Homemade mobile bases

[Anthony Whitesell]

All the equipment I own are on wheels, but one. The one that isn't (belt sander) is because I haven't put it on one yet. Only the router table is on four bases, the rest are on a variety of of production (purchased) bases. None of the production bases have four casters. I could simply slap a board under it and attach four wheels, but I would prefer not to raise the height (and thus the center of gravity). All the bases I have are all similar to http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2383 and http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=21257 in design. In they all lower the tool back down. Has anyone built (and have pictures) of a homemade mobile base that uses 3" or 4" casters, but only raises the machine an inch from the ground?

[Richard Cotten]

Anthony:

I just posted my experience building a mobile base for a Grizzly 0609 jointer. I had the same concerns as you - raising the center of gravity on such a heavy machine. See if this helps... http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?177425-Mobile-base-for-Grizzly-0609-Jointer

[jared herbert]

I have built mobile bases for most of my machines. I used 3 and 4 inch casters but only raised the machine a little over an inch. I will take some pictures tomorrow and post them. I dont want to walk across the yard in the cold and wind right now. Jared

[Kevin Gregoire]

here is a thread i started about bases so see if anything catches your eye.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?145972-Post-Your-Home-Made-Mobile-Bases

[Anthony Whitesell]

Now why didn't either of those threads appear when I searched.:confused:

Those are definately what I was looking for. I'd like to stick with wood. I have lots and don't have a welder (though I can weld).

My bandsaw will be staying on it's base, and the jointers is built in. I need to get the tablesaws and the sander onto four casters. The floorspace is becoming too crowded to have to deal with two fixed wheels on the base..

[Kevin Gregoire]

yeah, this search engine never works right.
glad this could help.

[Rod Sheridan]

215421

Hi Anthony, this is one I made for my old General 650, it raised the saw about 1/2" above the floor.

It's 2 X 2 X 3/16" angle with 4 X5 angle for the caster brackets.

Worked great.................Rod.

P.S. I now only build semi-live skid bases, many machines only need a hole drilled in them for the axle and a bracket for tow bar as you can see in the photo below.


215422

[HANK METZ]

I produced and upped a video that gives details on exploring that very subject using a flip table as the example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBnjoOvQ_X0
The method is now my preferred way of moving equipment about the shop. It adds zero height, uses only 2 rigid plate casters (read; usually the cheapest type available), is stable in the extreme, is highly manuverable, and requires no latching/ unlatching of levers or screws to activate/ deactivate.

- Beachside Hank

[Anthony Whitesell]

Unfortunately, I don't have enough elbow room to utilize a tow bar. Even using two rigid casters is becoming problematic as I don't have enough room to turn the machines 90 degrees with out making a 100-point turn.

[Joe Jensen]

Here are some pics of the ones I make. These use Zambus leveling casters but you could do the same concept with regular casters. Angle iron base to fit the base of the machine, and then I raise the mounting plate up so the machine is not that far off the floor. I think the casters are 2 3/4" tall. If you want to use taller casters just add a plate to the side of the angle iron to raise the mounting plate higher off the floor.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w99/AZEngineer/_NIK3343Large.jpg


http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w99/AZEngineer/_NIK3328.jpg

[Dick Strauss]

Anthony,
Matt Meiser wrote about this a year or two ago here. I bought 4" SES TotalLock Casters based on his recommendation and could not be happier with them for my DP, TS, RAS, and mobile wood racks. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of mine.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Dick,

The caster selection is not my issue. I'm trying to economically build (ie., from the wood I have on hand) a low-rider four wheel caster base. From the photos I've seen (appreciations to all). I have some ideas. First I'm going to swap the 3" casters off my router table and install the 4" ones (I bought by accident, should have bought the 3"). Then whip together something for the sander, followed by an attempt to build a base for my newer (less accurate, but 10") Craftsman Table saw. I'm having a feeling I'll end up redesigning the sander base, but atleast it will be on wheels until then.

[Kevin Gregoire]

Hank, i really liked how smooth your table flipped over, the balance must be perfect.

[brian c miller]

215494

I used leveling casters too. I set the machine in an angle iron frame and then flipped a piece of angle iron to act ast the cast mount

[HANK METZ]

Kevin; most of that comes from finding the true center of gravity of both machines vs. the footprint centerline. Also too, parking the planer cutterhead keeps the rotational forces easy to control. Subsequent to the posting of it I've added an onboard parking station for the towbar and a hose cradle for the 4" d.c. planer outlet.

215495

[Jim Matthews]

If you build a similar offset for casters using wood, build an upper strut (http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/15461/door-holding-jig/page/a-crash-course-in-roof-venting.aspx) to "pinch" against the weight of the base.
There will be some sag that can be used to your mechanical advantage.

The hard part will be leverage to get everything in place... I decline to put my fingers between cast iron and concrete.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I'm looking at Cary Falk's saw base in post 12 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?145972-Post-Your-Home-Made-Mobile-Bases). I don't have a saw that heavy, so I don't need it that beefy.

For the saw, I'm thinking L-shaped runners front to back. Since the saw has an open leg base, running the stringer through the middle with notches removed for the legs fit in to reach the runner below. I need to minimize the foot print. Since the saw has wings, the space under them is lost making it a good place to put the wheels. I don't want the wheels in front or behind the saw as the legs there are even with the table top (ie., the legs and tabl top hit the wall at the same time in the front and back).

The sander has a solid base but it is rectangular, so again I'll probably put the wheels to the side. The base also has holes for bolting it down. I thinking a plywood bottom with 3/4 pine sides all the way around. Then bolt the sander down and run the stringers across for the wheels.

Thinking off the cuff. If casters have a 5 1/4" ride height and I want 3/4" clearance below the tool, then the runners or box (for the saw and sander, respectively) can only be 4 1/2" tall. With 3/4" bottom material, the sides will be 3 3/4" tall. How's my math so far?