Reel Repair by Alan Tani

General Maintenance Tips => Tools and Lubricants => Topic started by: STRIPER LOU on February 27, 2016, 01:05:07 AM

Title: Harbor freight tool stand & mobil base.
Post by: STRIPER LOU on February 27, 2016, 01:05:07 AM
I mentioned in another post that I use several HF, hd tool stands. Very reasonable and quite sturdy and after you add a top and a shelf its like a rock! $24.00 w/coupon. I wanted to put some casters on my buffer/grinder combo so I can bring it next to the lathe and deburr and polish while the machine is cutting.
I priced out some wheels, angle iron, and misc hardware and it came to about $40.00 and I still have to build it!
Back up to HF to look at their mobile base kit. Box was heavy and that's always a good sign, looked pretty good so home it comes. $34.00 with coupon.

Kind of an unusual animal but actually quite ingenious. The wood framing that you supply ties it all in. The part that makes it cool is it will pretty much cover any size base as long as your wood is cut to the correct size.
One oddity is it takes 1 1/4" lumber. I was too lazy to get the table saw out of the garage and found some pressure treated deck balusters. Had to plane them down a bit on the ends with the power plane and it was good to go.
Its a tad bulky but other than that it works great. Takes about and hour to hour and a half to cut wood and assemble. 2 rubber based pads on the front are jacked down and locked in place using the wing nuts. Retract the pads and its ready to move. Rolls quite easily.
What do ya think???????
...............................Lou

Tool stand # 95128  Mobil base kit #95288
Title: Re: Harbor freight tool stand & mobil base.
Post by: foakes on February 27, 2016, 01:30:20 AM
Thanks for sharing this, Lou --

Looks great!

If by chance you get any walking or vibration -- go to the scrap yard, and get a scrap piece of 1" steel a little smaller than the lower plywood piece -- then just lay it in place over the plywood.

If you look around fabricating places -- you might get one for free, or trade out for a reel service.

This will stabilize it and give you a stronger, heavier, and lower center of gravity when doing some hard grinding.

This is an old trick used by lathe workers.

May not be necessary.

Best,

Fred
Title: Re: Harbor freight tool stand & mobil base.
Post by: Alto Mare on February 27, 2016, 02:22:01 AM
Wow Lou, $34 is ridiculously cheap and it looks good. As Fred mentioned, if a brace is needed here and there to stiffen it up,  it won't be a big deal... very nice!
Title: Re: Harbor freight tool stand & mobil base.
Post by: thorhammer on February 27, 2016, 02:54:21 AM
Lou very nice.  I'm getting on board with stuff on casters; makes my workspace versatile and adaptable to the job at hand. Johns post on modular tooling at his bench got me going on that.


John
Title: Re: Harbor freight tool stand & mobil base.
Post by: Ron Jones on February 27, 2016, 04:47:08 AM
I like it a lot!
No HF in Hawaii, but I will definatly get a couple when I am back in Wa.
Ron