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Workbench casters

3K views 19 replies 8 participants last post by  ToolsOnaWall 
#1 ·
Hi there,

I am designing a new workbench for my new (very small) shop. The shop is only 3,0x3,5 meters (around 10 by 11,5 feet). Therefore it's important for me that the workbench is mobile. This way I can work around it and move it outside when I need to cut bigger stock. Now my big question is what kind of casters should I use? These are the two most obvious options in my mind:

1. regular double locking casters like these:
https://www.amazon.com/Double-Locking-Swivel-Caster-Mounting/dp/B001N1FYU6

I have two problems with this type of caster. One: I really don't know how sturdy these actually are. I want absolutely no play on the workbench and I wonder if these casters can provide that. And two: they raise the workbench up quite a bit. Which will create a big unused space underneath the workbench that I ideally would like to prevent.

2. Retractable casters like these:
https://www.amazon.com/SOLEJAZZ-Wor...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Now at first thought, these casters solve the problem of the sturdiness and the empty space underneath. But they cause another problem: They stick out to the side of the workbench. This will be inefficient as well because I cant put the workbench in the corner. Also because I won't be able to lower the wheel in that corner.

Some information so you can get an idea of the weight of my workbench:
It will be a workbench that 2 meters long and 75 cm wide (around 6,5 feet by 2,5 feet). It will be built out of standard 4x7's (2 by 4's in imperial) witch a plywood top and bottom. I want to build in the Metabo ts 254 m (24,4kg or 54 pounds). And a self-made router table. I don't know exactly what I want to do with the leftover space yet. But I am going to make it as efficiently as possible. So it won't be a lot of air, thus it will be heavy.

I hope you guys can give me some advice, tips and ideas. Maybe you have a completely other system of mobilizing a workbench.

I hope my English was good enough for you. Because as you may notice, English is not my mother tongue. I'm just a Dutch guy who needs some help:wink:.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Niels
 
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#2 ·
Retractable casters would be my preference so the bench would be steady to work on. One thing I can tell you from years of factory experience is if you have two fixed and two swivel casters moving the bench will be like driving a car, four swivel casters will be like wrestling a pig on ice.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I just finished my small-space workbench something like 4 days ago. I can post pictures if you want!

I built a workbench that you tip onto a bracket on the wall and fold up. My lumber cart and workbench take up roughly an 8'x2' space when not in use. I'm very happy with it.

I also love the retractable wheels. I plan to put them on pretty much everything that needs to be moved. You have so much more material contacting the ground when it's the bottoms of the legs and not the apex of the wheel, and this just means it's more stable.


The retractable wheels do stick out a bit, but that hasn't been an issue. I was actually worried I'd trip on them, but they don't stick out far enough.

The only wrinkle I had with the retractable wheels is due to the kind of bench I made. One of the major benefits is the folding legs, but that's also a big weakness. You need to use a spreader bar to keep the legs from folding in while you move it around the work area, but with the retractable legs in the only position that works if you want to be able to fold the table, the legs splay a little when the wheels are engaged because the contact point with the floor is not dead center with the leg. To fix that, I just added brackets to the spreader bar that also stops any outward movement.


Edit: After reading more closely about the bench you're making, I thought I'd add a couple things. I am also operating in a very small space. My benchtop is 84"x37". While my bench does not have a built in router table or space for my table saw, I am on my way out to the garage right now to build a cart for each one that is precisely the same height as my workbench. This way, I can just scoot the machine I'm using up to my workbench and use it as an outfeed table or crosscut support. Two small carts will be much easier to store than having them built into my workbench, not to mention having them built into my bench would make them slightly less versatile for my purposes.
 
#7 ·
Hey GruneHolzarbeiten,

Are you German, your name sounds German to me. It sounds like you have a little more space than me. I'm afraid I don't have any more room for a separate table saw or router table. But could you send pictures of them anyway? I would like to see how small yours are. And about the casters, are you able to put your workbench in a corner? Because I don't think you can do that with those casters.
 
#6 ·
If you aren't doing folding legs, you can put the wheels on the inward-facing sides of the legs. Just remember to leave yourself some clearance under the stretcher so you can fit your foot in there. I'll try and find a picture real quick...
 
#9 · (Edited)
Polyurethane wheels are not the most durable, but they did last about 4 years on my assembly table rolling around on rather rough concrete floor. It is very heavy and I probably should have gotten bigger ones.

The locks are excellent because they lock both the wheel and swivel. Because of this I don't think retractable wheels are necessary.

If you have a smooth floor I would think they should last quite a while.
 
#19 ·
My Dewalt contractors table saw came with mobile base. It has two fixed castors on one end and one swivel on the other. So it is on three wheels. The swivel castor is the type almost identical to https://www.amazon.com/SOLEJAZZ-Work...NsaWNrPXRydWU= and since it is centered under the one end of the saw, Dewalt has a rod that extends toward the front of the saw so stepping on the rod pushes the pedal down without having to reach your foot to the center under the saw to use the pedal. Basically it is a 1/2" rod that extends 90 degrees and has holes drilled through the side of the pedal. My rod is welded to the pedal but it certainly could be nut'd to the pedal. I wouldn't hesitate to do the same on a bench. If you are interested I can take a photo.
 
#20 ·
I replaced the wheels on my table saw with a kit from Rockler. It has two fixed wheels and two that retract to pads, it is a stable platform. My table saw has a cast iron table and a cast iron router table extension, the wheel kit has been holding up very well for over five years so far. I also have a couple portable benches like my lathe table, I got wheels from castercity.com, they lock the wheel and swivel in any position. I have a two car garage that has room for one car and my tools so I put wheels on stuff.
 

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