Making 21829 mobile?

[gwyneth]

While the 21829 is certainly portable, it is not mobile when set up (a strength, not a weakness, of the collapsible stand with wheels).

Does anybody know a simple solution to make it mobile? For the next two or three months, mine has to live on an enclosed back porch that's about five ft. x 12 ft. In the one place it can be placed to rip, the rails pretty much take up the whole width of the porch, preventing access on either side. (That's an understatement--if I position it wrong unfolding, I have to use a piece of wood to press the fold-up thingy.)

I'm afraid that with all the folding and unfolding; attaching and unattaching; and rail locking and unlocking this involves, something is going to get banged up and damaged.

Can any of the creative minds here think of any option short of taking it off the collapsible stand and putting it on another with swivel casters?

[MikeMcCoy]

Some of us old farts don't remember which model number goes with which piece of equipment so it might better enlighten those of us that are model number impaired to know what type of machine.

[docrowan]

Mike,

21829 is the Craftsman version that has the folding dolly type of stand. When the dolly is folded up, there are two wheels at the bottom and two handles at the top, and it rolls around like a two wheeler.

Gwyneth,

I'm a newbie here, too, so perhaps I'm speaking out of turn, but when I was considering buying the 21829, I had already decided I'd take it off the folding stand. When I wound up instead with a lightly used BT3100 that has the permanent stand, and I took it off that too. I had rolling stand I built in a half day from scrap for my old HF table saw, and darned if the BT3100 didn't fit on the thing, it even slides under my new workbench (just barely).

The scrap stand will do for me until I have time to build a permanent mobile stand. I've been reading up on Jim Frye, Rod Kirby, and other BT experts on their stands in the articles section.

IMHO, Sears missed the boat by putting the 21829 on a folding contractor saw type stand. The BT3100/21829 is too precise a tool to consider running it around a job site and rolling it into the back of a truck, as you would with a contractor style saw or cheap benchtop.

Guys, hope I'm not out on a limb here.

- Chris.

[JR]

Mike, this is the new Craftsman BT clone. It has the BT body on a fold-up stand.

Gwyneth, nope no real good ideas. I have my BT3000 on a mobile base that fits underneath the stand. Mine is home made, but there are several on the market. I notice Harbor Freight is advertising one for ~$40.

JR

[gwyneth]

Mike,

21829 is the Craftsman version that has the folding dolly type of stand. When the dolly is folded up, there are two wheels at the bottom and two handles at the top, and it rolls around like a two wheeler.

Gwyneth,

I'm a newbie here, too, so perhaps I'm speaking out of turn, but when I was considering buying the 21829, I had already decided I'd take it off the folding stand. When I wound up instead with a lightly used BT3100 that has the permanent stand, and I took it off that too. I had rolling stand I built in a half day from scrap for my old HF table saw, and darned if the BT3100 didn't fit on the thing, it even slides under my new workbench (just barely).

The scrap stand will do for me until I have time to build a permanent mobile stand. I've been reading up on Jim Frye, Rod Kirby, and other BT experts on their stands in the articles section.

IMHO, Sears missed the boat by putting the 21829 on a folding contractor saw type stand. The BT3100/21829 is too precise a tool to consider running it around a job site and rolling it into the back of a truck, as you would with a contractor style saw or cheap benchtop.

Guys, hope I'm not out on a limb here.

- Chris.

Here's the ironic thing...I have a lightly used BT3100. It's in Milwaukee, about seven hours away. Too impatient a couple of weeks ago to wait for it to be moved--it's been waiting about five months now--I got the 21829, thinking that a) it would be nice to have a backup (or two BTs) and b) the stand looked really cool.

I wasn't thinking right. Yes, the stand is really cool, and a great help for moving from location to location. Yes, I'm really happy I've got two BTs, even if one is many miles away. Yes, the Sears version works great (if you throw away its blade and get a Freud).

But, no, the folding stand/cart is not the solution for a tiny workplace--it's like a Murphy bed (both look as if they save a lot more space than they do). Chris, I don't see why you think your comments may be out of line--they are perfectly sensible.

I've already started ripping a bunch of the 'weathered' oak planks that looked like old construction wood to make a mobile stand, but I'm also going to thumb through the pile of HF catalogs to see if I can find the one JR mentioned.

PS--thanks to the tips in the Bargain Alerts I got the price of the Sears one down first to about $400, then to $359 (Sears matching its own prices for 30 days after purchase).

[Garasaki]

If you can find the article's section of this site, you can find a number of different bases, mobile or otherwise, for this saw.

Personally, I made a mobile stand out of 2x4s and plywood and threw some casters on the bottom. Works great.

[gwyneth]

If you can find the article's section of this site, you can find a number of different bases, mobile or otherwise, for this saw.

Personally, I made a mobile stand out of 2x4s and plywood and threw some casters on the bottom. Works great.

I read all those before I posted, which was just to make sure there wasn't an idiotically easy caster-addon or something (it's a law of nature that if there were, I'd discover it only after making a stand).

