Mobile Base for Joiner

I have a Ridgid 6 1/8in joiner (JP610), that I would like to make a mobile base for it. It would be nice if I could move it around my shop. Currently it has the stock 4 adjustable feet.

I would like something that will be very solid when locked in place. I don't like the idea of the whirling cutter head wobbling as I am pushing stock across it.

If anyone has any ideas or plans, it would be appreciated.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2383&filter=tool base

This is what I used for my Jointer, Radial Drill-press, & 14" band-saw

Just find some scrap in your shop. I used some full 1" oak and this planer weighs in around 300-400 lbs. Just add locking casters and your good. I just glued the joints together. It's a simple project. Good casters are not cheap though.

I'm with Bart on this one. Or at least with his concept. My jointer is on a Delta base that is very solid. The Rockler is a clone of the Delta base. Harbor Freight had one of these for quite some time. I don't know if they still carry it or not. The HF was a great value.

Dave,

A picture would be great!

thanks,
-Sean

Sean, "I think" the Rigid Herculift that you see on the Rigid table saws will fit on the Rigid Jointer, and if so, they work great. I put one on my WW Buddy's Rigid Saw and we both really like it. I bought 4 more when they were on sale a while back at HD, and plan to put one on his Rigid jointer if it will fit. I also intend to get the add on kit that adapts it to lathes (because of their longer base frame), and put one on the new HF lathe that he gave me. I just haven't got around to trying one on the jointer yet.

What I like about that lift for the lighter weight machines, (like we're talking about here), is that you can just step on one pedal and it lifts the whole machine up and all 4 wheels castor, making it easy to move in any direction, and then when you get it moved, just step on the same pedal and use your toe to lift the unlock tab and it sets right down on the machine base's 4 legs and it is solid again since the wheels are up. It is a very well built unit too.

I had that same jointer a couple of years ago and had it on a HTC mobile base. It was plenty solid. http://www.amazon.com/HTC-HTC2000-U...88-6300627?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1174829256&sr=1-1

Sean, here you go.

Dave

OUCH my ankles hurt just lookin at your base.

I have the Rockler base on my jointer with the normal Sears jointer base which is narrow & never had a tippy problem with it.

I built my base cabinet to get good dust collection & lower the jointer just a little so it could set beside my table-saw & bench & have the fence low enough to clear items being run over the table-saw. I now also have a place where I store jointer & planer blades & the set up tools. I also have a riser underneath the table-saw raising it to 36" or 36 1/2" I don't remember which. These bases have worked out great for me. Actually one of them is a Harbor Freight base. I did have a problem with the HF base in that the pivot hole in the pedal was not placed correctly & would not allow the pedal to lift the machine up high enough. I welded up the holes & re-drilled them.

Now before someone says why didn't you just take it back & exchange it the store is over an hour away. Much quicker to weld it up & cheaper too.

Bart, I've never had any trouble banging into those things.

I have thought about a base cabinet instead but never got around to building it.

Hey!

I've got the same base as Dave. Only I turned mine 90 degrees, so the wheels don't stick out so much on the sides.


It's a bit bigger than the base of the jointer, as it was originally built for my bandsaw, but I swapped the base. I am in a small shop, so I need the jointer to have four swivel wheels so that it can pull straight out from the wall, and spin in place.

I'm gradually converting every mobile gizmo in my shop to have four swivel wheels. I have no use whatsoever (in a small shop!) for the two-fixed-plus-two-swivel arrangement. It is far too limiting and frustrating.

I've never bumped my feet on it either. Here is a close up of a wheel/corner, FWIW.


And yes, I noticed that the wheels are different. I started out with four very nice 3" double-locking wheels from Woodcraft that I picked up on sale. Then when I built another cart I picked up a set of four cheap black castors that only single lock, and not as nicely. I then traded two for two with the base that had the nice woodcraft castors. That way I get two good double-locking wheels on each mobile base. I find that two locking wheels is plenty.

Cheers,
...art

ps: And I found this plan on the internet somewhere, it was from some guys personal web site, but I can't find it back to give you the link. Really, like Dave said, it's just a wooden tray suspended below a couple 2x4's. This gives you a cheap, versatile tool base without raising your tool up by much.

Here is some pictures of what I built for my new jointer.
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For my old ridgid I used the angle that has all the holes in it. I cut it so the jointer would fit right inside and bolted the casters on the corners. It was very stable.

Looks STOUT. How do you keep it from rolling around when you use it?

Brent Dowell said:

Looks STOUT. How do you keep it from rolling around when you use it?

Click to expand...

He positions it so that the cord is in front of the wheels...

Don Baer said:

He positions it so that the cord is in front of the wheels...

Click to expand...

He thinks he's joking but it's true. That or a sliver of wood under the wheel. I had these casters laying around and it was a sunday. As long as the tables are waxed it hasn't moved on me yet.

Heh, I'll not admit to doing the same thing.

Alan Bienlein said:

He thinks he's joking but it's true. That or a sliver of wood under the wheel. I had these casters laying around and it was a sunday. As long as the tables are waxed it hasn't moved on me yet.

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I wasn't joking after looking at the pictures I didn't see any other way..

in all seriousness,, if you have had a heavy load on wheels and ran into a small pebble it stops now.. i think a ant on steriods could stop a heavy loaded roller ..so locks are nice but not nessacarily needed.. the best solution in my mind is to have one side set lower with a lever system pry up and go and then let it back down on the two stationary posts

larry merlau said:

in all seriousness,, if you have had a heavy load on wheels and ran into a small pebble it stops now.. i think a ant on steriods could stop a heavy loaded roller ..so locks are nice but not nessacarily needed.. the best solution in my mind is to have one side set lower with a lever system pry up and go and then let it back down on the two stationary posts

Click to expand...

Another way is threaded stove bolts with the heads down, This also has the advantage of helping to level the tool if needed. I plan to use this system on my table saw. I'll weld all thread connectors on each corner of the base to screw the bolts into.

I made this base for my DJ20 from 4" channel iron. It has the 4" lockable swivel casters from Hartville. It is a good thing that the casters lock, because even with a 400+lb jointer, it will move during use unless at least two casters are locked.