How Immobile should a mobile base be?

My $20 Harbor Freight bases work great which I'm guessing is a similar style
as yours. Solid as can be when in the down position and moves great when in
the mobile position. It really sounds like you don't have the adjustable
pads adjusted properly or you are trying to use them to make up for an
uneven floor. I don't think the adjustable pads are really designed to make
up for a big unevenness in your floor, maybe you're expecting them to do too
much? They should be adjustable to the point that the saw rests on them
when you lift the wheel and in the air when the wheel is down. This
shouldn't be difficult to do on a relatively even floor.

--
Larry C in Auburn, WA

"Joe Shmoe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:ummQb.247649$X%5.112723@pd7tw2no...
> Hi all,
>
> I bought a universal mobile base to put under my table saw and I have a
> question. I put it together as per the instruction sheet and set it down
> to test it, but -colour me stupid here- is the thing not supposed to be
> immobile when in use? No matter where I position the levers the darn
thing
> keeps on moving. It gets a little more difficult to move in certain
> positions but I really wouldn't want to rip a 2x4 with the base not
> absolutely firm on the ground.
>
> I also busted a bolt while hand-tightening it. Maybe I just got a piece
of
> crap?
>
>

Which mobile base did you get?

When at rest, does it touch the floor with three points or four?

I have a Jet mobile base, made by HTC, that is a three point and it sucks.
My bandsaw wobbles on it. I have many Delta mobile bases, a couple are
universal, and they all sit on four points when you aren't rolling. They
are rock solid.

Rob


"Joe Shmoe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:ummQb.247649$X%5.112723@pd7tw2no...
> Hi all,
>
> I bought a universal mobile base to put under my table saw and I have a
> question. I put it together as per the instruction sheet and set it down
> to test it, but -colour me stupid here- is the thing not supposed to be
> immobile when in use? No matter where I position the levers the darn
thing
> keeps on moving. It gets a little more difficult to move in certain
> positions but I really wouldn't want to rip a 2x4 with the base not
> absolutely firm on the ground.
>
> I also busted a bolt while hand-tightening it. Maybe I just got a piece
of
> crap?
>
>

In article <M3nQb.253060$ts4.55713@pd7tw3no>, Joe Shmoe
<[email protected]> wrote:

> I bought it from Lee Valley.

Well, there you go!

Just call them. They'll go out of their way to ensure the base is
working properly for you, and if it isn't I'll bet you $10 they offer
to either replace it or take it back with them paying the shipping.

djb

--
There are no socks in my email address.

"Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati"

Dave Balderstone wrote:

> In article <M3nQb.253060$ts4.55713@pd7tw3no>, Joe Shmoe
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I bought it from Lee Valley.
>
> Well, there you go!
>
> Just call them. They'll go out of their way to ensure the base is
> working properly for you, and if it isn't I'll bet you $10 they offer
> to either replace it or take it back with them paying the shipping.
>
> djb
>



Yes they will, gotta love those Canadians :) I'm thinking that the
problem is on my end though. The instructions for assembly were good,
there's just no instructions on how to use it. I know, I know, most of you
wreckers can figure these things out on your own, some of us just need
reassurance every now and then that we've done a setup properly.

I followed T's advice and put my tablesaw on the base. That did a lot to
stop it from moving but the only way I can find to stop it completely is to
put the levelling pads in a fully extended postion. Only problem there
though, is that now the saw is nowhere near 'level'. If I adjust the legs
to make the saw level, there is just way too much movement in the saw.

And now I see it's snowing outside. Great...

Joe Shmoe wrote:
> I bought a universal mobile base to put under my table saw and I have a
> question. I put it together as per the instruction sheet and set it down
> to test it, but -colour me stupid here- is the thing not supposed to be
> immobile when in use? No matter where I position the levers the darn thing
> keeps on moving.
>
> I also busted a bolt while hand-tightening it. Maybe I just got a piece of
> crap?


Could be. I visited the local woodworker's shop the other day and I had a
choice of three different "universal" bases: the Delta, Jet and some off brand
I'd never heard of. The fellow talked me into the Delta and I'm glad he did.
There was no real price advantage, the Jet and Delta were the same price (you
supply the wood) and the off brand was more money (was made completely of metal;
no wood required).

I visited the local hardwood supplier and bought some red oak. Milled it down
and put the thing together. It's easy to move when I want it to, but it's rock
solid when I don't. The Delta has two small fixed wheels and then one large
castoring wheel that raises the whole thing off the levelers.

I loaded my planer onto it.

I bought two of the bases for about $100 and enough oak for both of them for
about $35. None of the hardware stripped or broke when I put it together.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

[email protected]
http://www.mortimerschnerd.com

Rob wrote:

> Which mobile base did you get?
>
> When at rest, does it touch the floor with three points or four?
>
> I have a Jet mobile base, made by HTC, that is a three point and it sucks.
> My bandsaw wobbles on it. I have many Delta mobile bases, a couple are
> universal, and they all sit on four points when you aren't rolling. They
> are rock solid.
>
> Rob
>
>


It's supposed to have 4 points. 2 wheels and 2 rubber "levelling pads".
In total there are 4 wheels but 2 of them have levers that (as I understand
it) are supposed to lift them off the ground. The 2 that are supposed to
lift are also the 2 that pivot.

