With limited space in my workshop ... uh, I mean, gargage ... I have
to be able to easily move tools into use and back into storage. I've
been meaning to make a mobile base for my drill press for this very
reason. I started out to build the usual platform style base but it
ended up being a kind of ugly contraption. As I stared at the press,
I realized that the base was already pre-drilled and would accomodate
a more more "minimalist" approach to solving the problem. You see the
results here.
Note that the piece of wood under the base has nothing to do with all
this. (It's just there to keep the base off the floor during storage
to minimize moisture and rust.) The wheel mounts are sized so that
the wheels do not touch when the base is in direct contact with the
floor. When I want to move the press, I just stand to the left of it,
tilt it towards me until the wheels touch the floor and roll it into
place. I got the wheels for about $5 each at the local Harbor Freight
store. Total project cost with lumber and mounting hardware was thus
about $15.
In other words, "minimalist" ended up being Short, Sweet, Simple, and
Cheap.
WARNING: A drill press is a very top heavy item. This approach to wheeling it
around has the problem that the press can get away from you when you tilt it
to move it around. This can cause you to hurt your back, neck, feet and so
on. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
