NE

"Never Enough Money"

09/09/2005 3:40 PM

Roller Stands - What's the Best?

These look like good choices:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=6159

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=50231&cat=1,240,41060

Any opinions or other suggestions?


This topic has 25 replies

Cc

"CW"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

10/09/2005 6:17 AM

My outfeed support is toped with a waxed piece of wood. Might notice a bit
of drag if handling a 150 pound piece but that doesn't happen often. Odd how
outfeed tables are fine but if its a stand, it has to have a roller.


"Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Battleax" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > Rollers are virtually useless and cause all sorts of problems. The ball
> > bearing is the ticket.
>
> Poor answer. Rollers are fine any certain circumstance where the feed bias
> of the wood is taken into account. Roller balls are good where feed bias
is
> a concern. Roller balls have their problems though, such as when you're
> cutting thin strips of wood unless you've got dozens of them spaced
> extremely close together. That's a problem that rollers don't have.
>
>

tt

"tom"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

09/09/2005 3:46 PM

That Lee Valley one is pretty nice. I like the fact that it won't feed
your stock out of line with the blade, as long as you're doing your
part. Tom

Ta

"Tattooed and Dusty"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

09/09/2005 6:32 PM

I have to agree with Mike. I bough a pair of rollers from the orange
BORG for around 17 dollars each. While far from the best thing on the
market they get the job done, for way less than some of the other
sollutions. That said when I add to my lonely pair I will most likely
go with a simple stable set of ball bearing supports.

Andrew

b

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

10/09/2005 1:05 PM


Upscale wrote:
> "Battleax" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > Rollers are virtually useless and cause all sorts of problems. The ball
> > bearing is the ticket.
>
> Poor answer. Rollers are fine any certain circumstance where the feed bias
> of the wood is taken into account. Roller balls are good where feed bias is
> a concern. Roller balls have their problems though, such as when you're
> cutting thin strips of wood unless you've got dozens of them spaced
> extremely close together. That's a problem that rollers don't have.


or for soft heavy materials. then the balls leave dimples.

GO

"Greg O"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

10/09/2005 5:56 PM

"Never Enough Money" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> These look like good choices:
>
> http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=6159
>
> http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=50231&cat=1,240,41060
>
> Any opinions or other suggestions?
>

Wow! Darned near a hundred bucks for a roller stand??
These were less than $10 on sale and work well. The only complaint is the
bracket that attaches the roller to the stand has only one screw and allows
the roller to tip slightly. a spot of weld cured it for me.
Greg

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=46074

MM

"Mike Marlow"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

09/09/2005 9:14 PM


"Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Battleax" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > Rollers are virtually useless and cause all sorts of problems. The ball
> > bearing is the ticket.
>
> Poor answer. Rollers are fine any certain circumstance where the feed bias
> of the wood is taken into account. Roller balls are good where feed bias
is
> a concern. Roller balls have their problems though, such as when you're
> cutting thin strips of wood unless you've got dozens of them spaced
> extremely close together. That's a problem that rollers don't have.
>
>

Correct. I actually don't find rollers to be as bad as most people complain
about. I think most people just repeat what they've heard without having
experienced the matter themselves. It does take some attention to set up a
roller so that it doesn't skew a board, but it's not like you're getting out
the micrometer to set it up. I probably don't spend a minute setting mine
up. I'd like to have both bearing stands and roller stands, but I've just
never gone out and bought bearing stands. So, I make do with my rollers and
they just don't cause me that much trouble.

--

-Mike-
[email protected]

Bb

"BillyBob"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

10/09/2005 3:05 AM


"Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> a concern. Roller balls have their problems though, such as when you're
> cutting thin strips of wood unless you've got dozens of them spaced
> extremely close together. That's a problem that rollers don't have.

For those few times that might be a problem, you really don't need much of a
support. I've never encountered it. But if I did, I would just get some
quarter inch plywood and a brad gun and whip together a quickie box to put
on top of the roller balls and use that as my support stand.

Bob

EC

Ed Clarke

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

10/09/2005 9:01 PM

On 2005-09-10, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> or for soft heavy materials. then the balls leave dimples.
>

There's a dirty joke hiding somewhere in this thread...

--
I can find no modern furniture that is as well designed and emotionally
satisfying as that made by the Arts and Crafts movement in the early years
of the last century.

Bu

"Battleax"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

09/09/2005 8:59 PM


"Never Enough Money" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> These look like good choices:
>
> http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=6159
>
> http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=50231&cat=1,240,41060
>
> Any opinions or other suggestions?
>

Rollers are virtually useless and cause all sorts of problems. The ball
bearing is the ticket.

