Mobile Machine Bases

[BrianM]

My old mobile machine base made from lumberyard 2"x4"s and ply along with some nice
heavy locking industrial casters eventually failed on me. The weight of saw put enough sag
in the 2" x 4" that it kept bottoming out. I saved the casters and scrapped the lumber.
My search for an new approach reveals some very clever home-built machine bases:

http://www.stephensawyer.com/content/Woodworking/MobileBase.htm

Jack Screws on the wheeled Side:
http://www.stephensawyer.com/images/Woodworking/Base5.jpg

A neat (cheap) solution to replace "Toggle Jacks"

http://www.stephensawyer.com/images/Woodworking/Base6.jpg

I'm building a folding outfeed table for my Contractors's Saw so will need a somewhat
customized base as the center of gravity will be shifted toward the rear (motor side),
right where it doesn't need any more weight! I'd love to weld up an angle-frame, but
I had to unload my welder in the move last year, so I'm looking for decent lumber
solutions. I'm thinking I'd use oak instead of the dimensional softwood as shown.

Any better ideas? I like the quick-acting nature of the "Jack" approach vs having to use
Thumb-Screw Jacks which are so prevalent on many of the commercial units.

Thanks

[ssor]

I will try this one more time. My computer went nuts earlier today.
I have a jointer planner and a small shop so I had to be able to move this into the open. If this works the first pic is with the wheels down. I set this up so that the stretcher is a lever that allows me to raise or lower the wheels with one hand and latch then with a turn button when they are down . The wheels are four swivel casters. some of the wood is tulip poplar the rest is SPF 2x4. the pivots are lags.

http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=255417924/a=149822247_149822247/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink

Ok ! now that I have cleared that hurdle. There is a block in the middle of the two lever arms so that they work together. The levers are about 3 feet long and lift the jointer about an inch. The force required lets off when the wheels are in place down.

[Bob Cleek]

I feel your pain! As you know, I've got all my "stationary" power tools on "non-stationary" casters... the only way to fly! I've built all of them and some are more successful than others. However, when it came to my Unisaw (and a contractor's saw with extension is no different), I "bit the bullet" and bought a store-bought one and I'm really happy with it.

http://www.grizzly.com/images/catalog/2009/main/271.jpg

http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2009/Main/271

For seventy bucks, you really can't go wrong. Grizzly's are above, but everybody seems to make them. By the time you spend sixty bucks or so for decent casters to make your own... I found it was really cheaper and easier to just buy the thing. Glad I did!

[ssor]

It looks like "ShopFox " has done the thinking and gotten it right.
I think I have 40 bucks in casters.

[goodbasil]

Just go down the laneways at the end of the month when everyone's moving and collect the angleiron from the bedframes. Beef it up with that.

[SMARTINSEN]

http://images2c.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp53658%3Enu%3D337%3B%3E%3A54%3E479%3E WSNRCG%3D323%3A4774%3A%3A996nu0mrj

[JimConlin]

I have an HTC base (www.htcproductsinc.com/)under my Powermatic #66 table saw and have been happy with it.

[Bill R]

I also have HTC bases under all my machinery. Got lucky a while back and got 8 bases on closeout at Home Depot for $20 each. Normally $100+. I would highly recommend the HTC. Bit pricy but worth it.