A better DIY Mobile Tool Base // WnW264

[@Wordsnwood]

PLEASE NOTE: I used double-locking casters, which also lock the pivot. amzn.to/3OFGh62 -- Double-Locking Casters that I used ---------- In a small shop, you need a mobile base with FOUR casters that pivot. In this video I work to come up with a better mobile base for my bandsaw. Goals are to have four pivoting wheels, to NOT increase the footprint of the saw, to keep things simple and inexpensive, and to have some fun in the shop. YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED: 💵 Become a Patron: www.patreon.com/wordsnwood 🛒 Buy a Plan: wordsnwood.com/plans/ 👕 Buy Merch: wordsnwood.com/merch.html 👉 www.wordsnwood.com/support.html

[@DylansDIYWorkshop]

I have a bunch of those 2 rotating wheel and 2 straight wheel bases and also a small shop. I do like them but they definitely do require more wiggling and 3 point turns to get them where you want them

[@flashgordon6238]

Love how you figured out what the issues were then adapted your idea. Good job!

[@clickster1883]

This is exactly the solution for the very problem *and* tool I’ve been looking for. So glad you put this out. Thanks for sharing it w us!

[@stephanholland6181]

I totally agree with you. As far as I'm concerned every tool base needs four pivoting casters. And I've never had a manufactured steel base that I liked. I replace them all with wooden bases I make myself. I can't understand woodworkers paying what a manufactured base costs, when it so easy to do better for less money yourself.

[@Wordsnwood]

Thanks!

[@hardrock1826]

I have a couple of the Black Husky Tool Cabinets. They come with two swivel wheels and two fixed wheels. I took all the fixed wheels off. Put the two swivel wheels off the one cabinet onto the other cabinet and bought 4 new swivel wheels for the other cabinet. This way both cabinets have wheels the same. Because I couldn't get new Husky wheels and the wheels I did get are not the same diameter as the Husky. All my machinery is on swivel wheels with brakes. Years ago when I got my cabinet saw. I installed a Shop Fox Base. It came with the two fixed and two swivel wheels. I put an extension kit on to handle my table extension which is a Router Table Extension. It was always a strain to move the saw, the wheels on the base were two inches in diameter. I always meant to correct this problem of being able to move this assembly around. Then one day, one of the two inch wheels fragmented and now I can't move anywhere. Rather than replace that two inch wheel I wanted to install all swivel four inch wheels. I didn't have the clearance and the four inch would hit up against the saw cabinet. So I got some sheet steel, nice and thick. Made myself some extender plates, six of them. Then I had to mount them to the original Shop Fox plates. Then I had to install the new four inch wheels a little further out for clearance. Bolt everything in place. Now for the last couple of years I have benefitted greatly from the versatility of being able to move my Cabinet Saw around to anywhere with ease. And I didn't even notice any rise in the saw height. Swivel is best, never had any problems when using any of my equipment. And I don't put anything smaller than four inch wheels on. On some machinery I have even larger wheels.

[@richardmccann4815]

I have all kinds of casters, but after watching this video, I am just going to cut strips of heavy plastic from milk crates and screw it to the bottom of a box- style stand and drag the tools around! Cheap is the word!

[@Wordsnwood]

Nothing wrong with going cheap!

[@jbb5470]

Very clever Art! Looks like a big improvement

[@frederickwatson557]

Great solution to a common problem. I may follow your lead. Thanks for the video.

[@cidercreekranch]

Happy belated Canada Day! I had and still have some of those metal roller bases. For the bandsaw I went with the cabinet approach. Though I use the cabinet's cavity to store the 12" planer. The jointer is mounted on one of the roller bases, but it's days are numbered.

[@StumpyNubs]

There's a reason mobile bases are designed that way. Even when the wheel brakes are engaged, pivoting casters can still rotate at their pivot points, causing the machine to shift. This can be a serious safety issue with many machines, especially saws, router tables and jointers where your hands may be near the blades. Fixed wheels do not allow for such shifts. Many mobile bases feature lifting mechanisms on the end with the pivoting wheels that lifts them off the floor or otherwise stops their pivoting motion from affecting the machine's stability. The few mobile bases on the market that feature four pivoting wheels (Bora makes one, for example) have mechanisms to lift all four wheels off the floor once the machine is in place.

[@Wordsnwood]

Well they are double-locking casters, so they aren't supposed to pivot when locked, but yes, I will admit that getting them up off the wheels would be the most ideal. Thanks!

[@NWGR]

Nice job Art. With my shop being a one car garage I have the same issues in regards to things being mobile. My table saw is one a base similar to the one you replaced and it's a nightmare to move it around in my shop.

[@Wordsnwood]

Yeah, the table saw is used so much that I made a base for it a long time ago.

[@pennyroyal3813]

To paraphrase Animal Farm, "Four wheels good, two wheels bad."

[@Wordsnwood]

I should read that book someday...

[@dougprentice1363]

I've never found the wheel locks to work very well. Separate floor locks work well.

[@Wordsnwood]

These are double-locking casters; they lock the wheel and the pivot. I've had great success with them.

[@jarmstrong2843]

Just flip each set the castors to the opposite side. That way you don’t have the locking mechanism being interfered with by the bandsaw’s beam at the bottom of stand.

[@TheGrantAlexander]

I made my first cabinet in the shop with two straights and two swivels. I hated that cabinet for sooo long. I ended up just putting a handle on the straight side so I could lift it into place, lol

[@Wordsnwood]

Yup, glad to get rid of it!

[@kimchee94112]

Those suckers are very top heavy, I would not want the casters inside the steel legs due to stability, in particular during a resaw operation where needed to push the wood piece a little more. To maintain height, steel legs could be cut but maintain the original base spread distances as a minimum.

[@Wordsnwood]

I have a larger bandsaw for resaw operations. As mentioned in the video, this is mostly for cutting curves. But I will keep an eye on how it performs.

[@alanmcwilliams4264]

I have the same mobile base that came from Crappytire after much frustration and the fact that tools weren't level using it, I retired it

[@Wordsnwood]

Years ago this same base was sold by many companies with their own logo stamped on it.