Jf

"Jois"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

09/09/2005 10:56 PM


"Battleax" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > "Tattooed and Dusty" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > sollutions. That said when I add to my lonely pair I will most likely
> > > go with a simple stable set of ball bearing supports.
> >
> > One route I took was in addition to the roller table I bought, I also
> bought
> > a single roller stand. When crosscutting a long board, to the roller
stand
> I
> > attach a strip of wood with 6 upside down swivel casters on it. Works
the
> > same as roller balls with no feed bias except that the castors are
cheaper
> > than roller balls.
> >
> >
>
> I've used rollers for a few years and hated them. For the last 15 years
I've
> used just a simple board.
> Those useless roller stands gave me tons of grief in the shop and in the
> field.
> The LeeValley ball system also has a metal edge to support thin strips.
>
> So it's not just the rollers themselves but the stands as well. Very
limited
> usefulness in my opinion. Unless of course you can set them up permenantly
> in a big spacious shop. The slightest mis-alignment and the work piece
> moves.
> The edge of a 2x4, held by whatever means suits the job is flawless and
only
> costs ...nothing.
>

I've been using the box the basement dehumidifier came in - so far, so good.
Next time they go on sale I might buy a spare and see how I like the boxes
with some weight in them.

Josie

Uu

"Upscale"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

09/09/2005 9:13 PM

"Battleax" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> Rollers are virtually useless and cause all sorts of problems. The ball
> bearing is the ticket.

Poor answer. Rollers are fine any certain circumstance where the feed bias
of the wood is taken into account. Roller balls are good where feed bias is
a concern. Roller balls have their problems though, such as when you're
cutting thin strips of wood unless you've got dozens of them spaced
extremely close together. That's a problem that rollers don't have.

Uu

"Upscale"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

10/09/2005 5:51 PM


"CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:evIUe.696
> What's a "nym"?

Short for pseudonym.

RM

"Ron Magen"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

10/09/2005 6:02 PM

Your 'Name' says it all.

The Lee Valley is a nifty item . . . if money & space are no problem {that
is MY opinion}. However, for someone who is lacking of both . . . I started
with making my own.

From an 'ancient' tip . . . got some old typewriter {that's BP - before
printers} rollers and some 'on-sale' ball rollers. With small 'shelf angles'
for roller brackets, and the screw holes in the balls, mounted them to
chunks of 2x2 stock with a slot on the opposite side. Attached to a scrap of
OSB, they could be clamped to any convenient sawhorse, etc.

Later, I drilled a shallow hole in the middle of the slotted side so I could
put them on a 'recycled' home fan support. Still later, I picked up two
different Harbor Freight 'adjustable' stands at '50 percent off, plus an
additional discount' sales - under 10 bucks !!

Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

"Never Enough Money" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> These look like good choices:
>
> http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=6159
>
> http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=50231&cat=1,240,41060
>
> Any opinions or other suggestions?
>

Uu

"Upscale"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

10/09/2005 7:52 AM

"BillyBob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> You're talking pennies if anything. Roller bearings can be had for under
$3
> each in quantities of 6.

Not if you've already got the castors on hand. I usually keep a few sets of
cheap castors around in case of an immediate need or if I want to make
something mobile. The roller balls on the other hand while certainly being
nicely made pieces of machinery, are mostly dedicated to one use only.

Pg

Patriarch

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

09/09/2005 6:16 PM

"Never Enough Money" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> These look like good choices:
>
> http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=6159
>
> http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=50231&cat=1,240,41060
>
> Any opinions or other suggestions?
>

http://www.rockler.com/findit.cfm?page=5914

http://www.rockler.com/findit.cfm?page=10392

Often available on special, particularly if you are close to a retail
store.

I have some from the Orange BORG, which are less than satisfactory. They
are seldom used in my shop.

Patriarch

lL

[email protected] (Lawrence Wasserman)

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

12/09/2005 12:57 PM

Being on a limited budget, I purchased the $4 rollers from Harbor
Freight and put them on home made stands. I most often use them when
ripping full sheets of plywood, admittedly not a common occurrence in
my tiny shop. But I find that the "steering" can easily be used to
advantage, just angle the rollers so that the plywood or whatever
tends to go where you want it to. In my case, slightly angling the
stands so the natural tendency of the plywood is to move towards the
fence can be helpful when ripping full sheets.


--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland
[email protected]

Uu

"Upscale"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

09/09/2005 9:44 PM

"Tattooed and Dusty" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> sollutions. That said when I add to my lonely pair I will most likely
> go with a simple stable set of ball bearing supports.

One route I took was in addition to the roller table I bought, I also bought
a single roller stand. When crosscutting a long board, to the roller stand I
attach a strip of wood with 6 upside down swivel casters on it. Works the
same as roller balls with no feed bias except that the castors are cheaper
than roller balls.

Pn

Phisherman

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

11/09/2005 10:34 PM

I have a Record roller stand. I like the way it adjusts easily, it's
fairy heavy, and it stores flat against the wall. Maybe not the best,
but it does the job. I got it on a closeout sale at the BORG for $25.

Bb

"BillyBob"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

10/09/2005 3:10 AM


"Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> same as roller balls with no feed bias except that the castors are cheaper
> than roller balls.

