The casters I have use a lever that curves over the wheel. Not real close to the wheel, but it keeps the same profile. To lock them just step on the lever and it locks. To unlock them, pull up on the lever, be it with your foot or in my case by hand. I have size 15 feet and getting them close to anything takes some extra work...
When I make my bases I use swivel casters on all 4 wheels and locking on only the front wheels. You can get all 4 to lock but how often will you walk all the way around a tablesaw to lock them? Also keep in mind that mobile bases are a nice feature but you can make your own for a lot less. And making your own lets you choose the diameter of the wheels. And believe me, bigger is better at least up to 4 inches. There is a bit of sway when you put a tool on a base. But if you need to move them and want to be able to walk the next day a base is absolutely necessary. Hey with a sloped floor, you can clear up the parking problem. Finish with a tool, just unlock the wheels and let them find their own way to the wall. Or next to the tool already against the wall... ----- Original Message ----- From: Dan Rossi To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 3:05 PM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] mobile bases Bob, You bring up an excellent point about tools VS space. I will most likely have to put everything up on mobile bases to be able to shuffle things around my imaginary future shop. I have never seen a mobile base in action. How do you lock / unlock, the casters? Or do they raise up an inch then lower back down after you position it? If the casters lock, how stable is the tool when working on it? With the way my basement floor is sloped, I may need to do something to level it out, otherwise, large, heavy pieces of equipment on wheels may be chasing me around the shop. -- Blue skies. Dan Rossi Carnegie Mellon University. E-Mail: [email protected] Tel: (412) 268-9081 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
