Mobile bases for router & tablesaw

[email protected] (ToolMiser) wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> How is this home-made base going to stay in place, and not move when
> pushing a heavy piece of wood through the machine? I personally like
> the "harbor freight" type bases because they lock down, but also, the
> don't raise the machinery very far off the floor.
>

If you have access to a welder it is pretty easy to build your own. I
welded a frame using angle iron(such that the flat part faces in). The
equipment legs then set on the angle iron. If additional room is needed
for the legs, add a bit of flat steel. This arrangement lets the tool
sit flat on the floor. The "tricky" bit is to cut a piece of ~2' long
angle and weld a ~2" wheel to it near the back. Drill a hole through the
back and through the back of the base and use a shoulder bolt as a pivot
bolt to connect the wheel to the base. (one on each side of course).
When in use, the wheels hold their piece of angle iron up at about a 45
degree angle. When ready to move, just pull the angle down. I put a
bolt in the front of each leg/cabinet for the angle iron to slip under
and hold the rear wheels in place.

To lift the front up, I put an eye bolt in the center of the front base.
I then welded a 4" wheel to some square tube and a hook to the tupe in
front of the wheel. I can now just slip the hook into the eye bolt, pull
down on the handle and move it around like a tricycle.

It is a pretty simple design but the tools stay flat on the floor without
moving around under pressure. I also don't have a big wheel sticking out
in front of all the equipment. It is more trouble than it is worth for
only one machine, but with my small shop I need to move them all when
working with 8' lumber.

Mine is a ring or 2=D76 around the bottom of the saw legs. 2 more 2=D76
laid flat and screwed across and beneath that ring makes the wheel
mount. Casters were snatched from a junk pile at work.If you need
lockers, then look a little longer and grab them. If not, tap a little
wedge between the wheel and sheave. Nuts and carriage bolts were laying
in jars and bins in my garage for years already, glad to use them p.
Total time: 2hrs.

<Secret> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (RM MS) wrote in news:29796-3F4F97E4-63@storefull-
> 2293.public.lawson.webtv.net:
>
> > Mine is a ring or 2×6 around the bottom of the saw legs. 2 more 2×6
> > laid flat and screwed across and beneath that ring makes the wheel
> > mount. Casters were snatched from a junk pile at work.If you need
> > lockers, then look a little longer and grab them. If not, tap a
little
> > wedge between the wheel and sheave. Nuts and carriage bolts were
laying
> > in jars and bins in my garage for years already, glad to use them p.
> > Total time: 2hrs.
> >
> >
>
> And the value of that time is what? 0?

Well, unless you have someone that pays you for your spare time, then
you are correct - the answer is zero.


> I'm all for do it yourself and being inventive, but sometimes it's
just
> frivolous. I could put in 2 hours of overtime, and make FAR more than
> what the cost of the factory built base is, purchase the purpose-built
> welded steel item and still have money left over. More-over with spare
> time being at a premium, I'd rather work on the projects that interest
me
> than spend time dicking around trying to cobble up solutions to
problems
> that have already been solved. I suspect that I'm far from alone in
that
>

Kind of boils down to you spend your spare time the way you want and
he'll spend it the way he wants.

>>
>> And the value of that time is what? 0?
>
> Well, unless you have someone that pays you for your spare time, then
> you are correct - the answer is zero.
>
I've never had a problem finding ways to turn a profit from my spare
time activities. They are often far more profitable than going to work. But
that is irrelevant, perhaps your time has no value to you. MY time has
considerable value to me, as there is precious little of it available.

"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>
>
> <Secret> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> And the value of that time is what? 0?
>> I'm all for do it yourself and being inventive, but sometimes it's
>> just frivolous. I could put in 2 hours of overtime, and make FAR more
>> than what the cost of the factory built base is, purchase the
>> purpose-built welded steel item and still have money left over.
>
> If that fits your life style, good for you. Perhaps the OP is retired
> and cannot work OT to buy his toys;. but he has plenty of time.
>

That was the exact point I was making though, and which some people seem
to have missed. Time has a value. For some that value is low. They have
plenty available, and perhaps not alot of funds available. Or perhaps
they simply enjoy the tinkering.
Others have to place a premium on time as there is just not enough
available and the time taken from activities they enjoy, or the projects
that are important to them justifies the expense spent on purchasing
whatever the item in question was.
Sadly, the myopic majority that seems to spend all of their time
flaming posts in newsgroups took that as some sort of an affront to their
sensibilties instead of what is was : One man's opinion on the original
posters question.

I must say this is a strange thread. I may have come in a bit late on
the subject, but in my view....money is time and time is money. It's
just what value each individual puts on each that determine their avenue
of approach to things. One thing for sure, attacking each other in this
manner is just a waste of time, energy and if one sees fit to
include...money. Wouldn't you rather be planning or building your next
woodworking project (whatever it may be) than bickering over the
perception of what's more important...money or time.

