Mobile Bases
For shops large or small, mobility offers convenience, as long as the base is stable and rolls smoothly
Synopsis: Space issues aren’t limited to small workshops; some woodworkers face the challenge of too much space, and how to use it efficiently. Cliff Colley built mobile bases for his machines, and his tips will help both small and large shop users. He evaluated seven dedicated and universal bases to determine ease of assembly, wobble factor, foot locks, and rolling difficulty. He also put them through real-world tests that included uneven floors, and spells out the specifications of all of the bases he checked. See which ones won out.
From Fine Woodworking #167
Most woodworkers I know have small shops where space is at a premium. I’m at the other extreme. I teach woodworking in a huge space; nearly 6,000 sq. ft. Two of our four bandsaws spend a significant amount of time on mobile bases, rolling from one end of the shop to the other. Whether to resaw a fresh load of lumber close to the storage stack or to turn the feed path of a long board away from other machines and students, without these bases, our productivity would be hampered severely.
Whether their shops are small or large, woodworkers face space issues sooner or later. Mobile bases offer the convenience of being able to relocate machinery easily, allowing woodworkers to use shop space more efficiently.
I tested seven mobile machine bases to move a couple of bandsaws around the shop. I chose five universal bases—Delta 50-345, General 50-025, HTC 2000, Jet HMB-UMB, and Shop Fox D2057—and two dedicated bases—Delta 50-274 and HTC HRBS-14. All range in price from about $50 to $100. I think the models offer a good cross section of what is available today.
The construction requirements for each brand varied a lot—from arriving almost ready-made out of the box to assembly that seemed almost as complicated as that of a pocket watch.
On first inspection, I thought the Jet universal base was well engineered. Each side has one solid rail made from flat bar stock with a single set of holes for the bolt catches. The parts snapped together in about three minutes. Assembly was nearly as easy with the Delta 50-274 and the HTC HRBS-14 dedicated bases.
The universal Delta 50-345 comes as a set of parts and metal corner assemblies. It requires the user to fit it out with wood rails; the manufacturer recommends using hardwood, such as oak or maple. I made mine out of red oak. Assembly of the Delta 50-345 was more labor-intensive than any of the other bases, but the end result was a perfect fit to the footprint of my machine.
The HTC 2000 has 108 pieces to assemble. That’s a lot, but this unit proved to be worth the extra effort, as the fit was solid. The rails also allow a variety of size options. The General 50-025 required a lot of assembly. This base arrived with 114 parts. However, assembly was straightforward once I studied the instructions and parts list provided.
For the full article, download the PDF below.
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