Hey Group,
In upgrading my shop tools I purchased mobile bases for them too. For
those of you that have or had large tools on mobile bases, where you
happy with the way they worked or did you feel they were more stabile
off the base? I know the base is locked stationary when the tool is
used.
Has anybody done away with the base and prefer a more permanent
setting?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Marc

The unisaw and bandsaw are on Delta bases which I bought
at the same time I purchased those machines. Both are
just as stable as with no mobile base.

The other machines are on the Rockler 92051 base. Normally
$49.99, it frequently is on sale for $39.99. (I have no connection
to Rockler & blah, blah, blah)
It's easy to size the base to whatever machine you have. I
have even seen oversize bases made for notoriously top
heavy things like drill presses. Size it right and this base is
also just as stable as with no base.

Art

"marc rosen" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hey Group,
In upgrading my shop tools I purchased mobile bases for them too. For
those of you that have or had large tools on mobile bases, where you
happy with the way they worked or did you feel they were more stabile
off the base? I know the base is locked stationary when the tool is
used.
Has anybody done away with the base and prefer a more permanent
setting?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Marc

My Jet lathe and BS are on Jet mobile bases, my new-to-me ancient Delta/Rockwell scroll saw is on an
HTC base. They are solid, especially when you put the levelers down, and do a good job. Everything
else I have in the shop is mounted on homemade bases, most equipped with cheap casters picked up at
one of the borgs. They're steady, but a pain to move around. That will be changing with a few
hours of shop time.

My TS was removed from the stand and mounted on a takeoff of the Popular Woodworking "Little Shop"a
few years ago. It is VERY stable using the Woodcraft 3 inch locking swivel casters. Love those
casters. I have the TS cabinet loaded down with at least a couple hundred pounds of stuff, and I
can still roll it around with one finger. Lock 2 wheels when doing 95% of my cuts, lock all 4 when
manhandling large ply cuts.

I like these casters so much, I recently ordered an even dozen to replace the ones on my homemade
bases for my belt sander, jointer and clamp cart. Next time they're on sale, I plan to get 8 more
to replace the ones on the roll around tool box and RAS.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=1989

Only drawback I've found to these casters is that I have to mail order them. The Woodcraft in
Houston rarely seems to have them in stock, especially when they are on sale. That's how my stick
floats, YMMV.

Regards,
Roy

On 17 Feb 2006 19:01:42 -0800, "marc rosen" wrote:

Hey Group,
In upgrading my shop tools I purchased mobile bases for them too. For
those of you that have or had large tools on mobile bases, where you
happy with the way they worked or did you feel they were more stabile
off the base? I know the base is locked stationary when the tool is
used.
Has anybody done away with the base and prefer a more permanent
setting?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Marc

marc rosen wrote:
Hey Group,
In upgrading my shop tools I purchased mobile bases for them too. For
those of you that have or had large tools on mobile bases, where you
happy with the way they worked or did you feel they were more stabile
off the base? I know the base is locked stationary when the tool is
used.
Has anybody done away with the base and prefer a more permanent
setting?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Marc


Working in a 2 car garage sized shop requires that I use mobile bases.
There isn't anyway I could give them up. I've got my jointer, BS, TS,
planer, and SCMS on mobile bases.

Dave

"marc rosen" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hey Group,
In upgrading my shop tools I purchased mobile bases for them too. For
those of you that have or had large tools on mobile bases, where you
happy with the way they worked or did you feel they were more stabile
off the base? I know the base is locked stationary when the tool is
used.
Has anybody done away with the base and prefer a more permanent
setting?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Marc
Everything in my shop is mobil, except for the benchtop tool.
The ones that are best have casters in the legs; my Performax sander and
Craftsman RAS. The commercial mobil bases suck. If I had it to do again I
would have made bases with casters.
The only tool I ever lock is my table saw, which I rarely move. All the
others have locks, but I don't usually use them.
If you can return the bases, I highly recommend you make your own. Much
cheaper, much better.

For those of you that have or had large tools on mobile bases, where you happy with the way they worked or did you feel they were more stabile off the base?

