Plans or ideas for a moveable worktable.
jeffwoodwork
| Posted in General Discussion on
Ok looking for a buddy of mine that wants to build a workbench. The bench needs to be moveable, the thing will likely weigh in over 500lbs. I told him about the table Norm Abrams http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct3.cgi?0207 built that has a caster assembly that will lift the table up to roll then tuck under so the table will sit flat on the floor and not move.
I thought I saw this similar idea in FWW or Wood Magazine but I can’t remember where or when. Plus the caster setup in the above plans is lifting a light weight table, I don’t know if it will lift a 500-700lb thing.
So any ideas would be helpful, have thought of a hydraulic setup or a screw type crank. Thought I would tap the source here and see what I get.
Thanks Jeff
Replies
Jeff,
I just put my bench on casters two days ago. I got the casters from Woodcraft (check the specials page on the web site). They are rated for 300# each so I think they will more than cover the weight of the bench. Since I haven't had them on that long my experience with them is fairly limited. What I do know is that I put two fixed casters on the back and two swivel casters on the front. I went with the "double locking" casters in the front. They lock the wheel and the pivot to keep things stationary. So far they live up to their claim. I'm not sure how they will perform with heavy hand planning though. You may have to come up with some other means of getting the wheel off the floor. The fact that I can move my bench in my small shop now has made my life so much easier. It was one of those "why didn't I do this a long time ago" projects.
Good Luck,
Tom
There are "jacking pads" available that drop when you step on them, which will lift that end or corner of the bench, so that the casters are off the floor. When the release mechanism is stepped on they lower the bench and clear the floor to allow the casters to do their thing. They are available through industrial suppliers that sell casters. Not the cheapest solution but way better than locking casters.
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