[gmercer_48083]

I have a 6" craftsman Jointer in my very tiny shop. The problem was that being cast iron 200 lbs, and bolted to a steel base, it was hard to maneuver it out when I needed to use it. All the space (on the floor) under it is used for storage, so I needed a way to maneuver it out that did not require a loss of that space. This is my video showing my solution, and has worked well for the last 15 years.

 

[Bob Adams]

Your link doesn't work, and I am not smart enough to fix it.

 

[Stick486]

Your link doesn't work, and I am not smart enough to fix it.

 

[MT Stringer]

That looks pretty neat, and simple.
Unfortunately, my garage floor is rough and very uneven. I would need more clamps! :grin:

 

[Shop guy]

That’s a good idea. Hope you don’t mind I may make use of it my self. I squeeze a lot into my shop and I’m beginning to think the best thing I could really do is take everything out of it and just start over when I put everything back in.

 

[Wood Chip]

I'm going to steal your idea. If all your tables/tools are close in size you may only need one pair of those. I think I'll use industrial locking casters though as I often need to pull a tool out from the wall to use it for a single operation, returning it to its resting place when I'm done. I could use the tool on the dolly with the casters locked and not have to remove them and re-attach them. Thanks for solving one of my (many) problems!

 

[thomas1389]

Simple but clever. I'll borrow that idea too.

 

[gmercer_48083]

Gary, Thomas,
If you look closely, the castors are offset where attached to the 2 x 4, so when tilted they allow the 2 x 4 to tuck under the rail (because the wheels are off set). Also important is the fact that the rail is around 5/16 lower than the dolly, so basically when on the dolly the object is lifted 5/16" from the floor. It takes very little leverage to lift and lower when needed. I would think that it would work with larger, more industrious wheels also as long as they are the offset swivel type. I store my off cuts and scrap pieces of wood in large storage bins that I keep under my jointer, and I did not want to loose that space lost. This allows me to slide the bins out...or I can wheel the jointer out when needed. The casters I use are simple office chair wheels, and have held up suprisingly long.

 

[DesertRatTom]

I really like this solution to a persistent issue. Could be used on almost any tool, for example, a router table or sliding miter table that you want solid on the ground for use. Makes for a short wheel base, but that's irrelevant when you pull the castors out. Thanks for posting this video.

 

[gmercer_48083]

I worked at a tool and equipment rentals store for 42 years, and I've seen a lot of things. One thing I learned is that most people would load a 4 wheel dolly with something heavy...like a gas powered masonry saw to move it from one place to another, and what I have observed is that when the dolly is wheeled over say a threshold in a doorway, the dolly wheels hit the threshold and stop instead of going over it. The solution is to skew the dolly when bouncing over a seam or crack in the floor and roll over the crack one wheel at a time. when doing this there is less jarring and the object effortlessly rolls over it. You can verify this at the grocery store using a shopping cart. Sometimes it is the simple things in life overlooked.

 

[Steve57]

Great video. Thanks!