Custom Downdraft Table Evolution: Caster Wheels!
The custom downdraft table I designed and CNC laser cut has evolved in the shop, it now has caster wheels!
To increase efficiency in the shop, caster wheels are an EASY WIN.
Beforehand, the tables in the shop were a pain to move around to make room for projects and would actually damage them as well.
Caster wheels make a tough task easy, they make something that takes time into something that’s simple and efficient to do.
If you are wondering how this custom designed and since heavily used downdraft table came into being, check out this video.
A few things that I added to the design have never really been used or needed, those three higher panels aren’t required as my 3 hp extraction system is so strong, dust never has a chance to go anywhere but INTO the downdraft table.
The slots in the bottom have helped keep everything straight even when being dragged along the floor, but to add caster wheels, I decided to add another layer of material to increase the height of the downdraft table, I’ve found it to be a little low for working with.
So what I did, while I have this downdraft table upside down, is to re-glue the edges just to add a bit more strength, they weren’t loose but weren’t solid either, from all the dragging I did with this custom downdraft table since it was built.
Before glueing, shaving the old glue must be done to have good adhesion.
Although not shown in these photos, I then proceeded to add a ton of glue along with screws to hold down the piece of wood that actually comes all the way from Perth, Australia!
I moved from there to North America to start CNCROi.com with my Trotec Laser and ShopBot CNC router.
You never know when an old crate can have a second life, and in this case, it’s a very strong and resilient bottom to my downdraft table.
As for the sign on this table, see how that was done!
The top of the custom downdraft table comes off easily, just gravity holds it in place.
I then flipped back over the custom downdraft table and it gained about 3 inches in height, which is perfect for me in the CNCROi.com shop when it comes to sanding applications.
We do more and more wood work (along with metal of course and other materials) and that requires sanding.
You can see how the custom downdraft table looks like now with the caster wheels, the base is dramatically stronger thanks to the Australian crate piece, I still have a few other odds and ends, which I keep, just for these type of circumstances.
And now the downdraft table is filled with all our sanding equipment (on both sides).
I also added casters to two other tables in the shop, including the custom laser station that I designed and built, it’s wonderful being able to EASILY move things around the CNCROi.com shop!
It’s great to have all of those tools in one place, that jigsaw is amazing but we’ve since purchased a powerful bandsaw, so that will move into a new area of the shop.
As CNCROi.com keeps on expanding in equipment and expertise, the tools relevant become increasingly segregated which further increases how fast we can get projects done to our customer’s specs!
Need something custom? Contact CNCROi.com!