I bought it from Lee Valley. Maybe I'm just doing something wrong. The
instructions weren't the greatest and after having one bolt break maybe I
should toss it before I causes me any more grief.

BIG JOE wrote:
>
> Morty, just a small point here, but why did you use red oak? I used
> white oak for mine. It's a lot stronger and it's also a little
> cheaper (at least in WI).


They don't offer to help carry the stuff at the hardwood place I went to. I am
VERY arthritic, having crushed one of my hips many years ago. I saw the red oak
first and that was as far as I cared to walk. No prices marked on anything that
I could see.

As for strength, how tough does it have to be? I was helping a neighbor beat
something into position with a scrap of it and a sledge. The sledge barely
marked it, even though I wasn't holding back. It's quite tough.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

[email protected]
http://www.mortimerschnerd.com

Larry C in Auburn, WA wrote:

> My $20 Harbor Freight bases work great which I'm guessing is a similar
> style
> as yours. Solid as can be when in the down position and moves great when
> in
> the mobile position. It really sounds like you don't have the adjustable
> pads adjusted properly or you are trying to use them to make up for an
> uneven floor. I don't think the adjustable pads are really designed to
> make up for a big unevenness in your floor, maybe you're expecting them to
> do too
> much? They should be adjustable to the point that the saw rests on them
> when you lift the wheel and in the air when the wheel is down. This
> shouldn't be difficult to do on a relatively even floor.
>


I'm sure the uneven floor is part ofthe problem. I'll have to find the
most even spot when I go to use it. For the most part I'm happy with the
base, gives me a little more roomm to move around.

Thanks for all the advice.

Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
>
> I visited the local hardwood supplier and bought some red oak. Milled it down
> and put the thing together. It's easy to move when I want it to, but it's rock
> solid when I don't. The Delta has two small fixed wheels and then one large
> castoring wheel that raises the whole thing off the levelers.
>
> I loaded my planer onto it.
>
> I bought two of the bases for about $100 and enough oak for both of them for
> about $35. None of the hardware stripped or broke when I put it together.

Morty, just a small point here, but why did you use red oak? I used
white oak for mine. It's a lot stronger and it's also a little
cheaper (at least in WI).

Joe

It really should lock down. I have the jet univeral mobile base with
extension. All 6 wheels have locks and stay in place. Its not the best base
in the world, but it does lock in place and do the job.

Bob

"Joe Shmoe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:ummQb.247649$X%5.112723@pd7tw2no...
> Hi all,
>
> I bought a universal mobile base to put under my table saw and I have a
> question. I put it together as per the instruction sheet and set it down
> to test it, but -colour me stupid here- is the thing not supposed to be
> immobile when in use? No matter where I position the levers the darn
thing
> keeps on moving. It gets a little more difficult to move in certain
> positions but I really wouldn't want to rip a 2x4 with the base not
> absolutely firm on the ground.
>
> I also busted a bolt while hand-tightening it. Maybe I just got a piece
of
> crap?
>
>

In article <M3nQb.253060$ts4.55713@pd7tw3no>,
Joe Shmoe <[email protected]> wrote:

> It's supposed to have 4 points. 2 wheels and 2 rubber "levelling pads".
> In total there are 4 wheels but 2 of them have levers that (as I understand
> it) are supposed to lift them off the ground. The 2 that are supposed to
> lift are also the 2 that pivot.
>
> I bought it from Lee Valley. Maybe I'm just doing something wrong. The
> instructions weren't the greatest and after having one bolt break maybe I
> should toss it before I causes me any more grief.

I have one from LV under my table saw; I presume the same model of
stand. I think it would require a very great effort to move it. How
heavy is your table saw? My general is over 300 lbs and nothing short of
good casters or really good slides will let it move easily once it is on
the floor. Actually, the little levers to pop it up on the feet require
quite a lot of force...

Which saw/base do you have? I have the Delta base under my Uni and
it's great. Lifts high enough to clear any unevenness in the basement
floor, and when I lower it off the casters, it's rock solid. Made a ply
base to cover the bottom to put a shop vac on top and vertical partition
to mount a blade holder, miter gauge, etc.
Mark

Joe Shmoe wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I bought a universal mobile base to put under my table saw and I have a
> question. I put it together as per the instruction sheet and set it down
> to test it, but -colour me stupid here- is the thing not supposed to be
> immobile when in use? No matter where I position the levers the darn thing
> keeps on moving. It gets a little more difficult to move in certain
> positions but I really wouldn't want to rip a 2x4 with the base not
> absolutely firm on the ground.
>
> I also busted a bolt while hand-tightening it. Maybe I just got a piece of
> crap?
>
>