Even though I’m sick, I decided to power thru it and build the bench for my SO5 Pro 4x4 so I can rearrange the shop and have a home for it when it arrives. It’s built with the Rockler Rock-Steady bench system and pine project boards from Lowes. I used the project boards so that they could be used for structure and to easily mount the electronics/VFD boxes. Total cost so far is under $750.
I still need to MacGiver a way to attach the lifting/removable casters, add a few brackets, roundover the edges, and seal the wood. I’ll also build a boom for the dust collector hose… but I’ll cut that on the machine when it gets here.
I’m planning on making a base out of 80/20 for mine, but thats about as far as I have gotten. It’s all just a checklist of features I would like to have when its finished.
Normally I would agree but the price difference has decreased the last couple years, plus I have a lot of
extra hardware from other 80/20 projects that helps keep the cost of what I need to buy now down.
Once I start actually designing the table, hopefully I still think it’s worth the extra cost.
Thank you! No enclosure? Assuming you went with the 4x4’ SO5.
Need to get started on mine but I am still undecided on size. Current plan is 66x66" or 66x72" with an enclosure (66" deep is due to the shop space I am clearing for it).
I only have a lowly SO3 XXL. I made a torsion box for it and sized it to have about 10" in the front to lay my tools, calipers and a plastic tray for bits to drop into instead of the floor.
You might consider making the bench big enough to do the same.
Thank you! I recently sold my SO3, standard size. Left a few inches on each side of the machine in the enclosure which was fine, but could have used a little more room. The 4x4’ SO5 is a big machine and it’s eating up a lot more shop space! Need enough room to get in there but don’t want to go too big.
No plans for an enclosure right now. I’ll put a lot of thought into one as I generally hate the reduction in access without making it overly complicated. For now I may put up easily removable sides. The dust boot catches most anyway.
Adding some more reinforcement to the sides, sanding the top, routing the edges, and shellac today.
Had success on the casters. Only took drilling/tapping the leg, getting some 1/4-20 countersunk bolts, using washers as spacers, then sanding the tops of the bolts down to allow the casters to slide onto the mounts.
EVERYTHING in my shop is on wheels so I can move it or to clean it. I like the 5" casters that lock in both directions. I saw that Woodcraft has casters on sale and there is always old trusty Amazon. One issue I have had with the orange polyurethane casters over the last 10-15 years several of them have cracked off the orange over cover. The wheels still work but they only lock in one direction because the thickness is not as much to lock rotation only the angle.
I had a torsion box as well with the frame bolted to the torsion box/machine. It gave me a few extra inches of clearance in Z. I recently just sold it and believe it or not it fit through a standard size doorway on the way out. I am kicking myself for not ordering the S05 with VFD before they sold out of units. Now I’m waiting for that 80mm spindle mount before considering purchasing.
Thanks for the much needed reminder. 
