I am trying to fashion a set of drop down wheels for a cabinet. These casters are screwed to the underside of cross piece of wood (front to back). They will be on a hinge so that when they are down they are inside the cabinet, when the cross piece is pushed down, they below the bottom and raise the cabinet.
I would like to have a crank lift where I could insert a handle from outside the cabinet into a recess that contains the end of the linkage to the crank lift itself. If the crank is turned one direction, it meshes a gear which drives a rod down onto the edge of the crosspiece, opposite from the hinges. If it is turned the other direction, then the rod comes up and the weight of the cabinet forces the casters up underneath and inside the cabinet housing. Kind of like the old foot operated sewing machines, but using a crank lift versus your foot to move the pedal.
Any ideas on how to do this "cheaply"? I have seen commercial solutions but they are way toooo expensive.