OK, the Unisaw’s home! Man, that sucker’s w-i-d-e. Fifty-whatever inch fence, the long table and shelf combo on the right side. I’ve never paid any attention to the mobile-base options for something that big, what can y’all tell me??
forestgirl — you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can’t take the forest out of the girl 😉
Replies
FG,
Congratulations, I know you've lusted for a cabinet saw for some time and you've been very patient. I hope you have many years of joy.
I think the delta base is the best, however it's very expensive. In reality I probably only move my saw once a year to clean under. I bought the shop fox mainly for price but it turns out I like the design too. (I use those little platforms above the wheels to build off of )The only thing I would do differently is have all wheels 360's...Griz has matching 360 wheels pretty cheap.
I got the Delta mobile base for free when I bought mine as a promotion. It is one base to fit under the saw and 50" table. Works good, but the only time I have moved the saw is when I reconfigured my shop! If I had to buy it I probably wouldn't have spent the money. I don't know if you plan on moving it much, but if not I wouldn't worry about it. Something that big is about like moving an aircraft carrier. You need a bunch of fleet orders and a lot of help.
Bruce
I have the HTC mobile base and like it a lot. You don't have to lock any casters to use the saw.
Jim
I've had the SHOP FOX from Grizzly for about 8 years now. It is used with their G1023S 10" cabinet saw w/right side extension table. I believe the fence rails are about seven feet overall.
I have moved it around a considerable amount and have never had a problem with it. It was a bargain when I bought it, and I would purchase it again. I have another one of their mobile bases under my jointer and I am considering one for a large bandsaw.
Hope that helps.
Have fun with that new saw!
Congratulations! I have several ShopFox and HTC mobile bases that work well. However, I recently purchased a new SawStop with the 52" rails and I decided to go with the SawStop mobile base. I only purchased it because it came fully assembled and my helpers were only available to help me unload my new saw (yes, I should have planned better). If it will fit your saw, I highly recommend it!
Any base you get, I recommend the one that allows all four wheels should have a 360 degree turning radius - If you don't, your tablesaw will be very hard to maneuver in small spaces.
"Any base you get, I recommend the one that allows all four wheels should have a 360 degree turning radius - If you don't, your tablesaw will be very hard tomaneuver in small spaces."
Glad you made that point. The Shop Fox doesn't have that feature. the Jet gets bad reviews for flexing (in the bar that goes to the extension brace). Keeping looking.....
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 3/13/2008 9:01 pm by forestgirl
360 degrees is nice, but the casters on the Shop Fox can be mounted so the infeed side has the swivels and the outfeed has the fixed ones, which makes it really easy to maneuver. I push mine against the back wall in my garage and also have the 7' rails and extension on the base. That obviously makes it heavier but moving it is pretty easy.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Edited 3/15/2008 1:33 pm by highfigh
I have the 1032slx with the 7' rails and put the sop fox on it. It's a sturdy piece of metal and would handle your TS just fine. I don't move mine very much, but it is appreciated when I do need to move it.
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.
And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
I have the Delta base and cannot complain, it's well designed and well built. HTC bases would also be a go-to option without question.
Congrats on your Unisaw. You will love it. Mine never moves since my dust collection duct in in the floor and is attached to the saw with 4" PVC angle.
Now, if you really need your saw to be moveable I have a suggestion that might work on a limited budget. Buy 4 (or maybe more) swiveling and lockable casters from Woodcraft -- the kind that mounts with 4 bolts -- and polyurethane wheels. Measure your saw base/mounting legs dimensions. Go to your local welder and have an angle iron rectangle welded up to fit under the saw and support the table legs. Have your welder to weld the caster plates to the rectangle. Get a lot of help to mount the saw on the welded base and wow, you have a movable saw for a lot less than buying one plus all wheels lock for superb stability.
If I needed a base (5 hp 50" Unisaw w/ a heavy Beismeyer fence), this is what I would do. It would sure beat a universal fit all overpriced under designed after market piece of junk.
Over the last 3 months, I have mounted most of my power tools on 4 swiveling casters and homemade bases. I made the mistake of using fixed casters on the back of one tool and just recently purchased more swiveling/lockable casters and will replace the two fixed ones. All four need to swivel!
Just my opinion. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
A bad day woodworking is better than a good day working -- yes, I'm retired!
