Moving 4x8 plywood easily?

[Chapel Eastland]

I'm getting older and trying to move a full sheet of 3/4 plywood from my shop to outside saw horses to breakdown has been a PIA. I can get it on the sawhorses once there, but trying to keep it from dragging on the ground from point A to B is difficult.

Any ideas for homemade rollers?

[Andrew Seemann]

I usually use one of my teenagers for that application:)

[Yonak Hawkins]

Maybe you could invent something. It seems like it would be pretty easy to come up with a contraption with wheels that would fit onto the corner of a piece of plywood. I see bicycles at the dump with various sizes of wheels all the time.

[Bert McMahan]

I haven't tried this, but the videos make it look pretty cool:

https://www.thecrazyhorsedolly.com/

[peter gagliardi]

I have the crazy horse dolly after reading a thread here.
Dead Simple, and it works really well in my full time shop.

[Chapel Eastland]

I haven't tried this, but the videos make it look pretty cool:
https://www.thecrazyhorsedolly.com/

I can see how that works if you have your plywood flat and lots of space. However, I store my sheet goods vertical with the 8" side on the garage concrete floor against the wall next to a car. I need something that will allow the plywood to stay vertical and roll it along. I've tried 4-wheeled dolly but it's too wide and meanders too easily with swivel wheels.

I'm thinking something along the lines of old-fashioned roller skates that would allow me to lift one edge, slip the device under that edge, and then do the same on the other edge. Haven't seen those types of roller skates in 30 years though.

[Bert McMahan]

Maybe one of these then: https://www.fastcap.com/product/speed-skate

[Sam Murdoch]

Maybe one of these then: https://www.fastcap.com/product/speed-skate

Darn - another thing I didn't know I needed! :rolleyes: :)

Sam

[Doug Dawson]

Maybe one of these then: https://www.fastcap.com/product/speed-skate

You could also go to amazon and search for the Gorilla Gripper 'Advantage' and its variants. More of a carrier, though. The Speed Skate is also available on amazon.

[Edwin Santos]

For how little it costs I think the Bora Portamate might be worth a look. Not only will it allow you to load and move the sheet goods in the orientation you are describing, but it has the added feature of allowing you to tilt the sheet and load it onto your sawhorses, work table, table saw or whatever. This feature would eliminate one more opportunity for back injury.

Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Portamate-PM-1800-Carrier-Allows-Person/dp/B01AWI8ILW. There's a video that demonstrates how to use it.

I recall Woodcraft sells them also.

Disclaimer, I don't own one (yet).

[Marshall Harrison]

Not cheap but the Rockler Material Mate Pane Cart and Shop stand should work for you.
https://www.rockler.com/rockler-material-mate-panel-cart-and-shop-stand?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIns_a0Nrm4QIV1gOGCh3qJQRWEA AYASAAEgLtPPD_BwE

[Dave Zellers]

I use this-

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Horn-19609-Panel-Toter/dp/B001DDWQPA/

Works perfectly for me, but you do still have to carry it.

[John K Jordan]

I'm getting older and trying to move a full sheet of 3/4 plywood from my shop to outside saw horses to breakdown has been a PIA. I can get it on the sawhorses once there, but trying to keep it from dragging on the ground from point A to B is difficult.

Any ideas for homemade rollers?

I use this panel carrier I got from Home Depot:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-Panel-Carry-Orange-93-300K/202262083

I've moved a lot of plywood and 4x8 siding panels with this. I bought two and occasionally have a second person but I can still handle 3/4" sheets of plywood by myself. I've moved a lot of plywood and 4x8 siding panels with this. Cheap too.

JKJ

[Jerome Stanek]

I use a gorilla gripper I just got one last year and boy is it nice.

[Allan Speers]

I can see how that works if you have your plywood flat and lots of space. However, I store my sheet goods vertical with the 8" side on the garage concrete floor against the wall next to a car. I need something that will allow the plywood to stay vertical and roll it along. I've tried 4-wheeled dolly but it's too wide and meanders too easily with swivel wheels.

I'm thinking something along the lines of old-fashioned roller skates that would allow me to lift one edge, slip the device under that edge, and then do the same on the other edge. Haven't seen those types of roller skates in 30 years though.

I use the Gorilla gripper type, and it works great, but yeah the weight can sometimes still be a problem.

If you really want to move them while vertical, maybe you could construct something like a rolling coat rack, only taller. It would be bulky as heck, but it would work. Because the ply would be hanging from the top, the center-of-gravity would keep it centered & stable:

You'd roll this cart against the plywood, attach its 2-3 large top clamps to the top of the ply, then crank a handle that raises the entire top up 4" or so. (or maybe use the type of caster than drops to the floor when released) Maybe then even hook the bottom of the ply to the carts' base.

And away you go.

[Frank Pratt]

Maybe one of these then: https://www.fastcap.com/product/speed-skate

I built something similar to this & have grown to like it a lot. There is a short a learning curve to figure out the best way to use it, but once you do, it's a breeze to move sheet goods around. And best of all, It takes no space to store it.

[George Yetka]

I was always told lift with your back in fast jerky motions. It doesnt seem to work great but maybe I have to be jerkier.

