How to soften the 'drop' from a mobile base

[Monte Milanuk]

Hello all,

Earlier this year I sold my Ryobi BT3100 and bought a Ridgid 4512, and then upgraded to an Incra TS-LS fence and an Incra Miter Express sled w/ 1000SE miter gauge. It might not be perfect, but its so much nicer than what I had that I'm having a hard time telling the difference ;)

I'd like to mount a router table in one wing and be able to use that awesome Incra fence for both the TS and the router. The problem is that the mobile base system that came as part of the saw uses a sort of cam system to lift the whole machine with just one foot pedal - all great, but when I go to lower the saw and the foot lever reaches its toggle point the whole saw drops, HARD, the last 3/8-1/2". Hard enough that the saw blade rings like a gong. Hard enough that I'm kind of concerned about the saw & fence holding adjustment over the long term. Hard enough that I'm having serious reservations about adding weight in the form of a router, lift and table to something that already drops like a ton o' bricks when I set it down.

Is there any good way to ease this thing down that I'm not seeing? I've tried putting pressure against the pedal with a stick by hand while tipping it up with my toe... no change. I've thought about getting another mobile base (a mobile base for the mobile base? :rolleyes: ) that just raises and lowers with a hand screw.... seems kind of silly and the saw top is already kind of tall (~36.75"). I've thought about making a storage base with some more controllable mobility system built into *that*... but that might be getting a little carried away ;)

Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Monte

[Brad Cambell]

What about using shims under the feet?

[glenn bradley]

Agree! Make the distance of the final "drop" about 1/8" by adjusting or adding to the current feet.

[Joseph Tarantino]

......Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Monte

how about mounting a spring exerting an opposing force to the sudden release of the cam that raises and lowers the mobile base. i have herc-u-lifts and am able to modulate the downward force by applying pressure to the foot plate. the current mobile base mechanism largely precludes that, but a spring might be enough to neutralize the weight of the saw.

[Earl Rumans]

I had an HTC mobile base on my saw and just like you, I couldn't stand the drop. My solution was to replace it with a Jet mobile base. http://www.amazon.com/Jet-708118-JMB-UMB-Universal-Mobile/dp/B00006S7CE They also make a heavier duty one. They work great, machine stays at the same height you just lock and unlock the wheels to move it, very sturdy. I have them on all my equipment now.

[Jacob Reverb]

Weld a short piece of pipe or square tubing onto the mobile base such that you can slide a longer piece of pipe or square tubing onto the short piece and use it like a lever to slowly lower the machine.

[Monte Milanuk]

I'll have to slip some pieces of 1/8 and 1/4" stock under the feet and test out the shim idea when I get home tomorrow night. No welding equipment on hand, and bringing someone else in to do it and trying to explain what I want/need never seems to go well.

The mobile base idea is another option... on the one hand I don't really want to raise the table height any more, but then again, @ 6' 4"+ I can probably live with it being a bit on the tall side ;) A part of me wants to take the opportunity and make a full-meal-deal mobile storage base for the saw, fully utilizing the 'wasted' space under it if I have to have it mobile... but me knowing me, that's likely to be one of those projects that never quite gets finalized to satisfaction, and thus never started, and never done. A pre-fab option is probably the better choice for me (assuming the shims don't quite work out).

Thanks,

Monte

[Myk Rian]

and bringing someone else in to do it and trying to explain what I want/need never seems to go well.
It seems to have worked here, and we don't have the benefit of seeing what you're talking about.

[Earl Rumans]

Just for info the Jet mobile base only raises the machine 1/2 inch off the floor, so it's not like it is a lot higher. I have the heavier one, that I modified so that it would fit the smaller base, on my 600 lb jointer/planer and it's very easy to move it around. In my opinion, the only base that is better is the high dollar hydraulic one that SawStop makes. That is a great mobile base but more then I want to spend.

[Monte Milanuk]

Question on the Jet bases... seems like the reviews on Amazon fall into two categories - 'great', and 'too wiggly/loose' since they don't bolt together quite like the HTC2000. Seems like even a thin piece of plywood would tie everything together and stiffen things up if needed. I take it from your post that you don't think that'd be necessary?

[Earl Rumans]

I have a larger 3/4 inch piece of plywood on the base for my Delta drill press but only to aid stability for the top heavy machine with such a small base. I have the bases on my BS, TS and J/P and I don't find them wiggly or unstable when all the wheels are locked. My T/S stays in the same position and is all leveled up but with the base I can move it if needed. One of the things I like about the Jet base is the machine doesn't change position when it's moved. When I use one of the other pieces I always move it to the same spot on the floor, so I have it all leveled for that spot and when I move it back there it stays level. Saves me a lot of time that way.

I am the other way as I find the HTC base very flimsy. The metal is very thin and not up to supporting a heavy machine in my opinion, I have an HTC 3000 and I stopped using it because it felt like it could collapse at any time and I didn't like the big bang drop it did. The rear wheels on the Jet swivel so I guess if they are locked in the wrong position there could be some movement. I always lock the wheels 90* to the direction I will be working and I haven't had any problems.