What is the purpose of casters?
A caster is an assembly that includes a wheel and a mount. Casters support and make it easy to maneuver carts, racks, dollies and other equipment. Casters come in different materials, wheel diameters, tread widths, load ratings and overall heights to give your equipment mobility in many kinds of work environment.
What is the difference between a wheel and a caster?
The wheel is limited in that it only spins on a single axis. It can only roll in one direction at a time. Casters incorporate wheels into their designs, but they are a bit more sophisticated. A caster includes the mounting system that holds the wheel in place.
What are casters on a table?
Casters are wheels that install on the legs of your work tables or other pieces of equipment to make them mobile. Many casters are also outfitted with brakes, so you can hold your work table in one place during use, and then release the brakes and move it when necessary.
What is a caster on a sofa?
Casters, what are they? Alright, so casters are when you see a sofa that has cool little wheels at the bottom of the leg. That's a caster. The concept behind this is that it makes it easier to wheel the sofa around for cleaning.
What are casters on a chair?
Casters are small wheels that are fastened to the bottom of chair legs to facilitate their movement across floors. This type of feature is typically best suited for small, lightweight chairs such as task or conference seating.
What are the different types of casters?
But there are different types of casters available, the most common of which are described below.Plate Casters. The most common type, plate casters are characterized by a flat, square-shaped mounting surface. ... Locking Casters. ... Stem Casters. ... Hollow Kingpin Casters. ... Rigid Casters.
Why does antique furniture have casters?
In the days before electricity and central heating, casters improved the level of comfort for many tasks. Sofas, chairs, and small tables could be scooted closer to the fireplace for warmth or near a window for better light, making it easier to sew, read or simply converse. Casters made cleaning homes easier as well.
How do you put furniture castors on?
1:272:06How to Attach Casters to Table Legs - DIY Network - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe need a little bit more epoxy. Okay okay just a little dab on the top. Okay great and then justMoreWe need a little bit more epoxy. Okay okay just a little dab on the top. Okay great and then just rate it. Good give it a little push. Make sure it's seats awesome.
Where do you put casters?
Place the swivel casters at each corner and rigid casters at the halfway point of the longest side. If you place rigid casters that are a little larger than the swivel casters then you will be able to turn your item by balancing on the central casters with the corner casters up off the floor.
Can you put a sofa on casters?
Castors with cups are more suitable for sofas and chairs. The cup is used to attached the castor to your sofa or chair legs. These cups are available in various sizes, so it's important that you measure the cup properly to ensure that your replacement caster fits the wooden leg.
What is a caster on a cabinet?
File cabinet casters are a type of furniture fixture that includes a fastener, housing and wheel and is placed on the bottom of filing cabinets so the entire unit can be moved as needed.
Can I put casters on my couch?
Whether it's a sofa, desk, ottoman or media cart, wheels let you move furniture almost at will. Special wheels called "casters" raise the piece of furniture, so take that into consideration. You may want to shorten a chair's legs before installing them.
Is a castor a wheel?
A caster (or castor) is an undriven wheel that is designed to be attached to the bottom of a larger object (the "vehicle") to enable that object to be moved.
What is the difference between castor and caster?
Castor is a British term for caster wheel, whereas caster is an American term for caster wheel. A caster or castor is a pivoting roller attached to the bottom of furniture or a portable machine for easy movement. Casters are available in two different styles: swivel casters and fixed casters.
What can I use instead of caster wheels?
Alternative Replacements for CastersFelt Pads. Felt can be applied easily to the feet of a chair to prevent scratching damage on a floor without the need to use casters. ... Protective Mat. ... Carpet or Throw Rug.
Can I add casters to any chair?
Add casters to an accent chair or any chair provided the leg is wide enough to support a 1-1/2″ deep hole. The casters I chose have rubber wheels and a copper finish, plus they roll really well on the carpet. I paid about $6 a set for the ones pictured and nicer casters will cost a bit more.
Consider the Floor Type
The type of floor where the furniture will be used makes a difference in what type of caster will be better suited for the job. If the floor is wood, tile or granite, then a urethane or cushion rubber caster is best. Consider the following:
Consider the Weight of the Furniture
Another important factor to consider is how much weight the caster will be supporting. Caster wheels are available in light, medium and heavy-duty styles. While the light duty caster may only hold up to 145 lbs. of weight, the heavy-duty casters can hold the weight of entire trucks or transport trailers.