I try my best to not have more than I need and if possible break it down as its coming out of truck with a track saw.

[Chapel Eastland]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Since I have less than 2 feet to maneuver, the Speed Skate seems to fit the best. It's a straight shot from my sheet goods, across smooth concrete floor to my garage door and outside on smooth asphalt to my saw horses.

Ordered from Amazon for 23.42, no tax and free shipping.

My back thanks you all.

[lowell holmes]

Look for one of these. I have an old one and I can move anything on it.

https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-1791/Dollies/Hardwood-Carpet-End-Dolly-4-Casters-750-lb-Capacity?pricode=WB2454&utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=pla&utm_term=H-1791&utm_campaign=Material%2BHandling&utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=pla&utm_term=H-1791&utm_campaign=Material%2BHandling&msclkid=ababe03787cc1ea9229cbc88e29845df&gclid=CJ7yur_35uECFcmkZQodwt4CWg&gclsrc=ds

[Clint Baxter]

For what you describe, I use my Troll Panel Handler, http://telproinc.com/products/the-troll-panel-handlers-and-carts/the-troll-49-panel-handler/

Helps when you go to pick it up as well. I've had one for years, but don't see any for sale when I looked online for them.

Clint

[robert wiggins]

After building a dolly to transport toilets by using casters from a used-up office chair and some fence board scraps, I've found this freebee to be real useful at the ranch to move most anything that can be rolled. It moves my portable generator outdoors, and by placing a longer 1x8 or whatever on top I can move a heavy table saw by driving the saw as if it were a wheel barrow. You'll quickly learn the easy technique to cross a threshold. We know the 4 casters will support 300 lbs. because they were on an office chair.

[Peter Christensen]

I use this-

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Horn-19609-Panel-Toter/dp/B001DDWQPA/

Works perfectly for me, but you do still have to carry it.

Dave, Lee Valley has them for almost half the price. They do work well but still need to be strong enough to lift. Sheets of MDF makes my arm too long.

[Tim Cardinal]

The last big shop I worked at had these, or something like this. It was really nice..load the sheets roll it over to the saw tilt and cut.

408531

[David Buchhauser]

For what you describe, I use my Troll Panel Handler, http://telproinc.com/products/the-troll-panel-handlers-and-carts/the-troll-49-panel-handler/

Helps when you go to pick it up as well. I've had one for years, but don't see any for sale when I looked online for them.

Clint

Clint,
Thanks for the tip. The Troll Panel Handler looks like it will work out better for me than the speedskate. This will also be handy for moving 4 x 4 or 4 x 8 sheets of 11 ga. sheet steel from my storage rack over to the cnc plasma cutter. I just ordered one from Clovis Tools. Amazon and all the other online vendors seem to be out of them.
Thanks,
David

https://clovis-tools.com/telpro-troll-troll-300-pound-capacity-panel-handler.html

408544


(https://clovis-tools.com/telpro-troll-troll-300-pound-capacity-panel-handler.html)

[Rich Engelhardt]

I solved both this problem and the problem of transporting sheet good by picking up a Makita cordless track saw.
Instead of buying & transporting & storing full 4x8 sheets of plywood, I simply buy as I need & cut to finished size right in the parking lot.

I picked up a set of those Veritas platform saddles (https://www.woodcraft.com/products/veritas-2x4-platform-saddles-veritas) and whipped up a quick standoff arrangement I can use to support the sheet goods while I cut them down.

Works great for plywood, underlayment, MDF - you name it.
Since the Makita is a higher end track saw, it does extremely accurate cuts that have a true finished edge - - as opposed to the nasty edge left by the Borg panel saw.

A huge side benefit of this is that it eliminates the need to own a pick up or van, for those few times a year I need sheet goods.

[Zac wingert]

Only solution I’ve found is making your kids help. Haha

[David Buchhauser]

Only solution I’ve found is making your kids help. Haha
For many of us - it would be the grandkids for help.

[Charles Lent]

The attached photos show how this 77 yr old moves and cuts sheet stock now. I have both a Gorilla Gripper and the plastic panel carriers shown in previous posts, and I do better using the plastic carrier most of the time, but the Gorilla Gripper does come in handy sometimes.

I move the sheets on edge using a shop made panel carrier, made from old lawn mower wheels and cabinet birch ply. I break up my sheets outside my shop using a cutting table as shown in the photos. To move the panel from vertical to on the table, I lay the table on it's side with two small pieces of plywood attached off center to this table edge, so by turning them they extend above the table top. I place the bottom edge of my panel on these and lean it against the table top. Then I bend down and place my hands under both the panel and the table edge and lift, tilting the table and panel until the table is on it's 4 legs with the panel laying on it. I then use my straight edge clamps and circular saw to break up the panels. My final cuts are done inside my shop on my Unisaw, so I break up the panel into slightly larger pieces than I need.

