Enlarging Castor Recesses

[Roger Jolly]

Hi John,
            The trick with a 3/4" board tacked on to the base will also
work for a hole saw, just get the cut started, then remove the template.

The 3 1/2" cut will not be satisfactory for most toe blocks.
I forgot to mention that I schamfer the rim of the hole, depending on depth
to gain clearance.
The main advantage of a forsner bit, is that you end up with a nice flat
surface that will be solid for the new caster.
If there is ANY movement possibility in the stem socket with a heavy piano,
the job will not last.
The key to a lasting job is to ensure every thing is rock solid. Bear in
mind that the flimsy metal of todays caster sockets, is not like the cast
iron sockets of bygone days, they need all the support they can get.
Here's some food for thought, Old upright weighing 800lbs. total caster
shaft area less than 1 square inch. Given the right conditions when moving,
it is not unrealistic to get pressures of up to 1500 to 2000 lbs per
square" happening.  No wonder they fail//////////////////

Regards Roger


At 03:07 AM 11/12/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi Roger,
>I reread your post on this one.
>When I was contemplating a hole saw, I determined that I would need a 3
>1/2" one, to allow for free rotation.
>So for the casters I use, the double wheel ones, the 3" Forstner
>wouldn't work.
>A 3 1/2" Fostner must be quite awkward to work with.
>On a hole saw, I was trying to figure out a dummy centre guide, with a
>spring loaded hole guide to fit in the old socket hole.
>Anyway I am enjoying this thread. I hadn't thought on filling the old
>screw holes, but I will from now on. I had just been using new longer
>screws. Except for a couple of three screw ones, I have been lucky
>enough to have the old screw holes fit.
>Regards,

Roger Jolly
Saskatoon, Canada.
306-665-0213
Fax 652-0505