Workbench with wheels?

[nab]

I need to rearrange my shed for more access/storage so my 3000x900mm workbench has to go  It is made from a pallet rack frame topped with 16mm ply, it's the best and sturdiest workbench I've had so I am trying to reuse it. It won't fit in the shed now as the camper won't fit past it.

What I want to do is cut it down to make a 2000x700mm moveable workbench, preferably with wheels so I can move it to my carport to do stuff.

Does anyone use a moveable workbench?
Do workbenches with wheels work?
Do they wobble too much when you try and use them?
What about using a vice on them?

Any info about locking wheels, extra bracing would be good. Or do I just get rid of it and get a ready made moveable workbench?

Here is the current bench frame

[MB TD42]

I need to rearrange my shed for more access/storage so my 3000x900mm workbench has to go  It is made from a pallet rack frame topped with 16mm ply, it's the best and sturdiest workbench I've had so I am trying to reuse it. It won't fit in the shed now as the camper won't fit past it.

What I want to do is cut it down to make a 2000x700mm moveable workbench, preferably with wheels so I can move it to my carport to do stuff.

Does anyone use a moveable workbench?
Do workbenches with wheels work?
Do they wobble too much when you try and use them?
What about using a vice on them?

Any info about locking wheels, extra bracing would be good. Or do I just get rid of it and get a ready made moveable workbench?

Here is the current bench frame

Knock out some blocks of wood that fit snug within the leg profile of the bench...attach some brakes castors with wider base plates than the leg base to them and slot them into the bottom of the legs...you can put a fixing into the side to stop them dropping out when you lift a leg.

Or you can just weld your castors onto the legs after cutting then to length.



We're all ere coz we ain't all there.

[nab]

Yeah should be straightforward to do, even put a couple shelves in there. But before I cut it up and do it I wanna find out if workbenches with wheels are complete crap or good to use 

[nab]

Bunnings actually sell locking wheels that attach direct to the rack frame for $65, even easier...

[MB TD42]

Sounds simple...best bet is to use a load rated wheel just in case you wanna bash the bench at some point. These frame systems are fairly versatile...

We're all ere coz we ain't all there.
   

[edz]

Nabby, do not have the bench sit on lockable wheels when using it .. Make the wheels pivot / wind  / fold down / up so that it sits on solid legs as it does now .

[D4D]

I have my Triton workcentre on a wheeled platform for ease of moving around the garage as it's storage spot isn't where I can use it. I tried to use it on the platform but it moves enough to be off putting so I take it off the platform to use. A bench might be different but I'm not a fan. That said a lot of the woodworking workshop tours on eBay have wheeled benches mainly for tools, not main assembly benches.

[GeoffA]

Split the difference?? Fixed wheels at one end of the bench, and use a trolley jack under the other end when you want to move it....

...or maybe fit a couple of swing-up handles at the non-wheeled end and move it around like a wheel barrow?

[Fizzie]

I have my Triton workcentre on a wheeled platform for ease of moving around the garage as it's storage spot isn't where I can use it.

I did the same thing with a table saw, that has to live in one corner where it can't be used

Made up a timber dolly with lockable castors on it, & brackets holding it's legs in position.

Works fine, but not sure if the same idea would work for a full bench

[scrubber]

Or you could use something like these https://www.carbatec.com.au/bora-workbench-castor-set-of-4. Bit exxy but would do the job assuming that they don't interfer with the space around the workbench

[Bad Scott]

I put my mill drill on wheels. Best thing I ever did. Can push it to wherever I want in the shed. Also have a Bench on wheels. Site boxes on wheels.



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[MarkGU]

workbenches with wheels

Isnt that called an ensemble bed?

