Shopsmith Forums

So, I've got four old 2" casters left over from my upgrade to the new 3" casters.

The old casters have a stem that is meant to fit a socket in the caster bracket assembly. Since the caster bracket assembly is needed for the new casters, there are no matching sockets for the old casters.

So what to do with the old socket-less casters themselves? Has anyone who has done the upgrade figured out a way to reuse or re-purpose this kind of caster?

I suppose there's always selling them on an unnamed internet auction site, but where's the fun in that?

algale wrote:So, I've got four old 2" casters left over from my upgrade to the new 3" casters.

The old casters have a stem that is meant to fit a socket in the caster bracket assembly. Since the caster bracket assembly is needed for the new casters, there are no matching sockets for the old casters.

So what to do with the old socket-less casters themselves? Has anyone who has done the upgrade figured out a way to reuse or re-purpose this kind of caster?

I suppose there's always selling them on an unnamed internet auction site, but where's the fun in that?

I have yet to upgrade (but do want to). What is left over of the old 2" ones? Picture?

Beave2012 wrote:

algale wrote:So, I've got four old 2" casters left over from my upgrade to the new 3" casters.

The old casters have a stem that is meant to fit a socket in the caster bracket assembly. Since the caster bracket assembly is needed for the new casters, there are no matching sockets for the old casters.

So what to do with the old socket-less casters themselves? Has anyone who has done the upgrade figured out a way to reuse or re-purpose this kind of caster?

I suppose there's always selling them on an unnamed internet auction site, but where's the fun in that?

I have yet to upgrade (but do want to). What is left over of the old 2" ones? Picture?

The part that is left is this (stock photo):

I salvage the stem casters from old office chairs and whatnot, and use them when I need to make a dolly or some such. Most recently, I used a set to make a CL wooden jointer stand mobile.

In the case of those SS casters, just drill a 7/16" x 1-5/8" deep hole in a wooden leg or mounting block. Shove the caster in the hole. You're done.

The brass ring provides enough friction to keep the caster from falling out, but it still allows the stem to rotate. (I can say this with great confidence, because I just tested it out. )

They also make a metal piece that you drive in to predrilled holes and that holds the casters, have not tried it with the shopsmith left overs.
Ed

Thanks, Buckeye and Ed!

I've made a bunch of SPT dollies with stem casters that come with the socket in Ed's picture and I was concerned the casters would just fall out with no separate socket. But if its working without them, Buckeye, I may give it a try.

Ed, were you able to source the socket separately from the caster?

You guys got me curious about the caster sockets. At this site, you can buy them separately. It shows the split/necked-down sockets being used with a different kind of stem. They call the type on a Shopsmith caster a "grip ring" stem, and as near as I can tell the sockets for those are smooth-bore. The grip-ring sockets they sell are all for shorter stems than on the SS casters.

I got some holders from I think Lee Valley. I have two types, but right not I don't know were I have them. If I get some time later I'll check their catalog.

Ed