You're talking pennies if anything. Roller bearings can be had for under $3
each in quantities of 6.

Bob

Bb

"BillyBob"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

10/09/2005 10:11 AM


"CW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My outfeed support is toped with a waxed piece of wood. Might notice a bit
> of drag if handling a 150 pound piece but that doesn't happen often. Odd
how
> outfeed tables are fine but if its a stand, it has to have a roller.

Good point, CW. I recently bought some 3S 8/4 maple at the local wood
monger's. I am always impressed when they run wood through those industrial
grade machines - the ones with the name I never hear of and painted that
indescribable pea soup green color. Despite the abundance of motor driven
feeders and big dust collectors and 3 phase horsepower, their outfeed stand
was a shop built all wood sawhorse affair with a well worn melamine surface
on top.

Bob

Cc

"CW"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

10/09/2005 9:46 PM

What's a "nym"?

"dadiOH" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:ySHUe.3672$8h6.228@trnddc09...
> Never Enough Money wrote:
> > These look like good choices:
> >
> > http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=6159
> >
> > http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=50231&cat=1,240,41060
> >
> > Any opinions or other suggestions?
>
> If your nym is accurate you can improve your lot by buying some 1 1/2 or
> 2" PVC pipe, cutting same to length desired and filling ends with a
> circular plywood plug. You can even bush the latter with pieces of 1/4"
> copper pipe (which would require using 1/4" axels). Still gotta make a
> stand, not hard.
>
> Why buy when you can make quickly for peanuts?
>
>
> --
> dadiOH
> ____________________________
>
> dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
> ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
> LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
> Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
>
>

Bb

"BillyBob"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

09/09/2005 11:04 PM


"Never Enough Money" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> These look like good choices:
>
> http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=6159
>
> http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=50231&cat=1,240,41060
>
> Any opinions or other suggestions?

If its for table saw use, forget the single tube type roller. They tend to
'steer' the wood and make feeding difficult.

I have two of the Rockler ball bearing stands and they really work well.
They are extremely heavy duty. One of the nice tricks they don't
advertise - the shaft is tapered, so you can gradually loosen the lock screw
and it will slowly lower itself controllably by gravity. This makes height
adjustment very, very easy. The ball bearings provide a near frictionless
movement of wood in any direction. My last use was as outrigger supports
for my drill press. I drilled 36 dog holes in a work bench top. It was nice
to be able to balance a 100 lb maple slab on the roller stands and easily
move it around to position under the drill bit. The rotating feet really
work to make quick leveling adjustments, too.

Here is the link:
http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/product_details.cfm?offerings_id=10998

Bob

Bu

"Battleax"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

09/09/2005 10:13 PM


"Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Battleax" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > Rollers are virtually useless and cause all sorts of problems. The ball
> > bearing is the ticket.
>
> Poor answer. Rollers are fine any certain circumstance where the feed bias
> of the wood is taken into account. Roller balls are good where feed bias
is
> a concern. Roller balls have their problems though, such as when you're
> cutting thin strips of wood unless you've got dozens of them spaced
> extremely close together. That's a problem that rollers don't have.
>
>
The leevalley system solves this problem, but it's still a complicated,
heavy, space using contraption.
I guess I'm just used to throwing something together to suit each particular
job.

Bu

"Battleax"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

09/09/2005 10:09 PM


"Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Tattooed and Dusty" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > sollutions. That said when I add to my lonely pair I will most likely
> > go with a simple stable set of ball bearing supports.
>
> One route I took was in addition to the roller table I bought, I also
bought
> a single roller stand. When crosscutting a long board, to the roller stand
I
> attach a strip of wood with 6 upside down swivel casters on it. Works the
> same as roller balls with no feed bias except that the castors are cheaper
> than roller balls.
>
>

I've used rollers for a few years and hated them. For the last 15 years I've
used just a simple board.
Those useless roller stands gave me tons of grief in the shop and in the
field.
The LeeValley ball system also has a metal edge to support thin strips.

So it's not just the rollers themselves but the stands as well. Very limited
usefulness in my opinion. Unless of course you can set them up permenantly
in a big spacious shop. The slightest mis-alignment and the work piece
moves.
The edge of a 2x4, held by whatever means suits the job is flawless and only
costs ...nothing.

dd

"dadiOH"

in reply to "Never Enough Money" on 09/09/2005 3:40 PM

10/09/2005 9:03 PM

Never Enough Money wrote:
> These look like good choices:
>
> http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=6159
>
> http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=50231&cat=1,240,41060
>
> Any opinions or other suggestions?

If your nym is accurate you can improve your lot by buying some 1 1/2 or
2" PVC pipe, cutting same to length desired and filling ends with a
circular plywood plug. You can even bush the latter with pieces of 1/4"
copper pipe (which would require using 1/4" axels). Still gotta make a
stand, not hard.

Why buy when you can make quickly for peanuts?


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico


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