The reason for the oak, Garasaki, is that there's a lot of it taking up room on the same porch as the saw. Someone left it outside a couple of years ago, and since salvaging some of it involves ripping the bad parts off, leaving narrow thick strips, they might as well go into a stand.

[JR]

Gwyneth,

I have a few more minutes to help out now. Sorry for offering a lead with no links earlier. I don't know if this kind of thing would be helpful under the fold-up stand, but here ya go.

Here is a link to what my mobile base looks like on my bandsaw. I have similar ones under the BT and jointer also. Oh, I've also made version for a my assembly bench that allows both ends to lift so I can reposition it. http://mysite.verizon.net/resr69rv/id4.html

Here is the HF base. It looks similar to me to a couple of others on the market (HTC, Rockler). http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=95288

[gwyneth]

I have a few more minutes to help out now. Sorry for offering a lead with no links earlier.

Oh, I thought it was a great lead without the link--and for us true HF junkies, we've got to go through 20 catalogs and fliers to see how many different prices something is going for, anyway.

The non-wheeled, curve up ends of the 21289 stands are already potentially dangerous enough that there's a big sticker on it saying "Do Not Trip". I'm afraid that putting the stand on a mobile dolly-type base will just make the large footprint mobile, a little taller (not good for me) and potentially a real shin-poker when the curved end gets me.

The HF base looks pretty good as far as smaller footprint with mobility--if I haven't finished my junk-oak stand by Tuesday when the ol' debit card gets its monthly fillup, I'll order it.

I really appreciate everybody's thoughts--thanks!

PS--JR, the mahogany patio cart on your site is gorgeous. Very inspirational.

[KomaToast]

It's a good solid stand but it's made backwards. The wheels should be on the other end so it could be moved around more easily when upright.
I've thought about that and it may not be difficult to do after taking apart the stand to pack for shipping.

I'll have to look at this closer and see how it works if it will at all but it may be very simple to put the wheels on the other end.
The cross braces are made the same, one longer than the other and the only difference I remember is the length of the bolt that holds the wheels on.
One might be able to take the wheels off and put them on the other end so it can be moved easy in the upright position.

I'll try that tomorrow because I want to put my BT3000 on one of those stands but didn't like the wheels on the same ends as the curved handles, thought they would work much better on the other end.

Keith

[gwyneth]

Tom Hintz's site has this, which made squarish is more or less what I'm aiming for with the oak:

http://www.newwoodworker.com/cartmobile.html
Mobile Shop Cart - NewWoodworker.com LLC

If I could just figure out what joint the front and back pieces attach with behind the half-laps that join legs to handles and castpr lengths...

[dkerfoot]

I am really surprised at this thread - I LOVE the Craftsman stand!

While I can understand it would be a little tight to open sideways in a 5' wide porch, that is a fairly extreme example. Gwyneth, now I can understand your other posts about not liking the longer rails on the 21829. In your particular case, I think it would make sense to swap the rails. I have a very small shop by just about any objective standard - about 10'x11' and I really appreciate the extra long rails.

Thinking of it as a contractor type folding stand is missing the real intention. The BT3 series is obviously not built to be bounced around from jobsite to jobsite. (Although it might be a good option for a finish carpenter who was very careful.)

The real idea is that after you are done using it, you can fold it up and stow it away in a 2'x2' footprint space. I've attached a few photos to show it stowing behind the door of my shop. I personally hate products with cludgy set-up/take down processes. While you can stow the sliding table, miter fence and rip fence on-board for transportation, I hated doing it for normal use. So, as you can see from the photos. I hang the rip fence on the wall and just attach the sliding table (with the miter fence) attached to the "high" side of the rails and it fits nicely over my workbench bench and just about any work/clutter I have on it. For reference, my workbench is 34" tall and 26" deep. It literally takes me less than two minutes to go from stowed to having wood loaded and preparing to cut. Even less for stowing it away.

As for moving the table while it is open, it has always seemed easy enough to me. Just lift by the rails on the left side and roll. If I need to budge the right side forward or back in a tight spot, it is light enough to do so easily. I use the handles when I can. but if it is too tight, I just make sure I have a table attached for support and use the rails.

[williwatt]

3 Cheers for the Craftsman Stand!

I am really surprised at this thread - I LOVE the Craftsman stand!

The real idea is that after you are done using it, you can fold it up and stow it away in a 2'x2' footprint space.

Thank you! I was beginning to wonder if I am the only 21829 owner who likes the Craftsman stand. If I had wanted a saw that rolls around on casters, that's what I would have bought. I like the way I can have my saw set up in 5 minutes after it has been stored in an out-of-way area. Sometimes if I need the extra space for a project I just roll the saw outside and use it in front of the garage. To me the stand makes it a very versatile saw that you can use anywhere.

Bill

[gwyneth]

Hey, you guys, I like the cart a lot and also the longer rails.

But they're hard to maneuver in a 5' x 10' space that also includes the back door and back porch door.