Somehow it seems there must be a really simple/cheap/elegant solution to this around.....preferably structurally wooden (after all.....)

Alan


I always thought this base was clever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=122w40ZBrJg&feature=fvw

[richard poitras]

Build wooden box type pallets for the tools to sit on and get a pallet jack. One jack for all your mobility and the jack works for lots of other things as well.

[Thad McCulloch]

I duplicated this one for my G0513X2F bandsaw. Solid and gets the job done. A 10 or 11mm open end wrench works reasonably well as a spanner wrench to turn the feet up and down.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?119068-Mobile-Base-for-Bandsaw

[David Kumm]

Zambus casters are expensive but well thought of. I have gone to the hard white wheels on the back and a lifting bar arrangement for the 1000 lb machines like slider and shaper. Easy to manuever
and turn. One lifting bar handles all machines. The swivel casters on my bandsaws always seem to be pointed the wrong way and are a pain- but the saws are 1500+lbs. Dave

[Gary Kman]

I can't think of any tool I've liked with 4 swivel casters even an automotive creeper. My band saw, table saw, jointer, drum sander all have a pair of fixed wheels that stay on the floor and a pair of swivel casters on a retracting subframe that raise/lower. Three swivels work easier than 4 (and save 25%) if being top heavy isn't a problem.

[Jerome Hanby]

I've never liked any mobile base that I've ever used or seen (possible exception of that Rockler bigfoot model). I not only want to be able to roll around my nice smooth garage floor, I want to be able to wheel out the door into the drive way when it's hot and I have a lot of work to do (or just need the room). I've been slowly but surely replacing all my bases with shop made ones using the Kreg casters. These things are amazing, the brakes not only lock the rolling, but also the swivel. And less that $45 with free shipping from Amazon makes them pretty cost effective. A plus for me is this also adds height to the tool. So far I have my router table, table saw, and planer done. Guess Jointer is next on the list. I am going to build a shop vac/dust deputy caddy but I'm gong to use some cheap casters for it since I have no need for it to be all that stable, just enough not to fall over.

[Rod Sheridan]

206432206431

Hi, I've included photographs of two of my shop machines.

Both use the semi-live skid design with a tow bar handle to move them.

The design uses two roller bearing wheels on the machineand two similar wheels on the tow bar handle.

The front of the machine uses adjustable height feet.

The B3 saw/shaper has a hole drilled in each side of the frame and the axle projects out each side to hold the wheel. The axle is just a length of cold rolled round steel I cut to lenght.

The A3 jointer/planer is on an angle iron frame I made with the wheels attached to it.

Both work equally well, obviously the hole drilling on the saw is the simplest, and works as well. That's also the system Hammer and Felder use on their machines, I was simply too cheap to pay for an axle and two wheels from Felder.

The semi-live design is ideal as it's self locking and very manouverable...............Regards, Rod.

[Trent Shirley]

Anyone done a base with a foot operated cam lift for the front? I want to use this for a flip top tool cart and levers would be in the way.

[Alan Muller]

I always thought this base was clever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=122w40ZBrJg&feature=fvw3

Thanks. Clever, and meets my preference for bein wooden.

Thanks all for the good ideas.....

Alan