"It would sure beat a universal fit all overpriced under designed after market piece of junk." Awwww, c'mon Tree, tell us what you really think. ROFL!!
Seriously, though, thanks for the idea. My stepson welds, but I don't know if he'd have time to help -- new baby and all. I was pondering a wooden frame, but maybe not a good idea for that kind of size (all the way out to the end of that extension table).forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hey Girl,
Spend the money and get the mobile base made for a Unisaw. If it came with the shelf under the table extension, you'll have to remove it, but the convenience of the mobile base will far outweigh the loss of a small shelf.
Hope this helps,
Sean
Sean, it does have the shelf, but why does that have to go?? Is it because of the lever on the swivel wheel maybe sticking up too far???:
View Imageforestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
You're right, that handle flips way up in the air when you set the saw down. It may be 12-14" up when the saw is down. About wheels, you saw how heavy the thing is. I'd be leary of placing it on anything but solid wheels. Mine came with the store bought mobile base and boy am I glad. I move mine to get the car in during the winter. Do you really have to move it?
"Do you really have to move it?" I'm sure I will have to, as the shop is a complete mess right now. I'll be moving stuff around until I figure out just how to get everything to fit, and be able to get dust collection to all of it. Then this summer, we should be pulling all the junk out of the "attic" out there, getting rid of a bunch of it, and tools will have to be moved to accomplish that.
I've gotten to where I want everything to be moveable by me and me alone, so I don't have to depend on someone else when I get a notion. Hubby keeps offering to buy me a piano, and I'm like "Thank you dear, but nope." I'll go with electronics, methinks.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I have the shelf on my saw and that flip lever on the pivot wheel works just fine.
Thanks, Mr. Woodman. I like the idea of that shelf!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
FG,
Just for your info..The Delta base allows you to move the saw with one hand, not so with the shop fox that requires gettin the legs into it. On the other hand, I don't need lock the shop fox, it stays put.
When I do move the saw I need to recheck levels so my uneven floor doesn't screw me up...
"When I do move the saw I need to recheck levels so my uneven floor doesn't screw me up..." Yep, I'll be doing the same, the floor is pretty....uhhhh....rustic? Hope you're doing well, BG!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Delta mobile base for me... perfect fit.. strong and works great.. I got mine thrown in the deal on my $995 factory reconditioned. As I have stated.. a deal I couldn't refuse.
Regards...
Sarge..
Woodman, how much force is needed to lock/unlock that lever? My strength with arm extended in such an awkward position isn't great -- shoulder stuff -- so I'm wondering about it.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I just use my foot to engage the lever. It helps to give it a little help by lifting the table as you are pushing down on that lever.
FG, I have the Unisaw with the 52" Unifence, table, shelf, and mobile base. I don't have any problems with the handle hitting the shelf. When I move it there's enough room for me to just stick my foot under the shelf and push down to raise the saw on the caster. The handle is nice for lowering the saw -- when the saw is raised the pedal is almost to the ground, and hard to get a foot under with any leverage.
FWIW, the Delta outfeed table that bolts onto the back of the saw and folds down is a plus from a space constrained/mobility perspective. Just fold it down and roll the whole thing. Also, it adds about a foot to the table even when folded, which IMHO, is kind of nice even when not using the full outfeed table.
View Image
Doc, thanks. All these details, taken together, are helping me understand the different bases that I can't actually see in person. Appreciate it!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Glad to help.
FWIW, I haven't had any 'thumping' issues, nor have I had any issues with fence alignment or the table shifting. I lower it with the handle (and both hands) though and don't allow it to drop. Not that I've had any reason for concern, but the main reason that I'm careful to lower it gently is that I worry about alignment of the table to blade -- if/when that needs attention it'll be a major job. The adjustment on the Unifence takes hardly any time at all.
Thanks for the reassurance, Doc. I've been distracted by taxes, haven't ordered the base yet, so I'm definitely listening. You said "I worry about alignment of the table to blade -- if/when that needs attention it'll be a major job." I'm under the impression cabinet saws are relatively easy to adjust. Haven't read the manual yet, so maybe you can fill me in on the challenge(s).forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
The table is attached to the cabinet. It's like four screws that need to be loosened/tightened to do the adjustment.
