Cabinet Saw Mobile Base

[Stephen Bandirola]

I bought a used 2004 Powermatic 66 and need to build a mobile base for it. I was thinking that building a frame out of angle iron all the way around would be the best way to support it but all the commercially made ones only support the cabinet at the corners on triangular shaped plates.

Is there a reason for this?

does the angle iron sound like a good idea?

Steve

[Lisa Starr]

I think it depends on how flat the bottom of the saw is and, more importantly, how flat you can make the base. Does the saw rest on its corners or along the entire perimeter? You want to be careful not to introduce a high spot along the side somewhere that will act as a fulcrum and allow it to rock.

[John K Jordan]

Stephen, I didn't buy a mobile base for my PM66 which I don't ever plan on moving, but I did get a mobile base for a heavy milling machine. I bought a base made for the Sawstop Industrial saw. Zounds but that thing is nice! The saw is supported by 1/4" thick (I think) steel straps and after moving the straps and saw are lowered and are firmly against the floor.

The support is raised and lowered with a hydraulic cylinder with a press or two of the toe. Another foot lever releases the pressure and lowers the saw. I think it's rated at 1000 lbs.

https://www.sawstop.com/saw-options/mobile-bases/

I have no idea if this will fit the PM or could be adapted. If building one from scratch I might consider stealing some of the design of this one.

Sorry, I can't comment on the mobile bases with the triangular corner gussets since I've never seen how they are made.

JKJ


I bought a used 2004 Powermatic 66 and need to build a mobile base for it. I was thinking that building a frame out of angle iron all the way around would be the best way to support it but all the commercially made ones only support the cabinet at the corners on triangular shaped plates.

Is there a reason for this?

does the angle iron sound like a good idea?

Steve

[Ben Rivel]

I bought a used 2004 Powermatic 66 and need to build a mobile base for it. I was thinking that building a frame out of angle iron all the way around would be the best way to support it but all the commercially made ones only support the cabinet at the corners on triangular shaped plates.

Is there a reason for this?

does the angle iron sound like a good idea?

Steve
I just built an angle iron frame mobile base for a Hammer A3-31 to sit on and just used a board of 3/4" baltic birch ply for the "flooring". It plenty enough and will hold that table saw perfectly.

[Jim Becker]

The corner plates provide an easier experience with leveling, IMHO, and supporting the tool on just a few defined spots helps deal with any un-evenness with the bottom of the machine's cabinet. There's certainly no harm in just running steel angle all around, of course...

[Stephen Bandirola]

I think I'll try the angle iron all the way around and see if there are un-evenness problems.

[Rod Sheridan]

I think I'll try the angle iron all the way around and see if there are un-evenness problems.

There won’t be any issues, I’ve made a few that way.

I make them as a semi live skid with a tow bar, they only raise the saw about 1/2 an inch at most and they are self locking when you stop moving them.

I use the same tow bar for all my machines......Rod

[Mike Cutler]

The corners of the machine are where the load and strength at are at. Theoretically the 4 corners will carry the load. You really don't need to support the entire edge of the machine.
I have a many mobile bases and all are the same construction. The best ones I've found are the adjustable heavy duty Jet mobile bases. I usually put a sheet of cheap ply wood under the machine, and on top of the four triangular corners. I think it helps with vibration damping, but I can't really prove that. It's just kind of a feedback/feel type of thing.

[Andrew Seemann]

I just made a mobile base for my Unisaw a few months ago. I've never seen a commercially available one that I liked. I'm on the fence as to whether I like the one I made, but I do like it much better than the Shop Fox it replaced. Make sure you do the math right for the height and caster placement. I drew mine out full scale. And I still managed to mess it up. No idea how, but I was off by over a half inch. I think I added the thickness of plywood instead of subtracting it somewhere. I was able to swap out different casters to solve the problem.

The saw sits on a piece of quarter inch baltic birch in the square part of the base. I like having I piece of wood between the metal of the saw and the metal of the base. The saw is held down to the base by some threaded rod in the corners. I didn't have my old saw secured to the base, and it could be a little tippy at times.

The rectangle part will support cabinetry and shelves to house my table saw jigs (someday:)).


404637

[Mike Cutler]

Andrew

That's a really nice base there. You did a fantastic job!!!

[Curt Harms]

Square tubing about 1/8" thick (11 gauge?). I'd imagine a G1023 is lighter than a PM66 and the table to the right of the blade is 27".
404654
The double lifting casters work better than I expected. I figured there'd be a problem with them raising unevenly but nope, they raise together.

[Stephen Bandirola]

The rectangle part will support cabinetry and shelves to house my table saw jigs (someday:)).


404637


I am planning to build almost that exact base except I don't know how to weld so I was going to bolt Simpson brackets at the corners and to attach the casters.

Also I was going to move the casters to the ends ( I thought they might be in the way if they are on the front where I stand when cutting)
I plan to use swivel casters at all 4 corners for maximum maneuverability in a small space.

[Stephen Bandirola]

New thought
Since I am not welding the frame it might be better to build with Superstrut.
Any thoughts on this idea?

[Andrew Seemann]

You probably could get away with using the angle steel and attaching it with a couple quarter inch bolts in the corners, and maybe adding an L bracket to tie the tops of the angle steel together. Most of the weight is going down, so side to side stiffness isn't that important. I haven't used superstrut for something like this, not sure how you would do the corners?

The casters don't really get in the way of standing, the top overhangs the saw quite a bit, and if you have a Biesemeyer style fence it overhangs even more. I put them outboard like that to keep the base more stable. In the picture below, I rarely have my feet closer to the saw than the gray mat.

One thing to keep in mind if you do all 4 casters as swivel, is that it makes the saw difficult to steer. It kind of wants to go in a circle when you move it, but if you have to maneuver it in a tight spot, that might your best option.

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[Stephen Bandirola]

Thanks for the advise I was wavering between the side caster placement like you did for stability vs end for foot clearance.

[Jak Kelly]

Mine was made from 3" Sq tube, 11ga. went with 4 swivel casters rated at 800# each, welded 4 1/2" nuts to the bottom side of the frame, drilled a 1" hole in the top of the frame, then got some 6" X 1/2" full thread bolts so I could tighten/run them down to the floor and use them as legs or leveling option if needed. The tool box is actually a blue-print cabinet (my previous job converted all the old blue prints to PDF and gave the old blue print cabinets away).
My frame may be somewhat way over built! But I like it.404736

[Ed Henderson]

I have a Unisaw. I made a base from 2x4 "Fir" reinforced with angle iron. I installed heavy duty castors and a 1/2 x 6" carriage bolt installed from the bottom near each corner. The carriage bolts are to level the saw. I did this in 1996 and have not moved or adjusted the saw since.