Mobile base for band saw

[Lori Kleinberg]

Hi everyone. I have a Rigid 14" band saw that I would like to put on a mobile base. Any suggestions as to brand and/or size.

[Paul Gauthier]

I have my Rikon on a delta mobile base, but instead of assembling with wood I used square steel tubing, much stronger and works just fine.

[Robert foster]

I have a General on my brand new 16" Steel City. Works great

RDF

[Lance Norris]

I have a Ridgid also and will be putting it on a Shop Fox mobile base I bought from Grizzly.

[Lori Kleinberg]

Thank you all for your responses.
Paul, I really like the idea of not using wood. I'll have to talk to hubby about that ;) .
I really like the Delta style (1 center lift pedal), but of course it doesn't come in the correct size for my band saw :( .

[frank shic]

lori, don't forget that on the delta you could always build the mobile base wider and longer than the actual bandsaw's footprint and place a sheet of plywood in the center for support.

[John Thompson]

Thank you all for your responses.
Paul, I really like the idea of not using wood. I'll have to talk to hubby about that ;) .
I really like the Delta style (1 center lift pedal), but of course it doesn't come in the correct size for my band saw :( .

Go the the HTC web-site and have a look at some if the heavy duty bases with pedal lifts. They have quite a number available for most WW large machines that you don't see at the local WW stores.

And you might try the Jet web-site as they have an adjustable medium duty and heavy duty that is very sturdy and nice. I have a heavy duty under my 8" jointer and 600 lb. industrial floor morticer. Very well made and will accomodate about any weigh you throw at them.

Regards...

Sarge..

[Skip Williams]

Lori,

I have the Ridge band saw sitting on the old HF mobile base...the one with the wood cross pieces...and the bs is way too heavy for it. I would stay away from any of that type.

I am looking for another base as well, so I am interested is what you come up with.

I have the riser on mine so that makes it even taller and less stable on the HF base...

Skip

www.ShopFileR.com (http://www.ShopFileR.com)

[Dave Sweeney]

Lori,

I have the Ridge band saw sitting on the old HF mobile base...the one with the wood cross pieces...and the bs is way too heavy for it. I would stay away from any of that type.

I am looking for another base as well, so I am interested is what you come up with.

I have the riser on mine so that makes it even taller and less stable on the HF base...

Skip

www.ShopFileR.com (http://www.ShopFileR.com)
Skip, did you use wood or metal tubing on that HF mobile base? I use P1000 Unistrut channel on my HF bases instead of wood and they are plenty strong enough to handle heavy items. I have my jointer mounted on a HF mobile base along with a wood base made of 2x4's. This setup has got to weight 100lbs more than your BS and the HF base moves effortlessly around my shop. I also have my drill press with another 2x4 wood base mounted to another HF mobile base and it also handles the weight without a problem.

As far as stability is concerned, I have both the jointer and the drill press lag screwed down to the 2x4 bases and that makes them quite stable.

[Lori Kleinberg]

I ended up ordering the HTC 2000 from Amazon. It is size adjustable so hopefully it will work. Supposedly supports 400 lbs.
Thanks all for suggestions. Will let you know how it works out.

[Skip Williams]

Thanks Dave,

Using wood...which is the problem. I really need to swap it out for metal.

Where did you get the unistrut channel? Is it very expensive?


Sorry Lorie...didn't mean to hijack the thread..

Skip

www.ShopFileR.com (http://www.ShopFileR.com)

[richard poitras]

I have a 514x Grizzly and I use a Shop Fox mobile base and it works well ..

[Joe Spear]

I have a Rockler mobile base ($59.95) on my Rikon bandsaw (about 270 pounds). I used curly maple 3/4" boards laminated with Titebond III into 1 1/2" thick pieces to make 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" pieces to join the metal corners. It's a three-wheel base with a pedal to raise and lower the third wheel. There have been no problems with it whatsoever. It moves easily, it sits level, and it is solid.

You might also see if any Home Depots near you have a Herc-U-Lift. They are designed for the Ridgid bandsaw, among other tools.

You could also get some casters from Grizzly, Northern Tool, Home Depot, or someplace else (2 1/2" or 3" locking wheels with 4-hole mounting plates, around $4 each) and bolt them to a square of 3/4" plywood large enough to fit your bandsaw base. Screw down some 1 1/2" pieces of plywood in L-shapes around the outer edges of the stand's legs to keep the thing on the plywood.

