Workshop fails

[Doug]

Over Xmas & the new year I try & get bits & pieces done in the workshop while I don’t need to be working in there, one of those bits was to make a mobile base for my bandsaw.
On all the other bases I’ve made I’ve used Rutlands casters as they are all locking & take 140kg each, as the bandsaw wasn’t as heavy as my other machines I foolishly decided to look online for no mar casters & found what looked to be a suitable set, three weeks after installation that decision proved to be a bad one




This was the front caster :shock: when I finally got the base off the machine which involved lowering the saw onto its back I found the rear castor under the main upright section of the machine had split into 3 parts on the plastic drum section.
So after much grinding to remove the old casters as they’d been welded on the new casters duely delivered from Rutlands on Friday were masked up, welded on & the paint work touched up.



After which was the not inconsiderable task of uprighting the saw & getting it 6 & 1/2” high so I could slide the modified base under the machine




Finally the saw is resting in its base ironically although far easier to move even when the old casters were new the machine is more solid when the casters are in the locked position




Note to self, always go with what you know works :?

 

[Malc2098]

That's defo a three shredded wheat job!

Well done!

 

[Doug]

That's defo a three shredded wheat job!

Well done!

You’re right there Malc, lowering it down wasn’t too bad but dead lifting it back up I certainly knew about it.

This is one reason I want to get most things in the workshop on casters as as I get older moving machines around gets harder & harder, plus my plan future down the line is to lay a wooden floating floor in the shop as over the last couple of years I really notice my back if I’ve spent the day standing in there & having machines on caster will make the installation of that floor much easier.

 

[Malc2098]

That's defo a three shredded wheat job!

Well done!

You’re right there Malc, lowering it down wasn’t too bad but dead lifting it back up I certainly knew about it.

This is one reason I want to get most things in the workshop on casters as as I get older moving machines around gets harder & harder, plus my plan future down the line is to lay a wooden floating floor in the shop as over the last couple of years I really notice my back if I’ve spent the day standing in there & having machines on caster will make the installation of that floor much easier.

I agree, Doug. I've built mine with a suspended floor, and although there's a bit of give, and the ply surface dents under some wheels, the standing comfort it provides and the manoeuvrability of the machines and cabinets make it easier for me with the osteo stuff in my shoulder and hip joints.

 

[Doug]

I agree, Doug. I've built mine with a suspended floor, and although there's a bit of give, and the ply surface dents under some wheels, the standing comfort it provides and the manoeuvrability of the machines and cabinets make it easier for me with the osteo stuff in my shoulder and hip joints.

That’s good to hear Malc, I don’t know if you go on UK workshop but Steve Maskery of that parish used 8x2’ chipboard flooring with a plastic coating which I’ve seen & like a lot so I’m thinking of going down a similar route.

 

[RogerS]

Doug...are these your duff castors ? They look the same.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-Heavy-Du ... :rk:2f:1

I need some castors as a temporary fix to be able to move some heavy cupboards about.

 

[Doug]

I was going to post this in the opening thread as it’s another caster type fail but I had that much grief having to resize photos so they would display the right way round I gave up until I’d had my tea.

I bought one of these dolly’s early last year






I’d been using one that belonged to a customer to transport my tools from the van to the back of his property & it had certainly made life a lot easier on what was a fair trek.
So when I saw them on offer I bought one myself, the problem I found was they work fine on flat surfaces but as soon as the going is anything other than flat the hard plastic wheels have a nasty habit of refusing to traverse even the mildest of obstacles resulting in a spillage of whatever is loaded on it. So the rivered stone paving between where I park the van & the workshop was definitely a no go area

As a result the dolly had been knocking about the workshop unused for quite a few months regularly being moved out the way. Annoyed at having to move it again it dawned on me to put the couple of buckets I have for off cuts on it keeping them in place with a few nogs of wood.







These buckets usually reside under the planer thicknesser beds, just being moved out if I’m thicknessing a wide piece of timber, having them on the dolly made moving them a lot easier but looking at the dolly I realised I was wasting space so having some offcuts of 12mm MDF I figured I could come up with something a bit better







It’s roughly 600x300mm, 500mm high at the back & 300mm at the front & holds a surprising amount of timber whilst still fitting nicely under the planer

 

[Doug]

Doug...are these your duff castors ? They look the same.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-Heavy-Du ... :rk:2f:1

I need some castors as a temporary fix to be able to move some heavy cupboards about.

They certainly look very similar if not the same Rog though that’s not where mine came from

 

[Malc2098]

I think I learned the hard way with cheap casters.

At Peter Parfitt's recommendation, I now use Coldene Castors,

https://www.firstcastors.com/en/

Made in Britain, efficient to deal with, and selection made easy on the website by load etc.

 

[RogerS]

Those Rutland castors are superb, Doug.

Downside is that since the last order I placed, they've gone up by 25%

 

[Doug]

I was waiting for them to go in the sale Rog hence getting the first set, this is my fifth set & am well pleased with them.

On a different note have you checked the height between the out feed table & your spiral block? I ask as I’d been getting a little bit of snipe when planing over the top, nothing much but being me it was driving me crazy.
Turned out the outfeed was a little low, I’m sure if I’d paid for the commissioning this would have been sorted then, but I’ve set it within 2 thou of both being level & it’s planing as I’d like now, just wondered if you’d encountered any problem.

 

[RogerS]

I was waiting for them to go in the sale Rog hence getting the first set, this is my fifth set & am well pleased with them.

On a different note have you checked the height between the out feed table & your spiral block? I ask as I’d been getting a little bit of snipe when planing over the top, nothing much but being me it was driving me crazy.
Turned out the outfeed was a little low, I’m sure if I’d paid for the commissioning this would have been sorted then, but I’ve set it within 2 thou of both being level & it’s planing as I’d like now, just wondered if you’d encountered any problem.

I don't think I've noticed any, Doug, but will have a closer look next time. My current gripe is the thicknesser rollers not gripping some over-resinous (but not that over-resinous if truth be told...certainly my Sedgwick wouldn't have been bothered with it) ....and I end up having to lean all my bodyweight and push like b*******y to get the wood through. Or go round to the outfeed and pull with all my strength. Even taking off 0.5mm which is daft.

 

[Doug]

I find he more you take off the better it goes through, I occasionally struggle with pine but find a spray of their bed lubricator (I won’t try to spell it) works a treat

 

[DaveL]

I have just had an email from Rutlands, the casters are on a buy one get one free offer with a code, shout if you need the code.

 

[RogerS]

I have just had an email from Rutlands, the casters are on a buy one get one free offer with a code, shout if you need the code.

Damn ! Too late :lol:

 

[Woodbloke]

I agree, Doug. I've built mine with a suspended floor, and although there's a bit of give, and the ply surface dents under some wheels, the standing comfort it provides and the manoeuvrability of the machines and cabinets make it easier for me with the osteo stuff in my shoulder and hip joints.

Agree about a suspended floor; there is some 'give' in it. However, all my machines are located permanently in their spots (not bolted down though, apart from the big Ax bandsaw). As they are in set positions and don't get moved, it then becomes relatively easy to locally reinforce the joists under said machines (paving slabs and big chunks of pine).
A suspended floor is also kinder (I think) on the tootsies and it's definitely warmer. Mine is made from 18mm ply with hardboard (exterior is best) over the top. It's also quite forgiving if per chance a chisel gets inadvertently gets dropped on it - Rob