Mobile Bases - Build or Buy?

[Ole Anderson]

I have an HTC tricycle base under my table saw (small shop, I need to move it a lot), a 4 wheel HTC under my Delta lunchbox planer, my BS came with casters and everything else, I pretty much drag around. The problem I have with most mobile bases is that it increases the footprint and adds to the trip hazards in the shop.

[Gus Dundon]

I don't see any problem in buying new mobile base for your bandsaw. But if you think you have so much time and if you want it the way you wanted it to be, the figure ,the design and the dimension etc , well, you can build one by yourself.

[Michael W. Clark]

I appreciate all the responses and I have plenty of good options to conisder. The swivel caster from Rockler looks interesting and Prashun's post has me thinking about the location of my jointer. Since I originally posted, I'm thinking about some re-arranging and putting the jointer next to the TS may be the ticket. I may also have a new home for the DP which should minimize/eliminate needing to move it. If I'm down to one base for the BS, I will either buy it or do something like Don did for the DP. Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

Mike

[Greg Portland]

Someone here shared the idea of making your own mobile bases without wheels. Instead of wheels design your base so you can use a mini pallet jack to move your machines around. This is what I intend to do in the future, I already purchased the pallet jack and I use it more that I thought possible already.
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+1. This is what I'd do if I didn't already have bases. Most shop floors are uneven (either the floor or debris). I like large (4"+) casters in these situations but that can lead to tippy-ness (or a more complex mobile base design). A pallet jack is made for towing or pushing around heavy loads. You can make the cross pieces w. notches for the jack out of decent wood (maple, hickory, etc.). Easy and cheap!

[Keith Outten]

Greg,

I'm kind of in the same situation in that I already have built several welded stands that each have castors on them already. I have been looking at my stands trying to decide if modifying them for the pallet jack would make them better. In every case except one my existing stands would be much better if I removed the wheels. Some should be converted to three legs instead of four. I have a couple new stands to build in the near term for some existing small tools and they will be the first ones to have pallet access points at the base of the stands. The older stands will have to be converted over time, the ones that all I have to do is weld two pieces of angle iron across the legs will be a quick fix, some will take design changes to the stands to convert them.

I really like the little mini pallet jack. It has become invaluable already in my shop and it stores under the end of my table saw so it doesn't take up any space. I keep my eyes out these days for high quality pallets that I can get for free and I am in the process of ordering six of the commercial plastic pallets. I also use hydraulic tables in my shop for several types of projects and for stands for some machines. Now I am planning to start setting pallets on top of hydraulic tables so I can roll the hydraulic tables around from machine to machine then move the pallet to the floor with either a shop winch or with my tractor when the parts are complete. When the pallets are on the floor they are so easy to move, I need to go the extra step to make this work even more efficiently.

[Steven DeMars]

Check these guys out . . .

http://www.palletsmith.com/default.aspx

Steve

[Robert Chapman]

The slickest mobile base that I have seen is the SawStop Industrial mobile base. It is powered by a small hydraulic bottle jack that raises the saw with three or four pumps of a foot pedal and lowers the saw back to the floor with a press on a foot operated release lever. It also uses 360 degree rotating casters. Not cheap at about $300 and built to fit SawStop cabinet saws.

[Keith Outten]

I'm doing a little organizing in my shop these days moving machines around to try and gain more floor space. Yesterday I moved my 18" band saw, a very old heavy Delta scroll saw and my CNC Router by myself with my mini pallet jack. The three machines are not ones that I move around frequently so none of them are on wheels. The move went well and I didn't have to lift anything so my back feels fine this morning

Robert, the SawStop base sounds interesting I will have to take a look at it the next time I am at WoodCraft.
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