DM

Bay Area Dave <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> I agree with the squirrel on this one...Not everyone enjoys making all
> of their shop equipment; they've got their eye on the furniture
> making, or whatever wood projects suit their fancy. Some guys will
> scrounge around for weeks or months for a used motor, pulleys,
> switches, wire, brackets, pulleys, nuts/bolts, belts, framistans,
> doohickeys, thingamjigs, whatchacallits, etc instead of shelling out
> $89 for a belt sander. To each his own. Try not to be so critical of
> those who focus their energies in this endeavor we all refer to as
> "Woodworking". Narrow-mindedness never solved anything.
>
> dave
>
> Upscale wrote:
>
>> <Secret> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>
>>>[email protected] (RM MS) wrote in
>>>news:29796-3F4F97E4-63@storefull- 2293.public.lawson.webtv.net:
>>>And the value of that time is what? 0?
>>>I'm all for do it yourself and being inventive, but sometimes it's
>>>just frivolous. I could put in 2 hours of overtime, and make FAR more
>>>than what the cost of the factory built base is, purchase the
>>>purpose-built welded steel item and still have money left over.
>>>More-over with spare time being at a premium, I'd rather work on the
>>>projects that interest me than spend time dicking around trying to
>>>cobble up solutions to problems that have already been solved. I
>>>suspect that I'm far from alone in that
>>
>>
>> With an outlook like that, why would you do any woodworking at all?
>> Everything you've ever made has likely been made by someone else and
>> is just as likely forsale somewhere cheaper than what you could make
>> at your job. The joy is in the making, the fixing and the sense of
>> accomplishment, not a cost/time ratio based against your job. With
>> your outlook, it must be really difficult to construct anything.
>>
>>
>

<Secret> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (RM MS) wrote in news:29796-3F4F97E4-63@storefull-
> 2293.public.lawson.webtv.net:
> And the value of that time is what? 0?
> I'm all for do it yourself and being inventive, but sometimes it's just
> frivolous. I could put in 2 hours of overtime, and make FAR more than
> what the cost of the factory built base is, purchase the purpose-built
> welded steel item and still have money left over. More-over with spare
> time being at a premium, I'd rather work on the projects that interest me
> than spend time dicking around trying to cobble up solutions to problems
> that have already been solved. I suspect that I'm far from alone in that

With an outlook like that, why would you do any woodworking at all?
Everything you've ever made has likely been made by someone else and is just
as likely forsale somewhere cheaper than what you could make at your job.
The joy is in the making, the fixing and the sense of accomplishment, not a
cost/time ratio based against your job. With your outlook, it must be really
difficult to construct anything.

<Secret> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> And the value of that time is what? 0?
> I'm all for do it yourself and being inventive, but sometimes it's just
> frivolous. I could put in 2 hours of overtime, and make FAR more than
> what the cost of the factory built base is, purchase the purpose-built
> welded steel item and still have money left over.

If that fits your life style, good for you. Perhaps the OP is retired and
cannot work OT to buy his toys;. but he has plenty of time.

We all get satisfaction from woodworking or we would not be here. Some of my
most satisfying days in the shop are when I produce just about nothing
physical, but did have a good idea for "next time". Or spent 30 minutes
making a jig to save 5 minutes time, but it works soooo goood!.

Today, I brought some wood home from work. It is soft wood, dunnage from an
import shipment. I spent time to resaw it, I'm going to plane it, and
finally cut it for something useful. I can get the same board feet of wood
very cheap and possibly better quality at t he BORG. Why bother?

It is very satisfying to show people a piece of the rough lumber from a
shipping pallet made into an outdoor table. I get more oooh's and aaah's
than if it was made from ebony. Keep in mind, you are not given points
based on the number of projects or the amount of wood you used.

It is not the destination, it is the journey.
Ed

I agree with the squirrel on this one...Not everyone enjoys making all
of their shop equipment; they've got their eye on the furniture making,
or whatever wood projects suit their fancy. Some guys will scrounge
around for weeks or months for a used motor, pulleys, switches, wire,
brackets, pulleys, nuts/bolts, belts, framistans, doohickeys,
thingamjigs, whatchacallits, etc instead of shelling out $89 for a belt
sander. To each his own. Try not to be so critical of those who focus
their energies in this endeavor we all refer to as "Woodworking".
Narrow-mindedness never solved anything.

dave

Upscale wrote:

> <Secret> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>[email protected] (RM MS) wrote in news:29796-3F4F97E4-63@storefull-
>>2293.public.lawson.webtv.net:
>>And the value of that time is what? 0?
>>I'm all for do it yourself and being inventive, but sometimes it's just
>>frivolous. I could put in 2 hours of overtime, and make FAR more than
>>what the cost of the factory built base is, purchase the purpose-built
>>welded steel item and still have money left over. More-over with spare
>>time being at a premium, I'd rather work on the projects that interest me
>>than spend time dicking around trying to cobble up solutions to problems
>>that have already been solved. I suspect that I'm far from alone in that
>
>
> With an outlook like that, why would you do any woodworking at all?
> Everything you've ever made has likely been made by someone else and is just
> as likely forsale somewhere cheaper than what you could make at your job.
> The joy is in the making, the fixing and the sense of accomplishment, not a
> cost/time ratio based against your job. With your outlook, it must be really
> difficult to construct anything.
>
>