Another Mobile Base Project

[teetomterrific]

Over 12 years ago in my old shop in MN I purchased the Delta 50-345 Mobile base kits for my various stationary tools. Today that same virtually identical kit is sold by Rockler as Item #92051 for $69.99. I have always liked this mobile base design because of its low cost, low profile and because the wheels do not stick out where you might stub your toe or trip over them. 



However, I've only ever assembled one of them using wood support stretchers. I just think a 400 to 600 lb machine needs to be supported by steel. What follows is a recent build of the Rockler base for a Grizzly G0514X2B Bandsaw I just purchased. I started out measuring the saw base. I added 5/8 to the length and width of the base instead of the instructions to add 1/2 inch based on past experience of having a base build end up being almost too tight to fit. (The extra space is to account for the carriage bolt heads on the inside of the frame.) After making the measurements I called a local steel fabricator and ordered the pieces cut to size in 1.5" x 1.5" square steel tubing with 1/8" wall. Total cost was just under $20



The steel is pretty greasy and needs a good wipe down with mineral spirits or acetone to remove the surface oil used in forming the tube. After wiping down the tubes I measured and marked for drilling and then drilled the holes. I used a file to clean up the holes.



The next step was to scrub as much of the remaining baked on oil off using mineral spirits and a green scrubbing pad. I then wiped off the steel and hand sanded with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Finally I did one more wipe down with acetone to prep for paint.



Here they are painted and with end caps installed. The end caps I used can be ordered from Outwater Plastics, ( http://www2.archpro.com/cgi-bin/worderc?...log=150161 ). I used 6. There isn't really room on the end where the wheels are and you can't see that there aren't any there.





And here is the final result. I assembled the base first on a table, being sure to leave one end not tightened down. I raised the Bandsaw up on 4x4s cut to fit inside the base and those were sitting on top of 2x4s that extended beyond the base to support the mobile base for bolting it together and drilling the holes to bolt the bandsaw to the base.



I added flat washers and lock washers that don't come with the kit because I don't want this sucker to come apart. I also added some extra 2" carriage bolts for the holes that don't normally get used. Unfortunately, they were a little shorter than the supplied 2" carriage bolts so they only got a nut and no washers.

Tom

[atgcpaul]

Nice upgrade.

[fredhargis]

Nicely done.

[sweensdv2]

Very nice. I totally agree that wood isn't the best choice for these types of mobile bases. Years ago when HF was selling this identical stand for, IIRC, $20 I bought five of them. When I assembled them I used green Unistrut channel instead of wood. Everyone one of them is still as solid as they were the day I put them together.

[mikefm101]

That looks really nice.

If you can share, what did the steel tubes cost you? I know more tha 2x4 costs, Just I have no idea what custom tubing costs to be made.

Mike

[teetomterrific]

That looks really nice.  

If you can share, what did the steel tubes cost you?   I know more tha 2x4 costs, Just I have no idea what custom tubing costs to be made.  

Mike

Just a few cents under $20. Actually, the rate was $2.25 per foot and no charge for the cuts. 8 ft * $2.25 = 18.00  + $1.73 Sales Tax = $19.73

[opticsguy]

No sawdust on the floor, is this real???    :-)
What saw did you purchase?
A very nice build!!!  Impressed!!

[teetomterrific]

No sawdust on the floor, is this real???    :-)
What saw did you purchase?
A very nice build!!!  Impressed!!

Hahaha! No sawdust because it is a brand new shop. Still, I plan to be real anal about keeping the place clean.

Grizzly G0514X2B. I still don't have it working. I've been working with Grizzly tech support. It has a bad vibration. The table shakes and that is just not acceptable. So far we have replaced the upper wheel but that didn't fix it. After some more tests tonight I think it might be the motor that is causing the vibration.

[EricU]

you did a nice job on the base.  I had one of the deltas holding up my DJ20 jointer, but it didn't really do the job.  So I got the Delta base when they were being sold cheap on Amazon.  But now I think I would  like to repurpose the delta base for my bandsaw.  I also wanted to use steel, but it's a pain to get steel in this area, so I used oak.  I don't think that's really why it was too wimpy for the jointer, that was right at the edge of the capacity of the base.

When I used to buy steel pretty often, they were usually a lot happier if I would buy their 20' lengths and then they had a nominal cut charge.  I never ended up with any amount of steel that I couldn't use for something else pretty easily. I really miss being able to drive 10 miles and get whatever I want, around here there are no small steel dealers.

[desertdave_woodworks]

How well does the lifting mechanism work? Is it flimsy or well built. I\ve read sooo many cry baby reviews on rockler about this mobile base it makes me wonder. What you did here is awesome and I had the exact same idea of using metal vs wood. My only concern is the lifting device.




teetomterrificOver 12 years ago in my old shop in MN I purchased the Delta 50-345 Mobile base kits for my various stationary tools. Today that same virtually identical kit is sold by Rockler as Item #92051 for $69.99. I have always liked this mobile base design because of its low cost, low profile and because the wheels do not stick out where you might stub your toe or trip over them. 



However, I've only ever assembled one of them using wood support stretchers. I just think a 400 to 600 lb machine needs to be supported by steel. What follows is a recent build of the Rockler base for a Grizzly G0514X2B Bandsaw I just purchased. I started out measuring the saw base. I added 5/8 to the length and width of the base instead of the instructions to add 1/2 inch based on past experience of having a base build end up being almost too tight to fit. (The extra space is to account for the carriage bolt heads on the inside of the frame.) After making the measurements I called a local steel fabricator and ordered the pieces cut to size in 1.5" x 1.5" square steel tubing with 1/8" wall. Total cost was just under $20



The steel is pretty greasy and needs a good wipe down with mineral spirits or acetone to remove the surface oil used in forming the tube. After wiping down the tubes I measured and marked for drilling and then drilled the holes. I used a file to clean up the holes.



The next step was to scrub as much of the remaining baked on oil off using mineral spirits and a green scrubbing pad. I then wiped off the steel and hand sanded with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Finally I did one more wipe down with acetone to prep for paint.



Here they are painted and with end caps installed. The end caps I used can be ordered from Outwater Plastics, ( http://www2.archpro.com/cgi-bin/worderc?confc=B2C&s=SHK-48S-BK&catalog=150161 ). I used 6. There isn't really room on the end where the wheels are and you can't see that there aren't any there.





And here is the final result. I assembled the base first on a table, being sure to leave one end not tightened down. I raised the Bandsaw up on 4x4s cut to fit inside the base and those were sitting on top of 2x4s that extended beyond the base to support the mobile base for bolting it together and drilling the holes to bolt the bandsaw to the base.



I added flat washers and lock washers that don't come with the kit because I don't want this sucker to come apart. I also added some extra 2" carriage bolts for the holes that don't normally get used. Unfortunately, they were a little shorter than the supplied 2" carriage bolts so they only got a nut and no washers.

Tom
[/quote]