DIY 'Wooden' mobile base

[Jeff Horton]

I got nothing but naysayers on another forum but thats OK, I can take it. ;) I decided I want the Powermatic Planer on rollers. All my machines are stationary but this one I think I want to be able to move since I can't find a good permanent home for it. I just can't see the sense in spending $100 on a base, as a DIY'er and woodwork why not just make one? Besides I have less $100 that in the Planner so far!

Since my welder is out of commission I have been thinking about a wooden base Yes the planner is heavy. Not sure what it weights, I am guessing 300#? It's a bear to move it around the shop. Heck it's hard to tilt it back on a handtruck. So yes the base has to be sturdy.

Here is what I have come up with,. The photo is mock up I am toying with.

http://www.kudzupatch.com/woodshop/powermatic_planer/base1.jpg

http://www.kudzupatch.com/woodshop/powermatic_planer/base2.jpg

Some 5/4 oak I have around the shop. I am thinking about cutting a shallow dado for a lap joint on the two. Just to keep the base form trying to twist when it is moved. Glueing and screwing the joints together. Caster mounted to the upper boards (will only add 2-3" height).

I was going to add a small strip along the front and back to keep the planner from sliding off the base. The more I have thought about it I have decided to add a heavy piece along there to serve as reinforcement and a stop. Probably take a piece of 5/4 and just cut a shallow dado and glue it to the front and back. That should make it very strong.

All I will have in it will be my time and the casters which I could reuse if it were to fail. But I can't see any reason it won't work, as long as my glue joints are good.

[Jerry Crawford]

Jeff - IMHO, I'd place the casters under the planer corners and not at the ends of those wood spreaders I see in the mock-up. IMHO the weight of the planer will pull that joint apart and eventually distort the wood.

[Greg Koch]

Depending on how much you time/casters is worth, you might also consider one of these and just "beef it up" a bit, where/how/if needed.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000051WSA/qid=1153689371/sr=1-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-5556887-6270335?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=hi&v=glance&n=228013

[Rob Littleton]

Along the same lines as the Amazon product, I might get some angle iron from the dreaded Borg and run it along the underside edges all the way round and maybe mount the castors to the angle. Ideally, the castors should be underneath the planer and not on the outside corners as suggested.

Good idea and it should be plenty strong enough for the job at hand with a little reinforcing.

not bad...............

[Alan DuBoff]

Jeff,

A couple thoughts. The weight of the PM 100 is like 300-500 lb. if I'm not mistaken (with stand toward upper figure). I've been going through planers specs of recent, as that is what I was wanting to buy next, but it seems that jointers were in my future, last week...:-/ (looks like I'll end up with the 8" Crescent from Art;-).

I think your idea of building one out of wood is not a bad idea, and I'm thinking about doing the same, getting some casters. The only thing I don't like about your design is that all of the stress is going to be placed on the joint next to the caster, but the weight is not enormous, and decent bolts should hold it well.

I would strongly discourage doing what Greg Koch suggested, those stands are a geniune POS, and to get a decent one will cost more in the $70-$100 range. I have one and it's one of the worst pieces of garbage I have. The lifting mechanism for the wheels is real crap, IMO. I can't wait to get rid of mine, it's going with the jointer as soon as I have a replacement working.

My Yates-American has a base that was welded out of angle iron with industrial wheels on it. Works well, but it's costly to get something like that unless you weld it up yourself. Might be a good reason to get your tanks going again, but this wood base looks good for it's pupose and I would go with it.

I'm looking for casters myself, and think I'm going to get some from castercity.com. They have some decent ones that will take 600# each, so each one would support the entire load of your planer (I think that's best). Probably fine casters with mounting plates for about $15-$20 each that will take a load of about 600-900/lb.

BTW, owwm seems to be down for a database error since last night. Hope they get it going again soon, and that there's no major problems.

[Jeff Horton]

Two things. First off I have nothing to loose but some time so I am going to try this. I am almost certain it will work and so what if it doesn't? I am amazed at how we have to lost the "make it yourself" mentality. It seems no one has any imagination and willingness to try it. Nope, just go buy one and run up the credit card balance.

