> As my garage gets smaller and smaller, I need to move this
> heavy s.o.b.
> around often, I was thinking of putting casters on but I don't want it
> moving while i work on something and caster locks just don't cut it when
> you are hammering on some parts on the top.
If you haven't, you might want to try locking casters ... if the table is as
heavy as you say then it's not likely to move even without the locks. The
mass of the table should absorb the hammer blow pretty well and the caster
locks should cover the rest of it. I have my press mounted on casters with
no locks, and it doesn't move around nearly as much as I expected it would.
And the engine hoist is a b*tch to move even when I want to, especially if
it's loaded.
> Ideally I would find some
> retracting casters that would allow the thing to be solid on its legs and
> yet easy to move the rest of the time. I found some at Sears for
> their band
> saw table but they are too flimsy for this table. I have also
> seen casters
> on a hinge, where you lift the table end, flip the casters down and lift
> the other end to move it around.
>
> Any suggestions ?
What about a pair of pivoting subframes, pivoted to the original legs at
each end and casters mounted to the subframes just inboard of the legs. In
the center, between the two subframes, would be a place you could step on to
force the frames down (and lift the table onto the casters) and some sort of
latch to keep them down. Depends a little on the dimensions of the table &
it's weight (plus how much room you have below the bottom shelf), but I
think it would work. Since the subframes will act as levers with maybe a
4:1 advantage (depending on how long the table is, and how close to the legs
the casters are mounted), the table could weigh 2 or 3 times as much as you
do, and this method would still work. If you need more advantage, you could
maybe mount some sort of big cam to force the subframes down, and step on
the end of the cam to rotate it.
I think somewhere I've seen a table saw stand that works this way, but I
don't recall where.
Randall
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