How to use your new mobile workstand

The workstand is very easy to use. To move it, simply tip the end opposite to the casters up into the air. If you positioned the wheels close to the ground as described in the plan, you will only need to tip the stand a few degrees to engage the wheels. If you discover that your wheels are too far from the ground, you can install spacers between the caster housing and the caster extensions to minimize the distance.

The undershelf is provided more for overall stability than for storage. Almost anything you store on it will roll away whenever you tip the stand. We like to clamp on our spring clamps around the perimeter of the shelf.

When you have rolled the stand into the position that you would like to situate it, we recommend that you come to a complete stop before lowering the end of the stand; failure to do so will wear out the leveling feet adjacent to the casters. If your shop floor is uneven, you will need to adjust the leveling feet when you move it to a new location. Rock the stand back and forth to determine which foot is too high; rotate the foot until it comes into contact with the ground. The entire process takes a few seconds and it yields a very stable work surface. This system of leveling increases the length of one of the feet, and after many such processes the entire workstand gets higher and higher until a point is reached when you must lower all of the feet.

Design Considerations

size

The size of the workstand can be adjusted to your needs. We gave the recommendation on the height in the project plan, but the width and length can be varied. Make sure that the base is large enough to provide stability but not too large so that you cannot easily reach all of the parts of the worktop.

materials

The materials can be altered. 2 x 3" (4 x 6cm) lumber is becoming increasingly available and would be suitable for the frame and legs. We wouldn't go much smaller than that due to rigidity concerns. The top surface can be laminated or made out of melamine to provide increased strength. We plan to use the relatively inexpensive MDF; since the design allows for the top to be easily replaced without dismantling anything. We like to put all of our attention into safety and onto the piece in question - not in preserving an expensive worktop. If we inadvertently rout into the top surface, we will unscrew it, and flip it over or replace it altogether.

mobility

You can increase the height of the wheels off the ground and you can adjust the distance between the wheels and the tipping legs, but, remember that making these type of adjustments increases the angle that you may need to tip the stand to engage the wheels which may hinder mobility. The wheels can be omitted if mobility is not an issue. If you do so, we still recommend that you use the leg levelers.

shelf

We positioned the shelf supports on top of the caster extensions because it was a convenient and functional location. you can raise the shelf some and not lose any stability gained by it. If you move it too high (i.e. above halfway), the rigidity will be decreased. You can also make the caster extensions out of the same piece of wood as the shelf supports: they would just extend out and act as both simultaneously. We wanted the shelf a little bit higher because we wanted to have better access (for sweeping, vacuuming, and picking up that screw that invariably finds its way into a tricky spot).

legs

One seeming oddity about our design is that the legs are on the outside of the stand. The use of external legs yields all of the following advantages: simplifies the project; allows for an unobstructed clamping surface on the underside of the worktop maximizes the distance between the legs which provides for increased stability; convenient for clamping items alongside the worktop in a vertical position; creates an inside corner (made by the top of the legs and the worktop) that provides the extra back-up support necessary when working on smaller parts (see image on the right). Occasionally, you will have to shift your part to accommodate for the external legs, but overall we are convinced that the benefits of external legs far outweigh the rare disadvantage. To reap many of these benefits of the external legs, it is important that you make them flush to the worktop. If they are a little high, you can grind them down flush.

If you do opt for internal legs, you can screw them onto the inside of the frame before you attach the panel (you will need to make a couple of cutouts) to the underside of the worktop.

additions

There are many additions that you can use to supplement your basic workstand. You can put a rim around the shelf so that it can hold small items; alternatively you can drill holes to store you screwdrivers vertically. If you do want to store items on the shelf, keep in mind that the tipping required to move the workstand must be taken into consideration in your design. You can install bench dogs or clamps into holes drilled into the top. We like to cut a piece of carpet to match the dimension of the worktop. It comes in handy for project assembly and sanding.