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Mobile Base for a Powermatic 66 - Use Cabinet Gussets?

679 Views 2 Replies 2 Participants Last post by Agglomerator, May 9, 2022

Agglomerator

Discussion Starter · May 9, 2022 (Edited by Moderator)

Hello All - just purchased a 1993 Powermatic 66 in great condition. It needs a mobile base, and I'm reviewing the various designs that are featured on YouTube - like this one,
there are lots of the variations.

In doing a thorough cleaning of the saw I see that there are diagonal gussets welded to the base of the saw with 1/2 holes in them - see picture. These gussets look to be at least 3/16 plate and appear substantial.

It got me thinking - can I take a piece of long 1/4" steel flat bar across the saw to the hole on the other side (about 30") attach it to the saw with 1/2" bolts through these holes, then attach the casters to this piece of flat bar? I'll need 2 of these, one for each side of the saw. This simplifies the design substantially. The 1/4 flat bar is more than capable of holding up the saw, but are the gussets strong enough to support the weight of saw? As you can see in the picture, they are welded to the inside of the base, which appears to be at least 1/8 or 3/16 steel.

I've attached a rough cad picture of the what the flat bar with casters would look like - probably welded to the flat bar, but could be bolted also.

Rectangle Font Parallel Slope Tints and shades

Thoughts?

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CaptainKlutz

· #2 · May 9, 2022

Those corner gussets where intended for leveling feet.
Hence, they will support the TS.

Be sure to ask all the questions:
- Will the casters be only supporting the TS, or TS and extension table?
Would support entire base if TS will have added extension tables, or an out feed extension.

- Is your floor flat?
Nothing worse than TS that wobbles on 3 feet as weight shifts to one corner.

- With casters tucked under the saw, How will you lock them down?

There is a reason that commercial mobile bases use leveling/stop feet.

IMHO - There is lot more to building a mobile base than slapping some casters on welded steel under a tool.
Fair warning: Casters and mobile bases hate me.

PS - Unless the steel is free on DIY base, hard to beat value of ShopFox mobile bases on sale for 35-44% right now.

Cheers!

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Agglomerator

Discussion Starter · #3 · May 9, 2022

Hello Captain,
Thanks for the feedback - didn't know about the Grizzly sale - I'll get one of those for some of my other tools. The issue I'm having is not covering up my dust port on the back of the saw - the bottom of the 4" hole is only 5/8 from the bottom of the saw. So any of the bases that use the angle iron type base where the saw sits down in the "hole" will require me to cut out the angle iron or side rail a bit. Not sure if that would compromise it. I'm planning to put a piece of 3/4 ply to close off the bottom anyway, so it may work to cut a bit out of the ShopFox side rail and reinforce it from below by welding some flat bar underneath

Back to my original design with the flat bar idea - here's a rough drawing of what I was envisioning - this doesn't have the table and the extension in this drawing- just the cabinet. I was going to build a set of legs to bolt to the saw to support the extension - haven't figured that out. As you can see, the casters would be out from the saw, and not stick out into the area where I would be walking. The flatbar would be bolted to the corner gussets.
My floor is pretty flat. With this flatbar I could weld on some brackets with nuts for leveling feet.