Weigh Your Options Carefully
It is important to consider all of the options when purchasing casters. The proper caster can make the difference in the comfort and productivity of a piece of furniture. Improper casters can make a piece of furniture unmanageable or even completely unusable.
How do casters work?
If you choose plate-mount casters, you get a choice between two movement types: rigid and swivel. Rigid casters track in one direction, in a straight line, just like the rear wheels of a grocery cart. They cannot move sideways unless you lift them off the ground. Swivel casters, on the other hand, rotate 360° for easy steering. A popular configuration is to have two rigid casters for straight tracking, and two swivel casters for steerability, just like a grocery cart. However, if your space is small, has tight corners, or you want to be able to move your cart directly sideways, then you may want all four casters to swivel.
What is plate mount caster?
Since they're offered in both rigid and swiveling models, and are available with more locking features, plate mount casters are the mainstay of shop carts and mobile workstations.
What is a total lock caster?
Casters are available with two primary locking options for when more stationary stability is needed. The first is a "wheel lock" or "brake," which prevents the wheel from rotating. This is useful to keep carts from rolling away because of a slope, wind or other forces. However, wheel locks don't prevent swivel casters from swiveling, so they will still "swim around" within a narrow range. If used on a workstation, this becomes a problem. To solve it, Total Lock casters prevent both the wheel from rotating and the caster housing from swiveling, resulting in maximum stability for wheeled workstations. When Total Locks are engaged, the cart or stand becomes very rigid and stable, almost as if it had no casters at all.
Why are small wheels better for mobile cabinets?
Smaller diameter wheels will have a lower center of gravity, which helps to stabilize the load and prevent tipping. They also reduce the standover height, which maximizes storage space in mobile cabinets. There are also some situations where the higher rolling resistance of a small wheel is actually desirable. A smooth floor and a slight slope, for example, can cause carts with large casters to drift away on their own, or make them hard to stop when the load is heavy.
What is the advantage of stem mount casters?
The advantage of stem mount casters is that they are easily removable for future replacement. Stem mount casters are also sometimes required where the mounting location is small, such as at the end of a table leg, bench leg or cart leg. Keep in mind that stem mount casters are only offered in swiveling varieties. If you want non-swiveling (rigid) casters for their straight tracking ability, then you'll need to buy plate-mount models.
Why use twin wheel casters?
Second, twin wheels reduce the "scrubbing" action of wide tires. To understand "scrubbing," think of the gravelly noise you hear when you crank the steering wheel of a stationary car. With twin-wheel casters, the outer tire turns at a different rate than the inner tire, resulting in less friction and smoother steering. Twin wheel casters are common on office chairs and other furniture that needs to turn on a dime in tight quarters.
Is a caster a wheel?
It's just a wheel, right? If only it were that simple. Casters are available in a huge range of sizes, styles, materials, and with numerous swiveling, braking and locking options.
Why do antique dealers use castors?
This allows antique dealers and collectors to price the furniture appropriately .
What were castor wheels made of?
The earliest kinds of castor wheels are made of leathern rollers or bowls. These castors are attached to furniture manufacture in the early 1700's during the time of Queen Anne. During the great Georgian period (1720 to 1760), furniture manufacturers began to make furniture with wooden wheels.
When did furniture start to have wheels?
During the great Georgian period (17 20 to 1760), furniture manufacturers began to make furniture with wooden wheels. The wheels are attached to an iron frame that is mounted at the foot of the furniture.
When was the golden age of furniture?
The furniture may still indicate that it is manufactured during the Georgian period, however, if it has solid brass castor wheels, then it means that it is manufactured anywhere between 1780 and 1790. The entire Georgian period (starting from 1750 to 1830) is in fact called the "Golden Age of Furniture" because it is during this era ...
Can you date furniture?
Nonetheless, even non-experts like you can also date furniture using this same method. This article will show you how to do it. Just follow the simple instructions listed below:
Can you replace castors on antique furniture?
Be reminded that castors are easily replaceable. This means that you should not base your assessment of the furniture's age on the castors alone since it is possible that the wheels are only replaced so as to give the impression that the furniture are as old as it is. If you are not confident or if you do not trust your antique dealer, might as well get a second or third opinion from someone who you think is trustworthy. Do not forget that the antique industry is filled with scammers and opportunists who are only waiting for you to fall into their traps.
