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Product Shop Fox mobile base for mill

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DavidR8

DavidR8

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I want to put my mill on a mobile base so I don't have to mess with the d@mn engine hoist if I want to move it a foot.
Thought maybe I'd build my own I started looking at casters and steel. Well that's just painful. $60/caster for ones rated for 300# each plus steel was going to put it north of $200.
Found this at Busy Bee, $140, says it's rated for 1300#. Surely that's enough for my mill.
www.busybeetools.com

Buy Shop Fox Mobile Base 1300lb Cap D2058a at Busy Bee Tools

D2058A Super Heavy Duty Mobile Base with 1300 lbs Capacity - ShopFox 18" x 24" to 28-1/2" x 33-1/2" The new & improved version of the classic Heavy Duty Shop Fox Mobile Base features overall better construction, new cast iron wheels and infinite adjustability within its range. Used for a stable...
www.busybeetools.com www.busybeetools.com
@CalgaryPT I think you had one similar to this.
 
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David_R8 said:
That's an interesting idea. Did you get four casters for $36???
Click to expand...
Sure did! They're not what I'd call amazing, I wouldn't want to be moving my lathe (or anything else) every day on them, but for a couple times a year they absolutely do the job. I estimate my lathe + stand at around 800lbs and they have no issues with that.
 
Perspective. My main workbench is a custom-made section of industrial pallet racking. 48”x108”. Decking is a sandwich of north-south layer of t&g 2x6, intermediate layer of 3/4” plywood, top is a east-west layer of t&g 2x6.

With lathe, milling machine, drill press and ready-use tools stored underneath, it weighs about 1500 lbs.

Last month I moved it across my shop. Jacked it up one corner at a time using a carjack and stacked 2x4s. Bolted 2x10s to the bottom of the legs, and bolted four Princess Auto 300lb rubber casters.

Moved it myself, and I‘m post-retirement and weigh 130lbs soaking wet.

You likely won’t be moving the mill very far, or very often. The advantage of the Shop Fox set-up is it has built-in jacks.
 

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whydontu said:
Perspective. My main workbench is a custom-made section of industrial pallet racking. 48”x108”. Decking is a sandwich of north-south layer of t&g 2x6, intermediate layer of 3/4” plywood, top is a east-west layer of t&g 2x6.

With lathe, milling machine, drill press and ready-use tools stored underneath, it weighs about 1500 lbs.

Last month I moved it across my shop. Jacked it up one corner at a time using a carjack and stacked 2x4s. Bolted 2x10s to the bottom of the legs, and bolted four Princess Auto 300lb rubber casters.

Moved it myself, and I‘m post-retirement and weigh 130lbs soaking wet.

You likely won’t be moving the mill very far, or very often. The advantage of the Shop Fox set-up is it has built-in jacks.
Click to expand...
Thanks, that's excellent perspective!
 
I've got about 5 ft of 4" x4" x.25" angle in the shop. Maybe I'll make some brackets to bolt onto the legs and fix some caters to the brackets...
 
That looks better built than the other 'cheaper' brand they used to sell. I have 4 of them, they bolt together. My major gripe was that they flexed some under weight, flimsy..... I usually end up welding it together once I have the size right. I have most of my wood working equipment on them.

I had my mill on casters (custom made, real skook'em) but got rid of them in favor of 'feet' w/rubber pucks. I never cared for my metal machinery being mobile.

If you were closer, I'd give you a piano moving dolly that is in my shop now..... that thing is well built. But it weighs about 100 lbs itself. I've heard good things about the shop fox branch though.
 
On a mill be careful as they tend to have the CG higher than expected particular when you move them. The second issue is if you do take some heavy cuts the lack of a good bolt down for a small(ish) mill allows vibrations to creep in.
 
Brent H said:
Hey @David_R8 : maybe these would work:


I found the shop fox stand has the one set of swivel wheels and one set of fixed - I am about ready to rip them off and change it out to all swivel. I have one on my band saw and I typically just drag it to position as the steerage sucks.
Click to expand...

That's what I put on my shaper stand. They work well, and that's a decent price for a set of 4.

You can't actually level with them but they stabilize well.
 
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David_R8 said:
I want to put my mill on a mobile base so I don't have to mess with the d@mn engine hoist if I want to move it a foot.
Thought maybe I'd build my own I started looking at casters and steel. Well that's just painful. $60/caster for ones rated for 300# each plus steel was going to put it north of $200.
Found this at Busy Bee, $140, says it's rated for 1300#. Surely that's enough for my mill.
www.busybeetools.com

Buy Shop Fox Mobile Base 1300lb Cap D2058a at Busy Bee Tools

D2058A Super Heavy Duty Mobile Base with 1300 lbs Capacity - ShopFox 18" x 24" to 28-1/2" x 33-1/2" The new & improved version of the classic Heavy Duty Shop Fox Mobile Base features overall better construction, new cast iron wheels and infinite adjustability within its range. Used for a stable...
www.busybeetools.com www.busybeetools.com
@CalgaryPT I think you had one similar to this.
Click to expand...
Yes. And our thought processes were the same: fun to build, but the numbers didn't work. I'm happy with both my ShopFox mobile base and the leg kit I bought for my electronics test bench. No way I can buy the materials for that price.
 
I have a similar base on my radial arm saw for over 25yrs, its a love hate affair. The biggest comment I can make watch the wt limit, don't get close to this limit as it can cause you some stability issues both while moving it and when stationary (to the point of being dangerous). Other than that great tool to have.
 
The base arrived yesterday and I have to say that I'm quite impressed by the quality. A nice touch is the nylock nuts used to lock the bolts used to position the crossmembers. The casters for the lathe table should arrive on Saturday so I'mm be able to install those, shuffle the lathe out of the way so I can position the hoist and put the mill on the base.
 
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