Wheels or Casters ?

[General Zod]

Can anyone offer a suggestion for cabinet mobility? I've seen some casters @ HomeDepot , but I'm not sure which ones are best. They also have a weight capacity, and I'm not finding any that have a 300lb+ limit. There are some heavy-duty wheels there, but it'll make my cabinet sit an extra 8" off the ground. Isn't there another alternative?

Thank you,

Michael

[hulkster]

well i asked this question a few months ago....and somebody mentioned this to me :  take the wheels that you were going to put on the bottom of your cab, and put them on the lower part of the BACK of the cab.  this is so you can wheel it around by tilting it back.  that way you wont have the wheels on the bottom and make marks, as well as save yourself some money!  hope that helps, let me know if this doesnt make any sense.

[Tailgunner]

Divide the weight of the cabinet by the number of wheels you're planning on using to figure the needed weight capacity of each wheel.

For example: 4 wheels with a 100 pound capacity per wheel should be sufficient for pretty much any upright cabinet.

[General Zod]

That's exactly what I was thinking but the (genious) @ HomeDepot said the limit is calculated by the total weight of the object. He said " Nobody ever mounts someting with only one wheel !" , and at the time, his logic made sense. Now that I know this about the weight capacity, I can finally pick some out. Thank you.

I do have a small set of rollers in the back of the cab, but it's very heavy, and awkward to tilt back and move around.

Thank you both,

Michael

[TalkingOctopus]

I used 3" casters from Home Depot.  I think the weight capacity was around 240 for each wheel.  I used 2 that spun and 2 fixed.  They roll great and have no problem with the weight.  I don't know how I would move my cab around without them.

Get 3" casters at HD and you will be fine

[hyiu]

I also got wheels from HD.... but smaller ones.... only like 125 lb capacity.... so... I'm going to use 6 of them to distribute the weight....

[SirPeale]

I'm looking for castors as well, but no one seems to carry them.  They're threaded.  I thought I found some good ones at HD, but they were too small.

[hyiu]

Happs does sell a caster wheel if you want just 2 wheels behind the cab....

but the you'll need to tilt the cab to move it...

[mod]

here is a link about wheels: maybe it'll help...

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=9772

[/mod]

[SirPoonga]

Divide the weight of the cabinet by the number of wheels you're planning on using to figure the needed weight capacity of each wheel.

For example: 4 wheels with a 100 pound capacity per wheel should be sufficient for pretty much any upright cabinet.

Assuming even weight distribution.

[LordOfChaos]

Here's an idea (maybe not a good one), make the cabinet into a hover-craft type thing.

1) Get some of that heavy duty plastic pond lining material
2) Create an air input hole
2) Secure plastic to the cabinet (air tight)
3) Put about 12,832 tiny holes in the plastic,
4) Hook  your shop vac up to the input hole (from step 2)
5) Turn on shop vac
6) Move cabinet

*** Note ***  this is just a rough idea of how it should be done, I will not be held responsible for people jacking their cabinets (or selves) up.

[ErikRuud]

They actually did something along those lines at a place I used to work at.

They were getting a new sintering press which was a massive piece of machinery that produced hardened metal gears by taking powered metal and pressing it in a mold at 100 tons of pressure.

To move it into the factory, the attached blower units to it, and floated it into the building!

To get back on topic, I used to fixed casters from home depot with a 250lb rating located at the back edge of my cab.  

I posistioned them so that they are just touching the floor when the cab is level.  To move the cab, you lift up on the front and roll it around.
The benefit of this is that the cab is not sitting on the caster's when it is level, so it does not roll around, and I don't have to mess with locking casters.

[u_rebelscum]

Divide the weight of the cabinet by the number of wheels you're planning on using to figure the needed weight capacity of each wheel.

For example: 4 wheels with a 100 pound capacity per wheel should be sufficient for pretty much any upright cabinet.

Assuming even weight distribution.

Definitely.  
There are times when the weight will be on three, two, or even one wheel.  Example: going up/down stairs == two wheels, assuming level stairs and cab.  Example 2: the floor is not quite flat == weight on three wheels.  Example 3: a local bump will put a lot of the wieght on that wheel going over the bump; if the bump is heigh enough, the wheel over the bump and the one diagonal will hold all the weight with the other two lifted off the ground.  Example 4: a cab weighted forward or backward of center.
There are times when the wheels will be but to more force than just the weight.  Example: going down stairs, if you don't go very slow, each time the wheels get to the next step, they will feel both the weight and the momentum of the moving cab.

While I don't think one wheel needs to be rated to hold the whole cab, it's good to have some leeway.  The more you will move the cab, the more leeway you need.  And the higher the quality/brand of the wheel, the more chance the wheel is under rated it's actual capacity (ie a built in leeway), so buyers don't get mad at the manufacturer when it's the buyer that calculated wrong.  *shrug*

I know I'll have stairs in my cab's future, so I'm looking for wheels each having at least 75% of the total weight; 100% would be better.  OTOH, well balanced cabs, to be rarely moved, with any moving only on flat, soft, level, smooth surfaces probably can go with almost zero leeway.

[DeafBug]

If you are going to get two fixed and two spinnies. I suggest putting the spinnies in the back corners and the fixed in the front corners so there is less movement during play.

[Tailgunner]

No arguement here.

I figure an upright cabinet generally weighs between 250 and 350 pounds, so I factored in a bit extra. Any caster with a higher rating is a plus, but I wouldn't use casters rated any less than 100 pounds per caster.