As for the joints you have to remember that the weight is spread out over 4 places. If the planner weights 600# (and it may!), thats only 150# per joint. I think any good glue should hold that much (yes there is additional forces at work). Plus I am going to screw the joint too. I may be totally wrong but I am willing to try it. If it fails, I have learned something and will know how what didn't work and now to improve version 2.0.

Alan, everyone is against mounting the casters there but if it breaks. I can but them off and move them under the corners. I am betting they work. If they move any I can reinforce that part. Again what have I to loose by trying?

Greg, that base it tempting for the price. But I have been burned one too many times buying cheap products and the skeptic in me would (if I were buying one) rather spend for a better one. But it does get surprisingly good reviews.

[Jim DeLaney]

...As for the joints you have to remember that the weight is spread out over 4 places. If the planner weights 600# (and it may!), thats only 150# per joint. I think any good glue should hold that much (yes there is additional forces at work). Plus I am going to screw the joint too. I may be totally wrong but I am willing to try it. If it fails, I have learned something and will know how what didn't work and now to improve version 2.0...

Jeff,
I'd have a few reservations about the strength of that joint with glue and screws. - BUT - how about using a couple 5/16" carriage bolts, with fender washers on each joint? That ought to make the whole thing strong enough to hold the 500# for sure.

[Chris Barton]

Why not go to one of the borgs and buy some angle iron and have that replace the two wooden pieces under the base and connect the two with some wood and bolts?

[Corey Hallagan]

The HTC base is not good enough for a large piece of machinery. I bought it for my table saw and it didn't work to well. It worked ok on my drill press. The Jet mobile base is much better and is rated up to 600 lb.s and requires no tools and sells for 39.99. I am looking forward though to seeing how your design works out. Good luck.

Corey

[Alan DuBoff]

Two things. First off I have nothing to loose but some time so I am going to try this. I am almost certain it will work and so what if it doesn't? I am amazed at how we have to lost the "make it yourself" mentality. It seems no one has any imagination and willingness to try it. Nope, just go buy one and run up the credit card balance.I agree, and I think your design is thought out and will work fine.

As for the joints you have to remember that the weight is spread out over 4 places. If the planner weights 600# (and it may!), thats only 150# per joint.I concur with your numbers, but would use caster that could support the entire planer, just in case. Honestly, if you glued the joints they would be strong enough, or at least as strong as the wood (stronger actually, the wood would fail first).

Alan, everyone is against mounting the casters there but if it breaks. I can but them off and move them under the corners. I am betting they work. If they move any I can reinforce that part. Again what have I to loose by trying?You have nothing to loose from trying, if it falls it's only going a couple inches to the floor! I think the design is good, and I know why you created those ears sticking out the base, so that the machine doesn't have to sit much higher off the ground than it normally would.

Greg, that base it tempting for the price. But I have been burned one too many times buying cheap products and the skeptic in me would (if I were buying one) rather spend for a better one. But it does get surprisingly good reviews.You can count on that thought with this base Greg linked to. I do own one, I give you my opinions of it from my experience. It will only hold half the weight of your planer, in spec. You have a good idea, and I like the "build it myself" solutions that folks come up with. That will work just dandy with some casters, even the ones from Woodcraft will work, although they only hold a minimal amount of weight, they will handle the amount of weight your planner requires. My $0.02, which might have as much value as that...but if you get $0.02 for free, you're still ahead of the game! ;)

FWIW, if you were going to buy a base, the base that Jet sells which is an HTC I believe (1000 lb capacity) would work fine and is not bad, but you've got the same thing here and with $30-$35 of casters you would be fine.

[Jeff Horton]

Jim, if I have some bolts and nuts in the shop the right size that is probably what I would do. Just have not found any yet laying around. I have plenty of wood screws however. Buy them by the box. I will just use what ever I have.

