Shopsmith Forums

I'm building a bench that I plan to also use for tool storage. It probably weighs close to 150 pounds now with no drawers or cabinets installed. With drawers and tools it might weigh 500lbs.

I would like to have the bench legs to sit on the floor until I need to move it and be relatively easy to move. I have double locking casters installed now and it still moves a little.

I've been searching for the internet since Sunday. Here is the simplest solution I have found so far. However I can see a problem if the bench is to heavy to lift the end.

I don't like the Rockler workbench casters. They are only rated for a 100lbs and the idea of lifting a 500lb bench one corner at a time seems like a bad idea.

I'm looking for ideas that are not expensive and use standard casters.

I think the solution depicted in your link is quite effective but is limited by your ability to lift the work bench to employ the wheels. So long as you can do that, it is great.

In my shop, I would not like the wheels being there.

Now, the flip side. With a bench as heavy as you believe yours is going to be, when completed and fully loaded, just how often are you going to want to relocate it?

In my opinion, wheels belong ONLY on those items that are moved frequently. I even doubt the validity of me having wheels on all of the equipment I have in the shop.

I would use cast iron wheels for that load. I would include a jack to raise/lower.

I also question the 'need' to move a 500# bench 'often'.

I bought castors at Woodcraft that lock both the swivel and rolling and they do the job. However since the bench is sitting on only a very small surface area of the wheels it isn't as jiggle resistant as if it was sitting on a bigger surface area. I have well over a couple hundred pounds of tools in it plus its weight.

It doesn't move but it jiggles and not enough to be problematic. When I say jiggle it is more than a touch with the finger. It requires enough force to overcome the inertia of 300-500 lbs of weight.

I think to make it any better you have to get the table sitting on more surface area that wheels give you. That will require either raising it up or lowering jacks down. There really isn't any other choices.

So far the castors have not developed a flat spot and the table serves me well. On the back side of it I also have scrap sheet good storage for ply scraps smaller than 3ft by 6ft.

I don't remember where I saw it, but how about trailer tongue jacks with wheels? You would be doing one corner at a time, but you wouldn't need to lift it far to get mobile. Or solid jacks and casters underneath the table; you could lower the solid jacks for stationary work.

[quote="crosscreekcraig"]I don't remember where I saw it, but how about trailer tongue jacks with wheels? You would be doing one corner at a time, but you wouldn't need to lift it far to get mobile. Or solid jacks and casters underneath the table]

I was thinking of the same thing. You can buy implement jacks with wheels that crank up that you weld on. No reason they could not be bolted on. You can get them at farm supply stores.

JPG40504 wrote:I also question the 'need' to move a 500# bench 'often'.

I don't have a woodworking shop. It's a hybrid shop. term. I work on woodworking, motorcycles, lawn equipment, autos, gardening, electronics, computers, gunsmithing and occasionally some light metal work. Three motorcycles are stored in there along with all the tools for all of these things. Everything has to be adaptable and mobile so it can conform to the job at hand.

To be frank it needs to move because I want it to move and that should be a good enough reason.

The trailer jacks are something I didn't think of. I don't think they would work well out of the box due to the crank. The wheel on the one I put on my trailer doesn't roll very well.

The bench as configured now rolls very well. It will roll out of the garage if you don't have at least one of the brakes set. I took it out in my unpaved driveway and rolled it around. it went right over the rocks easy. Four inch ball bearing casters roll real good.

Many years ago when I have a very small work shop with large door, I made a 28" X 92" work bench with 2X4 and 3/4" plywood with another 1/4" for the top. I had several vises mounted on the top and end with a 2 shelves underneath. I used 5" cast iron casters between the front and back legs with the 2X4 legs about 1/4" from the ground. The bottom shelf was a little shorter (4" from ground) and boxed for the casters on each end. I had 2 long wedges cut that I used under the front legs to stabilize the bench. The back legs extended around 24" above the table with a 12" boxed shelf on top. I had electrical outlets above the bench top with a long 12 ga extension cord. It was quite heavy and I storaged most of my tools, hand and electrical on the shelves. I would rolled the bench outside each time whenever I was doing a lot of work in the shop. I still could do very limited work inside the shop on the bench but had very little room to move.

billmayo wrote: I had 2 long wedges cut that I used under the front legs to stabilize the bench.

I saw a bench that had a similar setup somewhere and I have been looking for it but haven't been able to locate it yet. If I remember correctly they used a pry bar to lift the end of the and slipped the wedge under the leg/s.

The more I think about it the more I like the idea of recessing the wheels. They don't have to be mounted directly on the end of the leg.