Going Mobile

[rbfunk]

Folks,
For the past year, I have been trying to layout my one car garage to make it a shop. No matter what I tried, I can't get everything to fit the way I want. When suddenly it hit me, make everything mobile!
I figure I can mount everything, except the drill press (floor model), on some sort of mobile base and fill only about half the shop with the stored tools. Since my shop time is limited to one day a weekend and maybe an hour or two during the week, I am hoping to pull out what I need and push it back when done.
What I am looking for here is any thoughts you have on mobile bases. Especially, things you would do differently in making/buying mobile bases.
I have only just begun researching the possibilities so I don't have any concrete ideas so be general right now.
Thanks
Bob

[JR]

Bob,

I came to the same conclusion. I use the third stall of a three-car garage as my shop, so it must be about the same size as your setup. I built mobile bases for the BS, BT3K, and jointer. The DC has casters, too.

All this works pretty well, but you must plan on using only one or two tools at a time. This is generally no problem, but sometimes you'll find yourself wanting to plan a project that takes you from tool to tool, then back again. There's always a little bit of setup required when you wheel a tool out, so those multi-stage projects can be a little frustrating. I'm not trying to talk you out of the mobile base thing, only pointing out the limitations.

I built the Wood magazine mobile base for all three tools. It works well and, because it's custom made, fits each tool like a glove.

There have been some other posts on mobile bases in the last few days, so you might search around to find a currently-available deal on pre-built units.

Good Luck,
JR

[Woodnut]

Recently (what am I saying... It was last year's articles) there was a set of instructions for mobile bases and small shop solutions in Wood© Magazine.

If you don't have the copies lying around, check the "system' out here. (Once the "Special Offer stops loading, close it and click on the "Idea Shop 5" link.)

You can Order back Issues of the Mag with the plans in them, or just go here to order individual plans.
Many of the Idea Shop 5 plans are on this page, you can tell which ones they are due to the heavy use of "MDO" plywood. (Or in other words, the "tan & brown" color scheme.)

It really wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up the Oct 2003 issue even if you are going to buy a lot of the other plans. The 10/03 issue has the Mobile Base, the TableSaw Stand, the "Basic Cabinet", the Flip top variant as well as tips and jigs to make the construction of all the subsequent pieces easier. It also had discussions and plans to help make small <s>gar</s> er, shop solutions which allow both the car and the shop to coexist in the same space...

You'll see some of that exploring the page on the Idea Shop 5.

[Lot's of "bang for buck" in that issue...]

[Whaler]

I have to agree that mobile is not the best way to go but I have no other choice either and it is workable.
The BT, planer, DP, DC, RAS, DC, BS and compressor are all on mobile bases, most home made. The lathe, OSS and jointer are bench tops so they also move as necessary.

https://www.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Whaler17/

You do what you have to so you have the pleasure of making sawdust.

[andrew.r.w]

Lunchbag letdown!

I thought this thread was about a mobile shop, not about a shop full of mobile tools. I have often thought it would be useful to have a mobile wood shop (trailer full of serious tools and strategies for making them useful in the field). This is one of my fantasies for a retirement occupation.

quote:Originally posted by JR

... I built the Wood magazine mobile base for all three tools. It works well and, because it's custom made, fits each tool like a glove ...

But all is not lost! Can anyone refer me to the Wood Magazine issue that presents plans for mobile bases? I need some mobility and this might help assuage my dissapointment

[Eric]

it was the October 2003 issue.
Link to the information

[DaveinFloweryBranchGA]

rbfunk,

In addition to the mobile bases for all the other tools I have, I came up with a mobile base for my drill press as well. I built a base using 2 X 4's and 3/4 inch plywood. The support frame is made of 2 x 4's with one 2 x 4 crossbeam through the middle of a square "box" 2 foot by 2 foot square. On top of this, I placed the 3/4" plywood top, thereby created a solid base for the drill press. I bolted the press to this base.

