Possible idea: small portable LowRider v4 mounted to a folding mobile miter saw / table saw stand

LowRider CNC Hardware Development
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Earlier this week, I had my first full day (in months) during which I did not suffer noticeable brain fog. For months now, depending on how much sleep I get during the night, the mind fog would set in after a few minutes / couple hours of clearheadedness in the morning. Not every day since then has been as good, but the mind fog does seem to be slowly going away. Last night I was able to get just shy of 8 hours, which almost never happens. Today seems to be going good. However, I’m still a bit gun shy of my ideas being looney and I just cannot discern it. Anyhow…

Today I was looking at my small LowRider table (about 30" x 30" in size), which was used for LR4 beta, and a couple of LR4 release candidates. I have a fully functional LR4 RC machine in which the gantry is detached from the table, and currently sits unused, while the table is stood on its side.

I got to thinking just now, about the possibility of a small portable LowRider v4 mounted to a folding mobile table saw / miter saw stand. After a quick bit of Googling for foldable stands with wider stance, below are links to…

POWERTEC Table Saw Stand with Wheels, Portable Table Saw Stand w/ 330Lbs Load Capacity, Foldable Design for Easy Storage in Garage, Compatible with Dewalt Table Saw (MT4009)

Amazon Affiliate: Amazon.com
Non-affiliate: Amazon.com

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I also looked at the H.D. listing for the…

RIDGID Foldable Mobile Miter Saw Stand with Mounting Braces

Non-affiliate: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-Foldable-Mobile-Miter-Saw-Stand-with-Mounting-Braces-AC9946/206992161

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Note: I already have one of the Ridgid ones, with my miter saw strapped to it. It’s great for that. Still, of the two, the first one is not only a little cheaper, but looks like it might serve better for this use.

Thoughts?

UPDATE:

I found another listing for the one I had linked to above, with a lower price, got it for $150.99, including some push sticks that come with it.

Also, @dgkeith237 suggested another possible option, the …

RYOBI SPEED BENCH Mobile Workstation

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-SPEED-BENCH-Mobile-Workstation-STM202/327697028

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That is excellent news about your health. I hope your trend continues.

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@jeffeb3 Thanks! :slight_smile: :heart:

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Conceptually it seems ok but I’m not sure how big you could make it.

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I was thinking of the room that one offers for overhang. I think it could work.

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Looking closer, it seems like there is room for overhang in all directions. I suppose as long as it’s a relatively light build and the weight is centered, it should work.

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Yes, my thoughts too.

Also, I got to thinking about the possibility of tagging a “router table” type functionality in the mix, perhaps near one side in an overhang, perhaps positioned to counterbalance the weight of the router in the LowRider.

I’m pondering on it.

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Why the LR4 vs. one of the smaller MPCNCs? (Primo?)

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Greatly appreciate the collapsing/folding stand like this that’s on my Rigid 10" Wet Tile Saw, it’s great for quickly moving the bulky saw around.

Folding setup like this sounds neat when needing to workaround very constrained or temporary work areas.

For larger spaces, but still small enough to not allow permanent setup, personally like having a rolling bench for 1/4 sheet LR that also holds Vac, separator-bin, tools, some scraps, air compressor for the cooling/mister setup.

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@azab2c Great points, friend.

I’d need to let someone answer who has made and used both. As someone who has made LowRiders quite a few times — LR2, LR3 (router), LR3 (plasma), LR4-beta, a couple of LR4-RC’s, and LR4-final — my knowledge and experience is there, and from what I’d read from some who have built and used both, the LowRider design is easier to build and does not lose any of its advantages just by making it smaller. I welcome input from others on this.

That’s said, for someone who knows and appreciates the classic MPCNC, the same idea here could work for that too!

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I only have an LR3, but I can’t figure out any advantage to a Primo over an LR4 at this point other than price (which for sure counts as something). I thought maybe you could have a larger usable area for a given footprint on a Primo, but playing with the calculators, it turns out the opposite is true. I’m not sure if it’s easier or not to store vertically.

Not that I plan on building an MPCNC anytime soon, but I am curious what others think.

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Storing the MPCNC upright is easier because all the rails are captured. My primo is screwed to a portable torsion box.

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@Tokoloshe That’s a good point too. For anyone looking at.

One major point leaning me toward LR4, is I already have it built, just sitting here. Probably easier for me to consider fabricating some way to help it be stored upright than to build a whole different machine. I think someone has already figured out something for that, but I cannot recall who or what the solution was.

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This is a cool idea. Does the handle protrude above the attachment area? That would limit it, especially with the ground (when collapsed) being the limit in the other direction.

This one shows the handle being clearly lower than the attachment surface. It could stick up a bit more than the handle, giving a bit more length, assuming the LR4 would be oriented across and stored on the “low end.”

Very interesting project, I’ll be watching closely.

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Neat. I think Prof Potter basically made a torsion box and put wheels on one end but I like your thinking Doug.

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Professor @stevempotter shared info about his very portable MPCNC in a few videos, including…

There’s related topic(s) on the forum somewhere

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I like that one ( Ryobi Speed Bench ) even better than the mobile table saw stand I linked to above. I found another listing for the one I had linked to, with a lower price, got it for $150.99, including some push sticks that come with it. That’s $49 less than the Ryobi Speed Bench. The Ryobi Speed Bench is taller, which can be either good or not as good, depending. If one is slapping on a piece of plywood as the table for the CNC, then it’s probably good. If one has a box, torsion box or other, the added height might be not as good, but probably not a deal breaker.

When I saw your post about the Ryobi Speed Bench, I liked the look of it and added features so much better that I tried to cancel my Amazon order of the other one, but Amazon had previously sent me an email message saying the stand had shipped, and that was less than 3 hours after ordering it, something like 2 hours and 40 minutes! So once it ships, it cannot be cancelled.

So, I will see what I can do with the stand I have coming!

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That’s so neat. I somehow had not ever seen that video or thread.

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Thanks, Doug. The main advantage of Primo over the LR4, I think, is being able to carve taller things. Mine is about 90mm z travel.

Here is a photo album I don’t think I ever posted here yet. It shows the (then) new wheels I made that allow me to get my Portable Primo through narrow doorways.
As always, be sure to scroll up, or click on the i for captions:

[45 new items added to shared album] Swivel Wheels for MPCNC
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@stevempotter That’s awesome. Like how you used those clamps as parking brakes!