But, the fence and extension table are attached to the saw's table and/or wings. In practice, I think that you need to R&R those parts to do the job. Hard to move the table otherwise. So, hour(s), not minute(s). Perhaps 'major' is an overstatement, but certainly non-trivial compared to adjusting the fence.
I have gotten as far as attaching the extension table. It has 3 screws which barely clear the screws that hold the L-brackets to the side of the saw.
I suspect if you (or I) have a whole bunch o' stuff on the shelf below, the process really gets involved. The guy I bought the saw from strongly discouraged me from removing the table in order to make the saw more easily moved.
I'm going to order the HTC base, but I have to make sure I get the right model number. They don't list a Unisaw with a 52" fence, so I wrote them an email.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I love my HTC: the saw moves easily when I want it to and doesn't when I don't want it to; without locking casters. Plus I have a 24" by 60" outfeed table with a router insert on the far side.
Frosty
"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
I have a Delta base for my Unisaw with 50" Unifence. I move it a lot because my workspace is long and narrow.
When you move this base, you raise one end of it with a lever under the table board. This raises the whole thing up on 3 wheels. The end of the table board moves the most, maybe 3-4 inches. Once you are done moving the machine, you lower it back onto rubber feet. When lowered, the base is very stable - it would take a lot of force to make it move.
The base is very well made but it has one problem: when you lower it to "lock" its new location, it tends to thump against the floor. The front rail and table board tend slip out of alignment due to the thumping.
If you don't like this situation you may want to consider an HTC base. I have an HTC base for my jointer and I am happy with it. The HTC and Delta bases are of similar quality. The HTC bases do not raise so they would not have the thumping problem.
The "problem" is not terrible - just something to consider. The HTC base does not bang but it may not lock as well because it is on wheels all the time. With the Delta base if you move the machine a lot, you may have to realign parts every few months.
Peter, thanks for the details and noting that semi-problem of "bumping." This kind of detail really helps! I have to spend some time checking out the HTC online.
The only bases I can look at "in person" are the Jet and the Shop fox. The Jet has a very flimsy, relative to it's purpose, bar that goes out to the end of the table frame. The flexion of this bar when moving was a complaint in a couple of the Amazon reviews, and looking at it in the local tool store, it sure was underwhelming. The Shop Fox channel-size is awfully smalll for holding a tool of this size, I think I'll pass. So deciding between the Delta and the HTC.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
My Unisaw is in my garage and I am frequently moving it. When crosscutting wide plywood, or ripping a 10-foot board, I move it 90 degrees to the other side of the garage so I can fit the work both in front of and behind the saw. I nudge it a foot or two to the left or right if I need the clearance to crosscut a 10-foot board. My router is mounted in the table on the right, so if I have a wide pice going through there, I move the saw assembly a couple of feet over to give me room to work. The only people who have the luxury of a stationary table saw are those with 8 feet of clearance on all four sides. Not me.
I've found that a fair amount of fine dust collects under the machine when left in one place for a while, despite constant hookup to my dust collector, and it's convenient to be able to vacuum it up from time to time. No question being able to move the saw around effortlessly is a major convenience.
No question also that the Delta base is the way to go. I ordered it with the saw in 2000, so I've never been without it. It was built for the machine, and it does everything I need it to do, while taking up virtually no space of its own. It also provides two sturdy rails onto which I've built useful cubbies. I store my spare router, my miter gauge with its auxiliary fence, all my 10" blades, dado set, featherboards, push sticks, chisels, planes, and any tools I need for the job of the moment in there.
The Delta base is elegant, functional, and extremely easy to use. Don't jerry-rig this one. Get the right tool for the job.
By the way, I use temporary infeed and outfeed units that I saw in Tablesaw Methods of Work, a compilation of Jim Richey gems from FWW. Wonderful book, published in 2000. See page 89. These units are lipped 3-foot-long 1x10s with 1x2 legs on hinges. They've worked for every piece I've ever cut, even ripping 4x8 plywood. They store out of the way and I only hook them onto the saw when cutting pieces over about three feet long. By not tying yourself down to massive outfeed tables, you free yourself up to have a nimble, moveable, 500-pound saw.
