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  1. #1
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    Mar 2018
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    Default Movable castors for bench?

    Has anyone found a decent castor system to allow a bench to be moved relatively simply? Oh, and cheap, I'm a tighter$e.

    I like the idea of a cam-locking mechanism to allow lock down/up, so something like https://www.axminster.co.uk/axminste...castors-507151 (which came from the Sellers bench https://paulsellers.com/2015/02/lift...er-movability/) rather than the beefy machine capable screw-down ones... when I went looking for what I thought were rockler beefy ones that had been discussed on the forum before for heavy equipment levelling/moving I find https://www.carbatec.com.au/rockler-...aster-kit-pk-4 so I'd be interested to hear anyone who *has* those what they thought

    As a side question, and somewhat sacrilege because it would mean NOT making a wooden thread unit, has anyone looked at using a scaffold adjuster as a leg vise screw ? https://australianscaffolds.com.au/s...s-accessories/ has them... and I saw it on https://jayscustomcreations.com/2016...bench-leg-vise/ (yeah ok, so I am not very innovative with my ideas am I, all come from others )

    And I think these were the ones that were discussed before - way too big for a bench
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B7Q21VB...537862091&sr=3

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  3. #2
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    May 2010
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    Bendigo
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    Default

    DSC00848.jpgDSC00849.jpg
    This was my solution Poundy. Two plates attached to the lower cross stretchers, cast iron castors on them (from Bunnies, real cheap). Then two hardwood 40mm x 30mm sticks that hinge together. When you press the end of the longer one down it presses the castors down to raise the bench about 10mm off the floor, then it moves easy.

    This is a heavy bench too. I've since added drawers in the space in front of the mechanism, solid as.

    Very basic solution but hey, it works.

  4. #3
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    May 2010
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    Bendigo
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    DSC00859.jpgDSC00856.jpgDSC00858.jpgAnd don't worry about 'sacrilege' mate, do what works.

    This is my moxon vice, two old hand weight bars. As in the middle photo I sized up what 'I had!' chose the bar because of the thread size, then went to cutting it up as in the rhs photo, ground down a flat on the end that would be buried in the guts of the bench so I could drill a hole and drawbore a peg into it. Not the Greatest vice in the world but it works
    DSC00864.jpgDSC00866.jpg

  5. #4
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    Feb 2006
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    Perth
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    Default

    If your bench has plenty of mass and you get beefy enough wheels with good brakes you can leave the bench on the wheels.

    The problem is these sorts of wheels cost a bomb.
    I have been looking at these wheels for a bench project.
    Cast iron, with wide polyurethane tyres, full roller bearings and a loading of 270kg per wheel.
    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Industri...item5b4bb51afb

    At an average of $16 per wheel the closest Bunnings comparables are $25ea for the fixed and $35 etc for the swivelled braked ones.

  6. #5
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    May 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    If your bench has plenty of mass and you get beefy enough wheels with good brakes you can leave the bench on the wheels.

    The problem is these sorts of wheels cost a bomb.
    I have been looking at these wheels for a bench project.
    Cast iron, with wide polyurethane tyres, full roller bearings and a loading of 270kg per wheel.
    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Industri...item5b4bb51afb

    At an average of $16 per wheel the closest Bunnings comparables are $25ea for the fixed and $35 etc for the swivelled braked ones.
    Personally I'd avoid that Bobl as there will always be 'some' movement if it's always on wheels. I reckon it's far better to ensure that in use the bench sits flat on the floor.

  7. #6
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    Part of my questioning here is to figure out what bench I will build - so at the moment it's ultra-light as it hasn't materialised at all But I do know that it's going to be on the smaller side (similar dimensions to NCArcher's recent build) at around 1100x750, and pine, so not on the overly heavy side I don't expect. I just want the ability to move it into space as needed and move it aside when I don't, but don't want to go to the extent of something that will disassemble.

  8. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bendigo Bob View Post
    Personally I'd avoid that Bobl as there will always be 'some' movement if it's always on wheels. I reckon it's far better to ensure that in use the bench sits flat on the floor.
    There's 4 basic kinds of movement related to benches.
    The first is racking or frame movement which is a function of how well it is built/braced. Lets assume that is sorted.
    The second is tipping which is a function of weight, its distribution and overall geometry - let's assume that is also sorted.
    The third is rocking due to uneven leg length - this is relatively easily fixed by making the fourth leg or wheel adjustable for height.
    The fourth is skidding or skating which usually results when the bench is lightweight and there is insufficient friction between the underside of the legs and the floor. My experience with lighter movable benches is a locked PU wheel will have better grip on a concrete floor than a raw timber leg. At the mens shed we have 2 , 2.4 m x 600 mm x 900 mm mobile benches with PU wheels and when they are locked they are locked. It is of course possible to line the bottom of a timber leg to increase friction with the floor and one of the best materials to use to grip a concrete floor is PU.

