Shop project 03 · Budget
Cradle parts list
Every component of the mobile cradle and cut-to-size datum rail priced against a supplier, with unreleased pivot hardware flagged so nothing gets ordered before the engineering lands.
- Full budget
- $885.27
- Safe to order now
- $811.29
- On hold
- $73.98
| Part | Specification | Supplier | Qty | Unit | Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End frames + pads Two rounded-triangle layers nest on one 4 × 8 sheet (one upright, one flipped beside it — the pair fits in 87 × 40 in.), so three sheets yield all six layers (three per frame) plus every caster/bearing/leveler pad with spares, matching the 4 × 8 DXF nest. Run the 8 ft sheet edge along the table's long axis when nesting. Price per Loren's quote from Aetna (Chicago, local pickup); mail-order suppliers run $99–138/sheet. | 3/4 in. (18 mm) Baltic birch plywood, 4 × 8 ft sheet, 13-ply B/BB | Aetna Plywood | 3 sheet | $75.00 | $225.00 |
| Central spine The spine is 120 in. — exactly 10 ft — so a single 12 ft LSL covers it with trim margin (Menards stocks LSL in 12, 16, and 20 ft lengths; no need for the 20 ft). Factory-laminated, so it replaces the whole plywood spine glue-up — cut to length and fit. Price is an estimate at ≈ $6/ft. | 2 × 6 LSL (laminated strand lumber), 1-3/4 × 5-1/2 in., cut to ≈ 112–120 in. (about 9–10 ft) | Menards | 1 12 ft length | $72.00 | $72.00 |
| Front-left datum rails Buy straight, clear stock and mill both reference faces. Join the front-left corner with a 1-1/2 × 1-1/2 in. half-lap, 3/8 in. deep in each rail. Keep the rails removable. The DXFs include full-size profiles and the joint detail, but intentionally omit mounting holes until machine and track clearances are proven. Price is a planning allowance; confirm local stock and actual thickness before cutting. | Straight hard maple, finished 3/4 × 1-1/2 in.; cut one front/Y0 rail to 49 in. and one left/X0 rail to 97 in. | Woodcraft | 2 1 × 2 × 10 ft board | $36.00 | $72.00 |
| Pivot shaftHold Plain bar runs ≈ $8–15/ft; McMaster precision keyed shafting (1497K101) is $33.68/ft if a keyway is ever needed for a drive. Diameter and length are not released — size after mass and reactions are measured. | 1 in. dia. cold-rolled steel round bar (plain shafting) | Online Metals / Metals Depot | 2 ft | $12.00 | $24.00 |
| BearingsHold Dodge F4B-VSC-100 via MROSupply is the heavy-duty alternative at ≈ $54.67 each. Selection waits on measured moving mass — do not order yet. | 4-bolt flange bearing, 1 in. bore, cast housing (HCF205-16) | VXB | 2 each | $24.99 | $49.98 |
| Casters Three per end frame. CasterHQ equivalent ≈ $67 each. Measure actual mounting height before fixing the pivot height. | 6 × 2 in. kingpinless swivel caster, polyurethane tread on metal core, 1,200 lb, 4 × 4-1/2 in. top plate (Series 30) | Service Caster | 6 each | $59.55 | $357.30 |
| Floor stabilizers Two per end frame near the outer corners. If the 800 lb/set rating feels tight against the ≈ 760 lb standing weight, step up to threaded leveling mounts with a higher rating. | Heavy-duty lifting levelers, 800 lb per set of 4 | Rockler | 1 4-pack | $24.99 | $24.99 |
| Fasteners ≈ $26 per 25-pack of bolts plus washers and nuts; order-of-magnitude kit estimate. | 3/8 in.-16 hex bolts, nuts, and washers in assorted lengths for through-bolting casters, bearing pads, and leveler blocks | Home Depot (Everbilt) | 1 kit | $60.00 | $60.00 |
| Total budget | $885.27 | ||||
Assumptions
- Prices are single-unit US retail gathered September 2026 from the suppliers linked on each line; shipping and sales tax are not included.
- Plywood quantity assumes the rounded-triangle frames laminate to roughly 2–2-1/4 in. at the load-bearing zones; the center spine is a single 2 × 6 LSL with no shop lamination.
- Pivot shaft and bearings are on hold — sizes are placeholders for budgeting only until moving mass, center of gravity, and worst-case reactions are measured.
- Plywood is budgeted from Aetna Plywood's $75 per 4 × 8 ft sheet (Chicago, local pickup, per Loren's quote); mail-order 3/4 in. B/BB 4 × 8 sheets run $99–138 (Bertastore, Get Outside Games, Baker Lumber). Three sheets suffice because two triangle layers nest per sheet — order a fourth only if you want insurance against a miscut.
- Nothing here is a released fabrication drawing or a purchase approval — it is a budget for the provisional design.
- Datum-rail lengths match the proposed 49 × 97 in. support field. Rip and joint the hard maple yourself; transfer mounting holes only after checking the LowRider carriage, dust shoe, clamps, tracks, and torsion-box ribs.