Heavy Duty Mobile Base Complete - Bottom first page

[MrAudio815]

Hello,

(Completed Bottom Page - The design in this post was Horrible, but sounded good in my head)

I am in the process of making a Heavy Duty Mobile Base for my 900lb planer and have just tested out the first frame that will lift the planer and ran into a problem I didn't think of. When I raise both car jacks the planer tilts to one side, it does not stay level.

Any ideas on how to make it level? Here is my crappy sketchup idea. The base on the bottom with be the same width as the upper frame and there will be room at all four corners for legs so when I am not moving it around it will be solid on the floor.



Here are some actual photos of the idea so far and as you can see the planer is tilting to the right... I need it to stay level.



The other side...One car jack for each side and somehow I will figure out how to raise both jacks at the same time. I got the 1" square tubing at the junk yard. Two 12' pieces with rust for $3 each...After a wire grinding wheel got to it and a belt sander they cleaned up nicely. I will powder coat them, then paint the frames black once it's complete.




I was thinking of making some of these for the lower frame to attach to the upper frame on the right and left side of the planer to keep it sturdy. (Where the jacks are is the front and back of the machine)





Thanks for all comments and helping me figure this out~!

[smallboat]

Forgive me if this is a repeat post, I seem to have submitted my reply before I finished.

It looks like the Center of Gravity of the planer is not at its physical center.
You are balancing a long machine on the narrow pad of the jack.
You have a teeter totter-with a big kid on one end, probably one or both motors.

You'll need to find the cg and place the jack there, or build a wider pad with gussets to keep it from bending or pivoting.
The latter might be tricky with that scissor mechanism, nothing to gusset to.

Is it possible/practical to position the jacks at the ends rather than the sides?
or a keep them on the sides but position one nearer the infeed end and one nearer the outfeed?

seems like it might help counter the off balance problem


good luck

[merrill77]

I've been through more mobile base designs in my head than I care to think about.

Move the two jacks partially towards one end and add a third jack at the other? Or switch to a flip-wheel design and raise one end at a time before flipping down the wheels?

[MrAudio815]

Thanks Guys,

I think I know what might works, but may still lean even if it is balanced. I was thinking of cutting the top middle square box on the jack and bending each half up, then putting 1" square tubing between that, that is the length of the frame I have....Or just attach it to the frame with a couple bolts right at the center of gravity along with those scissor arms to stabilize it.

Or I was thinking if I just get 4 threaded rods, one at each corner and raise one side at a time, unless I got a long enough chain to turn them all at once. It would be similar to the router lift




How does that sound or look in your minds? It's looking good in my mind, but hey it's 12pm. Thanks again~!

[MrAudio815]

Do you think if I used 1/2" threaded rod that it would be strong enough for 900lbs? One on each corner to spread the load?


Thanks,

Matthew

[chris_goris]

Do you think if I used 1/2" threaded rod that it would be strong enough for 900lbs? One on each corner to spread the load?


Thanks,

Matthew

yes Matthew, 1/2" threaded rod WOULD be strong enough but I dont think youll ever be able to turn all 4 at once from one place. Did you investigate buying a base?. I know you got the machine for a song, so why not spring for the correct base?. In the end, I think youre going to spend alot of time and money and its still not going to work very well, if at all. IMO.

[MrAudio815]

Thanks Chris,

Yes I investigated a mobile base about $104 or so. Thing is Mobile bases don't give you that much clearance. For a shop floor its great, but for moving up a ramp it gets high centered. I have this problem with my bandsaw, but since it is pretty light compared to the planer and long it is easy to pick up with two guys.

I wanted a mobile base that would give me 3 to 4" of clearance so it would go up a ramp easier.

I just thought of using one thicker threaded rod in the middle of each side and then having two rods or something similar that would lock into place once raised to balance it. Sort of like a wood vise that has a threaded rod in the middle and two rods to balance it...even though it is not carry a load.


I just want it to work, but may end up just giving in and buying a mobile base.

[chris_goris]

Then Matt , may I suggest buying a standard base and adding larger wheels to it?. That would probably do what you need it to do. $104? ?!! thats cheap!. Ill bet you could make one work somehow.

[Woodman2k]

Matt,
you are doing all this experimentation and your not seeing the results with a long, heavy piece of lumber going through the planer. I think your pushing the limits of safe design. Those pads on those jacks are not designed for loads that are not on axis to the c/l of the jack. Keep an eye out on ebay or cl for a proper mobile base ,as mentioned above, get larger casters for it ,and save your more creative moments for items that won't crush anything in it's path if it ever falls over. in the mean while, get a hardwood pallet and bolt it to it. If you have to move it , borrow a pallet jack. My $.02
Greg

[MrAudio815]

Chris & Greg~!


Thank you Both so much... I was in my shop Saturday and I was determined to get that car jack idea to work. And I kept looking at it thinking how the *@#! am I going to pull this off. Then while I was by my grinder I said hey "Why don't I use these leveling feet I got off my router table and just raise the planer up slightly to level it/stabilize it so it doesn't move when I am using it and raise them up when I want to roll it around.

I used some others design's sort of, but in two days time (4.5hrs) I had this and it's complete. I have used the machine a few times before starting this project and even used it to plane the Maple for the leveling feet while it was in the air...With three jacks supporting it.






Suspended in the air, lowering very slowly with 6 HF strap wrenches.




Thanks again,

Matthew

[Woodman2k]

Matt,
Looks safer than the first idea but those threaded feet look awfully thin/lite. Did you consider making some 2 by 2 maple blocks ,drilling tight clearance holes that are sized to the threaded rod, and mounting them to the bottom with the feet screwed up through them. That would support the threaded feet and would prevent the planer from dropping very far if one of the feet ever broke. I'm probably not explaining this well as it is late but hopefully you got the gist of my .....
Greg

[MrAudio815]

Thanks Greg,

There pretty thick, but I will have to measure. The feet are tapped into 7/8" maple on bottom and 23/32" plywood on top with a very tight tolerance. The mobile base is very sturdy without the feet touching at all and easy to move around the shop with no fear of it tipping without the feet lowered. When I do lower the feet it really isn't to raise the planer off the ground just to stabilize it/stop it from moving.

I am glad I got resistance to the first idea, as that truly stunk~!

Thanks again~!

[RonJ103]

So how does this compare to the mobile base that you were considering buying? What was your total cost to make it yourself and what advantages did you end up with your own custom design?

[MrAudio815]

Jeremy,

Well it is a whole lot cheaper than buying one and a lot cheaper than the first design I had. A little bit of plywood from the trash I found, two Maple boards I already had, 4 Harbor Freight 4" 330lb swiveling casters $16, four bolts $1.08, 8 bolts for casters & 8 lag bolts $6, 4 leveling feet from Kreg router table I already had, and a few screws and nails.

So total cost was about $26 for me. If I had to buy it all...$40 for a 4'x8' plywood, $1 BF for maple, 4 leveling feet? (maybe $10/$20), but you can use threaded rod with a locking nut through some wood for feet for cheap. I'd say maybe $70


So it will save you $35 plus you don't have to wait for shipping and it took me less than a day to make.

Pro's: Cheaper, less than a day to make, don't have to wait for shipping, I have 3-1/2" of ground clearance with the feet fully raised where the Shop fox has maybe an inch clearance and mine can more easily be put onto a ramp and onto a trailer when I move.

Con's: Have to make it yourself, If you don't have leveling feet/threaded rod or other parts it will cost you more (about $70) but still cheaper than buying the Heavy Duty Shop Fox.


That's about all I can think of, but let me know what you think.