Wheels on your welding table?

[Ron_J]

I'm starting to think about a plan to build a welding table and am trying to decide if I want wheels that retract, or solid wheels and feet that I can put down as needed.

Any thoughts?

[John T]

What’s the question again?

[G-ManBart]

I have casters on mine, but it has leg levelers I can lower when in position. More often than not I leave it on the casters....it's heavy enough that it doesn't even move if I lean on it. Still, if I want the table more secure, and/or truly level I just crank down the levelers and I'm set. I'm not sure retracting wheels would really give me any additional benefit...just more complication it would seem.

I suspect more often than not retracting wheels are used when a table is already made and you want to add wheels without adding more height.

[Ron_J]

What’s the question again?

I guess I'm wondering if there is a benefit to having the wheels being able to retract as opposed to them solid and having some other leveling device.

[therider]

I built one with the retractable casters. But these are not very heavy duty. I am selling this one and will make another with some more features. Will put heavy duty casters on it and thinking how to do the leveling feet without compromising rigidity.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[Meltedmetal]

I suspect John T thinks you are about 700 bits of info short to get the info you desire. Yes that is an exaggeration but not as big a one as you likely think. To give you pertinent advice one would need a wide array of information. How big is this table going to be? How much room do you have? What is the floor like/made of? Why do you think you will need it mobile? How heavy is this table to be? Do you own a fork lift or a pallet jack? What do you plan to do with/on this table? And 693 other questions......
I have a table with wheels in a small room that I only ever move when the desire to re-arrange the room over takes me. The wheel are steel recovered from a scrapped old welder. The table is also made from various recovered bits and pieces and probably weighs 4-500 lbs. Anyway, I think you need to give more info. Good luck with it.

[Ron_J]

I suspect John T thinks you are about 700 bits of info short to get the info you desire. Yes that is an exaggeration but not as big a one as you likely think. To give you pertinent advice one would need a wide array of information. How big is this table going to be? How much room do you have? What is the floor like/made of? Why do you think you will need it mobile? How heavy is this table to be? Do you own a fork lift or a pallet jack? What do you plan to do with/on this table? And 693 other questions......
I have a table with wheels in a small room that I only ever move when the desire to re-arrange the room over takes me. The wheel are steel recovered from a scrapped old welder. The table is also made from various recovered bits and pieces and probably weighs 4-500 lbs. Anyway, I think you need to give more info. Good luck with it.

Ok, let me try to add some info.

Yes, it will need to be mobile. Concrete floor in the garage, but it will need to be able to move to the wall when not in use. I'm planning 3x5 w/ a 3/8" top. Guessing between 300 and 400 pounds when all said and done. No, I do not have a fork lift or pallet jack. The table will be mainly a layout/welding table.

I am wondering if the given weight will make retractable wheels undesirable.

[mla2ofus]

I have 4 steel swivel casters on mine with a 3/8" top and lots of miscellaneous pieces on two shelves under it so it's quite heavy. It stays in a corner so I don't have to chase it.

[Meltedmetal]

Ok, let me try to add some info.

Yes, it will need to be mobile. Concrete floor in the garage, but it will need to be able to move to the wall when not in use. I'm planning 3x5 w/ a 3/8" top. Guessing between 300 and 400 pounds when all said and done. No, I do not have a fork lift or pallet jack. The table will be mainly a layout/welding table.

I am wondering if the given weight will make retractable wheels undesirable.

I don't consider 400 lbs particularly heavy. So roughly 200 lbs. per table end. Undesirability will be relevant to the type of mechanism you use/design/manufacture to lift the table ends. You'll probably want something with a bit of mechanical advantage or use a jack, either permanently installed on the table or easily positioned/operated to lift the table and a way to lock the wheels down for transport. 2 swivel versus 4 swivel versus even 4 rigid depends again on the space available and where and how frequently you'll want/need to move it. But to answer your question I'd say not undesirable if it is done right.

I have a table in another spot with 2 rigid wheels and 2 fixed legs + 1 swivel caster lowered to raise the non-wheeled end of the table using a lever operated cam. It did work okay but I haven't moved that one in probably 25 years.

[Woznme]

My table is heavy with 5/8" slats and 1//4" wall tubing. I welded 1" nuts to the underside of the legs. Allthread goes in with castor mounting plates on the end. Four rated swivel castor's bolted on. Table doesn't move easy but I move it often. If I move it more than a few feet I have to spin the allthread to take up inaccuracy in the floor. Being 1", I can do this by hand, no tools required. Wheels are not metal, but I don't beat on the table, only tap. It's a precision table, if beating is required the part comes off the table. The castor's have screw down feet as well for rigidity although I rarely use them.

Sent from my CPH2091 using Tapatalk

[Mikel_24]

My main table is heavy and at first I installed leveling feet in the legs to move it arround with a pallet jack and level as desired. Later on I realized this was not desirable and I welded some "outriggers" (so to speak) and I installed big casters (no breaks).

For banging on stuff it is ok, it does not move arround much due to the inertia. However, when I try to bend something clamped to the table or the bench vice, then it becomes problematic.

If I were to do it again, I would have just installed big diameter rubber casters with breaks (at least in two of them). I might even change the current casters for ones that do have breaks.

Mikel

[walker]

Just buy as big of wheels as you think you can afford for it, two casters and two fixed. I put tge fixed on the vise end. If I need the caster end to be still I just grab a scrap of angke iron akick it under the wheel.

[Lis2323]

Here’s mine






Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[therider]

Here’s mine






Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Where did you get these quick release feet from?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[Lis2323]

Where did you get these quick release feet from?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

They’re from Princess Auto but I imagine HF would have them.

I chopped and made them adjustable to enable table levelling.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Ron_J]

Here’s mine






Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I think I saw the build for this table. It is pretty much what I am planning mine after. Especially the feet. Great work!

How many times have you kicked the feet?

[G-ManBart]

How many times have you kicked the feet?

That's why I put the caster inboard of the levelers on my table (my levelers are in the legs). If I had legs sticking out like that I'd kick them, catch air hoses and power cord extensions on them all the time.

[Lis2323]

I think I saw the build for this table. It is pretty much what I am planning mine after. Especially the feet. Great work!

How many times have you kicked the feet?

Thanks Ron. Surprisingly I haven't tripped over them (yet).

The feet were added 8-9 years after I originally built the table.

They don't protrude from the table tops footprint.

Top view







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[walker]

Here’s mine




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Nice work man!

[smithdoor]

Today I used 8" no flat wheels on my table

When had shop we use steel saw horses and no wheels more flexible for very large parts. The only real table had no wheels so employees could not move table all day long.

Dave

I'm starting to think about a plan to build a welding table and am trying to decide if I want wheels that retract, or solid wheels and feet that I can put down as needed.

Any thoughts?