Retractable/Hinged Casters on large table, any ideas?

[tlmartin84]

I am building a large 5' x 10' Fab table. 1/2" Steel top, Tubing Frame.

I want it to be stationary but I want Casters that I can raise and lower to make it mobile.

Are there any place to buy these, or has anyone here made something similar?

Thanks!

 

[Mr. Brooks]

Id be interested in this as well for other purposes. You might have more luck over on the fab forum as they build similar tables all the time.

 

[JZHeyde]

I put a similar table on casters that extend into the frame when you dont need them. It sits on feet 99.9% of time. When when you need to move it you jack up one end, pull the pins, drop the casters, repin, and do the same on the other side. With the casters pinned in the extended hole the leveling foot is about 1/2" off the ground. I have seen more elaborate setups with bottle jacks but this is simple and cheap.

 

[egnorant]

A buddy has these on one end and non-swivel casters on the other. A couple of turns and it is mobile! He was going to hook them together like on our travel trailer, but 2 turns and it goes over the smooth floor and a couple more turns and it clears the drop to go outside.

I have seen some intricate, foot operated lever things that were neat, but might be difficult on a heavier bench.

Bruce

 

[Falcon67]

Rockler
http://www.rockler.com/search/go?w=casters&asug=&sli_uuid=&sli_sid=

 

[astroracer]

My Jig Tables are on locking swivels. "Most" of the time just locking them is sufficient. When I am building a frame and want them to be level and stable there are welded lugs that carry 3/4" all-thread jack-screws. These get screwed down to the floor to level and slightly lift the table off the floor. It only takes a few minutes to get them level and I turned a point on the jack screws so they don't move around once the table weight is on them.
Mark

 

[Dustball]

These Foot Master casters with the optional ratcheting arm are really nice.

http://www.footmastercasters.com/footmaster-ratcheting-casters.html

 

[ngray]

I would have to go with this, which was linked of the GJ home page a while ago:
http://norliftblog.com/2013/05/24/heavy-duty-work-bench-with-retractable-wheels/

Barring that, if you own a forklift (even a walk behind), you have an instantly easier answer.

If you designed it to be safely picked up by a pallet jack, by welding in low, centered rails, that's a super cheap option that's probably the same price as the correct casters. Only problem is that pallet jacks aren't particularly wide, so centering, balance, and moving slowly would be important:
http://www.toyotaforklift.com/product/HandPalletTrucks/HandPalletTruck.aspx

Good luck!

 

[lbperry]

The best simple solution that I've ever seen just bolted two casters to the side of the legs on one end just so they barely touch the floor. then when you want to move the table; you just put a floor jack under the cross piece of the other end. When you jack up that end a couple of inches the legs with the casters on them will be raised off the floor enough so that you can move it around. Sorry I don't have pics to make it clearer.
Good Luck

 

[CountZero]

I've used a pair of trailer jacks and heavy duty casters and it works fantastic.

More info and a photo of the basic structure here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3911160&postcount=85

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I have a set of legs that raise my table saw when I want it stationary.

 

[ez-duzit]

If you set the table legs on HD cast wheels, you can simply knock wedges under the frame to prevent it from rolling.

 

[MotoDave]

Since stuff like this really isn't usually moved frequently, I've always liked the idea of just building it with leveling feet that have enough height to lift the casters off the ground. I'm building a bench for my metal lateh (Craftsman/Atlas 12x36) and that's likely what I'll do, just because it'll make moving it when we sell our house so much easier.

 

[Test Tech]

You should search the fabrication and techniques forum there are several different ways to accomplish what you want. I used scissor jacks from the flea market with casters.

 

[wnstwolf]

There are a lot of threads on this and some ingenious ideas. Norm Abrams has one out there on you-tube that works well and is simple.

I have a 3’x6’ butcher block table that I move all over the place and here is my take on the solution.

4- 4” casters from your favorite place. Mine came from Tractor supply and were the full swivel type

My legs of the table are 3’ apart so I needed 2 pieces of 2” box tubing (your length may vary)

4 - ¾” 6” long bolts and 4 nuts

Process:
Drill mounting holes to bolt steel to your legs
Next 2.5” away from inner edge of legs drill a hole large enough to allow the ¾ bolt to freely fit through
At the top hole weld the nut
Thread bolt through the welded nut and then through the other hole extending it out through the steel
Weld end of bolt to a caster
Repeat 3 more times

Mount steel bars with caster assemblies to the legs just high enough to clear the casters from the floor when bolt is fully retracted

Hit the bolt with your cordless impact to raise table on casters and move then reverse to get it back on legs. Takes less than a minute to hit the 4 bolts.
Sorry all this since I do not have the pic handy..

 

[A**holes Garage]

These Foot Master casters with the optional ratcheting arm are really nice.

http://www.footmastercasters.com/footmaster-ratcheting-casters.html

I have 3 smaller welding tables (4'L x 30"D with 3/8" plate) with these casters. I have a floor with no expanision cracks. No issues with rolling them around, leveling, etc. Work great.

Heavy, heavy table rolling around on a floor with large, deep expansion cracks, could be an issue.

 

[ez-duzit]

Those look way skimpy for the table described (1/2" steel top!). Better with large diameter, heavy duty, industrial grade cast iron for heavy loads.

 

[A**holes Garage]

Those look way skimpy for the table described (1/2" steel top!). Better with large diameter, heavy duty, industrial grade cast iron for heavy loads.

Don't let looks deceive you, they have a 550 - 1100 lb capacity per caster. I agree, the wheels of the casters should be larger for floors with expansion cracks.

5' x 10' Fab table with 1/2" Steel top = 1000 lbs.
Add 200 lbs. or so for the frame?

On a 10' table, I'd probably use at least 6 casters of any kind.