Lou Stags
11-10-2014, 6:22 AM
I wanted my drill press to be mobile but it had to meet 2 conditions. It needed to be rock solid as it sat in its “normal home”. It also needed to be stable when it was in motion. With the exception of the casters, this was built with materials laying around the shop.
I started with 2 pieces of 2’ x 2’ three quarter inch plywood. I glued and screwed them together. I then used a 2×4 to span the front of the base. The 2×4 extended 8 inches past the edge of the plywood on each side. The 2×4 was glued and screwed to the plywood base. I used a couple of 2×4’s for each side of the base. Both of these extended about 8 inches past the rear of the plywood base. Each caster swivels and locks. The casters were attached with lag screws to the underside of the extended 2×4’s.
For each of the 2×4’s on the side, I cut out a few pieces of some pipe insulation and stuck them to the back with double sided tape. These pieces would be pushed flush against the wall.
I wanted the unit to be very stable when it was against the wall and had seen someone else build a brace that had to be bolted and unbolted when moving the machine. I wanted something easier so I used some tie-down straps. For the bottom, I screwed a small piece of plywood to the wall behind the drill press and attached a couple of d-rings.
At the top, I did the same thing, but also took a scrap of wood and attached it to the plywood with a hinge. I rounded out the end of that piece of scrap and attached some pipe insulation to the end of it with double sided tape (for a little cushioning). When the drill press is away from the wall, the scrap piece folds down and out of the way.
It is very easy to secure the drill press to the wall as well as unsecure it when I need to move it. A simple press of the tab on each of the tie-down straps, a little pull, and you are ready to roll.
This thing is rock solid when it is against the wall. It is so solid that you don’t even really need to lock the casters if you dont want to. If you do lock the casters, it feels like the whole thing is set in concrete.
Extending the 2×4’s 8 inches out from the edge of the plywood base makes this thing incredibly stable when it is in motion. Wheel it out to the middle of the floor, lock the casters, and it is ready to go with no worries.
Thanks for checking out this cheap and simple little shop project. Comments (especially ideas for making it better) are very welcome!
300008300009300010300011300012300013
I started with 2 pieces of 2’ x 2’ three quarter inch plywood. I glued and screwed them together. I then used a 2×4 to span the front of the base. The 2×4 extended 8 inches past the edge of the plywood on each side. The 2×4 was glued and screwed to the plywood base. I used a couple of 2×4’s for each side of the base. Both of these extended about 8 inches past the rear of the plywood base. Each caster swivels and locks. The casters were attached with lag screws to the underside of the extended 2×4’s.
For each of the 2×4’s on the side, I cut out a few pieces of some pipe insulation and stuck them to the back with double sided tape. These pieces would be pushed flush against the wall.
I wanted the unit to be very stable when it was against the wall and had seen someone else build a brace that had to be bolted and unbolted when moving the machine. I wanted something easier so I used some tie-down straps. For the bottom, I screwed a small piece of plywood to the wall behind the drill press and attached a couple of d-rings.
At the top, I did the same thing, but also took a scrap of wood and attached it to the plywood with a hinge. I rounded out the end of that piece of scrap and attached some pipe insulation to the end of it with double sided tape (for a little cushioning). When the drill press is away from the wall, the scrap piece folds down and out of the way.
It is very easy to secure the drill press to the wall as well as unsecure it when I need to move it. A simple press of the tab on each of the tie-down straps, a little pull, and you are ready to roll.
This thing is rock solid when it is against the wall. It is so solid that you don’t even really need to lock the casters if you dont want to. If you do lock the casters, it feels like the whole thing is set in concrete.
Extending the 2×4’s 8 inches out from the edge of the plywood base makes this thing incredibly stable when it is in motion. Wheel it out to the middle of the floor, lock the casters, and it is ready to go with no worries.
Thanks for checking out this cheap and simple little shop project. Comments (especially ideas for making it better) are very welcome!
300008300009300010300011300012300013