 

[Bird]

I put my mill drill on wheels. Best thing I ever did. Can push it to wherever I want in the shed. Also have a Bench on wheels. Site boxes on wheels.

well arent you special...

did D4D visit your shed, far too clean

[Bad Scott]

well arent you special...

did D4D visit your shed, far too clean

that's an old pic 
Although it does need a big cleanout. Steel has blown to the outside of the shed

[nab]

Cheers guys, looks like permanent wheels are out. I like the idea of the wheelbarrow style wheels at one end. Best of both worlds!

[MB TD42]

Cheers guys, looks like permanent wheels are out. I like the idea of the wheelbarrow style wheels at one end. Best of both worlds!

I think a fair few BBQs use the same setup...wheels engage the ground when you lift the other end up.

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[prodigyrf]

I was eyeing off some of these myself and they come in different sizes and ratings 
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CASTOR-WHEELS-Side-Mount-63mm-wheels-HAFCO-Part-No-CW-63-Order-No-W935/332611649075
Tell yourself you're a nice bloke and you deserve them 

[Hoyks]

Castors can work, but you have to spend the $$ for good ones that have brakes and lock the swivel wheel as well. For most work they are fine, but if you have a vice on the castor end and are using a saw or a file, then the wiggling bench can be a bit annoying.

We had some BAC benches at work with fixed wheels at one end and legs at the other, they worked pretty well. Nice and solid, easy enough to move and didn't wobble when you were working on them. Backing them into a corner was a bit of a pain though, needed a bit of backing and filling to get them hard against the wall.

With the frame you have, you could get a pair of fixed castors, trim the mounting plate a bit and bolt the plate onto the side of the leg so that the wheel bracket is on its side, bolted to the side of the leg, but the wheel and leg sits flat on the ground at rest.
Then when you lift the other end, the leg lifts off the floor a couple of mm and you roll it where you need it, then it rests on the 4 legs for work.

Something like this won't break the bank and would prove proof of concept, but I'd go the really heavy duty option as it will be under a lot of stress outside its designed load paths.


https://www.bunnings.com.au/easyroll-50mm-40kg-load-grey-rubber-fixed-plate-castor_p3940309

A few other options, but the $$

https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/w935

[prodigyrf]

But that's the beauty of those lift up castors Hoyks. They only have to be robust enough to move the weight of the work bench to where it's needed and then it sits on its rigid legs again just like a permanent bench. Have it on permanent castors and they have to be much stronger and have perfect lock brakes if they're to act exactly the same. With ultimate manouvreability naturally.

[Moggy]

These are the ducks nuts. Got a lever, down to engage the wheels & up to lower leg onto floor. Couldn't find them anywhere in Australia,  ended up getting them from the states via Amazon. The 4 wheels have a total capacity of 350kg. The great thing is you get the mounting brackets & then you only have to buy more brackets to use on multiple items. They were around $170 Aud but worth every cent

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[#jonesy]

These are the ones on my Triton
When down are rock solid for moving and up they hold no weight.

I did bodgy up some for the other end with castors off an old bed. Didn't work very good as the castors were tiny and didn't like the asphalt drove.  Binned them as it is just as easy to carry one end as it isn't heavy.

[Pottsy]

These are the ducks nuts. Got a lever, down to engage the wheels & up to lower leg onto floor. Couldn't find them anywhere in Australia,  ended up getting them from the states via Amazon. The 4 wheels have a total capacity of 350kg. The great thing is you get the mounting brackets & then you only have to buy more brackets to use on multiple items. They were around $170 Aud but worth every cent

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Try Carbatec in Oz for drop down wheels.

[prodigyrf]

Video here and they're just as cheap delivered on ebay if you have the need to move a workbench and then work on it-
https://youtu.be/KdDefnnGv6k

[nab]

Moggy those wheels are a great design.

Thanks for or all your help and ideas, but we rearranged the shed tetris-style so I get to keep my workbench, although now instead of 900mm deep it is 570mm, still 3m long. Only 2m of bench is usable when the shed it loaded with camper/canopy/car.

Cheers again!!!

[nab]

The finished product. Got to keep the vice which is bloody awesome, the Merc fits through with 150mm clearance each side