MY FAVORITE MOBILE TOOL BASE (Woodworking shop project)
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- čas přidán 24. 08. 2024
- Since I have a small workshop, organization and mobility are critical to having an efficient shop. This mobile tool base is fast becoming one of my favorite shop projects in recent memory. It's easy to make, fairly inexpensive (just a set of 4 workbench casters) and rolls around my shop better than any commercial tool base that I have. I made this base for my jointer, but I'll be making more for my band saw, and table saw!
The base is made of MDF, because that's what I had laying around, but I think plywood is just as good or better, and those of you with fancy shops can use a nice hardwood. :-)
Here is a link to the casters: www.amazon.com...
Enjoy and thanks for watching!
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I have the same casters. They’re intended to be purchased with the addition plate mounts so they’re removable. After about 1.5-2 years I’m not to big a fan of them. TIP: instead of stepping on 1 caster at a time (which is an issue, as it can skew your “work piece” base, table etc. by raising only one of 4 sides at a time). Drill a hole in each of the caster foot pedals. Attach a piece of angle iron or thick flat bar on both sides (2 casters on one side, 2 casters on the other side). Then you can step on the “bar” raising a whole side (2 casters at a time) at a time.
Turned out great!
Thanks, Dylan!
Nice work here. I've got the same jointer, and while I have a mobile base that came with it when I bought it, it's a pain to use, so this could be a nice replacement. Something I've seen other folks do with these flip down casters is screw a rod between them so you can flip up & down in half the time. I need to do that to the ones I put on my workbench.
I like that idea - thanks!
Great design. Needing to build a mobile base for my 14" band saw I just purchased.
Thanks. I just finished one for my bandsaw. Much easier to move around than the adjustable-size commercial one I was using.
@@KeyWestMakersNice work. I have a fox shop base that goes with my grizzly band saw, but it is so old that the rubber casters have disintegrated. Do you know if your base works as good as the shop fox?
Excellent! I need to build a couple of these. Was wondering how the MDF is holding up there in Key West? I know the humidity can be a bear in Fla.
The MDF was a complete and total failure. I had to rebuild it with plywood. But I needed a couple more so I knocked them all out in a Saturday.
I have two questions.
1) by adding the 4 corner blocks to support caster screw depth didn't you decrease the inside dimension of your length without accommodating for the length of the jointer? Did that happen off camera where I missed it? Your jointer should have been unable to fit inside by the width of two MDF boards.
2) Are those quality casters? I read several Amazon reviews saying the levers are flimsy and bend and break to where you can't use them anymore or hammer them back straight. It also said there were missing screws and washers from their orders.
Good questions. On the first, I should have explained that better. For calculating the length of the sides and the ends (not the additional internal blocking) they need to have 1.5. inches added to the dimensions of the machine base, assuming you are making out of 3/4inch material. You probably want to give yourself another 1/8 or 1/16 inch so the fit isn't too tight. The extra length on the sides is to accomodate the blocking at the ends; the actual end pieces are glued and screwed to the butt end of the sides and the blocking sits inside. The end pieces need the extra length to accomodate for the sides. The blocking could normally be a solid piece that spans the entire distance between the sides (cut to the side-to-side dimension of the tool plus 1/16 or 1/8 inch), essentially making the end pieces double thick, with one layer sitting between the side pieces and one butted to the end. In my case, the jointer base had some 'tabs' sticking out that were in the way. I have recently made one with double sides and ends - I'll cover that as well as your question in my next vlog.
On the quality of the casters, these are very solid - from the part that holds the wheel to the swivel to the lever itself. After I read your comment I went out to the shop to inspect them further to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I use them daily and I'm not particularly gentle with them. They don't show any signs of wear yet and I can't imagine what it would take to get them to fail. I also read some of the poor Amazon reviews - I wonder if they had a bad production run. I would still recommend them.
can you do a short on your apron? im looking to get one and was wondering if you like yours
Will do.
thanks so much!!
Nice design! Did you end up making the one for the table saw out of MDF as well? Has it held up over time? I'm going to build something like this for my saw, and I'm researching what materials to use. I know that the weight will be evenly distributed across the sides, but MDF sounds too flimsy as a support for heavy tools.
Thanks for the video!
I did make several more, including my table saw, however I made the rest out of plywood because the MDF doesn’t hold up well in our constant high humidity.
@@KeyWestMakers Gotcha! I have the same issue where I live so I'll take that into consideration. Thanks a lot!
Does it move when you joint a board? I have a mobile base with wheels and with the wheels locked I am able to move the entire jointer. Not same design as this though.
The entire base sits on the ground when the sayers are lifted and the jointer fits tightly in the base itself, so there is no movement at all when jointer. In fact, it would be fairly difficult to do so even if you were trying to (with the casters up). I have black indoor/outdoor industrial rugs covering my floor so that may help, too. Not sure if I would get the same result on polished concrete or even a wood floor.
@@KeyWestMakers I think I will still build this and put a rubber sheet on the bottom so there is no way it will move. Thanks for the inspiration.