How to make my homemade bench easier to move?

[-linux_lad]

I butcher wood mostly as a hobby, but I have some rental properties that need work from time to time. I'm not good enough to get multiple functions out of a few tools, so when I have to fix something, I take everything with me but the kitchen sink. I made myself a large, mobile work bench to move my tools about. It's not pretty, but it's definitely functional. It's got a plywood and 2x4 body with interchangeable MDF inserts which hold banks of drawers. The top is a couple of sheets of

3/4" MDF (the top sheet being removable in case I ever need to replace it) with about a foot lopped off one end, making a 4'x7' workspace. It has four (4 1/2") wheels made of steel and urethane. The problem I'm having is that the bench is tough to move different directions. Once the wheels have aligned, it's easier to move, but getting them all pointed in the right direction is tough. Right now I winch it up a ramp into the back of my truck, but moving it around in my garage is a chore, and it's not real pleasant with ACL damage in my knee. How can I make it easier to move in different directions? I know this can be done because my Griz 1023 can be pulled across the floor with 3 fingers in its homemade dolly. Has anyone else had this problem?

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[John Emmons]

I'm thinking that you should have 2 swiveling casters and 2 fixed. The 2 fixed ones should be on one end of the bench/box, swivels on the other end. Maybe some sort of push/pull handle on the end with swivels.

John Emmons

[mac davis]

for sure, agree with the 2 fixed wheels.. I've made this mistake before and have a sanding station that wants to move 2 directions at once..

my suggestion, since it's a portable bench/tool chest, would be to add some sort of removable or fold-down yoke or handle to give you leverage on the directional movements...

I'd also see if the wheels on the bench are the same relative size and quality as the ones on the Griz dolly... all casters are NOT created equal.. (as a never again buyer of HF wheels, I can testify to this)

[Robert Boucher]

built a work table using a retractable wheel arrangement I saw on the New Yankee Workshop. When the wheels are down, the table easily rolls in any direction; when the wheels are retracted, it is a very solid work bench.

[mac davis]

I've been using a shopsmith for years with their retractable system.. gotta love it!

Mac