Mobile Base Design

[axio]

Hi guys,

Could I make a simple mobile base just by placing the the BT3100 and it's included stand on top of a square made of 2 3/4" fiberboard or MDF boards stacked together to 1.5" thickness, and then on the four corners, mount lockable casters, like the kinda currently on sale at Woodcraft? Would locking the casters then give you enough support to work with the BT3100, then unlock and roll it back to a storage spot in the garage?

[final_t]

Short answer: yes.
Long answer: I've done something very similar for all the "big tools" in the shop (BT3, Jointer, BS1400, Router table). What I did was make a base out of 2x4 and 6x4's in a "#" pattern, with the short sticky-out parts made flush. I used the cheaper Grizzly wheels (all four can be locked, but I generally only lock the two most accessable).
The stablity of all the tools is rock-solid and since the wheels are about 3.5" further than the existing legs, gives a slightly better center of gravity. For the router table, since it's so light, I closed off the base and stuck a sand bag there.
If I remember, I'll try to get some pics and post'em.

[JR]

As final t suggests, one of the issues with your concept is table height. With two layers of MDF on top of the casters, you'd add several inches to height. Configuring the solution as an outrigger of of some kind would help.

Here is a thread showing my first mible base, made from the Wood Mag plan. http://www.bt3central.com/forum/topi...&TOPIC_ID=9624
This design raises the height less than 1". It also uses two fixed casters, which mitigate any potential hinkiness that comes with locking swivelers.

JR

[axio]

Do you guys think these HF casters would be good enough?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=9918

Thanks for the advise about the height. Is there any real problem with the extra few inches though? It's not enough to make it unstable, is it?

[Mainemarc]

Hi Axio:

There is a plethera of truly inspired mobile base designs in the articles section here at BT3Central.

Have you looked at Wit's recent post on his mobile base solution? It converts the BT3100 into essentially a jobsite saw using an inexpensive hand truck (available very cheaply through Harbor Freight).

If you decide to go that route, email Wit to get some design specifications. It sounds like he went through a couple of prototypes before arriving at his final design. It looks like certain angles and dimensions would be critical. I've tried to gently (aheheheHEHEHEHE-HEMMMM!) suggest Wit and Sam Conder work out posting plans and construction details here.

As others have suggested, simply stacking the saw atop a wheeled base is going to make the saw's working height uncomfortably high. Some people feel the BT3100 is a little on the high side to begin with. Nothing in woodworking is ever easy, is it?

Incidentally, did you buy the BT3100 or are you still at the evaluation stage?

[axio]

Oh, I made the purchase =) It's currently sitting in my garage. The base is assembled, but I wanted to make a mobile platform for it first before I mount the saw onto the base. I just figure it's easier to do this than to lug it around my garage cuz I live in a condo with a TANDEM 2 car garage... which also houses two cars, a bench/shelf, router table, and as the HOA requires, the garbage cans and recycling bin in the garage as well. Space is therfore limited... I'd move a car out of the garage so I can move the table saw in a useable position.

[axio]

I kinda figured out a cheap mobile base idea. Well, it's not really a BASE, but it'll work to move it around from the side of my garage, to a spot where I can work. I went to Home Depot, and bought these things called Super Dollys ($9). It's basically a little triangle, 6" along on each side, with a dip in the middle 3" in diameter. Each one will hold 200 lbs. I bought a pair. I also bought a pair of Stanley Door Pulls.

My plan is to take a strip of wood, place it behind the top mount of the stock BT3100 stand, and drill a few holes through the front mount and attach the wood with some woodscrews. Then mount the door pulls along the front. Now I'll have handles to move the stand around with.

Placing the two Super Dollys underneath the rear legs, I'll just move it around the garage until I reach the working area, and then lift up the unit and kick off the Super Dollys. To store, I'll just put the Super Dollys back underneath the rear legs, move the unit back, and to level the table for storage so the stand doesn't warp or anything, I'll place the front over a strip of wood so the height lines up with the raised rear from sitting on the Super Dollys.

Total cost is only around $25. Sounds good?

[Pappy]

There are a number of designs for mobile bases ranging from the simplest base to a table system that repalces the stock legs completely. Look thru the jigs section and search the forum to get all the ideas you could want.

As to the choice of casters, I have never been satisfied with any casters that I bought from HF, HD, or Lowes for use on tools. Good casters are going to run you about $10-$12 each. The problem with the cheaper casters is the bearings in the swivel are single row and will bind up under load. The axle bearings, if there are any, will be marginal for the load ratng at best. Most of the time the lock is only on the wheel. For a mobile tool base, you need to be able to lock the swivel, too. Woodcraft has some decent casters on sale right now or you can get similar casters from Grizzly.

Personally, I get mine from Darnell-Rose. There is a wide variety of wheel/bearing combinations and the casters are assembled after you order them. Downside, they aren't the cheapest around. 10 swivel and 2 fixed 2" casters set me back $140. These are all non-locking.

[gugie]

Hey Derrick,

Since you're in Dublin, you might consider heading over to the Santa Clara convention center Saturday morning, April 23rd and meet some other BT3k owners? http://www.bt3central.com/forum/topi...TOPIC_ID=17477

Mark

[axio]

sounds good. I'll try to make it =)

[messmaker]

I have to disagee with Pappy. You have to spend wisely on the castors or you end up with $50-60 for hardware plus you wood and time. You can buy several mobile bases for leass than that.

[axio]

Well, so far I tried out my method, and it works out pretty well. I've attached a piece of 1X3 pine behind top horizontal brace of the BT3100 stand, and attached some Stanley Door pulls to the front of it, drilling through the metal and into the wooden support behind it. Then I just leave the rear legs on the Super Dolly casters, and it only adds between 3/4 to 1 inch in height. I use a 1X3 strip of wood underneath the front legs to hold it in place so it's not always rolling around. To move it, I just grab the handles and lift the front off the ground, and roll to the new place, then set it down. I move the 1X3, and lift and rest the front legs on top of the 1X3, and it's pretty stable for small cuts, but if I was going to cut something that requires more effort, I can just lift it off the casters and the 1X3 so it rests on the stand's feet. It works well, and is cheap. I'm happy =)

[Mainemarc]

Good job, Axio.

You tackled a problem with ingenuity, which more than BT3x00 ownership, is the coin of the realm around here. And that was most wise of you, installing those handles to grab on to. Grabbing the fence rails would have been a big mistake.

[axio]

Thanks Marc. If it wasn't for this board though, I wouldn't know any better and I'd start grabbing the rails...

[JeremyM]

Pictures of how you set it up, axio