My shop has limited floor space, so I put everything I can on casters. I dislike mobile bases, however, as they collect too much sawdust, raise the height of the tools, and are just plain unattractive to my eye. So I figured out a way to add retractable casters—sold by Rockler and Powertec—to all of my stationary tools. I did this by making custom mounting brackets from hardwood, and painting them to match the tool they are mounted to. Each tool required different mounting blocks, but none required any special skills. In each case the blocks are shaped to fit the machine stand while positioning the caster bracket square to the floor. See the drawings for how this works on a variety of tool stands and cabinets.
—STEVE FIKAR, Shalimar, Fla.
Illustrations by Dan Thornton
From Fine Woodworking issue #294
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