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Thread: Moving 4x8 plywood easily?

  1. #1

    Moving 4x8 plywood easily?

    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?
    Last edited by Chapel Eastland; 04-23-2019 at 12:02 PM.
    "If only those heathen atheists hadn't taken God, Jesus, and the Bible out of schools, God and Jesus could have thrown a Bible at the shooter."

  2. #2
    I usually use one of my teenagers for that application

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Carrollton, Georgia
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    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.

  4. #4
    I haven't tried this, but the videos make it look pretty cool:

    https://www.thecrazyhorsedolly.com/

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Williamstown,ma
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    996
    I have the crazy horse dolly after reading a thread here.
    Dead Simple, and it works really well in my full time shop.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Bert McMahan View Post
    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.
    Last edited by Chapel Eastland; 04-23-2019 at 12:29 PM.
    "If only those heathen atheists hadn't taken God, Jesus, and the Bible out of schools, God and Jesus could have thrown a Bible at the shooter."

  7. #7

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    mid-coast Maine and deep space
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bert McMahan View Post
    Darn - another thing I didn't know I needed!

    Sam
    "... for when we become in heart completely poor, we at once are the treasurers & disbursers of enormous riches."
    WQJudge

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Bert McMahan View Post
    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.

  10. #10
    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-.../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).

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
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    Jacksonville, FL
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    Not cheap but the Rockler Material Mate Pane Cart and Shop stand should work for you.https://www.rockler.com/rockler-mate...SAAEgLtPPD_BwE
    Marshall
    ---------------------------
    A Stickley fan boy.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    New England
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    2,474
    I use this-

    https://www.amazon.com/Big-Horn-1960...dp/B001DDWQPA/

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

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298

    panel carrier from HD

    Quote Originally Posted by Chapel Eastland View Post
    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-...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

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Medina Ohio
    Posts
    4,516
    I use a gorilla gripper I just got one last year and boy is it nice.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Chapel Eastland View Post
    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.
    Last edited by Allan Speers; 04-23-2019 at 1:36 PM.

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