Shopsmith Forums

According to google maps it is 36 minutes from me, 25.2 miles.

Hodgkins is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,897 at the 2010 census, down from 2,134 at the 2000 census. A large United Parcel Service facility, known as CACH, is located in Hodgkins at 1 UPS.

Ed

The UPS tracker reports that my package departed Hodgkins at 3:09PM on Tuesday but tells me nothing else. Well, it does tell that the next status update will be tomorrow at 10:00am.

So much for "real time" tracking.

Back to the caster issue. I was out in the shop today so I took a look at the two machines that still have the old casters and at my OPR that has casters. In all cases the stem seems to fit pretty far in to the assembly. I have more machines but they are not located here so when I get a chance I'll look at them too.

Here is a picture of what mine look like:
This is what I expected them to look like from memory but now I'm sure.

I do have to ask, is every one tapping the wheels in to seat them? Like wise you have to tap them to get them out........ if not then that maybe why we are seeing different things.

Ed

The yoke on your caster shown here appears to be in very good condition. The wheel is not inserted as far as I thing they should go but is further in than I can get mine. I estimate the gap between the wheel and the plunger to be about 1/8". II am not surprised at what I see. If mine were like this, I would be pleased.

Yes, I tap mine with a rubber mallet to seat them.

I wonder how long the stem is on the caster shown here. Knowing that, it would give some indication of how deep the bore is.

Would my wheel insert into that bore to that same depth?

The bore in my plungers (those measured) is 1 1/2" deep. The stem on my 2" wheels measure 1 7/8" long not including that small ring at the base of the stem (which is 1/8").

This gives me a 3/8" gap that cannot be overcome with a mallet.



The wheels that I am waiting for have a stem length of 1 7/16".

Two questions. I might have missed this.
1. Has anyone checked that the bore depths are a uniform depth in the cylinders?
2. Has anyone ran a drill bit that size in those bores to be sure that the stems are actually bottoming out all of the way in?
OK, three.
3. Do we really know if the bores are uniformly flat bottomed? Or are some at common drill bit angles?
Bonus question... Has anyone ran a drill bit that size (maybe flat bottomed) down in that bore to be sure that there is nothing stopping the stem too soon? OK, that is a repeat of #2 but I think it is important.


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All good questions, farmer. I did not use a probe the size of the bore so I can tell you nothing about the shape at the bottom. I did check for obstructions in the bore by using a small rod. Not a comprehensive check I know. The bore depths on the four that I checked are consistent.

When I insert the stems into the bore and tap on the wheel with the mallet it sounds and feels like it has bottomed out. There is a distinct change in sound at the point where it bottoms (assumption).

I contacted Shopsmith with my observations and my suggestion for evaluating and resolving this issue. I also recommended that they consider the caster that I have ordered.

robinson46176 wrote:Two questions. I might have missed this.
1. Has anyone checked that the bore depths are a uniform depth in the cylinders?
2. Has anyone ran a drill bit that size in those bores to be sure that the stems are actually bottoming out all of the way in?
OK, three.
3. Do we really know if the bores are uniformly flat bottomed? Or are some at common drill bit angles?
Bonus question... Has anyone ran a drill bit that size (maybe flat bottomed) down in that bore to be sure that there is nothing stopping the stem too soon? OK, that is a repeat of #2 but I think it is important.


.

The bottom of the bores has a spherical cross section. i.e. a domed stem mates to a rounded bottom. This can be indirectly observed by feeling a probe traverse from the outer to center of the bore. With a good light(and eyes) it can be observed directly.

This indicates to me that the small protrusion is intentional(the stems are intended to bottom out in the bore with a slight clearance between the piston and shoulder on the caster frame).

I think that is not desirable from a durability standpoint.

I think the damaged casters previously pictured are the result of the casters encountering an immovable object(step/hole in the floor).

The sides of the bore are smooth all the way to the bottom. The friction ring is just that - friction grip only, no groove in the bore ...

The wheels have arrived and have been installed. They work fine. They do not roll like the 3" casters do but they roll better than my old 2" casters. The body of the caster (the yoke) is decidedly more stout. I do not believe these will fatigue as the others have.

However, now that they are installed, I believe that I may have a plunger that is not setting vertical as they should. If this turns out to be the case it seems that it can only be caused by something in the caster assembly itself (not the plunger).

I also need to locate, somewhere in storage, the four rubber booties that belong on the bottom of the legs. In the full down position, the legs are not hard on the floor. The booties will resolve that.

Note that there is no gap between the plunger and the caster.

Excellent!!

JPG wrote:

robinson46176 wrote:Two questions. I might have missed this.
1. Has anyone checked that the bore depths are a uniform depth in the cylinders?
2. Has anyone ran a drill bit that size in those bores to be sure that the stems are actually bottoming out all of the way in?
OK, three.
3. Do we really know if the bores are uniformly flat bottomed? Or are some at common drill bit angles?
Bonus question... Has anyone ran a drill bit that size (maybe flat bottomed) down in that bore to be sure that there is nothing stopping the stem too soon? OK, that is a repeat of #2 but I think it is important.


.

The bottom of the bores has a spherical cross section. i.e. a domed stem mates to a rounded bottom. This can be indirectly observed by feeling a probe traverse from the outer to center of the bore. With a good light(and eyes) it can be observed directly.

This indicates to me that the small protrusion is intentional(the stems are intended to bottom out in the bore with a slight clearance between the piston and shoulder on the caster frame).

I think that is not desirable from a durability standpoint.

I think the damaged casters previously pictured are the result of the casters encountering an immovable object(step/hole in the floor).

The sides of the bore are smooth all the way to the bottom. The friction ring is just that - friction grip only, no groove in the bore ...

First I am not sure I agree with that but whatever.

I agree with everything else you have said. The SS castors, actually the piston was designed that way from the very beginning 70+ years ago. I don't understand all the angst and hand wringing abut a 1/8" or less exposure of the castor stem below the piston. The piston was designed so the load is carried on the end of the stem. Presumably because the steel of the stem and the piston is harder than the metal the yoke for the wheel is made of. Why would you want the weight of the machine sitting on the castor yoke and wearing it away every time the castor wheel swivels?

Dusty's new castors have a ball bearing on top of the wheel yoke. If the castor stem does not go all the way in so the weight of the machine sits on that ball bearing what is the point of the ball bearing?