Casters are plates with wheels that are mounted onto larger objects in order to make them easier to move. They can be found on everything from office chairs to hospital beds. There are many different types of casters out in the world, depending on the size of the object and the environment it will be in. Some need to hold thousands of pounds up, while others might only need to hold ten pounds. Will the object be on a carpeted floor, a hardwood floor, or linoleum? These different aspects will determine what kind of caster you will need.
What are furniture casters used for?
Furniture casters are primarily used to make large objects or pieces of furniture easier to move. For example, hospital beds would be practically impossible to move without the help of casters. Offices tend to have chairs and desks with casters as well. It would be very difficult to make space or move furniture around in order to accommodate a growing office setting.
Furniture casters can also be used to better organize living spaces. Often times, when too much furniture clutters a room, it makes cleaning, or even re-arranging the room very difficult. Having casters on the various furniture items will allow you to slide a piece over, clean under and around it, and slide it back in place. It also helps you change up where the furniture is located so you can have a fresh and different layout every month. If you have a party planned, you might want to move some furniture closer to the walls, or completely out of certain rooms. Caster wheels can make this chore an easy task. Furniture casters from Colson can help with this and more. There are two main categories of casters; swivel and rigid.
Furniture casters and DIY projects
Some casters can easily be used for refurbishing equipment or custom furniture. Aside from the traditional black wheels, there are many kinds of colored ones available. There are also different styles like ice, vintage, and stainless.
The ice casters look like plastic glass. They are very shiny. They are so transparent that you can see their inner structures. Being made out of plastic, they are meant for loads that do not weigh a whole lot.
The vintage casters are the ones with spikes, large holes, or look like tiny wheelbarrows. As their name further suggests, they are especially ideal for steampunk or antique pieces. They tend to be the best at giving the item a new and updated appearance.
Finally, the stainless-steel casters are most ideal for environments with intense heat, that are very rugged, or where a lot of water is present. Most types are corrosion-resistant. These are great for holding up a lot of weight, which is why they are often used in garages or machine shops.
Swivel casters
Swivel casters come in many different forms. Their common purpose is to be able to turn the item at a 360-degree angle when loaded. This allows for the furniture to be easily maneuvered and positioned to face different directions. Most commonly, you see these on the bottom of chairs or tables.
Locking casters are one of the several types of swivels. They come with their own brakes built into them which helps prevent them from rolling around aimlessly. It also prevents unnecessary turning when you have the item positioned just right.
Stem casters, like the name suggests, are wheels that come with mounting stems. This helps to keep the furniture in place. There are several types of stems, including expandable. The stem is inserted into the leg of the furniture, which increases its support.
Hollow kingpins come with their own tubular rivets. The rivets have holes in order to be able to accept customized stems or bolts. There is also the kingpin-less type, which is a one-piece construction combined together. They are particularly ideal for applications that take shock loads and anything else in which the kingpins would not be.
The most common type of swivel is the plate. It contains a top plate which you would screw four bolts through it, into the furniture. The hole patterns often vary between forms.
Rigid casters
Unlike the swivels, rigid casters allow strictly for backward-and-forward movement. They are stronger than swivels but often receive top safety ratings. Rigid casters are usually welded or constructed into one or two pieces.
Now that you have a better understanding of what casters are, and how you can use them, you can update the furniture in your home or workshop in order to make life easier.
