DIY mobile bases

[Scott Winners]

I am striking out swinging with the search button. I am currently in a (very) space constrained garage, need to make seasonal room for my wife's vehicle, and limited to 110vac.

New to me recently I need to make mobile bases for a DeWalt 734 planer, a Shop Fox W1745 jointer and a Delta 1hp (110vac) dust collector.

The DC has the motor mounted under the impeller. I feel pretty good about fabbing up a drum and a cyclone to ride around with the DC out of homestore lumber. Foot print will be 2x6 feet nominal but a bit of vibration is not a problem.

I have a formed sheet metal table for the planer to sit on. As individual components I can set the thickness planer up in the driveway with minimal fuss.

I am very concerned about making the jointer mobile. Even I who puts the hyphen in A-R grabs the machine by the end of the table. This is not ideal. When I buy Guiness at the liquor store 8 cases at a time to minimize trips to the liquor store and maximise social distancing blah blah the beer manager brings out a thing he calls a "Uboat" with a platform maybe 10" off the floor and tall hoops at each end. My thinking is if I could have a custom "U boat" fabricated at 48" length to hold my jointer end to end, with end hoops tall enough to swallow any rough stock I am likely to purchase I should be golden.

I do have a metal fabricator on retainer so to speak. My thinking is if the long square tubing of the base goes kinda -\_____/- I should be able to mount casters under the hyphens and mount the jointer on top of the underlines. I have a good one inch trough between the poured concrete garage floor and my asphalt driveway. The factory wheels under the ShopFox w1745 with mobile base can't realistically span the gap now and couldn't when new.

I can do it, but I would rather step up to bigger wheels than fool with it every time I move it. And moving the jointer by the ends of the feed tables is clearly no beuno. I am budgeting three shop days to getting the in and out feed tables adjusted as I replace the factory knives, but I don't want to deal with it frequently. With the end hoops of a "U boat" style cart in use I should be able to feed the jointer any rough sawn board I am likely to buy, and not have to worry about guests with suboptimal beverages leaning aginst my jointer tables to tell tales I will likely not believe.

Some various "Uboat carts" behind this link, no affiliation: https://www.uline.com/BL_1834/U-Boat-Platform-Trucks?pricode=WT911&AdKeyword=u%20boat%20cart&AdMatchtype=e&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvqKz7pnx8gIVkTizAB0B3ws0EAAYASAA EgKwYPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

All of the mobile bases I have found you guys raving about offer my jointer tables zero protection against fat leaning guys drinking fizzy yellow water and telling lies.

Thoughts?
Thanks.

[Larry Frank]

I have all the tools in my shop on wheels. I make 2x4 frames and put high quality locking swivel wheels on them. Most are on 3" casters from Woodcraft and are about $20 each. I bought mine on sale years ago. I have my 15" planer on them for years with no problem.

[Tom Trees]

One man has all the answers, his name is Carl Holmgren, and he's on YouTube.
Best mobile base designs you will find,
If it's not skookum enough from wood, use metal instead.
Another interesting design is found on some record power bs 250s or those machines that go under the I wood like brand, on the bandsaw and planer.
Most likely the simplest to make, the latch leaves something to be desired but for the folks steep driveway makes sense to have something that won't wheel away
Just keep your toes away if using for something heavy, as with all retractable caster designs
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[Tom M King]

I would use angle iron, instead of square tubing. The pieces along the sides have the L up, to hold the jointer, and the end pieces are larger, with the L in the 7 position, with the dropped side of the angle welded to the sides, and the casters mounted under the overhanging, horizontal leg of those end L's. The end angles can be as large as you need them for what casters you use.

For casters, larger is better, and I like urethane wheels.

Here's a welder cart I built a short while back. It was not important for this cart to sit close to the floor, like would be an advantage for a Jointer. For a jointer cart, as I was describing, the end pieces would be much larger, and rotated 180 degrees from there.

[Bill Dufour]

Use some sort of folding handle not something above the working surface. Maybe similar to your plan but the hoops top out below tabletop height, Then pull out a horizontal push bar to grab. Look at the flat top carts at HD for ideas. They use A vertical lift handle in one corner that rotates to lock up with a bayonet lock.
rather then vertical or horizontal I think a handle that comes out at around 30 degrees from vertical would give you leverage and toe room.
Bill D.

https://www.digitalbuyer.com/vestil-panel-h-steel-2000-lb-horizontal-panel-cart.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyMrjicjy8gIVUxitBh2yhg hSEAQYBCABEgKI0vD_BwE

[Jon Endres]

I have a Grizzly or Shop Fox mobile base under my 8" Grizzly G0500 jointer. I can't recall which one, but it's a model that allows the jointer base to set down in an angle iron frame so it's only about 3/4" off the floor, and the casters are out the ends and allow you to step on a foot pedal to raise and lower them. You can do the same with angle iron frame and weld up caster mounts on the ends, out of upside-down angle iron or channel iron to hold whatever size casters you want. I wouldn't worry about moving the jointer around by the tables, I do it all the time and it's never thrown my jointer out of alignment. I think a u-boat for a base will quickly and seriously frustrate you, as well as get in your way and potentially be a safety hazard. They are inherently unstable due to the design.

As far as your other problem, fat dudes etc. - use your words. Let them know they won't be welcome if they lean on or spill pee water on the machinery. If you can't do that, you'll have to live with the consequences.

[Rod Sheridan]

I have all my machines on semi-live skid design bases with a tow bar, works much better than casters in my opinion and most machines don't need a base, just a couple of holes drilled for a 1/2" axle and an "L' bracket added to the other end of the machine......Rod.

I've posted a shot of a machine with no base, and one with a base I made.464509464510

[Bill Dufour]

A used pallet jack that does not lift is often free. Set the machine up on a plallet or skid and use that for wheels.
Bill D

[Bill Dufour]

For me bigger wheels is better. I would not use anything under 4" diameter.
Bill D

[Brian Holcombe]

Might be best just to buy a pallet Jack.