"Everything" on wheels?

[NOMAD]

I'm slowly getting my garage in order and hung some cabinets, I'll be building more wall cabinets soon but I'm probably going to work on a desk first.
In previous posts people always suggested putting everything on wheels.
I plan on putting the desk and a work bench on wheels. I wonder about the stability of a workbench on wheels though, especially when loaded with something heavy.

Should I just go the extra mile and put everything I can find on wheels? I can see this will make it easier to rearrange the space and clean but how often do people use this or wish they would have done it?

I'd hate to go through the trouble and cost and then realize I never have a need to move stuff around.

I'm mainly looking at auto-work and some wood or home projects.

 

[markb1]

I have a small shop with most things are on wheels and I love it .
Two things I haven't figured out yet are my 4'X4' welding-fab. table (almost can't move without wheels, 3/8" steel top) and my 200# anvil. I think some big locking castors would work for the table. The anvil...?

Once you can move things you will.

 

[snorvet]

I recommend everything on wheels. The only thing I dont have on wheels is my workbench, and I have times when I wish it was on wheels. Very easy to clean the place and rearrange if you have to

 

[russlaferrera]

I put all my cabinets on wheels. The benches are bolted to the wall for extra support, as I bend metal in the vise. Most of the casters are from Northern Tool @ $6 ea.

I also use office chair bottoms. I put a 3/4 pipe in the bottom about 3 ft long. On the top I weld a 6X6 plate about 1/8 thick and bolt a 1-2 gallon pan to it. It makes a great small cart when you replace parts on the car as there is enough room for tools and bolts AND AS A BONES FOR ME IT IS TOO SMALL TO STORE **** IN IT.

 

[roundvalley]

MARKB1: Had a 4x8 table like you. Went to Harbor Freight and got 4 heavy duty swivel casters (on sale of course) Welded them to a plate the same size as the bottom of the legs and then welded a hinge to the plate and legs. Roll it to your work location, floor jack it up and hinge the casters back and set the table on the floor. Reverse to move. Makes the table real solid and locked.

 

[Roospike]

I have a small shop with most things are on wheels and I love it .
Two things I haven't figured out yet are my 4'X4' welding-fab. table (almost can't move without wheels, 3/8" steel top) and my 200# anvil. I think some big locking castors would work for the table. The anvil...?

Once you can move things you will.

Dolly or hand truck .......

You have it mounted on a log ?

 

[RockMonkey]

I put my very heavy 4'X12' welding table on wheels. I went to a caster store here in Salt Lake and they built me some very nice locking and swiveling casters. They lock both the rolling and the swiveling motion, so the table is very stable when they are locked. I am putting everything in my garage on wheels.

 

[V-10 Killer]

I'm going to put just about everything in my garage on casters.
I don't want a grinder taking up workbench space, so that's going on a pedestal, bolted to the floor.

 

[bluesman2a]

EVERYthing in my shop is on wheels with the exception of the drill-press, beltsander, and benchgrinder. This includes all the bakers racks, my 4' X 3' welding table with the 1/2" top, and the steel rack with all my tubing on it. It was GREAT when I moved, basically just pallet-wrapped all the racks and rolled them onto the truck.

It's also been quite nice as I've been setting up my new shop, I'm able to easily re-arrange as I find better ways to use the space.

My vote is put it all on casters!

 

[markb1]

roundvalley- I like that idea, keeps the table stable. Thanks

Roospike-It's setting on a stack of concrete block right now. Haven't done much lately. I have a maple stump waiting, or maybe a built-up from cut-off headers.

Kinda scary tilting that monster back. I'll try it tho Thanks

 

[Uncle Buck]

I think castors sound great for most stuff, but not my main workbench that has my vise. I tend to pull, pry etc when stuff is clamped in my big vise on occasion and the last thing I want is any movement from my bench. That is why I secured it to the wall when it was originally constructed.

 

[erda]

lock both the rolling and the swiveling motion

This is absolutely imperative. Don't scimp on casters-you get what you pay for.
If you can move the workbench when the casters are locked, you could move the workbench if it sat solid on the ground. Only way to make the workbench absolutely solid is to screw/bolt it to a wall.
erda

 

[RockMonkey]

This is absolutely imperative. Don't scimp on casters-you get what you pay for.
If you can move the workbench when the casters are locked, you could move the workbench if it sat solid on the ground. Only way to make the workbench absolutely solid is to screw/bolt it to a wall.
erda

I seem to remember spending about $150 for four casters.

 

[NOMAD]

EVERYthing in my shop is on wheels ...This includes all the bakers racks, ...

What bakers racks are you talking about? I have an image of the silver metal wire frame racks? did you put a sodil wood surface on the shelves?

Sounds interesting (unless you are a baker).

I think I'll go ahead and put the long desk and the workbench I'll be building on wheels. I will probably make a few of those furniture dollys with the square frame and wheels to put under a filing cabinet, table saw and wall cabinet I have.

Now I just need to make it happen.

 

[bluesman2a]

What bakers racks are you talking about? I have an image of the silver metal wire frame racks? did you put a sodil wood surface on the shelves?

These are the basic racks, they come with a plastic mat that you can put down, I didn't put anything over that, most of my stuff is either large or already boxed.
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=168602

For smaller stuff, they have another type (not shown on their website) that comes filled with large storage bins, about $110 each rack. Like these:

 

[NOMAD]

Very cool. That's a lot of square footage for storeage.

I'm going to take some old steel shelves from work that have been sitting outside. Hit them with rustoleum and I should have a lot more space for storage. I'll have to figure out how to get wheels on the bottom.

 

[Vicegrip]

Costco also has the wire racks but with metal sideboards and no plastic liners. 6 foot tall assembled, it comes as two 3 foot sections and has 6 shelves and a set of casters. I built much of my shop out of the stuff by bolting it to the walls as elevated shelving and into carts for tools and stuff. Strong as can be, I climb up the stuff to get to the top shelves.
Very easy to configure and you can even make a light duty rolling work bench out of the stuff. I cut the shelving to whatever length I want by slicing out sections and welding the ends back together to make carts for smaller devices. I even used some as the grating in my blast cabinet as well as the legs for it. The grate is 2 shelves shortened and welded together to make the right size for inside the blast cabinet. Unlike the expanded steel mesh I had in my old blast cabinet the blast media does not sit all over the grating and it does not flex and bounce all the parts around

 

[amwalker]

The blasting cabinet on wheels is awesome. Everything on wheel's seems to be the key in a smaller garage/work space, good ideas everyone, keep them coming.

 

[mike83glx]

Lots of great ideas! Those wire racks are alot better than my old flexible sheetmetal shelving I need to throw away.

Looks like another trip to Harbor Freight is needed. I just spent a couple hundred there last week. Wish I still had a Costco membership. They are too far away now.

 

[roundvalley]

O.T. Vicegrip, neat blast cabinet. Did you build it or is it store bought?

 

[Vicegrip]

Its homemade. I have a bad combination of being both cheap and picky.

 

[randydupree]

i put one end of my welding table on wheels,and i use a floor jack on the other end to move it.
Randy