Machine sleds / permanent trollies?

[julianf]

Obviously the sensible thing is to have a huge workshop, but, in the real world...

What do you do with machines that don't get used every day, and need space around them when they are?

I'm thinking more wood tools than metal. Where the job may be larger than the tool, so you need space, but don't want it in the middle of the floor all the time.

My Planar thicknesser is on wheels, but that is relatively light.

I think I've seen tables with cams that lever down the wheels for movement alone.

Anyone have much experience in this area?

Thank you

 

[MattF]

I just put mine on wooden skids, but that gets a bit awkward when serious machine weight is involved. Castors/wheels are fine if you can retract them somehow. Just recently tried my pillar drill on a wheeled base, and having the wheels permanently in contact with the ground sucks, especially if they're swivel castors.

 

[Dcal]

I used to put wheels / casters on stuff, then I got a second hand pallet truck
Great bit of kit for the job, I now just mod the kit so I can get the truck under it.

 

[bigegg]

two wheels fixed to one end, so they don't touch the floor unless the other end is lifted by 4-6 inches.
and a removable wheeled lever on the other end.

like this:




but it's better with a ball/socket joint to steer with.

 

[bigegg]

ps, there's plenty of videos on youboob that show options.

 

[frank horton]

Julian,
my place is pretty full........thought it best to put the heavy stuff, 2 lathes, 2 mill's etc on a frame cum chassis that a pallet truck just fits under........
all the light weight stuff is on caster's that lock......
but of course u need a smooth concrete floor......my pallet truck 200kgs/cap is stored under my fettling bench, which weight 1/2 ton.......

 

[bigegg]

some things probably shouldn't be moved: like a lathe!

having said that, I'm toying with the idea of having my lathe mounted on a "lift" so it can be lifted out of a cabinet to use, then dropped down to give me a workbench.
it's only a small (5ft overall, about 300kgs without legs) Holbrook, so should be do-able.
either wire cables, bike chain and sprockets, hydraulic ram, or linear actuator - haven't decided yet.


my table saw is just on lockable castors- they were *expensive* (like £25 each) -
6" fully lockable.
router table is on 3" castors off a supermarket trolley. I just wedge two of the wheels to stop it moving.

drill (it's a meddings Pacera benchtop, so around 120kgs?) is fixed to a 2ft square roller cabinet, again on 3" castors.
they don't lock, but don't have a problem with it moving because it's got 10 eurocrates full of hardware, hammers, files cold chisels, spnanners and sockets underneath. (so 300-400kgs)

I have two rolling cabinets in the kitchen (I put them on wheels so I could clean underneath - elderly mum drops stuff a lot!)
again, 3" castors, not locking, no problematic movement.

 

[bigegg]

oh...
wind down legs like on a trailer tent/caravan might be an option?
I've done it for mobile access platforms (to be used for maintenance on trains/helicopters, so had to be *solid*).

to do it cheap, I'd use m16 all thread and nuts and washers and a compression spring.
16mm ID tube to bolt to the machine stand, and the allthread runs through it.
wind the nut to drop the leg, when you unwind, the springlifts the leg.

 

[james butler]

lad i know has a bench with mech under each end between the legs and is connected to a scissor jack, he can lift each end up onto fixed casters and one end has rope around it to pull it about.
hopefully my pic gives you an idea of what it looks like

the jacks can lift a ton each so should be good for most heavy stuff

 

[james butler]

meant to say the table legs are steel and the top is thick plywood covered in sheet steel.
but the priciple should be able to apply to most things as long as you can get it under whatever your trying to lift.

 

[Keith 66]

Some years back i had a run of work moving machinery lathes, mills & such out of school workshops. I built a custom trolley, basically a U shaped box section steel frame with angle iron on the inside of the U to forn a ledge, The cross beam was stepped up & out at each end to allow Heavy duty castors with non marking tyres. The open end of the U was closed by a bolt on axle. It was simply a matter of jacking the lathe up 2" of the floor slid the trolley around it bolt the axle back on & lower the lathe down a bit onto angle iron bearers. Holes were provided to bolt harrisons, bantams & boxfords down. It was safe as houses the machines couldnt fall over & it didnt bugger up the carpets we sometimes had to cross! Ground clearance was about 1 1/2". Made the job easy.

 

[Burdekin]

I’ve had a couple of things on castors for a good while and seems to be okay. You could also use skates or bolt on castor legs.

I make big trolleys normally just out of timber when needed but also have a couple of the rectangle version of these and are decent for the price: https://www.aldi.co.uk/workzone-round-dolly-trolley/p/096189206456600

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

I’ve had a couple of things on castors for a good while and seems to be okay. You could also use skates or bolt on castor legs.

I make big trolleys normally just out of timber when needed but also have a couple of the rectangle version of these and are decent for the price: https://www.aldi.co.uk/workzone-round-dolly-trolley/p/096189206456600

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Ladders+&+Storage/d110/Sack+Trucks/sd3156/Roughneck+Dolly/p99817
A bit bigger and usually in stock.
Picked up a couple last week for moving furniture around a customers lounge.

 

[Burdekin]

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Ladders+&+Storage/d110/Sack+Trucks/sd3156/Roughneck+Dolly/p99817
A bit bigger and usually in stock.
Picked up a couple last week for moving furniture around a customers lounge.

Yep same size as the rectangle Aldi ones, a nice handy size and can take a bit of abuse.

 

[Keith 66]

Only problem with castors, I had a startrite bandaw on a moveable base with castors, one morning drove out the garage with my truck & the power lead on the bandsaw had fallen down catching on the rear bumper of the truck. I towed the bandsaw over & it hit the concrete with a mighty crash & cloud of sawdust. I shut the door & didnt dare to go in there for two whole days. The bandsaw was fixed but was never quite the same again.
Top heavy machines on high moveable bases are an accident waiting to happen.

 

[bigegg]

these are the legs we used on the access platforms:



listed at $25 each on Alibaba.

 

[julianf]

I don't want to have the machine on wheels all the time, but I also want it easy to get up onto wheels.

So what I'm thinking of at present is a frame under the machine that it sits on, direct to the floor - ie some angle around the base of the machine sandwiched between it and the floor. No loss of stability, no danger of movement, etc

Then, around the edge of this have another frame with castors. Like a ring around the inner frame, I guess.

Have some sort of lever action that just lifts the inner frame a couple of inches (if that) and then some fasteners that lock the two frames together.

I'm only talking machines of a couple of hundred kilos or so, so not massive.

If I get a design sorted I could do the same for all units and have a universal lever (bit of box) that does the lot.

I just need to work out a mechanism to lift evenly. Can't be that hard, I'm sure?

 

[julianf]

these are the legs we used on the access platforms:

View attachment 153587

listed at $25 each on Alibaba.

Got a link for them, or a suggested search phrase?

Thank you

 

[bigegg]

https://m.alibaba.com/product/60177...ler-Jack-With.html?s=p&spm=a2706.amp_showroom


"jacking legs" I think.

 

[armalites]

As already said pallet trucks are fantastic. They can be a bit hit and miss to find cheap but I reckon i saved the £90 I spent on mine in the first couple monthes just in convenience alone.They do vary, mine is quite narrow and it is amazing the places you can get it into

You could easily make some metal feet/frame to lift the tool high enough to get the truck under and leave them attached. It depends on how tall you are I guess because adding 4-5 inches to machine height may be an issue. My rapidor is bolted to a pallet.