Two sets of casters…problems?

[Dan Gaylin]

Hello

I would like to use two mobile bases to move around a long heavy (500 lb) lathe. If I use two mobile bases (one on each leg of the lathe) where all 8 casters swivel will this work, or will the wheels on either end “fight” with each other and I won’t be able to move the machine? So it’s 4 casters on each side for 8 total.

Thanks!

-dan

[Jim Becker]

I think you should be ok if all the casters are identical and all swivel. I'll suggest that using high quality casters will improve your experience. That said, leaving that kind of machine on a mobile base is not a good idea unless you're only doing very small turnings on that big machine. It has to be "planted" to remain stable for turing larger and potentially out of balance objects.

[Peter Blair]

This should work well I know that there are automobile casters that have 4 swivels on each wheel and allow vehicles to be moved about any where. I do know from personal experience that this setup is often hard to push in a straight line. I do agree with Jim and trust you are just moving the lathe and not planning to turn with it on the castors.

[Bill Howatt]

Maybe consider a set of 4 retractable casters. They have more than enough capacity for your lathe and when you retract them it puts your lathe's feet/base directly on the floor. Just put 2 at each end of the lathe with the mounting method of your choice.

Here is an example but there are lots of others.
https://www.amazon.com/SOLEJAZZ-Workbench-Capacity-Retractable-Construction/dp/B087PSWWXM/ref=sr_1_3?crid=QKVOQ8MED4DD&keywords=retractable%2Bcasters%2Bset%2Bof%2B4%2Bhe avy%2Bduty&qid=1683640359&sprefix=retractable%2Bcasters%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-3&th=1

I do not own these but my old TShas smaller retractables and they work very well with the saw firmly planted when I release the casters.

[John King]

Why not mount casters to lathe legs? Much more stable than mobile base under each leg. Check out Zambus CarryMaster AC-300S Light & Medium Duty Stem Leveling Caster at https://www.zambus.com/products/ac-0300s.html. I have not used these on my lathe and do not know of any applications on lathes. But many in the bandsaw community swear by these for large bandsaw mobility. - John

[Dan Gaylin]

Thanks for all the replies. I wish this thread hadn’t been moved to the turning forum since it’s a more general question about mobile bases, and using two of them together. I do understand that the lathe needs to be planted. The mobile bases I have in mind have built in leveling feet that raise the wheels off the ground. I’ve tried the side lever casters but have not had good luck with them. They are not all that well made and do not did not work well even with much lighter loads. I like the idea of affixing those leveling casters to the lathe legs — the issue there is that it might make the lathe too high — the mobile bases are very low profile.

[Wayne Cannon]

Bill, Thanks for the reference for the Solejazz casters. Several of my tools have a similar, non-swivel version that I like; but these look ideal for the jointer.

Some of mine protrude and are a trip hazard, e.g., for a bench as shown; but would be fine at the ends of my lathe or under the jointer tables.

[Jim Becker]

Dan, one other consideration is that believe it or not, even the most robust lathe can bend and twist, so once you move it, you need to carefully check that your centers are still, um...centered. The tiniest twist or bend can noticeably deflect the centers and that can result in vibration or other issues. Floor standing lathes are one of the hardest tools to have mobile for that reason. They truly like to be "planted". I have a mobile base for my Stubby 750, but I completely remove it once I put the machine in a new home and reinstall it if it becomes necessary to relocate it...and then check for centering and shim if necessary to correct.

[Olaf Vogel]

Hello

I would like to use two mobile bases to move around a long heavy (500 lb) lathe. If I use two mobile bases (one on each leg of the lathe) where all 8 casters swivel will this work, or will the wheels on either end “fight” with each other and I won’t be able to move the machine? So it’s 4 casters on each side for 8 total.

Thanks!

-dan

if this is a one time move:
- Bolt two 4x4 under the legs.
- then use pipe rollars to move it - maybe a bar (or 2x4) for leverage

Have done that with a 4000# lathe, by myself, across the backyard.