Anybody using a H/F stand under their EX 21?

[OCtoolguy]

I am thinking about putting my EX on a H/F stand and making it portable. I looked at the one from General International and it sure does look like a H/F. Just curious as to whether anybody has used a H/F stand.

 

[kmmcrafts]

There are some on here that have used the Harbor Freight stand.. They sell ( last I knew ) two different ones.. I had my EX-21 mounted to the smaller one for a short time.. The stand mounting footprint isn't big enough.. I mounted a piece of plywood to the stand then the saw to the plywood.. I have my planner mounted to their bigger stand and it's real bouncy.. don't think a scroll saw and the bigger stand would get along to well.

My Excalibur vibrated pretty bad unless it was running real slow.. like around 1/2 speed on the dial or less.. anything above that was vibration.. but.. I did have the plywood mounted off center which could have caused that.. I ended up buying a stand made for the Excalibur.. been very good since mounting it to that.. The EX stand it built a little heavier than the Harbor Freight stands that I have..

[OCtoolguy]

2 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

There are some on here that have used the Harbor Freight stand.. They sell ( last I knew ) two different ones.. I had my EX-21 mounted to the smaller one for a short time.. The stand mounting footprint isn't big enough.. I mounted a piece of plywood to the stand then the saw to the plywood.. I have my planner mounted to their bigger stand and it's real bouncy.. don't think a scroll saw and the bigger stand would get along to well.

My Excalibur vibrated pretty bad unless it was running real slow.. like around 1/2 speed on the dial or less.. anything above that was vibration.. but.. I did have the plywood mounted off center which could have caused that.. I ended up buying a stand made for the Excalibur.. been very good since mounting it to that.. The EX stand it built a little heavier than the Harbor Freight stands that I have..

Thanks Kevin, that's exactly what I wanted to know. I see they have a couple of different stands and I'm looking at this one.

 

[kmmcrafts]

20 minutes ago, octoolguy said:

Thanks Kevin, that's exactly what I wanted to know. I see they have a couple of different stands and I'm looking at this one.

 

That is the model I have my planner mounted to... Maybe they are different now but the bottom of the legs are springy and my planner bounces all over the place.. which is okay for a planner.. but I wouldn't want my scroll saw on it.. Maybe mine was a defective one I don't know.. like I said.. works for my planner.. also could be I have the leg extensions all the way to the highest setting.. 

Maybe someone else will chime in on this.. I used the smaller model one for many of my other benchtop type tools.. drill press, belt/disc sander, grinder, chop saw etc etc.. I bought a bunch of them on a sale and a 25% coupon... think I have around 10 of them, LOL some still in the box, LOL.. Guess I went a little over board on them.. But I think with the deal I had they cost only about $12 EA.    

[Woodmaster1]

1 hour ago, octoolguy said:

I am thinking about putting my EX on a H/F stand and making it portable. I looked at the one from General International and it sure does look like a H/F. Just curious as to whether anybody has used a H/F stand.

 

Check out Steve Carmichael's web site or YouTube on the stand he made. 

Edited June 27, 2018 by Woodmaster1

[WayneMahler]

I built my own stand. It's heavy weight and very sturdy and I really like it. Can't remember where I got the plans from but can look and see if I can locate them. It is built similar to a work bench .

[OCtoolguy]

38 minutes ago, Woodmaster1 said:

Check out Steve Carmichael's web site or YouTube on the stand he made. 

I like that design but I would want the single leg in front toward me. I like to straddle it. I did the same thing with stand I built for my Dewalt. I'm so pressed now for space with 3 saws that I want to make the EX a mobile saw that I can roll out of my shop. The problem with my shop is the floor is elevated about 6 inches off the surface of my driveway so I have to figure out some way to get it in and out. I don't have room for a ramp.

 

[kmmcrafts]

find a way to mount a solid steel rod and mount it up higher.. then put you some of those bigger tires from Harbor Freight.. so they are off the ground slightly.. then you can tilt the saw back like a dolly.. roll it where you want with ease..

