Mobile base

3352 Views 14 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Herb Stoops, Apr 15, 2017

Ray Newman

Discussion Starter · Apr 14, 2017

Colleagues: Design just about completed for a new and smaller router table.

Now looking for a mobile base. Shop floor is concrete. Saw the Harbor Fright (AKA Harbor Freight) mobile bases -- item# 95288 -- in a Harbor Freight magazine ad. Fact that it is low to ground is a plus.

Does anyone have any pro/con experience with this base, or a similar low clearance base?....

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Stick486

· #2 · Apr 14, 2017

just add quality large dia locking swivel casters to your cabinet..

hawkeye10

· #3 · Apr 14, 2017

Ray Newman said:
Colleagues: Design just about completed for a new and smaller router table.

Now looking for a mobile base. Shop floor is concrete. Saw the Harbor Fright (AKA Harbor Freight) mobile bases -- item# 95288 -- in a Harbor Freight magazine ad. Fact that it is low to ground is a plus.

Does anyone have any pro/con experience with this base, or a similar low clearance base?....

I have three of them and the trouble I have is the locking bolts that hold it still are to low to the floor. My floor is uneven so that is part of the problem. Also if it's top heavy the bolts will drag the floor. It's not so bad that I would buy new mobile bases, I just put up with it.

Ray Newman

Discussion Starter · #4 · Apr 14, 2017

Stick what you suggested in Plan B.

Would really like to keep the cabinet as low as possible the floor so as not to loose interior storage height.

Stick486

· #5 · Apr 14, 2017

Ray Newman said:
Stick what you suggested in Plan B.

Would really like to keep the cabinet as low as possible the floor so as not to loose interior storage height.

how would adding casters effect/affect this...

Herb Stoops

· #6 · Apr 14, 2017

I do what Stick suggested on most of my tools, I do have the Craftstman Mobile base under the large drill press. I don't have to move it often, but it is so close to the floor that it drags on the unevenness like Don mentioned.

I started out using all 4 casters as swivel,but they are too hard to maneuver and when they get in the right spot 2 of the casters are turned under the tool cabinet and can't be locked easily,and create a unstable foundation for the cabinet. So I went to 2 swivel and 2 fixed. They require a little more jockeying the get to the right spot,but are more stable and easier to lock down the swivels.
In any event try to get the locking casters that lock BOTH the wheel and the swivel, you won't be sorry.

Herb

Reactions: 1

toolmanlh

· #7 · Apr 15, 2017

That's what I did on my flip top tool stand. I used two fixed and two swivel casters from Rockler. My floor has some uneven spots as well but they do just as well or better than the Delta base I have on my Grizzly 690 table saw.

MT Stringer

· #8 · Apr 15, 2017

4

Ray Newman said:
Colleagues: Design just about completed for a new and smaller router table.

Now looking for a mobile base. Shop floor is concrete. Saw the Harbor Fright (AKA Harbor Freight) mobile bases -- item# 95288 -- in a Harbor Freight magazine ad. Fact that it is low to ground is a plus.

Does anyone have any pro/con experience with this base, or a similar low clearance base?....

I have three of them in use, Ray. Band saw, Drill press, and the Grizzly 18-36 drum sander. The kit is customizable so it will fit just about anything you might have. I used regular old yeller pine 2x4's and cut them to fit...about 1 1/4 square if I recall correctly (or maybe not).

Sayin' all that, my adjustable height router table has four casters. They all lock in place, but only in one direction. If I get a few extra bones, I think I will replace them with the two-way locking model.

And my garage floor is sooo uneven it's not funny. I keep small pieces of 1/4 inch plywood handy because no matter where I position the table, I will have to shim one whee! :surprise::frown::frown::frown:

Ha ha. I just realized that in the first picture, you can see all three of the HF bases. :grin:

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Ray Newman

Discussion Starter · #9 · Apr 15, 2017 (Edited)

Yup, two locking with two fixed casters are hard to beat!

Stick: working from my wheelchair, a cabinet/stand about 29-30" high works well. I have four useable 3" lockin and non-locking casters with 4 1/4" overall height. And the 4" casters that I have are 5 1/8" high. If I utilize either the 3 or 4", I will need to shorten the cabinet sides and back to lower the over-all height and loose some interior storage space.

Am fortunate that my shop floor is level and smooth.

Stick486

· #10 · Apr 15, 2017

install ''L'' brackets (short lengths of steel angle iron) on the OS corners of the cab and fix the the height any place you want...

Reactions: 2

DesertRatTom

· #11 · Apr 15, 2017

I have gotten rid of almost all my wide base stands. If I were building a base for use with a chair, I'd consider this if the sides of the stand were ply. Take some very heavy duty L brackets and make an outrigger on each side so you could mount the casters on the outriggers. That way if you have 5 inch tall casters, you can put the (bottom) of the outrigger 4 inches above the bottom edge of the base, so you only gain one inch in height. Crude diagram shows what I mean. The triangles are a little extra bracing, especially if the tool on the stand is heavy. This ought to solve the height problem and still allow you to use heavy duty castors.

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chessnut2

· #12 · Apr 15, 2017

I'm about at the same place you are, Ray. I'm needing to put a bandsaw and miter saw cabinet on casters. I got this ad from Peachtree yesterday, and they have a set of four 3 inch double locking casters on sale for $20. I'm thinking of putting 2 of them on the front of each tool, and using non-swivel casters on the back. I think the offer expires Sunday night:
eDirect Special

Reactions: 1

Herb Stoops

· #13 · Apr 15, 2017

chessnut2 said:
I'm about at the same place you are, Ray. I'm needing to put a bandsaw and miter saw cabinet on casters. I got this ad from Peachtree yesterday, and they have a set of four 3 inch double locking casters on sale for $20. I'm thinking of putting 2 of them on the front of each tool, and using non-swivel casters on the back. I think the offer expires Sunday night:
eDirect Special

That is a fair price for those casters and they are the double locking type too.

Order 2 sets and a $10.tool and get free shipping too. What a deal!! Cheaper than driving to Georgia to pick them up.

Herb

Cherryville Chuck

· #14 · Apr 15, 2017

Like Stick suggested I put my mounting brackets on the outside as shown in this thread: http://www.routerforums.com/jigs-fixtures/76233-router-cabinet-economy-castors.html

With mine I set the wheels so that they are just about touching the floor so that when I lift the other side the cabinet lifts off the floor and onto the wheels. It is a little awkward and there is a practical weight limit to the idea. Someone else showed home made cantilever wheels. His system was 2 wheels on scissor arms that when straightened pushed the wheels down and lifted the device. I wish I had bookmarked that thread but I didn't so I hope whoever posted it does so again.

Herb Stoops

· #15 · Apr 15, 2017 (Edited)

Cherryville Chuck said:
Like Stick suggested I put my mounting brackets on the outside as shown in this thread: http://www.routerforums.com/jigs-fixtures/76233-router-cabinet-economy-castors.html

With mine I set the wheels so that they are just about touching the floor so that when I lift the other side the cabinet lifts off the floor and onto the wheels. It is a little awkward and there is a practical weight limit to the idea. Someone else showed home made cantilever wheels. His system was 2 wheels on scissor arms that when straightened pushed the wheels down and lifted the device. I wish I had bookmarked that thread but I didn't so I hope whoever posted it does so again.

Here is one idea that

tomp913

Click to expand...

posted awhile back. ( Post 17)
http://www.routerforums.com/project-plans-how/91409-adjustable-workbench-2.html

Herb

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