Question: Wheels on the strongback

[Holmes375]

I have to build a new strongback for this next project and I'd like to add wheels to this one. I've previously used mechanical creepers to move projects around - integral wheels would be better. Since retired I no longer have a big shop to work in and would like to move the build outside my garage for sanding sessions.

I'd be interested in hearing or seeing how those of you whom have wheelie strongbacks have set them up.

Thank you.

 

[Sven]

Here's what I did.

four swivel casters with wheel locks that can be flipped up/down
long bolts 1/4 20 bolts for a pivot point
some star knobs, long 1/4 20 bolts and fender washers to secure when flipped down

Untitled by Steven Fike, on Flickr

Untitled by Steven Fike, on Flickr

 

[Holmes375]

Well that's a pretty slick design - thank you!

 

[Guest]

I don’t (ahhhh, the joy of apostrophied contractions) have a strongback, but I do have some shop stuff on wheels.

The rolling shop stuff has wheel locks; a lever and “brake pad” that keeps things immovable. The table with all of the sanders has wheels locks, so I can move it around the shop and it isn’t walking away from me while I am using a sander.

The best of those wheels/locks came off defunct double-stacked, water-jacketed laboratory incubator platforms. Those stacked incubators weighed close to 1000 lbs combined; even drained of water they required a scissor jack to move. Those are some serious freaking wheel and locks, with large wheels and good bearings.

I gave a 4-set of those incubator wheels to DougD, and another 4-set to my friend Bart for his shop. Bart used them to make a rolling TV cabinet. Um, Bart, it’s a danged television, not a hemi engine block. I’m not sure if Doug has found a use for his yet. Probably for a rolling beer fridge.

I like having wheel locks on everything except the shop and office chairs. There are four of those “office” chairs in the shop (shop visitors and etc). Not just for visitors; the shop cat claimed “her” chair, and having a spare rolling chair is a handy as a catchall platform for tools & materials to wheel beside me while working down and around the length of a boat, even while standing.

(I sometimes rolled the bothered-by-nothing coon cat along beside me in her chair for company. In the realm of useful shop partners she ranked #5, just behind Joel, DougD and my sons. She drank almost none of my beer, and never got wet epoxy on the door knobs)

However, a couple of those rolling chairs have wheel locks on two of the four casters. At least once a week I inadvertently lock a wheel with the heel of my shoe, try to roll sideways or backwards, and spin around 180 degrees in a locked-wheel circle.

Wheel locks on chairs? No. On everything else, yes please.

 

[Jim Dodd]

This isn't the best pic, but this has been my favorite Strongback set up !
The slanting of the leg,( legs slant, opposing each other) makes it wedge securely, without any rocking back and forth, while working on the hull ! I only have wheels on one end. All I have to do to move it, is pick up one end, and start rolling.
This is a "T top" Strongback , constructed with 2x stock, and a 1x top. Again a better pic is needed, but right now it's in storage.




You might note those are stemless Stem forms.

Jim