[OCtoolguy]

13 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

find a way to mount a solid steel rod and mount it up higher.. then put you some of those bigger tires from Harbor Freight.. so they are off the ground slightly.. then you can tilt the saw back like a dolly.. roll it where you want with ease..

Lots of images running through my head right now. You just added another one. Thanks.

 

[tgiro]

Years ago, I bought an HF stand for my 6x48 belt sander. The metal in the legs were so thin, the first time I moved it they bent and twisted. I junked it and went to Woodcraft and got a stand from them. the metal in those legs seemed to be twice as thick as the HF stand.

I've gotten a few things from HF over the years and found myself replacing them with good stuff from other vendors. I don't waste money on HF anymore.

[OCtoolguy]

13 hours ago, tgiro said:

Years ago, I bought an HF stand for my 6x48 belt sander. The metal in the legs were so thin, the first time I moved it they bent and twisted. I junked it and went to Woodcraft and got a stand from them. the metal in those legs seemed to be twice as thick as the HF stand.

I've gotten a few things from HF over the years and found myself replacing them with good stuff from other vendors. I don't waste money on HF anymore.

Thanks Tony. Actually, I have had the exact opposite experience with the power tools that I have bought from them. But......I always bring whatever I buy home and go over it thoroughly. If not up to snuff, I return it or exchange it. That has only happened twice. The last time was for a biscuit joiner. It was sloppy loose. I went back to the store and found one that was made very well. I exchanged the bad one for the good one. No questions asked. They did tag the one I brought back and put it in the back room. With that said, I fully understand what you are saying about the thickness of the steel that is in that stand and I will take a very good look at it before I buy it. There really has to be a big difference in the stands when one sells for $40 and the other sells for $125. I do think that the expensive one is vastly overpriced though. I would think somewhere in the $75-80 range might be more like it. I'll take a look at Woodcraft Store. I do like to patronize them when I can but sometimes they are just way overpriced on some stuff.

 

[kmmcrafts]

The smaller stands I have are made fairly well, actually the larger one is also fairly heavy except the springy legs. While they are made of thinner steel than the actual EX stand. While I think the larger one is supposed to hold a heavier tool.. I think the smaller one is actually more sturdy. If I was in a position to need a stand and didn’t want to pay the EX stand price. I’d go with the smaller one and mount a plywood top on it. This can also then be doubled as a side table if you get a larger plywood top for it. Also would help in keeping the sawdust from landing in your lap. But it would probably take some adjusting and toying with to get the weight distribution to where you need it for the least amount of vibration.

[OCtoolguy]

30 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

The smaller stands I have are made fairly well, actually the larger one is also fairly heavy except the springy legs. While they are made of thinner steel than the actual EX stand. While I think the larger one is supposed to hold a heavier tool.. I think the smaller one is actually more sturdy. If I was in a position to need a stand and didn’t want to pay the EX stand price. I’d go with the smaller one and mount a plywood top on it. This can also then be doubled as a side table if you get a larger plywood top for it. Also would help in keeping the sawdust from landing in your lap. But it would probably take some adjusting and toying with to get the weight distribution to where you need it for the least amount of vibration.

My first and biggest challenge is how to get the saw out of and back into my shop. I don't have room for a ramp and the drop from the shop floor down to the concrete driveway is about 5-6 inches. So, with that in mind, I need someone with a creative mind to help me design something that is mobile and can get in and out of the shop. I'm thinking something with about 6" soft rubber or inflatable wheels on the heavy end with handles to help tilt the saw for moving. With wheels on only one end, it would be more stable once down on the driveway. I'm thinking of some sort of a box configuration wide enough to put the wheels inboard. I have a Dewalt portable table saw on a Dewalt stand that has rubber/metal wheels and I don't have any trouble getting it in and out. So, I'll have to see if I can duplicate that design in some way. I want the saw to sit low for sitting down while sawing and also to keep the center of gravity low.