Manoeuvring picnic table

[Jupiter01]

I built this table a couple of years ago and it has been serving us well.
However, it is extremely heavy. My wife struggles to help me move it every time I want to cut the grass and then place it back in the same position.

Can I please have your advice on this. I was thinking about some sort of wheel mechanism.

Thanks in advance.

 

[diynoob]

Can't you move one end at a time on your own? There are various solutions for moving heavy furniture. The sliders work great on carpet, not sure about grass:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/moving-heavy-furniture/s?k=moving+heavy+furniture

 

[Tigercubrider]

Wheels that are just off the ground when flat.
Lift the other end like a wheel barrow to ground the wheels.

Still heavy, but easier to wheel if a sheet of hardboard is chucked on the grass as a roadway.
The wheels might get in the way of feet, so could somehow bolt on?

 

[IT Minion]

A couple of 4x2s with a single wheel on the end to make a simple wheelbarrow?

Or if it's rigid enough, tip it onto its end?

 

[Old Salt]

Tip onto one end, cut grass, tip onto other end, cut grass. Easy, peasy

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08612YC84/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_B6A4AN9S6KFHY4G48JP5

 

[Jupiter01]

I like to cut stripes into my lawn which requires me to go up, down and back over the lengths with my mower. It would be easier if I can move the table out of the way. Also, it’s good to move it every week as else the grass under the feet is irrecoverable.

I like the idea of the wheel and wheelbarrow motion but can’t fathom how the wheel would be fitted and where. Can I have some more explanation on this please

 

[IT Minion]

I like to cut stripes into my lawn which requires me to go up, down and back over the lengths with my mower. It would be easier if I can move the table out of the way. Also, it’s good to move it every week as else the grass under the feet is irrecoverable.

I like the idea of the wheel and wheelbarrow motion but can’t fathom how the wheel would be fitted and where. Can I have some more explanation on this please

My thought was to make essentially a long, flat bed wheelbarrow. One that's low slung enough that you can slide it under the table, then lift it up and it'd take enough of the weight that you could move it. I'd imagined a wheelbarrow wheel on the end of some 4x2s, maybe with a simple rectangular frame to avoid twisting and some lugs to stop the table trying to slide down.

I have not checked to make sure the physics makes sense. Thinking about it now I'm questioning it...

 

[Old Salt]

What about a couple of these under the legs on one end? Lift one leg, position dolly, lift other leg, position dolly, move bench out of the way. Cut grass then reverse the process.

https://www.googleadservices.com/pa...jg1rDJz8XyAhVOTcAKHS4lCCUQ5bgDegQIARA_&adurl=

 

[Jupiter01]

You guys are absolute geniuses. Many times, I post on this forum thinking I have exhausted all the obvious options and am always impressed by the ingenuity of your responses.
@Old Salt liking your suggestion. Do you think those wheels will be okay on grass? Happy to give it a go...

 

[Old Salt]

You guys are absolute geniuses. Many times, I post on this forum thinking I have exhausted all the obvious options and am always impressed by the ingenuity of your responses.
@Old Salt liking your suggestion. Do you think those wheels will be okay on grass? Happy to give it a go...

The problem will be the size of the castors and if the ground is soft but a couple planks would make it work.
I know machine mart sell wider castors that may be better than the dolly.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Can I please have your advice on this. I was thinking about some sort of wheel mechanism.

That looks identical to my own home made one. Mine in on a sort of patio, put I designed it so I could tip it up at either end and have it sit near upright on end, so the area could be swept. It looks as if your might possibly do that, rather than having to move it.

It's predecessor had rotted at the bottom of the legs due to water. I modified its successor to avoid that, by drilling large holes up through the bottom of the leg and hammering in some 12mm bolts, so the bolt head raised the leg up off the slabs. In your case, with it sat on bare soil, I would not expect it to survive for long.

 

[JohnD]

you can get rubber-tired plastic wheels fairly cheap. You will not be doing much mileage so a piece of studding through the leg would suffice as an axle, though stainless will last longer. On grass there will be enough resistance that it will not roll unless you want it to.

the wheels will also hold the wood off the ground and delay rot.

 

[Jupiter01]

piece of studding through the leg would suffice as an axle

Can you expand on this please.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Can you expand on this please.

Studding = threaded rod. He was suggesting using threaded rod as an axle, for wheels, so you can wheel it along.