[Larry Marley]

Hi Lori,
I use the universal base from Woodcraft for my 18".
I like that it sets on feet and not the casters once you have it in place.
it is on sale now, for $49 in their current flyer

You just add plywood to the footprint you need

Larry

[Fred Woodward]

Not meaning to steal this thread, but recently i had a friend's wife that was wanting to get him a bandsaw for Christmas and I recommended she look at the Grizzly GO513X for him. I recommended that she also purchase a mobile base for the saw at the same time. Grizzly has a mobile base listed as an accessory for this saw and I recommended she get them both at the same time. When she called Grizzly, the rep on the phone recommend she not get the mobile base as it would make the saw too top heavy and was a safety hazard. :eek:
I've had several different bandsaws on mobile bases and never had any issues with them being top heavy (I used the HTC-3000 previously). Does anyone know if there is an issue with the this particular saw (base possibly too narrow) or was this just opinion by the CSR?
I have had very favorable results with the HTC-3000 mobile base.

[alex grams]

interesting post Fred. I would be interested to see what people with the 513x have to say about putting it on a mobile base, since I am looking at doing the same soon also.

Anyone have experience with the 513x or other top heavy tools on mobile bases?

Also, this is another question I have been curious to have an answer on: How the heck do you lift a 400lb item to put it on a mobile base. Is there a way to build the base in place around the already standing tool?

[Bill White]

I have my BS on a HF mobile. No probs 'cause I lock it down when I'm using it. I would buy it again,(and I used wood for stretchers).
Bill

[Fred Woodward]

interesting post Fred. I would be interested to see what people with the 513x have to say about putting it on a mobile base, since I am looking at doing the same soon also.

Anyone have experience with the 513x or other top heavy tools on mobile bases?

Also, this is another question I have been curious to have an answer on: How the heck do you lift a 400lb item to put it on a mobile base. Is there a way to build the base in place around the already standing tool?

The reply I received from Grizzly was:
Regarding your concern of mobile bases, we do not recommend a mobile base for most bandsaws. They can be dangerous to move on a mobile base. If the bandsaw is moved to quickly and hit a piece of debris on the floor, the entire machine could tip over. This can happen easier on the taller model bandsaws such as the G0513 and G0514 series of bandsaws.

I have used the HTC-3000 base and liked it for its locking system and the fact that it only elevated the tool about 3/4" when being moved. As for getting a heavy, and top heavy tool on a mobile base, I would recommend to call a couple of friends over for some help.
When I put my jointer on a mobile base, I placed the lower section of the tool on the base before adding the table to the jointer. When I added the mobile base to a bandsaw, I added the mobile base before i unloaded the saw from the truck and stood the saw up on the mobile base as it was unloaded from my truck. I had help and it was appreciated.
After the reply I received from Grizzly, I will recommend the HTC line of products to my friend's wife for his saw.

[alex grams]

I just need to be able to move mine out of the way when I am not using it. Rarely will I move it, but when I am not using it, I will need it out of the way.

Hmm. More food for thought. I need a larger saw to do the work I anticipate, but don't need something too large for me to handle.

[Paul Johnstone]

I have my Rikon 18" bandsaw on this mobile base.. It's even on sale right now.
The corners hold most of the weight. It works really well.
My floor is uneven, so putting it on a mobile base helped remove vibration.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=5114

It's not quite as nice as the one pedal mobile base designs, but I very seldom need to move it. It's very strong and was easy to put together.

[Denny Rice]

Hi Lori,
I use the universal base from Woodcraft for my 18".
I like that it sets on feet and not the casters once you have it in place.
it is on sale now, for $49 in their current flyer

You just add plywood to the footprint you need

Larry

I have 2 of these mobile bases all you do is add the 3/4" plywood. They are rated at 600 or 700lbs. They both work great.

[Rod Sheridan]

Also, this is another question I have been curious to have an answer on: How the heck do you lift a 400lb item to put it on a mobile base. Is there a way to build the base in place around the already standing tool?

Use a shop crane, or an overhead hoist attached to a beam.

In my basement shop, I use one of the beams that's made of 5 or 6 joists sandwiched together, and temporarily attach a hoist to it. Mosy machinery comes with lifting hooks, or nuts, or lifting bars that go into holes in the castings.

Some synthetic slings and away you go.........Rod.

[Lori Kleinberg]

I finally got my husband and one of my sons together to put the band saw on the new mobile base. It fits very well, but the saw really jumps when you undo the second wheel. I am going to add some weight to the bottom of the band saw (maybe a cabinet) and hope that it helps smooth the movement.

[Bill Wyko]

I like the jet, no tools needed. Spring loaded pins.:D

[Rick Gooden]

I'll chime in on the woodcraft. http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=5114
I have one on my Rikon 14" deluxe and another on a rather large assembly table and will use more when I need another base.

[Lee DeRaud]

I like the jet, no tools needed. Spring loaded pins.:DSecond that. I have the Jet heavy-duty stand under a Delta 206 (14" cabinet-base), works great. A bit pricier than some of the alternatives mentioned here, but very stout. (I got mine on a clearance sale at Rockler, $59, probably closer to $90 list.)