"Steve" wrote in message
g.com...
On 2010-05-22 02:04:31 -0400, "Ivan Vegvary" said:

Bought a mobile base for some of my power tools.

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalog...egory=&q=95288
$ 34.99 at my local store. (Compare to circa $90 elsewhere)

After assembly and try-out, I went back and bought 4 additional bases.

While skeptical at first, I was impressed with the quality of this
design. The metal components are well designed and strong. Probably 14
ga steel. You provide your own spreaders for which I ripped 1-1/4 "
lumber from framing studs. The instructions call for hardwood, but the
metal brackets take almost all of the load. The purpose of the spreaders
is, well simply, to spread the brackets out for the width and length of
the tool.

Since there was a 20% off coupon in this morning's paper, I picked up one
of these. Hod a bit of clear maple to make the stretchers and I must say
it's easier to move the bandsaw now! (Yes, it's well under the suggested
weight limit.)

What the OP did not mention is how wretched the instructions are. HF might
just as well have said "Here's a handful of hardware which may or may not
match up to the tiny illustrations. Have at it!"

Anyway, as my favorite mentor used to say, "Done is beautiful!"


Steve,
Yes, the instructions are awful!! First one took me a long time. Yesterday
I finished my 4th and 5th one. Last one was done within 15 minutes. Of
course, by this time, every tool you own has already been in play! (LOL).
By the end, after cutting my four stretchers, I had my portable drill ready
to start the drill holes. Then quickly to the drill press in order to drill
them at a perfect right angle. Then back to the assembly table for a
bolt-up. Don't really want to tell you how long the first one took. Don't
want to tell you about the extra holes that I drilled that were not needed.
Don't want to mention about the bolts I had to swap out because of the bad
instructions. etc.

BTW, I think the hardware (all of the metal pieces) were very precise, heavy
and well made. The nylon lock nuts were a nice touch and the bolts seemed
good quality.

Things are getting better. Compare to HF and Chinese stuff 20 years ago.
Remember what we went through with Japanese stuff in the mid 1950's.
Quality takes time and of course a discriminating buyer.

Ivan Vegvary