Casters

[Darrin Davis]

My high school has asked us to make a rolling trophy case where the casters will be pretty much hidden under the case. I'm not worried about the ridged casters but I am worried about the swivel casters that will be turning around. I'm worried that I will have to install them too far inside towards the middle of the cabinet so they do not contact the wood when turning. Any suggestions on caster types? The case will be approximately 16" deep by 84" wide.
280916

[Dave Richards]

I would be concerned, too.

I expect the case wouldn't be moved very often so I would suggest casters with hard tires. Soft ones would make it quieter to move around but will develop flat spots if left sitting for a long time.

Could you add some retractable feet for when it is parked? Could you make a separate dolly that would contain the casters on which the case could be moved? the dolly would allow a wider stance on the wheels and it would be safer. If the feet are adjustable the dolly could be rolled into place and the feet pulled up for moving.

[Erik Loza]

I had this very issue with a rolling work cart I built some years ago. And I did feel like stability was sacrificed because of it. I don't have an answer for you but am very interested to see what others have to say. What about large ball rollers?

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[HANK METZ]

Since there is a safety factor involved, common sense dictates form will follow function in this instance. I would go with a plinth base sufficiently oversize such that if the casters are in the most unfavorable position i.e. toed in towards center, that the smaller display casework will be stable irregardless.

[Sam Murdoch]

I like Hank's answer but as an option consider fixed wheels on the front and swivels just at the back. I'm assuming here that this case will mostly be kept against a wall and so there will be a front and back - if not - never mind.

My thinking is that the back set could be kept open, that is, without a bottom rail, so that they could easily swivel. In my experience you don't want all wheels swiveling anyway. It is easier to control an object on casters with a pair of fixed and a pair of swivellers.

Still a better idea is to make the plinth bigger than the case above and keep the casters outboard as much as possible. The taller the display case the more important the bigger base.

[glenn bradley]

Fixed casters at one end, feet and a ring at the other end for a "Johnson Bar".

[Myk Rian]

Make a wide base for it to sit on. 3" wider than the case should do it.

[johnny means]

If the case has a skirt around the base that goes pretty much to the floor, you shouldn't have a problem at all. The skirt would stop any tipping before it got too far. You could also use leveling feet that screw down from inside the case.

[Jim Neeley]

Didn't I hear you say this is a trophy case for a school? If you make a wide base you can count on students stepping on it.

If you can be guaranteed the surface it will roll on will be flat, smooth, clean and hard enough, ball-type casters can be used but nearly anything on the floor will catch on the ball.

If its only occasionally to be moved, jack-up casters may do the trick.

How often will it be moved, once it's in place?

How will you keep students (from your school or a competing school) from rolling it away? "Kidnapping" other schools trophies used to be quite the competition.

If it will be out in the masses, keeping it from being rolled when you don't want it may be bigger than moving it when you do.

If you want it relatively student-resistant you may want to look at the "Jack Bench" (google it) and modify the jacking mechanism to jack down casters rather than jacking up the benchtop. At least then it'd only be "tippy" while it was being moved. No matter what, 16" deep may be unreasonably narrow to be able to inset casters.

Jim

[Kelly Craig]

You may be able to gain 3/4 of an inch by leaving the ends open, where the casters will swivel (just block behind, for strength), then add short mitered pieces on the ends, that wrap around, but only go, say, six inches. Presuming you have a lip to work under, this would look like just a bit more detail, rather than camouflage for casters.

For the wife's kitchen island, I just left the ends open and she thinks that's fine, but she's easy to please too.

[Myk Rian]

Didn't I hear you say this is a trophy case for a school? If you make a wide base you can count on students stepping on it
Not if the top edge is angled.