Antique Casters... wood/tile friendly

[Justin Ludwig]

My current project includes a rolling island in the kitchen. The client has chosen hickory (semi-rustic) for the cabinets and wants the island, 24x60x36, on casters - antique casters. Hardware in the kitchen is ORB knobs and handles. The problem is they are worried about scratching and marring the floor. From what the contractor tells me, tile will be in the kitchen and hardwood in the adjacent dining/great room. I can't find an antique looking caster that has urethane or urethane wrapped wheels. I can find urethane wheels with an antique finish, but no brake mechanism.

Does anyone here have experience with metal casters in a kitchen application? Would it be possible to wrap a caster wheel with urethane like a band-saw wheel (which sound like a major PITA)?

What say the brain trust?

[Jamie Buxton]

Yeah, the antique casters I've seen have metal wheels of small diameter. They look like they'd dig into wood. Can you cheat? Put the antique casters out where people can see them, but put modern casters further underneath the island? The modern casters would do the real work. For instance, if the island had a toekick -- likely like the rest of the cabinets in the kitchen, the modern casters could go behind the toekick apron.

[Erik Loza]

Would it be possible to just replace the wheel of the caster with a urethane or plastic one? Maybe black in color? Assuming it is bolted through rather than riveted?

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Mel Fulks]

ROLLING island. The first sign that decorators will soon invent the TABLE. Oh well. Leather glued on to castor circumference will last until the table gets there.

[Myk Rian]

Tell the client it's a stupid idea? :D

[Steve Peterson]

The question I would ask is why have a rolling island? It won't be able to have water or power, so the client looses a lot of the benefit of having an island.

Steve

[Pat Barry]

My wife loves her rolling island :) Of course, it has urethane wheels. I would inform the customer of the dilemma. If they still want old time metal / wood casters then thats what they get.

[Justin Ludwig]

Tell the client it's a stupid idea? :D

I did so with eloquence.


The question I would ask is why have a rolling island? It won't be able to have water or power, so the client looses a lot of the benefit of having an island.

There IS power under the island. /color me baffled.

I talked to them this morning about an hour ago. No casters. Instead, they still want it "floating" but on felt pads. Meh, I'm just the cabinet guy, what do I know. I'll make it look good for when I send a photographer in to take pics.

[John Vernier]

You could suggest a Hoverpad for the ultimate floating island:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekjqk7Hziws

[Justin Ludwig]

You could suggest a Hoverpad for the ultimate floating island:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekjqk7Hziws

That thing is genius.