I have my 10" bandsaw (admitedly not a "large tool" by most standards)
on an HTC mobile base model #HTC2000. I've been very happy with it -
seems just as stable when locked as without the base. I also made my
own base for my DP - basically got a rolling tool cabinet, pulled off
the cheapo casters, bolted on 2x4 'outrigger' legs, and put good
casters on the outrigger-ed legs. See below for caster description.
These locking casters are fine for the DP where there isn't much
lateral force.
Roy, I suggest you take a look at these casters on ebay - item number
7559591283. They look a lot like the ones you linked to at Woodcraft,
except they're on a bolt instead of a plate. I ordered a set to make
my own DP base, and they work very well. Both rotation and swivel
lock.
In summary, I'm happy with a commercial base and my own version in
their current uses. They're both functional. I don't think I'd want
to rely on the locking casters alone to hold a TS or jointer or even a
router table steady in use, but it'd be easy enough to put on threaded
leveler feet to extend past the casters "lock" the base to the ground.
Hope this helps,
Andy

wrote:

I compromised on my table saw. I have wheels on one side and big
rubber pad feet on the other. It is very stable when sitting down
and I can raise one end to move it around, wheelbarrow style.

That's exactly the setup I use. It's a smaller tablesaw that was made
to sit on a stand, only I made a stand for it out of 2x4 with 2 wheels
on one side. I move it aound like a wheelbarrow and it's plenty stable
when in use. (I suppose the added weight of the chunky stand
contributes to the stability.)

Couple lessons I learned though... don't use swivel casters for such a
setup and point the wheels perpendicular to the line of cut.

Joe Barta

On 17 Feb 2006 19:01:42 -0800, "marc rosen" wrote:

Hey Group,
In upgrading my shop tools I purchased mobile bases for them too. For
those of you that have or had large tools on mobile bases, where you
happy with the way they worked or did you feel they were more stabile
off the base? I know the base is locked stationary when the tool is
used.
Has anybody done away with the base and prefer a more permanent
setting?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Marc

I don't like bases on wheels, compared to large stable bases. It has
to do with stability. However, having wheels on machines are a must
for some shops with space issues.

I have the following tools on their commercial bases:

Delta Unsaw
Powermatic 6in. jointer
Delta 14in. band saw

The machines all work fine when the wheels are locked and
move nicely when unlocked. Mobility means a lot if you
have a small shop like mine. The only way I could imagine
doing without mobile machines is if you had a pretty large
shop.

"marc rosen" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hey Group,
In upgrading my shop tools I purchased mobile bases for them too. For
those of you that have or had large tools on mobile bases, where you
happy with the way they worked or did you feel they were more stabile
off the base? I know the base is locked stationary when the tool is
used.
Has anybody done away with the base and prefer a more permanent
setting?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Marc

Fri, Feb 17, 2006, 7:01pm (EST-3) (marc*rosen) doth
ask: snip comments

If I had enough room to not need to move my tools, I wouldn't - so
no mobile bases. If I had limited space, and would have to move tools
on occassion, I would possibly use mobile bases.

As is, don't have a lot of space, and I do have to move tools upon
occassion. I don't have mobile bases, I just slide them. Works for a
planer on a base, bench saw on a base, and wood lathe on a base.



JOAT
IThere is no vaccine against stupidity!

On Sun, 19 Feb 2006 06:25:03 GMT, "Billy Smith"
wrote:

I have the following tools on their commercial bases:

Delta Unsaw


Now *that* must be a handy tool! Many's the time I've wanted to undo
a cut and start over. That and an undrill would be indispensable to
me.


I built my own mobile base for my Delta contractor's saw from ordinary
2x4s. The base supports the saw on one end and the legs of the
Unifence table on the other. It has six casters, four swiveling (and
lockable), two fixed and oriented perpendicular to the feed direction.
It's stable and works well, even without locking the swiveling
casters.

The old Unisaw I just acquired came with an HTC mobile base that
supports the saw only, not the legs of the Unifence that I intend to
take from the contractor saw and put on it. I need my tools to be
mobile, so I'm either going to reuse the base I built for the
contractor's saw or build a new one to fit the Unisaw's footprint
(which is somewhat smaller than that of the CS).


--
Chuck Taylor
http://home.hiwaay.net/~taylorc/contact/