Need help building a moblie base.

[Scot wolf]

I've got a new to me Steel City 3hp saw that I'd like to get a moblie base under. I have a few materials that I think might work. I'm not sure how to design the thing for best look and function. Please help. Here's what I have:

2 peices of 3"x 1 1/2" heavy channel 8' long




Some Hartville tool 3" castors 2 lock and swivel and 2 fixed swivel. 4 1/2" high and rated for 220# each.

[Keith Hankins]

I'd ask what you have to cut that steel with. If it's a hacksaw, go buy a comercial stand. All jokes aside, thats one heck of a support. If it were me, I'd cut a few lenghts off and cut some wooden blocks that just fit inside the "n" shaped piece of steel and drill a 7/16 hole through the block and steel and counter bore it. Get some 3/8 machine bolts and affix the wood through the steel to the TS base. Then simply use wood screws to attach the wheels.

Now something to keep in mind. You will be elevating that TS quite a bit due to those casters and the steel channel. Make sure that will be a comfortable height. When I bought my TS way back when I bought the shopfox HD base and the extension because I have 7' rails. It was a waste of money. I've disconnected the extension, and it sits in the corner unused. Unless you have to wheel it out and back for each use, you will not move your TS once it's in place. If you do need to move it, go to harbour freight and get a few of the wooden appliance dolly's (pardon the sp) and keep them handy. I've moved my 12" jointer a few times (due to moves not choice) with this method and its worked fine. I'm about 6'1" and my TS mobile base has a recessed welded frame to bolt the casters to so it lowers it a good 2 inches. So it puts it at a good height. Don't get me wrong I love casters and have them on a lot of my tools to keep them out of the way, but the TS is so central and all the work to get it set up alinged, I just don't move it. I have those lockable casters on my router table and even locked it gives just a tad and unless you floor is perfectly level, how you going to adjust for that? The TS needs to be firmly in place and not budge wobble or move in any way or you are asking for trouble. I could have easily done without my mobil base it and saved a couple hundred.

[Scot wolf]

I have to move the saw from time to time when I need to cut long stock. I have the technology to do cuts and welds. I was thinking of making a square out of the channel and let the cupped part face in. Then just weld some 1/4" plate across the corners to support the saw. That way the saw would only be raised 3/4" or so off the floor after the frame was held up that high by the wheels so it would roll over humps in the floor.

[Cary Falk]

I have to move the saw from time to time when I need to cut long stock. I have the technology to do cuts and welds. I was thinking of making a square out of the channel and let the cupped part face in. Then just weld some 1/4" plate across the corners to support the saw. That way the saw would only be raised 3/4" or so off the floor after the frame was held up that high by the wheels so it would roll over humps in the floor.

That is pretty much what I did except mine is steel rectangular tube.