Are Casters on Water Table OK ?

[PT]

Getting ready to start my water table build and noticing from all the pics that some of you have put on casters, others not, and still others have casters but with a mechanism to secure the table after it's been moved.

I'm wondering if anyone has put on locking casters and found table movement to be an issue on a 2x4 when the plasma is cutting? Do the movements impact cut quality, or is this a non-issue?

I'll be using 2" x 2" / 0.125 wall tubing for a 2" deep water table (10 ga plate welded to bottom), 2" x 2" tubing for legs w/ 1.5" x 1.5" cross bracing and shelf for plasma cutter. I'm guessing fully loaded it'll be ~ 400+ lbs.

Also, if using casters, how do you level / re-level the table each time ?

(Personally I'd love to make it permanent, but my wife still thinks she should be able to use part of the garage occasionally. Odd...I know, but she's cute so I'll comply.)

Thx guys.

[powthief19]

the only problem i had when I put casters on my 2x4 was that i would get the "lost connection to signal generator" error and I would have to turn off the plasma then turn off the signal generator, then turn it all back on and reconnect.

I think that was happening because the table wasn't grounded. To fix it, i ran an additional ground from the table back to the box. It still happens once in a while but significantly less than without the additional ground.

[jdh239]

I have rubberized casters on mine, and have never ever had an issue. All 4 lock and I don't have any issues with vibrations (water table slats are bowed to prevent that).

[Speed_Freak_039A]

+1. Mine work great also. I use the total lock kind. They stop the rotation and brake the wheel

[samsberr]

Never hade a problem with mine...I just chock them...

[jdh239]

Originally Posted by samsberr

Never hade a problem with mine...I just chock them...

Me too.

[AgitatedPancake]

I have some nice locking swivel casters on my table, it moves around great. Though heavy as hell when full of water, even though I went with thinner material than most for the table components, similar to what you're looking to use. The water table is made of 2x3" .120 wall, 3" deep. The rear legs are the same material, the front are 1.25" or 1.5".120 wall, along with the bottom tray. Expanded steel for the bottom, and 2.5" wide .125 thick slats

And no issues with the computer!

[HardcorewannabeXJ]

With one or two locking casters on there it's not an issue as long as the slats are tensioned. That is how our mobile 2x2 table is setup.

[akpilot]

I have never had a problem, I put adjustable "feet" in case the table moved to much while cutting, but have never used them, just hasn't been an issue.

[Kel Fab Creations]

Originally Posted by powthief19

the only problem i had when I put casters on my 2x4 was that i would get the "lost connection to signal generator" error and I would have to turn off the plasma then turn off the signal generator, then turn it all back on and reconnect.

I think that was happening because the table wasn't grounded. To fix it, i ran an additional ground from the table back to the box. It still happens once in a while but significantly less than without the additional ground.

do you have a high frequency plasma? that's why your loosing connection. adding casters wouldn't change anything. having the table grounded is a good idea with or without casters.

[powthief19]

Originally Posted by Kel Fab Creations

do you have a high frequency plasma? that's why your loosing connection. adding casters wouldn't change anything. having the table grounded is a good idea with or without casters.

I have a cutmaster 39. I don't think its HF.

Before I made the 2x4 table with Casters, I had a 2x2 that sat directly on the concrete in my garage and it only happened a few times.

Now that its on casters, if I forget to plug in the additional ground, it happens 9 times out of 10.

I've spent some time on the phone with tech support and they had me adjust a few things in the signal generator, but it still happens every now and then.

[Kel Fab Creations]

Originally Posted by powthief19

I have a cutmaster 39. I don't think its HF.

Before I made the 2x4 table with Casters, I had a 2x2 that sat directly on the concrete in my garage and it only happened a few times.

Now that its on casters, if I forget to plug in the additional ground, it happens 9 times out of 10.

I've spent some time on the phone with tech support and they had me adjust a few things in the signal generator, but it still happens every now and then.

hmm... when i had a longevity plasma it would do that lost connection thing just like your saying from time to time.

[PT]

Thanks everyone for your responses and pics ! I hadn't thought about tensioning the slats to reduce vibration. Sounds like a good idea, casters or not.

[TRC D]

I have castors on my 2x4 and just have them chalked. I'm running the Longevity Forcecut 60i high freq start torch and now that ground is done correct, I have had no trouble at all. Works like a champ!

[jdh239]

Originally Posted by TRC D

I have castors on my 2x4 and just have them chalked. I'm running the Longevity Forcecut 60i high freq start torch and now that ground is done correct, I have had no trouble at all. Works like a champ!

Not sure I follow... what do you mean by "chalked", and why?

[TRC D]

Chalked like blocking the wheels from rolling. I don't have wheel locks so I used some 1 x 1 steel square tube to keep the wheels from moving. When I'm running over 130 ipm the movement will make the wheels roll back and forth. Sorry if I confused you. Food for thought, buy some wheels with brakes built in.

[jdh239]

Ah.... I see. Thank you.