The planer has been a very valuable tool, but it is noisy, needs a lot of space in use and spits out copious amounts of chips and dust. I prefer to use it outside, but it is heavy. I estimated about 60 pounds. Moving it in and out is a chore. I'd imagined putting it on a dolly, but it would require one with substantial, "off road" type wheels to roll out on the gravel under the deck. Fortunately, casters with pneumatic wheels are available. I got this excellent set from
Access Castors Inc. These are really beefy, with 3 grease fittings per caster. I ordered them all swivel and locking to afford maximum flexibility. I needed it. The completed stand just threads the needle going through the basement door.
Next I needed a stand. I found this $79, metal table; the Web was full of reviews stating the same thing was available from Western Tool for $29. I bought one. While determining if it would hold the weight, the sales guy looked up my planer. "97 pounds," he announces.
"I could hardly lift it when I thought it was 60 pounds. I'll never be able to lift it now," I reply.
I knew from the postings that the faux wood, particle board top, attached with a few wood screws wasn't going to cut it. I fashioned a top out of 1-1/2" fir t&g flooring, using 8 carriage bolts to secure it.
I just happened to have a bunch of short hex socket head bolts and nylock nuts, so I used those to bolt the frame together.
The whole thing is secured to the base with bolts using the existing threaded feet sockets in the table legs.
Completed I've turned a $27 stand into a $125 monument to planing.
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