Thanks for the info and the tip Richey's tables. I'm leaning heavily toward the Delta. Question for you, though....do you notice the problem Peter cited, or have you found a way around it? To wit: "...when you lower it to "lock" its new location, it tends to thump against the floor. The front rail and table board tend slip out of alignment due to the thumping." [emph. added]forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I wanted to comment on that, but I didn't want to start arguing with someone publicly. I have never noticed that happening. You do have to put a little grease on the cam so the pedal moves smoothly. In the up position the two rubber feet of the base only come about an inch off the floor. When lowering the base back to a fixed position, you can ease up on the pedal with your leg as it's coming down so as not to bump it. I have a Biesemeier fence and it's very solid. I think if it's bolted down tight to the body of the saw, you're fine. Eight years and going strong. I even moved it once along the way. I can't imagine having the 52" fence without the moving base.
Thanks, B. I'm sure the discussion could be entertained without arguing, especially since he'd probably appreciate any hints re: how to eliminate the "thump" from the process! Your response clears the air on the Delta base. Now, to look in the mattress for the $$. ;-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
FG,
I'm okay cept for this lousy pinched nerve. Having naturally curly hair you can just imagine how hard it is to exceed peoples expectations....Anyhow, the question for you is...what about your rubber flooring? How will that work with what ever you decide for the TS?
ForestGirl and B52,
Thanks for being civil B. Not everybody is. You are correct about the height of the base once "up" - I was guessing about the height above the floor. I was sure it was more but I couldn't measure it at the time - sorry for the inaccuracy.
There are a couple of reasons that you may not have noticed any fence movement:
The Beisemeyer fence attaches more solidly to the saw. It has more bolts holding it to the saw than the Unifence. The Unifence only has one real "rail" while the Bies has 2. Also, the connetion of my Unifence at the table board is done with Z shaped sheet metal brackets that have flex in then. Never really thought to look at these when I bought the machine but it is kind of "Mickey Mouse".
I found that even when the cam was well lubricated it was difficult to set the end of the saw down without bumping against the floor. Maybe I was just impatient but a tiny bit of movement at the cam makes a big movement at the end of the table. I suppose if you were always careful to control the movement of the lever maybe you won't have a problem. I wasn't always that careful.
Anyway I still stand by by observation. I have had the machine since '99 and I have realigned it 3 or 4 times now. Then it would be fine for a week or a month and then I would see it from a few feet away and notice that the front rail was not parallel with the top of the table. I basically got to the point of ignoring the misalignment. It would often catch if I slid the fence over the joint between the top and the table board.
Was the problem a safety concern? No. Did it affect the quality of my woodworking? No because I always knew that the blade may not be parallel to the face of the fence. Annoying? Yes. Was it annoying enough to change the way that I set it down after a move? Apparently not.
If I had it to to do over again I'd buy a shorter fence so that I would move the machine less.
ForestGirl: Since buying a shorter fence is not really in play here, I would look at the base that doesn't move up and down to see if it might work at least as well as this one does. I hope this helps.
Peter, thanks for the further detail. I'm going to look carefully at my fence, rail, etc., and really consider all this info, because I will not have patience with anything that comes out of alignment. I will have to move the saw more than occasionally, don't want headaches!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Peter, thanks for the explanation. I guess I've been taking my fence's solidity for granted. I've never used the Unifence. You're right that the Biesemeyer is bolted on for all it's worth. I could easily use it to pick up the saw and move it around. Well, I couldn't easily do it, but it could easily take it.
All the best,
Bob
Like most folks posting on this thread, I recommend the Delta base. Fortunately I have not had the trouble that PeterB3900 described. Mind you I only move mine about once a month or so.
The base accommodated the long table and it makes it easy to insert a shelf or two. I attached a few pics. The raising foot handle is shown in a lousy pic, #4. Pic 2 shows more detail of the base. Pic 3 shows a roller stand which I find one of the handiest things I ever bought to help with long lumber or plywood. Pic 1 shows the out feed table setup. The unit behind the blade (gray color) is a Delta and it folds downward to the base of the saw. The unit to its right is home made and it folds back to rest on the 50" table when I need to move the saw.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Peter
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
Edited 3/15/2008 8:41 pm by PeterDurand
Thanks for the pictures, Peter. Your saw looks much like what I'd like mine too -- all that good "stuff" stored on the shelf, LOL. right down to the rubber mat, which is what my flooring is, though I pulled most of it up for now, 'til I get some machines moved around.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
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