Table saw – frame and casters – Version 2

Having a small workshop means needing to make best use of the space. And the best option for that is having everything on wheels, so it can be moved around easily. But how do you do that with a table saw? I decided to upgrade my table saw frame to solve the problem of it running away from me when in use!

I previously made a frame for the table saw out of scrap wood from dismantled pallets and added some casters so I could move it into the centre of the workshop when needed and then move it out the way again. The challenge of having a table saw permanently on wheels however, meant that even when the casters were locked, there was still some play in the wheels and the table saw was not 100% stable.

I decided to upgrade the base to provide me with an option for having the casters deployed or not. The simplest solution to that, was to mount the casters on separate planks and then have them hinged to fold into place when needed.

I started by removing the previously mounted casters and cutting some scrap 2x4s to length, making sure the casters would be sufficiently far enough apart so that the table saw would remain stable when being moved.

Once I had worked out where the hinges were going, I marked out a clear knife line and then used my chisels to remove the material from both the base of the table saw and the additional planks.

This meant that the hinges closed completely flush when the new planks were below the table saw base and were also protected from being directly in contact with the concrete floor when the planks were folded open.

I mounted the planks to the base using woodscrews and then stood the table saw back upright again to test it out.

I deliberately made the planks longer than the existing base, as this gives me a surface to put my foot on to push the planks out or back in again. I have to lift the table saw slightly to re-seat the planks underneath when I want to lift it up onto the wheels again, but that isn’t too difficult with the current weight of the table saw. If I add some additional storage to the space I may need to rethink this design slightly!

I am really pleased with how this has turned out – it means I have kept the flexibility and portable features of the table saw base but now have the added stability of the table saw sitting flat on the floor when in use. It also drops the height down again by a few centimetres, which isn’t a lot but does make a difference when lifting up heavy slabs to run through the table saw! 🔨