Wheels on Shop Press?

[SteveHGraham]

I'm wondering if anyone here has ever put wheels on a shop press.

I have a 20-ton Harbor Freight press, and it's always in the way. As far as I can tell, there is no reason not to put wheels on it. Right now, it sits on two pieces of angle iron. If I put wheels on the ends, they might go springy, so I'm thinking I could either put bigger angle iron under the factory angle iron, or I could just get casters and a sheet of plywood.

If I use plywood, I'll end up with an area below the press where I can put things I use with the press.

https://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-sh ... 32879.html

[NP317]

Serious locking wheels, yes.
RussN

[SteveHGraham]

Amazon sells killer caster sets for $19.

[curtis cutter]

I put casters under my Harbor Freight press like yours and it was a little flimsy but works ok.

[SteveHGraham]

Did you add any support to the base?

[curtis cutter]

Did you add any support to the base?

No, no added support. It is not the most stable but it works. I just got tired of it being in the way and threw a cheap set on it. They are the four bolt probably 2" diameter wheels. I just used two of the holes in opposite corners.

[BadDog]

I added HF 3" casters to my old 20T HF press using some scraps of channel.

In my case it wasn't unusual to have over a hundred pounds on the plates to be pressed upon, so needed some stronger outboard support when the center is no longer supported by the floor. The stock outriggers are more to keep it from tipping over than to support the press plus material suspended between 2 wheels.

[Harold_V]

Did you add any support to the base?

Aside from preventing tipping, additional support wouldn't be required, as none of the applied pressure is transferred to the base. The base must address all weight of the press, plus the weight of the work project. Therefore, relatively light casters would be adequate. My choice would be something heavier and larger, however, as large casters roll easier. They can be installed on extended offset brackets, so no significant height would be added, and stability would be improved.

H

[whateg0]

One thing to keep in mind is that depending on how much caster the casters have, if they are pointed inward, the footprint can get a few inches smaller. Most presses have pretty long "feet", so it shouldn't really be a problem. I built a base for mine to sit in so that there isn't a tendency for the angle "feet" to twist when there's a lot of weight on it.

Dave

[earlgo]

Steve. maybe you could adapt something like a retractable caster to your frame.
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/wood ... g-casters#
Scroll down the page and there is a plywood mobile base kit that I used under my table saw. It has 2 fixed wheels and 2 adjustable feet when the wheels are retracted so it can be levelled on the floor.
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/plyw ... el-pm-1100
Just a thought.
--earlgo

[SteveHGraham]

Aside from preventing tipping, additional support wouldn't be required, as none of the applied pressure is transferred to the base.

The problem is that the weight of the press would be distributed differently if the angle irons were off the floor, held up only at the ends. Right now, the angle irons are supported along their entire length by concrete. With wheels, the angle irons would be like upside-down leaf springs with the weight in the middle.

[warmstrong1955]

I believe you are overthing things.
Not sure what size angle a Horror Freight press has, but considering the weight of the thing, there is not going to be much flex in angle iron.