Also, bigger wheels roll easier. If you're designing a cabinet and you resess the bottom to hide them, 3 or 4 inch wheels will mobilize the cabinet quite nicely.

Lastly, if there are stairs involved, do yourself and your cab a favor and borrow or rent a refrigerator dolly.

[zzsprade]

Has anyone thought of a smart way of locking off all of the castors, when they are recessed at the bottom and hidden. Like flick/push something on the outside of the cabinet and all 4 or how many you have lock off together? I am really curious on how to do this... and vaguely remember someone mentioning something along these lines. Any ideas or anything to share guys would be sensational.

Cheers guys!

-Alex

[mpm32]

i always thought something like this would be a cool thing to mount to the bottom of a cab.


http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/findprod.cfm?&DID=6&sku=2383

[ErikRuud]

Those mobile tool bases are pretty neat.  I have plans at home to build one that d probably work better for a cab.  It wouldn't have the lift pedal sticking out front like that.

[ErikRuud]

URebelScum,

Having moved a lot of heavy things up and down a lot of stairs, I can tell you that you would be better off borrowing or renting a furniture dolly.

Caster are really too small to make going up and down stairs any easier.

[ErikRuud]

Here is quick sketch of how my casters are set up on my cab.

[u_rebelscum]

URebelScum,

Having moved a lot of heavy things up and down a lot of stairs, I can tell you that you would be better off borrowing or renting a furniture dolly.

Caster are really too small to make going up and down stairs any easier.

I agree, use a dolly.  I already have a dolly; IMO dollies are better for moving the cab for any distance more than within the same room.  I was using "stairs" for examples, and figuratively as all stress adders: bumps, unlevel ground, stairs, ect.  Rereading my post, I definitely was not clear about that; sorry. .  (Why can't you guys read my mind? )

I guess I should have stated stuff like "going over weather stripping of a door" and "moving between carpet and tile/wood/linoleum" (both which are usually similar to a small step, stress-wise), but "stairs" is much more, um, visually demonstrative, of the stresses I was trying to point out, and easier to type.

[ErikRuud]

I think your helmet is blocking our ESP abilities!  

[grafixmonkey]

I agree, use a dolly.  I already have a dolly;

Agreed, dollies are the best way to go.  But, if you want it to also have wheels for moving within the room, my table saw has a mechanism you might find interesting - it's a lever connected to an axle, near the base of the machine.  You step on the lever, and that raises the machine up a few inches onto the wheels, and brings another lever around.  Step on that lever, and it lowers the machine back down onto its own feet and takes the wheels off of the ground.  One of those on each side makes it very easy to move.

[ErikRuud]

Graphixmonkey,

Look back about six posts.

mpm32 posted a link to that type of system that is available through Rockler.com

[grafixmonkey]

well, I can't catch everything...   especially stuff in links.    

Besides, that looks a lot different than what I described.  It looks kind of like it's on 2 wheels all of the time, and puts one side down to stay put.  The system on my table saw raises and lowers all four casters, so the unit ends up rolling completely free (instead of straight-or-turn like a shopping cart) and has very discreet levers that hide underneath its feet, but are still easy to access.

I'll look at the mechanism and see if I can get a picture, and see if it's something that would be easy to build.

[ErikRuud]

I said it was the same type of system, not identical.

Anyway, a wheel lift system is fairly easy to build.  I have plans for two different variations.  I would post them, but they are not freely distributable, because I got them out of "Wood Magazine".

They do have a website where you can purchase the plans.

[grafixmonkey]

I got a picture of what's under that table saw.  You might have to have a crank or lever for each wheel because long wooden dowels don't have much torsion strength, but I believe this can be done easily with wood you can buy from a hope supply store, and tools people typically have in their workshops.  Maybe another little toy project for the hardcore DIY-ers.  

I think it works like this...
The wheel is on a round dowel that can raise up and down.  That dowel goes up through some holes and leaves the top exposed.  The lever you turn attaches to a circular piece and to the side of the cabinet, sort of off-center so the circular piece goes up and down and around instead of spinning in place.  The round dowel the wheel is attached to rests against the circular piece, so when the piece turns it will either go lower and hold the wheel down, or go higher and allow the wheel to raise up above the feet of the machine.

It would take some thick dowels to make it out of wood, but I'm sure this could be built into a cab fairly easily.  

[ErikRuud]

You could mount the casters to a hinged board with a cam lever to force the wheels down and lift the cab.

That way one lever can operate two casters.

[paigeoliver]

Wait a minute. You people are rolling your games down stairs on casters?

Forget that. The proper way to carry a game up or down the steps is to CARRY it, with as many people as needed, smoothly, and off the ground the entire time. Two people is usually fine, although 3 is preferred if the stairwell turns. I have always found that dollies bounce the games around too much, and we have come close to losing more than one game trying to use a dolly on the stairs.

If it is too heavy (25" or other deluxe cabinet), then pull the monitor and then move it.

[grafixmonkey]

No, the casters would just be to relocate it within the room, say for vacuuming or to bring it out for parties.  I personally don't have enough real estate  to have the cab out all the time.  

You could mount the casters to a hinged board with a cam lever to force the wheels down and lift the cab.

That way one lever can operate two casters.

Hey, that's a better way.  I might even be able to fit that within the small area under my cab.  If I do I'll post a plan of it.

[ErikRuud]

Place that have the plans for sale.

The first link has a better picture of it.

http://www.bhg.com/bhg/store/product.jhtml?prodid=prodwp00061&AID=10285370&PID=1334648

http://woodstore.woodmall.com/roltoolbas.html