Chris, no doubt I could bolt in some angle and it would work. I think that the wood will work just fine. Once again, so what if it fails? As Alan said, the planner falls 2". Plus with so many people saying (or thinking) it won't work I have to try it. ;) If it fails I know how not to make the next one and all I have spent is for casters. They are always useful on something else.

This reminds me of reading the 1946 +/- manual on the Unisaw. It says that the extension table that goes between the extended rails is not available because they can be easily made from 3/4" plywood using your new saw. Now days we EXPECT it come to with the table and we bitch when it's particle board and not flat. We will buy a new improved replacement when we could make one out of scrap in the shop that would work just as good. Call me cheap if you want but I think we waste to much money buying the latest gadget and do-dads when we can make it in the shop ourselves.

[Steve Clardy]

Looking at your wood mockup, strength would be better if the side pieces were under the front, back pieces. Yes it would raise the height some.

[Greg Koch]

Whoa...there guys.

I only tossed out that base as an idea, not a recommendation. I thought it might be stronger than what was pictured, if it were "beefed" up. I use Herc-U-Lift Pluses myself, but I got them on sale. Seemed Jeff was looking to build something to keep costs down.

[Jeff Eiber]

I agree with your DIY philosophy. I have been using a shop made wooden mobile base for my 15 inch grizzly planer, about 450lbs, for two years now and it still works fine.

[Vaughn McMillan]

I agree with Alan...the worst thing a failure would bring is a two-inch drop and another trip to the drawing board. Seems like a great way to see if the design will work, and the price is right.

- Vaughn

[Alan DuBoff]

Whoa...there guys.

I only tossed out that base as an idea, not a recommendation. I thought it might be stronger than what was pictured, if it were "beefed" up. I use Herc-U-Lift Pluses myself, but I got them on sale. Seemed Jeff was looking to build something to keep costs down.Greg, had I not had such a bad experience with the very type base you linked to, I wouldn't have said anything, but those lifter mechanisms are really horrible. Trust me when I tell you that it's going to be included with the sale of my 6 1/8" jointer, which it is under right now. The other possibility is to use an engine hoist when you want to move the planer Jeff, but I also think it's convenient to have them on wheels...

As Jeff points out, the casters can always be used for something, even if it's to make a furniture moving dolly, which always comes in handy for something.

Jeff's planer doesn't have enough weight to break that base, IMO, especially if some bolts are put in the corners. Glue would probably work fine, but I would probably bolt with large flat washers, or scrap steel so that it sandwiches in the wood. Wood screws might be strong enough, but why chance it?

[John Downey]

Howdy Jeff,

I've got that same planer, though not as pretty as yours is turning out! IIRC the manual lists a weight of something like 625#. Mine's on an angle iron base with Woodcraft casters (the red ones). I've made bases out of wood before, and not found any problems with strength, provided the design is appropriate. Looking at your mock up, I'd suggest you consider placing the planer in a shallow box, then screwing and glueing the pieces you've got shown to the top of the box. This allows you to put a triangular gusset in for reinforcement between the bottom of the box and the bit the caster is screwed to. It has the added advantage of having the machine sit a little lower to the floor. I had a delta jointer (400#) on a base like this for a couple years, and it worked fine, except I went and put cheap casters on it. The only trouble I have with wood bases is that you can't cut and re-weld to modify them for bigger, better wheels or the like.

Progress on the planer is looking great, keep the photos coming. You may just inspire me to overhaul mine!

John

[Tyler Howell]

I am all for TIY, Try It Yourself. A wise old sparky once told "me they may get your money eventually but you can often do it better than the pros".

That being said, I spent 2 days try to build a floor dolly out of spares for my Performax 22-44 (that baby is heavy).
I finally ended up with this. the problem was if it sat still it was fine, but to get it to jumb floor cracks and lock it down during operation was more engineering than I had skills for.
I ended up with this.:o

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...lance&n=228013 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000051WSA/qid=1153689371/sr=1-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-5556887-6270335?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=hi&v=glance&n=228013)