Tool mobility/ casters

[Anthony Yakonick]

In an earlier post I stated I was building a cabinet for my contractors saw, my new question is 4 swivel locking or 2 fixed and 2 swivel. I leaning towards 2 and 2 due to the fact that 90% of the time the saw is used with the right side close to the wall.
Here's a link to the casters I will use

http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=40133&category=3,40888,41279

Your thoughts and experiences please

Anthony

[Dominic Greco]

In an earlier post I stated I was building a cabinet for my contractors saw, my new question is 4 swivel locking or 2 fixed and 2 swivel. I leaning towards 2 and 2 due to the fact that 90% of the time the saw is used with the right side close to the wall.

Anthony,
I agree that you should use (2) locking and (2) fixed wheels. But, I've made several mobile bases and have concluded that using the wheel's locking mechanisms to hold the equipment from rolling is a bit on the unsafe side.

Unless a piece of equipment is pretty heavy (I mean over 350 lbs), then there is a chance it will move if the force is going in the right direction. In my own opinion, the ability to "lift" the equipment off it's wheels it the best way to go.

If you go to Phil Bumbalough "Benchmark" website, there are plans for one of the best shop built mobile bases I've seen yet. He uses inexpensive DeStacco Clamps (can be purchased from Reid Tools (http://www.reidtool.com)) to lift the tools off their wheels. Here is the link:Mobile Base (http://benchmark.20m.com/tools/Unisaw/UnisawMobileBase/unifence_mobilebase.html)

While this base is meant for a Unisaw, I believe that it can be easily adapted to a Contractor's saw.

Good luck.

[Tony Falotico]

Those are excellent casters, used them on my welding cart and am very pleased with them.

I too, am building a table saw stand, the one in Woodsmith Mag several years back. I got it dry fit and screwed together today. I want it mobile, but I do not want it to set on locked wheels when in use. I think I'll just use four non-locking swivel casters, then build some feet to place in each corner to hold the wheels 1/4" off the floor. I think the idea is good, but I haven't worked out all the details yet. I don't need mobile, once placed in the shop it will stay put, but I do want to be able to wheel it out of the way should I need to.

[John Christiansen]

In an earlier post I stated I was building a cabinet for my contractors saw, my new question is 4 swivel locking or 2 fixed and 2 swivel. I leaning towards 2 and 2 due to the fact that 90% of the time the saw is used with the right side close to the wall.
Here's a link to the casters I will use

http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=40133&category=3,40888,41279

Your thoughts and experiences please

Anthony


I used four swivel, locking casters on mine. I have a very small shop and need to be able to move either end of the saw in any direction.

[Jim Becker]

I used these very casters on my router table and on our mobile kitchen island. They are awesome and worth more that LV is charging for them. excellent product.

On the router table, I used two and two. On the island I used four swivelers for more manuverability of that large cabinet.

[Kent Cori]

Like Jim, I've used both approaches. I find the extra maneuverability of the four swivel casters to be preferrable. It just makes it easier to "park" the piece of equipment.

[Jim Hill 2]

Anthony, I used 6 locking casters on my Popular Woodworking Little shop but find that I only use the front three. Like most garage floors, mine is not flat, so often only four of the 6 wheels are actually on the ground. Make sure you can lock two of them!

Also, send us a pic when you get yours finished. I'm still stuck at about 95 percent done. I just finished a face frame and door for the storage cabinet. Need to make a face frame and 3 drawers to go under the table saw and put a face frame and door on the router cabinet. Since it is in working order, these have slid down my priority list. Don't start any other projects till you get yours finished!!! :D Good luck!

Jim