mobile band saw base

[jack barnes]

I need to put my grizzly 14" band saw on a mobile base. I'm looking at the one HF has http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/gifs/nav_1.gif What do you think or build one?

Jack

 

[snyiper]

If you build it you will have exactly what you want with the tire size you want and the storage you want!!

 

[wolftat]

Jack, I got mine from Woodcraft when I bought the saw. It wasn't expensive and all I had to do was cut a piece of plywood that goes in the middle of the 4 bases.

 

[Wildman]

I bought the Shop Fox mobile base, when bought my band saw both on sale.

No complaints with the mobile base easy to level.

 

[PenMan1]

I made mine from 3/4 Birch cabinet plywood. It is really sturdy and plenty of storage with 2 drawers. Only took 4 hours to build and cost less than even the HF base.

 

[byounghusband]

I built my own out of 1"x4" maple and 2" angle iron. It has fixed casters on on end and swivel casters on the other that are mounted on a pivoting board that opperates with a cam lever.

I have 3 of these in my shop right now for various power tools and need to build a couple more.

When not on the swivel casters, it sits on adjustable glide feet. Like in this picture:

A better pic....

 

[chunky]

byounghusand - nice mobile base. I just bought the same bandsaw and have been scratching my head about a mobile base - the one you built looks good. Do you have plans or is there a site where you got the idea/plans? Thanks

Don

 

[holmqer]

This may be a silly question, but why not just replace the leveler feet with casters that have a matching thread?

like
http://www.woodcraft.com/Catalog/ProductPage.aspx?prodid=21977
or
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90999
or
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11182&filter=caster
or
http://www.mcmaster.com/#casters/=62n9st

I'm sure someone makes a threaded stem locking caster that matches the threaded stem on your leveling feet.

 

[byounghusband]

I can scan them and send them to you... I will have to find them in the shop....

They are out of an old issue of Wood Magazine (IIRC )

byounghusand - nice mobile base. I just bought the same bandsaw and have been scratching my head about a mobile base - the one you built looks good. Do you have plans or is there a site where you got the idea/plans? Thanks

Don

 

[byounghusband]

No reason, I suppose... Maybe one lever as opposed to two.... I dunno :biggrin:

That was the plans I found and it works for me.

I modified the plans I had slightly based on availability and ease of the build. So adaptatins are good.

This may be a silly question, but why not just replace the leveler feet with casters that have a matching thread?

like
http://www.woodcraft.com/Catalog/ProductPage.aspx?prodid=21977
or
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90999
or
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11182&filter=caster
or
http://www.mcmaster.com/#casters/=62n9st

I'm sure someone makes a threaded stem locking caster that matches the threaded stem on your leveling feet.

 

[Sylvanite]

Jack,

I've tried a few different styles of mobile base:

1. Ones made from continuous sections of tubular (round or square) steel welded together to custom fit the tool. These are by far the best.
2. Heavy welded steel plate corners that you bolt onto a piece of 3/4" plywood. These work acceptably well, especially for smaller-footprint tools such as bandsaws and sanders.
3. Steel corners that you bolt 2x2s to to make a frame. These don't work. Even using good, strong oak, there's too much flex to roll the tool around.
4. Telescoping steel frames that you bolt together at the appropriate size. These are iffy. The ones I've seen are not rigid enough and have too much flex.

I hope that helps,
Eric

 

[chunky]

byounghusband - thanks for the offer to scan - if you have the issue number of Wood I have the last 10 or 12 years of issues - I try to look thru their index too.
Thanks
Don

 

[dalemcginnis]

I have the HF base. PITA. If I knew then what I know now I'd have built my own.

 

[CaptG]

Ditto what Dale said. I am not happy with my HF base on the bandsaw and when I get time it will be modified, a lot.

 

[jack barnes]

Bob I like base would you e-mail the plans to me if you can find then.
Thanks

Jack

 

[PenMan1]

This may be a silly question, but why not just replace the leveler feet with casters that have a matching thread

I'm sure someone makes a threaded stem locking caster that matches the threaded stem on your leveling feet.

That was my first try. It made saw kinda top heavy and kinda "tippy" feeling. I then build a plywood cabinet (partly because I needed the storage) and fit it around parts of an old cabinet saw mobile base.

 

[nava1uni]

Jack, I got mine from Woodcraft when I bought the saw. It wasn't expensive and all I had to do was cut a piece of plywood that goes in the middle of the 4 bases.

I have this same base and it is great. Easy to use and moves very easily, even over uneven concrete. I would recommend it also.

 

[jack barnes]

Thanks everyone. It looks like it's just as cheap to make a trip to WC as it is to build one.

Jack

 

[jaywood1207]

I built my own in about an hour out of a piece of ply, 4 strips of oak on the edge of the ply where the saw base fits in and 4 wheels. Total cost about $10 plus the hour and I love it and have never had a problem.