It's big enough to provide a stable platform for anything I have done so far (including drilling as well as using the drill press for a polishing machine by putting a polishing wheel on it) without showing any signs of tipping.

I recently began building a "swing into position" wheel set similar to the homemade mobile bases for the other tools they are describing coming from the wood magazine small shop issue. I plan to attach this to my already constructed base. Were you concerned with stability, you could enlage the base a bit.

Hope this helps,

Dave

[don_hart]

I am a definte advocate of having your tools mobile. I have evry tool in the shop mobile. Even though I have enough room to have everything stationary I like the ability to rearrange the layout o the shop to suit the project I am working on.

[JeffW]

All my tools except the lathe are on mobile bases. I made them cabinet style. Here is an example of two.

[DaveinFloweryBranchGA]

Has anyone come up with a cabinet that works well for a floor model drill press? I'm currently thinking of making cabinets for each floor model power tool, so that I could consolidate the "accessories" for that tool in the cabinets with the tool.

Dave

[WayneJ]

Bob,
I have a mag called the complete small shop from august home. Lots of great ideas. Your welcome to it if you want. I'm in the phone book,give me a call.
Wayne

[rbfunk]

quote:Originally posted by WayneJ

Bob,
I have a mag called the complete small shop from august home. Lots of great ideas. Your welcome to it if you want. I'm in the phone book,give me a call.
Wayne

Wayne,
I'd love to borrow that book. I'm tied up till Monday though but I'll call you over the weekend.
Thanks
Bob

[doctordremel]

Now for something COMPLETELY different… Not long ago I ran across in an industrial warehousing catalog (which, alas, I cant find now) a “pneumatic mover”
It was a low rectangular box with a handle like a pallet jack and an air nipple on it. The idea being that shop air is blown out of holes on the lower surface of the box to make it a “hover craft” and allow what ever is on the base to float so it could be moved. I wish I could help with the math as to what flow/pressure would be needed to lift 100-300 lbs that most of our machines weigh, but it might be worth a shot to experiment. I made an extension table, future flotation table (based on the Ryobi design) for my BT3100 with 1x2 frame, plywood on back and pegboard on top.
I t seems if one was to use the same rough idea but inverted it might lift a heavy weight. One each could be made for each tool and then serve as a permanent base and when it was needed to move it, just pop on a air hose and slide and spin it wherever it needed to go. I would imagine it would do a good job of cleaning out all the dust in the floor as well!

Just a wild idea, but it might work.

[BobSch]

quote:Originally posted by doctordremel

Now for something COMPLETELY different… Not long ago I ran across in an industrial warehousing catalog (which, alas, I cant find now) a “pneumatic mover”
It was a low rectangular box with a handle like a pallet jack and an air nipple on it. The idea being that shop air is blown out of holes on the lower surface of the box to make it a “hover craft” and allow what ever is on the base to float so it could be moved. I wish I could help with the math as to what flow/pressure would be needed to lift 100-300 lbs that most of our machines weigh, but it might be worth a shot to experiment. I made an extension table, future flotation table (based on the Ryobi design) for my BT3100 with 1x2 frame, plywood on back and pegboard on top.
I t seems if one was to use the same rough idea but inverted it might lift a heavy weight. One each could be made for each tool and then serve as a permanent base and when it was needed to move it, just pop on a air hose and slide and spin it wherever it needed to go. I would imagine it would do a good job of cleaning out all the dust in the floor as well!

Just a wild idea, but it might work.

Sounds like a great idea, but I'll bet you'd have to have a big mother of a compressor to feed it [:0]

[maxparot]

[/quote]
Sounds like a great idea, but I'll bet you'd have to have a big mother of a compressor to feed it [:0]
[/quote]
My thinking is that a lot of small holes would create a very thin slip cushion this should keep the pressure high while keeping the CFM reasonable. I'd expect it to require a well leveled, sealed, smooth floor to be useful.