I have a piece of Lexan attached to the shoe of my circular saw, with a hole cut in it to allow the blade guard to function, but the front of this hole has a narrow slit for the blade teeth to rise up through. This performs the function of a zero clearance insert and minimizes chipping of the sawed panel edges. The table has no metal in the upper 1" of it. All of the joints were assembled with biscuits and glue, so I can set the saw blade depth to cut about 1/4" into the table with no worry of the blade hitting any metal. The legs came from Northern and are attached with short screws, which are the only metal in the construction. When the legs are folded they are inside the table edge 1 X 4, so the taple sits on edge against my sheet stock in my shop until I need to use it. The benefit of using this table over saw horses is that nothing falls or breaks away as the cut is nearing completion. Cuts are usually made down the center of the table, so both the panel and the off cut remain on the table until I pick them up or re-position them for the next cut. I never have a break-away as I'm completing a cut so every cut is clean all the way to the end.

With a 2' X 3' piece of plywood attached to the top of this table, I can place my miter saw on it and the table holds both the cut pieces and stock moldings waiting to be cut all at a comfortable working height.

Charley

[jim mills]

Of all the suggestions so far, that crazy horse lift seems like the most versatile. $90 for the hardware kit might be discouraging to some, but I bet that would soon be forgotten.

[Frank Pratt]

Of all the suggestions so far, that crazy horse lift seems like the most versatile. $90 for the hardware kit might be discouraging to some, but I bet that would soon be forgotten.

I agree, for a shop with lots of room. But it needs a lot of space to move the goods around and a lot space for storage. Both are deal killers in my shop.

[jim mills]

That makes a difference. My opinion is based on the fact that once you get the sheet goods to where you want them, you still have to get them up onto the machine .

[Frank Pratt]

That makes a difference. My opinion is based on the fact that once you get the sheet goods to where you want them, you still have to get them up onto the machine .

It can't get much slicker than with the crazy horse, but with my Speed Skate type dolly, I just wheel the sheet up to the table saw, lean it against, and then swing it up from the bottom edge. At no time am I lifting the entire weight of the sheet. It's just about the next best thing, for me anyway.

[Alan Lightstone]

I went for the Bora Portamate. It works well, does take up a little room to store.

https://www.amazon.com/Portamate-PM-1800-Carrier-Allows-Person/dp/B01AWI8ILW

[William Young]

Mine is similar to what Charles Lent did above:
408574408575

Whitewalls are optional.
Old guys think alike!

[robert wiggins]

Mine is similar to what Charles Lent did above:
408574408575

Whitewalls are optional.
Old guys think alike!

The whitewalls certainly add class and your pics gives this old guy an idea. With 2 Kreg screws mount a removable wood clamp bout centered on top of my 4 caster truck. With it I can spin the sheet 360° if needed.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

...at his 19 years old it is an honor to him to help his "old" father.

Seriously, did you consider a specially designed cart?

[robert wiggins]

That makes a difference. My opinion is based on the fact that once you get the sheet goods to where you want them, you still have to get them up onto the machine .
************************************************** ****************************
I never really liked working with a full sheet of ply up on anything so I built a Popular Mechanics type saw guide and work closer to the floor.:D

[Jerome Stanek]

You could make something like this

http://www.workbenchmagazine.com/main/wb280-caddy01.html

[Yonak Hawkins]

...you still have to get them up onto the machine .

Indeed ! This is the most difficult part. I just don't deal with sheet goods enough for a fancy gadget so, I never look forward to having to get a full sheet up on the table saw, constricted by the planer on one side, turn on the saw, and then get into position to push. ..Especially if I'm only cutting a couple of feet off the end of the board.

[Sam Blasco]

I have tried the Crazy Horse Dolly and really love it. Works great if you going over pretty smooth surfaces and fairly level ground. You just have to balance the sheet, really, and you could probably walk it right onto the sawhorses without much lifting at all. Here's a little video demonstration on my YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUPkcbb2hAI

[Kevin Jenness]

I've used the big tilting carts, dollies, gorilla grippers and brute force. Since I got a crazy horse I don't look back. It works as an a-frame type dolly for moving panels on edge as well as balancing a sheet on the flat. It is definitely the easiest way I have found to get heavy panels from my vertical rack onto the saw, router or horses. At 24" diameter it is not a space hog.

[Mike Kreinhop]

I solved both this problem and the problem of transporting sheet good by picking up a Makita cordless track saw.
Instead of buying & transporting & storing full 4x8 sheets of plywood, I simply buy as I need & cut to finished size right in the parking lot.

This would be an expensive solution here after the Ordnungsamt or Polizei arrived and started confiscating equipment and goods. :D We can't even change windshield wiper blades in the store parking lot.

[ChrisA Edwards]

Thank you for this thread, I've struggled with 4 x8 sheets, more so as I get older.

I nearly bought the CrazyHorse kit, a few months ago, but with limited space, I held back as it would be hard to use in my restricted space shop, plus then I'd have to store it.

After looking at many pf the suggestions, most of which I had never seen before today, I bought the FastCap Speed Skate product and also came across this video and plan to make one of these to help transition a sheet up on to my cutting bench.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hnu3FGgZqE

[Charles Lent]

Then there is the Leg Up. The shop that I work in made something like this, and it works well, but it's a huge shop with lots of room to move panels around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdo90fJ4KLk

Charley