Hi guys,
Quick, potentially dumb question…
I realize the potential issues with vibrations, etc, but has anyone here thought, or tried mounting your QCW on locking swivel casters (the type with stems)? I am considering purchasing a QCW for my X-50 Journeyman, but really need to move it around the garage space as needed since I’m in a small space.
I would consider the rolling arms, but honestly, the idea of having to lift that much weight at my age with my bad back doesn’t seem possible.
Wayne
One thing to be careful of is some swivel casters change height slightly when the swivel due to the geometry. I would look at equipment casters if I were to do this and then test them. A change in height will tweak the flatness of your table. If your floor is not perfectly flat the same holds true. The qcw is only as stiff as the way it is supported. It can twist with the forces applied which is how the leveling feet can compensate and bring it coplanar.
Hey Wayne,
I would only use swivel casters that can be lifted out of the way after moving the table so that the machine stands on its feet and never on the casters during operation.
Also be aware that because there exist no really flat workshop floor, everytime you move the machine you will have to repeat adjusting coplanarity of the machine (fishing line method). So in my opinion I would avoid moving a CNC machine around at all.
There exist no CNC table affordable to ordinary mortals that is so stiff that you could put a coin under one foot and it would really wobble. The table will always distort and require adjusting coplanarity. Even the cast or welded steel tables like mentioned here will distort. Even such machines have adjustments for coplanarity.
The nice thing on QCW frame is that the Any Surface Leveling System Feet are included now, which makes adjusting coplanarity after moving the table easy.
PS: If you need to have the machine out of the way sometimes, instead of using casters, what do you think of Lee’s @TDE Fold Down Wall Mounted CNC Table or @JimHatch’s modification of the Fisher-style table concept to accomodate the 48″x32″ Journeyman which can be seen under Lessons Learned for Flip/Fold up/down Tabletop, or Joshua’s @RockingMallet flippable table variant for the Elite 48″x32″ Journeyman William’s @WmColl46 flippable table with vertical clamping possibility?
Hi @Aiph5u,
I’ve considered most of the flip top tables, even bought Fisher’s plans to do so. I also considered the wall-mounted table, but don’t really have a wall that it would work on (concrete wall garage which – I don’t believe – would handle the substantial weight requirements of a Journeyman).
I’m trying to talk myself into the expense of a QCW, but as with my other threads, I just can’t get over the shipping price of $120 to get it. Not when the table itself is $600 to $900 (rolling) after tax. I just saw the adjustment feet in the pictures which I thought probably indicated a thread, which means I might have been able to adapt stem-based locking swivel casters.
I just keep holding my fingers crossed to find someone trying to sell a Journeyman QCW here on the forum, but none in about 2 months so far (or I’ve missed it)
I get the flatness issues, and the leveling issues, etc, but those exist with any of the options available, even the basic non-caster shop bench I’m using now… I’ve also seen about a bajillion designs here that I really love. As such, I’m in a holding pattern trying to figure out what I really want to do…
There’s no place on the QCW frame that will allow for the casters which essentially pick up/drop down as needed. As such, I’d need to build a platform around the legs to hold them, which is kinda “meh” to me.
If I could have adapted the QCW to rolling casters, that would have been optimal which is why I thought to ask if anyone has actually done it to get an idea of real world experiences instead of just “here’s what I think” responses.
Alternatively, and this idea tickles me, I’ve responded to another idea here recently that I like for a folding table which I could put on either type of caster to move around as needed. I am just not sure about the geometry, balance, and weight issues at play when adapting his sketchup plans to the Journeyman which obviously is a lot larger and a lot heavier…
Wayne
I built a modified Fisher table for my Journeyman. I also have the QCW which is screwed into the torsion box top of the flip table. The only practical benefit of the QCW is the ability to replace pieces of the spoil board and t-tracks - both of which could be accommodated in other cheaper ways and neither of which I’ve used to my advantage. A simple slab of 3/4" MDF on the flip table would work for me. But since the QCW is already setup it’s not worth disassembling.
The rolling/folding stand with a QCW might be a good idea but between the $ and the JM’s weight, I decided to build my own table. It takes up about the same amount of space and the drawers in mine make it more useful than the rolling/folding stand and QCW would be.
@JimHatch Thanks Jim.
Thanks for the input here.
I currently have a large workbench (like 84x50) that I built before I got my machine 2-3 years ago now and it does fine, but even though it’s on wheels, it just takes up boocoo room in my garage and it’s really too heavy to move around while laden with:
I just kinda want quick and easy to do, and honestly, I’m developing a bit of OCD about the weirdest things like garage organization which pointed me to the QCW…
I don’t even really HATE the idea of $500+ for a ready-made solution. I just hate the idea of taxes plus $120 shipping which I find ludicrously overpriced for a US-based company. Honestly, I don’t hate it. I get it, but as I said, money’s tight, so I’m probably going to go the lowest cost 2x4 full enclosure method as the older and I’m developing more and more health / back issues, the idea of slinging around plywood in my shop doesn’t really appeal any more…
So, I’m stuck between super easy enclosure built with 2x4s and yes, some plywood), a flip-top solution, or something like the Kreg table OR a QCW which – while more expensive – seems to be the “lazy” route to it all…
Wayne