Saw bench casters

[somyunguy]

So I made this some 2 years ago but just did'nt get to upload - my shop space is tight so I put everything I can on wheels!

To further the problem , I do a mix of things , paintwork , machining and of course a bit of wood work amongst a myriad of other things , needless to say , dust from wood work is a problem , so I prefer to move my saws etc outside.

Latest addition was a light radial arm saw and this is where the issue came in , to be able to move it into working position on wheels but have it stand stable enough to use , then wheel it back into a size fit space allocated to it's storage.
Also with enough ground clearance to wheel it across the lawn when required.

This is what I came up with , works well , save for the fact that I used 4 swivelling , lockable castors which at some point I will change out to 2 fixed and 2 swivelling.
Oh , and it needs a spring to keep the ramp from disengaging should it be suddenly dropped.
Will post a video in use as soon as I access the machine again.

Maybe useful to someone out there!










Locking mechanism detail -

[Frank S]

What I like most about your design is the single point step on pedal to lower the casters raise the saw and lock in place all in one smooth motion then to lower the saw back to the ground you merely have to step on the pedal and rock it to unlock. No having to bend over or raise each corner one at a time.
Great job this really gets a thumbs up

[thehomeengineer]

I like it. When I get a chance will do the same to my radial arm saw.
Thank you

[Jon]

Nice one. Seems like tool solutions like this are on the rise. We've always seen them posted occasionally, but as our culture advances beyond "I built a tool", things like transport tricks, organization, storage, even a single perfectly-placed hook or holder (example: Angle Grinder Holder by Tuomas) are very desirable. Some of these solutions, though simple, impart significant value.

[ozepool]

Nice one, I'm making a square stand with a bench grinder, a buffer, a linisher and abrasive drop saw, i also need it outside for the dust. I have the Chineseium wheels, 2 with brake, just could not work out how to elevate the stand. thank you for the idea, I may have to lengthen the pedal arm as the 4 machines maybe a bit heavy to push up, Bob
PS, do you have a better pic of the lock?

[Toolmaker51]

Nice one, I'm making a square stand with a bench grinder, a buffer, a linisher and abrasive drop saw, i also need it outside for the dust. I have the Chineseium wheels, 2 with brake, just could not work out how to elevate the stand. thank you for the idea, I may have to lengthen the pedal arm as the 4 machines maybe a bit heavy to push up, Bob
PS, do you have a better pic of the lock?

I've pondered solutions to a similar issue, but instead of weight, bandsaws have little ground clearance. This elevator is better than what I've mulled so far. Instead of lengthening a fixed pedal.........telescopic!

[somyunguy]

I've pondered solutions to a similar issue, but instead of weight, bandsaws have little ground clearance. This elevator is better than what I've mulled so far. Instead of lengthening a fixed pedal.........telescopic!

Thanks guys!
Yeah , one of my biggest issues around this build was indeed ground clearance , which is a function of the centre of rotation around the diameter of the wheel / castor used plus it's cantilver bracket.

With this setup I get almost 2 inches of clearance , and that can be extended slightly by wheel choice and position of wheel mount on the cantilever.

The obvious is , the square size of the frame plus the wheel arrangement determines the apex of the lifting cantilever.

Some marginally better pics of the lock - if need be i'll upload some fresh ones. Maybe dis-assemble the pedal for some better detail though it's quite simple , has no spring or anything , works a bit like an old fashioned gate latch - sorta!

Oh , erroneously, I said I used locking castors , that was saw # 3 , because of the design , locking castors are inveneral to the stablilty as it is standing firm on it's feet!

[Frank S]

A couple of thoughts so for anyone including myself contemplating adding any wheel system to a machine stand for moving around their shops.
As a general rule we want or need our wheel systems confined within the square of the footprint of the machines. for reasons of space or to not having them create a tripping hazard when working around the machines.
By having the castors inside this foot print when deployed the square of the contact area to the floor becomes less which can create instability when being moved.
Larger diameter casters have a lower rolling resistance due to the increased length of the included angle of caster axis or castor offset. A 2 inch caster might have only an inch or less of circular contact movement when changing directions resulting in the footprint reduction while a 4 inch caster could have as much as a 3 inch change making the foot print even less under the machine this in turn can change the center go gravity significantly making the machine or other item such as a tall tool box or narrow work bench especially a lathe easier to tip
Next the larger the wheels the more emphasis or attention needs to be taken on the rotational lifting axis while that axis could be centered on the same axis of the castor for smaller wheels it should be offset for larger castors to reduce the overall lifting height. especially on things with an offset center of gravity such as a lathe or a press break the heavier side usually the back or the side away from the operator needs to be raised first or the lifting action should have an offset fulcrum point so more lifting power is exerted to the heavy side.
I hope my lengthy explanation can make some sense as it would be much easier for me to explain if I were to draw up a model but that takes quite a lot of time

[somyunguy]

Frank makes a valid argument here and it must be said that it would be ill advised to use this system on a piece of equipment that is inherently top heavy.

I have my Sprunger saw on wheels as well and it's not something you want tipping over.
It has to be moved with extreme caution and only from the outrigger style motor side. The casters on this are very much outboard as well for a degree of stability.

Some pieces of equipment are not meant to be moved around and indeed should'nt be!

Let common sense and good judgement prevail!

[DIYer]

Thanks somyunguy! We've added your Sawbench Casters to our Storage and Organization category,
as well as to your builder page: somyunguy's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Sawbench Casters by somyunguy

tags: portable, stand, caster(s)