Mobile Bases - Show me yours

[Chip Lindley]

Rectangular Delta tricycle stands serve me well for several machines like my DJ-20 jointer and Delta 14" BS with enclosed base.

But, the HTC factory stand that came with my Powermatic 66 was a joke! I fabricated my own heavy-duty mobile base of 3" steel channel and angle to hold the heavy saw plus a heavy drawer bank beneath the extension table. Needless to say, I like welded steel stands. No wood for me! I saved lots of money using scrap metal shapes to weld up my own stands to the exact dimension needed. A stick welder, small metal-cutting horizontal BS (or chop saw) and two side grinders for wire brushing and metal grinding are all that's needed.

PM66 stand sml 1.jpg

Scrap steel base w/ retractable Rockler caster for RC-33 planer:

RC33 Stand.jpg

Base for Shop Fox 20" planer made of 1.5" square channel and Rockler caster:

ShopFox 20 base 1.JPG

Ho'made version of HTC tricycle base of 2" narrow channel instead of tubing, under 14" Delta BS:

HoMade Stand Front..JPG

Base for Grizzly 24" DDS of stamped channel and heavy 4x6 angle:

GrizSanderALL.JPG

[Casey Carr]

mobile base.jpgAfter I made this one, I was thinking I'd just buy the next one I need, but from what people are saying of HTC, maybe not. It would still be cheaper though. $170 in casters, $75 in metal and the two days worth of welding and grinding. I hate the smell of ground metal.

Not exactly set up for metal work, but have good friends! This was meant for a 12" medium duty Northfield Jointer. It's obviously not done in this pic, but it is finished, with a coat of paint and all. Holds up well. It's 2x2x1/4" angle and holds 1100 lbs. If you're going to buy a mig welder for all these bases, I'd get a bigger one and not the little lunchbox types. I'm not sure what it was I used, but it was big enough there was no picking it up and carrying it. You need the bigger ones to get the penetration or I wouldn't have been comfortable with a mig. I still would have rather done it with a stick type, but I had access to the mig. I'm just not familiar with what's avialable at the big box stores.

[Carroll Courtney]

Wish I was this good and Casey love your mobile base---Carroll
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=18016

[Jason White]

Here's the one I made for my cabinet saw...

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...4&d=1281474496

[Jim O'Dell]

Johnny, there are 2 bolts that go down through the caster blocks and screw into T-nuts that are imbedded in the bottom of the frame. Lifts the floor pads about 1/2" off the floor. Rolls easily. Note the hole between the 2 casters on the second picture? That is for a threaded rod to go through to screw down to lift that end of the base off the ground to make it easier to put the casters on. There is one at each end. But I've found it easier/faster to use a pry bar and some wood blocks under the base while screwing the casters on. Actually the only time I've done it is when I put the saw in place. Haven't needed to move it since. Hope I don't have to. Here's a picture with the storage cabinet in place. DSCN2683.jpg Jim.

[Alan Schaffter]

My floors are relatively smooth so I believe less is more where mobile bases are concerned. Not that they don't work great or aren't stable and strong which they are, but I felt a big wood or metal frame wasn't necessary.

Except for my tablesaw where I changed the right extension table support frame and rebuilt the legs, all my bases are simple arrangements utilizing 3" Hartville Tool casters removed from their mounts and bolted to a section of rectangular steel tubing all bolted directly to the sides of the machine sub base. I mounted Delta-style step casters from Rockler to the fronts:











I added the housed casters and shop-made leveler feet to the Unisaw cabinet but beefed up the right extension table rail so I could put the step caster on the legs at the end. This opened up the area under the extension table for a rolling cabinet.

[Jeffrey S. Gardner]

planer stand 1.jpgplaner stand 2.jpgI just finished building a mobile stand for my thickness planer this weekend and like it a lot. It was made with junk 2x4s that I cleaned up using my planer, so it was a fun project. Cost me around $15 for the piano hinges and a half sheet of MDF...everything else was stuff I had left over from other projects. It rides on a rather inexpensive HTC universal base that I wasn't using. Cheap, sturdy, useful and fun to make. What else can you ask for? If you want the plans, let me know and I can post. Jeff

[David Hostetler]

I too went with the "Add Your Own wood" type mobile bases.


I have the same base under the band saw as well. I wanted to show you the drill press base to give you an idea of how to add some stability to the drill presses as they tend to be top heavy.

[Dick Strauss]

2x2x5/16 welded angle iron for the base and cut down 6x6x3/8 angle for the wheel mounts on all four corners holding 4" SES Total Lock Casters (thanks Matt Meiser!) rated for 275# each. The openings are covered with 13/16" plywood that allows for slight unevenness on the the actual tools base since the plywood will compress slightly if needed. The wheel mounts also have outriggers (for more permanent placement) that thread down for support and up when I need to move tools. My heaviest WW tools are about 700# each and the stands move fine over cracked and uneven concrete.

[Nicholas Carey]

If you can find the RIDGID AC9950 Herc-U-lift out there, they are excellent. The RIDGID saws came with them, and they were available as a retrofit accessory for other tools. Unfortunately, they're no longer available new, but they do crop up from time-to-time on Craigslist or Ebay.

That's funny, Ridgid lists it on their web site -- though they treat it as a part-cum-accesory:

http://www.ridgidparts.com/accessories/woodacc.phtml

"To order parts or accessories for your RIDGID woodworking power tools, please call 1-866-539-1710."

AC9920
Herc-U-Lift™ Caster Set
Used on RIDGID and Craftsman® belt drive table saws. Patented one step design allows easy 360° mobility. Allows saw to rest on all four legs when disengaged. Works with RIDGID TS2412.

Also

AC9950
Herc-U-Lift PLUS™
Easy 360º Mobility for Any RIDGID® Stationary Tool with an Open Leg Set - Also Fits AC9910 Universal Leg Set and Some Craftsman Stationary Tools