Simple cab moving device ?

[RayB]

I just had the idea for something... It's real conveninent that a lot of arcade machines have wheels mounted at the back, but that's no help if the machine is backed up against a wall. You have to pull it forward all the way out, and enough to get behind it so you can tilt the machine, but by then, if you can get behind it, it's usually already far enough to do whatever repairs you intend to do! I'm also looking at avoiding scratching up the floors.

What I was thinking was, wouldn't be cool to have a device that was kind of like a big sturdy L-bracket... long enough to fit the width of the cab, and with a couple wheels mounted on them. You tilt your cab up/back a bit, slide this thing under the front bottom edge of the cabinet, then tilt the machine forward and drag forward on the wheels.

Any of you engineer types see any problems with this? Is the center of gravity too far off to make front-tilt feasible? Would the machine tend to want to slide out/away?


I'll post drawings tomorrow, if none of this makes sense.

[SavannahLion]

Based on your description, it's called a hand dolly, hand truck or furniture mover. I'm sure they go by other names as well.

one type.

I used to have this one. Until it was destroyed.

I have one similar to the economy version listed here. I use it in combination with ratchet tie-down straps and I can move anything that doesn't pop the wheels. Just used it to move a freezer yesterday.

They have a bazillion different designs, types, and what not. Some can climb stairs. Some can crawl up into the truck bed. I saw a bizarre one a few years ago that looked like a hybrid between a giant pizza spatula and a tank tread.

[RayB]

LOL  not a dolly! I'm talking about just the L shaped part. Small, compact, no handles, etc.

I'd draw it but I've been up working for 24 hrs, so I need some rest...

[SavannahLion]

LOL  not a dolly! I'm talking about just the L shaped part. Small, compact, no handles, etc.

I'd draw it but I've been up working for 24 hrs, so I need some rest...

IC

Well... I imagine the greatest challenge would be to overcome the delicate balancing act of supporting an arcade cab on edge like that. That's the purpose of the upper portion of the hand truck. It gives the operator (you) a way to support the weight of the cab and to compensate for minor shifts of weight, eg if you tilt too far and are forced to support the weight as you adjust the weight. It also acts as a fulcrum to tip the cab by yourself and acts as an anchor point for any straps you might need. Since I'm always moving the cabs by myself, I often use the straps as an anchor and as a way to give me leverage to tip the cab onto the hand truck.

If you notice, take this guy for instance. He actually doesn't give up the upper portion of the hand truck, the kayak becomes the upper portion once the chop job is strapped into place. I imagine, in this case, it's dynamics are more like a wheel barrow rather than a hand truck.

In a nutshell, you have a valid idea, but I imagine the amount of engineering that would go into something like that in safely balancing a cab on edge would quickly outstrip a simple, tried and tested $80 hand truck with $12 worth of strapping. Whatever cheap method you come with is probably going to be too dangerous. I'd rather just move the cab.

Perhaps a sort of "dolly" that you slide under the front tilting the cab back far enough that the dolly wheels and the back wheels are now in use? How far back do you have to tip the cab back to get the wheels to make contact with the ground? Too far and you have the same problem in the opposite direction. 

[RayB]

Did you catch the part where I mention that many arcade machines already come with rear wheels built in, just for this purpose ? Look at the bottom:



So what I am talking about is replicating that functionality in a non-permanent, detachable way. If balance is not an issue with the built in rear ones, would it be an issue with front ones? If so, why?

[SavannahLion]

Did you catch the part where I mention that many arcade machines already  come with rear wheels built in, just for this purpose ? Look at the bottom:

I did, keep reading.

So what I am talking about is replicating that functionality in a non-permanent, detachable way. If balance is not an issue with the built in rear ones, would it be an issue with front ones? If so, why?

For precisely this exact reason. The rear wheels are attached, fixed, in a permanent way. Tilting the cab back in that manner simply means the entire cab is handled as one inseparable piece. The same would hold true if you used a hand truck with a strap. The cab itself has a built in "hand truck". Barring an catastrophic failure of the wood or some other mechanical failure of the hand truck, this is a safe, tried and true method of moving, what is effectively, a large appliance.

What you're proposing is a very small "foot" to slip under the front of the cab, then to tilt or shift the center of gravity over this fulcrum. The potential for the device to slip out of position is too great. My dad had a junk yard and this is exactly the sort of thing I used to experiment with as a kid. I destroyed a lot of stuff playing with that crap.

For 80% of the cabs out there, how can you ensure the device will stay attached and fixed while you move the cabinet? By straps? Kitty corner from the corner you're attaching to is typically another corner. You would need another L bracket just to hold the straps secure. By the time you reach around the top to position the bracket and secure the straps, you're back at square one. Moving the cab out from the wall far enough to work on it.

Hand trucks have been around for years. Take this one for instance:

Their designs haven't significantly changed a whole lot over the years.

Figure out why they're designed like that, then come up with a better (safer) mouse trap.

[EightBySix]

You can get appliance rollers - designed for fridges, etc.

