Leveling Casters - Do you use them?

[Nick Mastropietro]

I am considering using casters like these on my Jet 1642, do you use casters like these? Let me know your thoughts. I am providing a picture and link to the web site.
http://www.accesscasters.com/2p80s-2-leveling-caster-hexagon-top-plate-2.aspx

[Pete Jordan]

Nick, I have them on my 3520B and I love them!

[merrill worthington]

How do they work? Do you put them in place of your leveling feet on the lathe? Are they always on the wheels or can you raise the wheels up when your are turning?

[Ted Calver]

Highly recommended! The wheel can be raised and lowered so the machine sits on either the wheel for mobility or a pad that acts as a leveling device. Post 27 of this thread has some pics of a set I just put on my J/P. I also put a set on my jet mini lathe. Both work great.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=133853

[Nick Mastropietro]

Hey Merrill; The casters replace your existing leveler feet and the leveler portion of the caster is lowered to raise the tool off the wheels and make it stationary or raised allowing the wheels to contact the floor making the tool mobile. I will have to drill out the existing threads in the legs which were threaded to accept a 3/8 leveler so that a 12mm x 1.75 threaded rod that installs in the top plate of the caster will fit. When this hole is resized and rethreaded I will be able to make large (course) adjustments by threading the rod up or down in the leg and then finer adjustments using the built in caster leveler. I hope this clarifies how they are used.

[Darin Kauffman]

So, is the max travel 1.23 inches? I might buy a set for my Nova DVR XP. I have the cast iron stand, and I need to raise one end of my lathe up quite a bit. :p

[Bill Wilcox]

I like the look of these but am wondering what the load limit is on them. I am in the process of adding a ballast box to my 1642 and will have about 800 total lbs of mass to move. Will these caster hold up? Also how do you engage the wheels? Is there a nut that you turn?
Thanks,
Bill

[Tim Hughes37]

The ad for them states 500#. That's pretty good.

[Nick Mastropietro]

I just got through talking to the folks at Access Caster and was told that the overall travel of the leveler is approximately 1.25". I asked their opinion about replacing the provided short stub with a longer one as explained in my post above, their response is that the equipment is meant to rest on the caster top plate not raised above it supported by stud threads. I'm not sure it's a concern as the levelers that came with the lathe work in just that way. I do have one slight concern and that is the depth of engagement the stud has with the top plate of the caster, I'll know better when the casters arrive. If it appears to be shallower that I like, I will probable opt to drill a through hole in the lathe leg and allow it to rest on the top plate. I will continue to update as I move forward with this process. One more thing, they say there is a safety factor on load capacity. They didn't say how much but I feel ok with 4-#500 casters supporting #800+

[Darin Kauffman]

That is good to hear Nick. I'll subscribe to your thread.

I do need my lathe raised up a bit as well (over 2 inches), so these casters would be ideal, as they offer a 2", 2 1/2" and a 3" caster. I like it.

[Nick Mastropietro]

Well they have finally arrived. Very well made, they look like they won't have any problem supporting 800+ lbs. I will probably get started tonight drilling and rethreading the holes in the legs. I will continue to update this post with pictures as the assembly progresses.

[Joe Adams]

Nick, Any progress yet? How well do you like them?

[Bob Borzelleri]

I have found that not all casters of this design are necessarily the same with respect to their suitability for a lathe.

I am sitting on a set that is unusable for my Nova lathe because the caster body is not solidly connected to the base/stem plate. I believe this is a manufacturing defect, but I am waiting for the manufacturer (Great Lakes Caster- (http://www.greatlakescaster.com/great_lakes_caster___swivel_caster_with_stabilizer _leg___175_stabilizing_casters_with_a_220lbs_capac ity_in_motion_and_a_550lbs_capacity_when_the_stabi lizer_leg_in_extended-LV-1710-NYP-S-M12.php) to get back to me for replacement options.

The casters that started this thread are about $18 apiece which, I would guess, makes them in the same class as mine ($15) apiece. My further guess is that the level of manufacturing/assembly detail is commensurate with the cost.

I suggest that anyone replying that their casters work for a lathe ensure that they are talking about the same casters or at least indicate the manufacturer and model of the casters they are using that work out.

[Nick Mastropietro]

Here is a link to a thread where I describe the assembly of my new lathe, it includes installing the above mentioned casters. http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=135034