Which Size Castor?

[PeteG]

At last the new roof for my garage will be arriving Wednesday, so I'm going to be very busy making benches and setting my little work shop up over the coming weeks.

Will these Axminster castors in the 100mm size, be right for workbenches?

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axminster-castors-and-wheels-prod23187/

 

[Grahamshed]

They are what I have used for all my cupboards, router table, RAS table etc and they work fine. I am about to build a workbench but I don't think I would want them on that. Not as a permanent feature anyway.

 

[graduate_owner]

All the articles I've read have said the same thing about castors/wheels - fine on all your equipment except lathe and workbench for maximum rigidity. Does your bench have to be mobile?

K

 

[PeteG]

I was hoping to make everything mobile to make the most of available space. I had the idea that if I make a unit for the mitre saw to sit on, and two mobile benches, the benches can sit either side of the saw
when required. Then they can all be moved out of the way for the table saw, which I'm hoping to purchase late August.

 

[Grahamshed]

I was hoping to make everything mobile to make the most of available space. I had the idea that if I make a unit for the mitre saw to sit on, and two mobile benches, the benches can sit either side of the saw
when required. Then they can all be moved out of the way for the table saw, which I'm hoping to purchase late August.

That is a good idea for small spaces and much the same as what I have done with the workstations but I wouldn't do it with a bench, Not permanent wheels anyway. If you look at mobile benches on youtube there are loads of ways of having castors attached that are swung into place when needed.

 

[deema]

The main sue with castors is the safe working weight they can stand. If you look it up on the Internet it will give the definitive standard, but from memory, if using 4 castors, the total weight carrying capacity of 3 of them should be equal or greater than the weight for all 4

 

[PeteG]

That is a good idea for small spaces and much the same as what I have done with the workstations but I wouldn't do it with a bench, Not permanent wheels anyway. If you look at mobile benches on youtube there are loads of ways of having castors attached that are swung into place when needed.

I ordered a book on Amazon which arrived this morning, "Shop Cabinets and Tool Stands"...The very first plan, "Roll-Around Shop Cart", is the exact type of bench I'm hoping to make.
Perhaps I shouldn't be calling it a bench but a work station, is there a difference? Two of them would be ideal.

 

[Grahamshed]

I ordered a book on Amazon which arrived this morning, "Shop Cabinets and Tool Stands"...The very first plan, "Roll-Around Shop Cart", is the exact type of bench I'm hoping to make.
Perhaps I shouldn't be calling it a bench but a work station, is there a difference? Two of them would be ideal.[/quote]

I guess the main difference is what you are going to use it for. Cupboards and work stations ( to my mind anyway ) are things to put stuff in or stand stuff on. As I said, I have castors on everything in my workshop, Radial arm saw station, router table, and drawer stacks with sanders and mitre saws etc on top.
A workbench, to me, is for working on. Glueing up, planing, banging about. It would have vices etc on it.
I think the important thing is how stationary it needs to be. Tables or whatever with castors on do wobble a bit when worked on, even with brakes. If that is ok then castors are great. If it needs to be rock solid then 'removable' castors need to be used.

 

[PeteG]

Thanks for replying again Graham, much appreciated. I think I'll call mine a work station then, as I've no plans on
it having a vice, not at the moment anyway.