Let's talk about casters

B

Brian.Evans

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Aug 20, 2011
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Recently there has been a bit of discussion about people using caster wheels as contact, idler, and drive wheels. I'd really like to learn more about this option, as my grinder build has kind of stalled out due to cost. Eventually I'd like to buy good wheels, but if I can get my grinder up and running quicker, it would be a big help.

If you've used or currently are using casters for wheels, I'd love to hear from you. Especially specifics, part numbers, bearing details, etc.
 
Sorry i dont have part numbers, but i use caster wheels for the drive wheels on. BOth of my grinders. They work pretty good with stiff belts they are made from some kind of really hard rubber i think. For the idler/tracking wheel i use water pump bearings fron the salvage yard with big skateboard wheels bored out and pressed onto the bearings
 
I've used casters from several sources, one I can point to is Grizzly tools. I bought a 4x2 and an 8x2 cast iron/urethane caster from them years ago to build my first 2x72 machine. The 8" wheel really didn't need balancing. The 4" wheel was a bit out of balance and out of round. I took it to a local machinist and got t trued and balanced. The balancing consisted mainly of removing the grease zerk area. The tires on these withstood pretty well being shaped with a rasp while running on the grinder. Some caster tires will smear a bit from the heat and friction of shaping.

I used a 4" cast iron/green urethane caster for a drive wheel on my buffing arm recently. I locked it onto a 3/4" bolt end and into a 3/4" collet and turned the tire true on my mill, cutter held in the milling vise. It works well.

All of the wheels mentioned above originally had shoddy needle bearings in them. I got some flanged ball bearings locally that fit right into the bores once the needle bearings were removed. I just took the first wheels to the hardware store and picked bearings that fit them, more recently I just had correct bearings on hand.

I saw at Ray Roger's shop that he even uses a 4" caster for a contact wheel with the original needle bearings, at lower speeds on his variable JL grinder.
 
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