I thought I'd share a recent project I finished for my table saw. I had a 2x4 base that the wheels were going bad plus it was going a little sway back, so it was time to fix it for good. I used 1.5" 1/8" thick square tubing to cut and weld up and some heavy duty wheels to make it mobile. It's longer than the saw is wide because I have a heavy cabinet on one end with all my cutters and parts for equipment in. The other side has room for the motor cover and crosscut sled storage. There's a removable extension off the back for an outfeed table I have on my saw and provides mounting points for the supports. There's some angle iron pieces that the saw sits in plus gives mounting points to attach the saw base to the mobile base. I have a basement shop and everything has to be mobile as I'm spatially challenged.
This puts my saw at 41.5" which is the perfect height for me, I don't have to bend over and aggravate an old back injury plus it's a lot easier to roll out when needed.
Added a couple of pictures pre-mounting the saw, after it's on along with one showing the outfeed table on the saw.
So far it's working very well and hopefully will be helpful to anyone with physical limitations that need a little more height. Hope you like it.
10-25-2021, 06:25 PM (This post was last modified: 10-25-2021, 06:25 PM by Tapper.)
(10-25-2021, 01:05 PM)hcbph Wrote: I thought I'd share a recent project I finished for my table saw. I had a 2x4 base that the wheels were going bad plus it was going a little sway back, so it was time to fix it for good. I used 1.5" 1/8" thick square tubing to cut and weld up and some heavy duty wheels to make it mobile. It's longer than the saw is wide because I have a heavy cabinet on one end with all my cutters and parts for equipment in. The other side has room for the motor cover and crosscut sled storage. There's a removable extension off the back for an outfeed table I have on my saw and provides mounting points for the supports. There's some angle iron pieces that the saw sits in plus gives mounting points to attach the saw base to the mobile base. I have a basement shop and everything has to be mobile as I'm spatially challenged.
This puts my saw at 41.5" which is the perfect height for me, I don't have to bend over and aggravate an old back injury plus it's a lot easier to roll out when needed.
Added a couple of pictures pre-mounting the saw, after it's on along with one showing the outfeed table on the saw.
So far it's working very well and hopefully will be helpful to anyone with physical limitations that need a little more height. Hope you like it.
Excellent job IMO - thanks for sharing! I think it's impressive that you designed and fabricated it yourself, including the welding. Nothing like going custom to make it fit your particular situation - enjoy!
10-25-2021, 06:58 PM (This post was last modified: 10-25-2021, 07:08 PM by hcbph.)
Thanks Doug. This isn't the first base I came up with. It's the 6th machine I've made a mobile base for, 4th one I've made out of metal. Grew up using a stick welder but now I have a mig, and believe it or not I find it a lot harder to use than the that old Tomb Stone Lincoln. Here's another one I did, also made it long to reduce the tendency to have a tippy jointer when jointing long and heavy planks. Another is the base and bed modifications I made to my moulding machine. I also made the overhead guard system that's on the table saw. I like doing stuff like this particularly because in many cases purchased items either don't work the way I want, or maybe as the wife says I'm too cheap to buy it.
10-26-2021, 09:40 AM (This post was last modified: 10-26-2021, 09:44 AM by Tapper.)
Nice job all the way around. Welding is a skill I never learned, unfortunately. I may still still take a stab at it. My dad was a machinist and had all those skills but we never had any machines at home so I never learned them. Dad did always have a shop where he did woodworking so I picked up an interest in it. Went off to college, worked in the corporate world.
At this late date I've found I have the machinist "gene." Now in the process of assembling metal working machines for a shop at home. Welding just seems to be part of it. You are lucky to have those metalworking skills.
Doug
P.S. BTW, great looking Art Deco base on that jointer! You going to add dust collection to it?
10-26-2021, 10:01 AM (This post was last modified: 10-26-2021, 10:08 AM by hcbph.)
Doug, thanks much. If you're thinking on learning welding, I'm betting your Dad would teach you with a little prompting. Mig welders can be had for around $400+ for a 110v unit, but a 220v or dual voltage would be better IMO. If nothing else, check out if you have any Adult Ed classes in your area, they may have something relating to the machine shop including welding.
As far as dust collection on the jointer, I already have something in place. I used that early picture because it showed the base better. The hookup to the dust collector is a panel with the fitting on it that's held on with rare earth magnets. Easy on and off as needed.
Before you ask, that add-on over the potbelly cover on the jointer is to prevent potential damage. I have to move the unit in and out as needed and there's always the chance of clinking it against something and that cover is typically unobtainable. Kind of like a grill guard on a truck, it protects it from possible damage. Besides that, it's a one-of-a-kind (my own design). Like I said before, there's nothing on the market like it.
(10-26-2021, 10:01 AM)hcbph Wrote: Doug, thanks much. If you're thinking on learning welding, I'm betting your Dad would teach you with a little prompting. Mig welders can be had for around $400+ for a 110v unit, but a 220v or dual voltage would be better IMO. If nothing else, check out if you have any Adult Ed classes in your area, they may have something relating to the machine shop including welding.
As far as dust collection on the jointer, I already have something in place. I used that early picture because it showed the base better. The hookup to the dust collector is a panel with the fitting on it that's held on with rare earth magnets. Easy on and off as needed.
Before you ask, that add-on over the potbelly cover on the jointer is to prevent potential damage. I have to move the unit in and out as needed and there's always the chance of clinking it against something and that cover is typically unobtainable. Kind of like a grill guard on a truck, it protects it from possible damage. Besides that, it's a one-of-a-kind (my own design). Like I said before, there's nothing on the market like it.
Yes, if dad were still with us I'm sure he would help me out. I have a friend who owns a machine shop here in town and his #1 machinist lays down as good a bead as any I've ever seen. Will probably "pick his brain" when I get serious. I'll probably look at the 220v Mig gear.
Nice setup on the DC on the jointer. Everything in my shop is on wheels, either built-in or on mobile bases. Didn't make any of them but they are handy to have. It's always nice to be able to move large items out of the way when not in use, to gain floor space for projects.
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