03-31-2020, 07:54 AM
Out of all my tools in my shop, my lathe gets the least amount of use so having this monster on wheels is essential so I can bring it out when I need it. I looked online at commercially available mobile bases and not much out there and what there is, they are expensive. I wanted something very minimal and clean looking.
So here is what I've come up with.....
My fab shop at work had some drops of 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 5/16" tube steel that they gave me. These tubes fit perfectly on the inside of the legs and I used the threaded portion of the levelers to attach the tubes to. The levelers are 3/8-16 threads.
Here are the casters I used. They are off of older Delta mobile bases. I used to have these attached to a mobile work bench that I had, but I've since retired that bench and these casters were not being used anymore so this a perfect use for them.
Casters mounted on the tube steel. I drilled a 13/32" hole on the bottom of the tube to accept the 3/8" leveler and then a 7/8" hole of top of the tube so I could get my 9/16" socket down inside to attach the nuts to hold the tube to the leg assembly
I wanted a washer between the tube and the nut and with only a 7/8" hole on top I had to slip in a washer from each end before I installed the tubes. A rare earth magnet held the washers in place while I installed the tubes
Once the tubes were in place, I put a wood dowel through the washer, right on top of the stud, removed the magnet and the washer slipped down on to the stud
Used a magnetic tool to hold the nut while I lowered down on to the stud and got it threaded on
Here's the completed installation
This turned out great and very simple to move this beast of a machine around the shop easily. I may add a piece of steel across the kick downs to connect them together so I only have to push down one time to engage two casters at once, but for now, it works like a charm!
Thanks for looking!
So here is what I've come up with.....
My fab shop at work had some drops of 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 5/16" tube steel that they gave me. These tubes fit perfectly on the inside of the legs and I used the threaded portion of the levelers to attach the tubes to. The levelers are 3/8-16 threads.
Here are the casters I used. They are off of older Delta mobile bases. I used to have these attached to a mobile work bench that I had, but I've since retired that bench and these casters were not being used anymore so this a perfect use for them.
Casters mounted on the tube steel. I drilled a 13/32" hole on the bottom of the tube to accept the 3/8" leveler and then a 7/8" hole of top of the tube so I could get my 9/16" socket down inside to attach the nuts to hold the tube to the leg assembly
I wanted a washer between the tube and the nut and with only a 7/8" hole on top I had to slip in a washer from each end before I installed the tubes. A rare earth magnet held the washers in place while I installed the tubes
Once the tubes were in place, I put a wood dowel through the washer, right on top of the stud, removed the magnet and the washer slipped down on to the stud
Used a magnetic tool to hold the nut while I lowered down on to the stud and got it threaded on
Here's the completed installation
This turned out great and very simple to move this beast of a machine around the shop easily. I may add a piece of steel across the kick downs to connect them together so I only have to push down one time to engage two casters at once, but for now, it works like a charm!
Thanks for looking!
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![[Image: giphy.gif]](https://media.giphy.com/media/l3q2XhfQ8oCkm1Ts4/giphy.gif)