Like this:
http://www.wdrake.com/WalterDrake/shopping/productdetail.aspx?cid=clearance&scid=clean+%26+organized&productid=0000105127&sitenum=0&sortby=rank%20asc

any good? I guess you would need ones that locked when not in use. They must be available, to prevent washing machines walking around the kitchen.

[RayB]

Oh cool EightBySix. Those would do the trick.

[Kevin Mullins]

Oh cool EightBySix. Those would do the trick.

If you were able to get them under both the front AND rear of the machine.
You would still have to "lift" the machine straight up to place them underneath. (think forklift)
That is unless you bought a set for each machine and just left them there.

I have also been tossing around a concept similar in what you are looking for.
Some of my machines are packed pretty close, so when I need to work on one they need to be pulled straight forward quite a ways before you can do much with them. (clear the other machines)

[TOK]

Locking casters on the front are great. I can move my 27" vertical cab around with one hand. Lock them down and it won't budge. Not a good solution for every machine I suppose, but my Golden Tee Fore is definitely getting a set.

[RayB]

If you were able to get them under both the front AND rear of the machine.
You would still have to "lift" the machine straight up to place them underneath. (think forklift)
That is unless you bought a set for each machine and just left them there.

Well, if there's enough room on either side to tilt, it may be possible to slip one under each side. If not, then maybe turning the wheels on those 90 degrees, and slipping it under the front.

I have also been tossing around a concept similar in what you are looking for.
Some of my machines are packed pretty close, so when I need to work on one they need to be pulled straight forward quite a ways before you can do much with them. (clear the other machines)

Any ideas?  Maybe some rubber padding would help prevent the slipping risk mentioned by SavannaLion

[Alpha17X]

I personally just put wheels on all 4 corners and lock them when i don't want the cabinet to move. But that's just for sliding it around on one floor.

[fredster]

I use these.  They even work on concrete.  They are called "moving men" and they are about $7.  They are called "Furniture Sliders" at Walmart, and you can get a set for $10.

Makes it so you can pull it out if you need to.  It will just glide. Works best on carpet.

[RayB]

Will those scratch up wood floors when they have 300 lbs sitting on them?

[SavannahLion]

Just a note: Despite what the package says, those things don't work worth a damn on concrete unless the concrete is perfectly smoothed and epoxy coated with something like Epoxy Shield. I used them for a short while when I had my things in storage. Small. Cheap. "Worked on concrete." Perfect to just leave behind and slip under when I needed to shove things around right?

Wrong. These disks tore themselves up in no time. After nearly breaking my back on disc that just refused to budge, I just found my dad's old furniture dolly and left that there instead. The wheels worked 10x better than this inane crap.

It's simple physics really. You have to have a perfectly smooth surface on the disk (this does) and a reasonably smooth floor (which concrete is often not) and it has to be clean (see below). If these three criteria are not met, they don't work. These work by spreading the weight out over a larger surface area. If the surface is rough or uneven, you return to the same problem you had before, hard to move furniture.

Will those scratch up wood floors when they have 300 lbs sitting on them?

I would not use them on anything other than carpet and maybe linoleum. They will work on wood floors, but the floor absolutely has to be clean. If there's even the tiniest bit of crap on that floor, you're going to see a scratched up floor.

You might be better off laying down a bit of carpet or a rug under the cab and moving it around with that.

[Alpha17X]

The solution is to install mini monster truck tires on all future cabinets, and mount a dolly handle to the back.

[Kevin Mullins]

The solution is to install mini monster truck tires on all future cabinets, and mount a dolly handle to the back.

The problem is when cabs are backed up against a wall and you need to pull them out to work on or move. Especially with cabs close on either side.

[I/O]

The solution is to install mini monster truck tires on all future cabinets, and mount a dolly handle to the back.

The problem is when cabs are backed up against a wall and you need to pull them out to work on or move. Especially with cabs close on either side.

...I think he was joking....

[EightBySix]

Take a look at the levelling castors on this thread... Useful?

[pmt257]

lol

[RayB]

I found some fridge casters and will try to see how it goes with those (permanently installed, front only).

Hey, another idea is to use the ancient technique of using posts. Just stick em under, roll forward. I could cut old broom sticks!!

[Ed_McCarron]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200422220_200422220

?

[TOK]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200422220_200422220

?

That is pretty cool. I don't think I'd want to adjust it every time, so I would probably just set it for the size of my largest game base and put a sheet of 3/4" plywood in the bottom.

I'm about halfway done my gameroom and will have to move 7 games into there from various places in the house when its ready. I might try this thing.

[Ed_McCarron]

I think its made to move table saws and the like, but if figured with the way this one knocks down, you rock the game foward a bit, slide the rear wheels under, do the same for the front, and off she goes.

[shardian]

Will those scratch up wood floors when they have 300 lbs sitting on them?

You use the felt backed ones for wood and laminate floors. The plastic backed ones are for carpet.

And yes, I use a dolly to pull games out sometimes. Most of the times I just muscle them out.

[RayB]

Just bought a set of appliance rollers like EightSix suggested. I'll let you all know how well they work.