    With wheels I agree there is possible movement related to the structure of the wheels. If the wheels are made from food cans then of course there will be problems but those PU wheels I refer to above are made of cast iron with snug roller and ball bearing assemblies. PU will not compress even under significant load so they don't develop a permanent flat spot and won't rock. We had a set on a 300kg thicknesser at the mens shed and it stayed put wherever we put it, we didn't even have to lock the wheels to use it.

    Weight is significant as to how well any bench grips the floor
    My lathe bench is made of steel with a 32mm thick Tassie oak top and weighs about 55 kgs, in addition there are about another 20kg of "stuff" added to a shelf underneath the lathe and the lathe itself weighs 70 kg. I needed the bench semi-mobile because I do move it around but not very far a couple of times a year. Instead of wheels I used HDPE skids - the work really well and don't mark the concrete floor. To level the bench I added adjustable height feet with hard rubber pads. The last few years I have moved it I have not bothered to re-level it as it is level enough to use in its current position and because of the all up weight of >145kg, it stays in place even though it is sitting on quite slippery pads.

    Feet2.jpg

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
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    Sydney
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    Default

    I like Matthias Wandel's (of YouTube fame) method of moving his bench. Which was to build a couple of basic removalists dollys using cheap casters and lift the bench sufficiently high to slide them and a packer under the bottom "shelf support". From memory he used two dollys and four "packers" and it moved really easily! Check out his YouTube channel!

    Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

  10. #9
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    Default

    Then you need to find a place to store the trolley!

  11. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    Then you need to find a place to store the trolley!
    It fits under the bench!

    Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

  12. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bendigo Bob View Post
    DSC00848.jpgDSC00849.jpg
    This was my solution Poundy. Two plates attached to the lower cross stretchers, cast iron castors on them (from Bunnies, real cheap). Then two hardwood 40mm x 30mm sticks that hinge together. When you press the end of the longer one down it presses the castors down to raise the bench about 10mm off the floor, then it moves easy.

    This is a heavy bench too. I've since added drawers in the space in front of the mechanism, solid as.

    Very basic solution but hey, it works.
    That is similar to this one I saw:

    Adjustable wheels.jpg

    The central block hinges down to lock the two wheel brackets in the down position.

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  13. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pirate323i View Post
    It fits under the bench!
    All of my under bench space is already occupied..

  14. #13
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    Default

    Here is a design I knocked up for a metal working bench that might give you some ideas.
    Those of you that have access to metal working gear could do do this as it was not hard.
    It's a small bench - only 350 mm wide 850 mm long and 715 mm high but when complete the bench, top, shelf and set of steel drawers under the bench will weigh over 100kg
    The two handles are part of 16 mm shafts that turn a cam above each wheeled leg.
    In the current handle position the wheels are down - rotating them into clockwise by 180º lowers the bench.

    A full WIP of the bench is at Small surface plate bench
    frontside.jpg

  15. #14
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    Jun 2001
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    Perth, WA (Ellenbrook)
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    If your bench has plenty of mass and you get beefy enough wheels with good brakes you can leave the bench on the wheels.

    The problem is these sorts of wheels cost a bomb.
    I have been looking at these wheels for a bench project.
    Cast iron, with wide polyurethane tyres, full roller bearings and a loading of 270kg per wheel.
    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Industri...item5b4bb51afb

    At an average of $16 per wheel the closest Bunnings comparables are $25ea for the fixed and $35 etc for the swivelled braked ones.
    Hi BobL

    I have a set of those castors and they are indeed very beefy. However, the polyurethane tyres were so grippy that it was almost impossible to move the rack they were attached to, especially with a bit of weight on board. The wheels just wouldn't rotate into the direction you wanted to go and I had to manually turn each wheel in the right direction with a stilson pipe wrench. I ended up cutting the tyres off the wheels and running on the cast iron. They work OK now, but I wouldn't buy them again.

    Cheers

  16. #15
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    Default

    Two products come to mind.

    The better of the two: https://www.rockler.com/rockler-work...ter-kit-4-pack
    The not so good of the two: https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/W935

    The H&F ones work well enough, the lever is a bit hard to engage. I personally like the design of the Rockler ones, but have no need for another set right now, so haven't bought/tested.

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