Fitting casters to a cab

[Wil]

I've recently bought a set of four heavy duty casters to affix to my Schroeder 410L. They didnt however come with any fittings.

Now, where woodwork is concerned, I havent got a clue. So, a few idiotic questions:

What do I need, in terms of fixings? Self tapping screws?

Do I need to drill pilot holes first?

What size screws will I need typically to take the load and where can I buy them?

Edited November 19, 2010 by Wil

[JakeBrownBass]

[quote name='Wil' post='1029186' date='Nov 19 2010, 12:39 PM']I've recently bought a set of four heavy duty casters to affix to my Schroeder 410L. They didnt however come with any fittings.

Now, where woodwork is concerned, I havent got a clue. So, a few idiotic questions:

What do I need, in terms of fixings? Self tapping screws?

Do I need to drill pilot holes first?

What size screws will I need typically to take the load and where can I buy them?[/quote]

I'd be tempted to make a dolly board the same dimensions as the base of your cab, then use straps to fix it down.

This way you don't have to drill into the cab & and knock value off it.

Just an idea

[Wil]

Considered that but trying to keep the weight down as I'd have to lift the cab up stairs fairly often after wheeling it.

[BobVbass]

yes dolly board is a good idea - otherwise you need to drill holes through into your cab and bolt it securely from the inside - screws have a habit of being ripped out and making a hideous mess on the cabs I've used them on!

[Wil]

Ah, really? I've no idea if I can even get into my cab

[Delberthot]

I've fitted wheels to almost every cab I've owned and never had them fail on me.

There's no point in the screw being longer than the thickness of the wood that you are screwing into. Just use the appropriate one for the type of wood and I find the widest, coarsest thread, the better.

the downside as pointed out above is that it adds extra weight. I now use a lightweight trolley for all my stuff now. Anything to keep the weight down

[JakeBrownBass]

[quote name='Wil' post='1029277' date='Nov 19 2010, 01:22 PM']Considered that but trying to keep the weight down as I'd have to lift the cab up stairs fairly often after wheeling it.[/quote]

Surey if you just buy a piece of lightweight ply it'll hardly add any weight. Then cover it in carpet or spray so it looks better.

[4 Strings]

Its best to drill all the way through and use nuts and bolts with washers, the largest bolt that will go through the holes on the castors will do, large size washers on the inside will spread any load on the wood. (You'll need to take a speak out to get to the inside, won't have to touch the wiring though.)

Otherwise screw length is limited to the thickness of the wood minus a bit. Hit a little lump somewhere and it could partially rip a screw or two out.

Another thought is that, for some, its important to have a good contact between the cabinet and the floor/ground/stage and this will be compromised with castors. In which case put them on the side or back. Doesn't look great, but if you agree with the cabinet/contact thing they look foolish on the bottom. (Could always turn the cabinet on its side to play)

[stevie]

If you're going to fit self-tapping woodscrews, I think it's good practice to drill pilot holes first. On pro gear, casters are normally fitted using t-nuts (on the inside of the cab) and bolts (around M6). You pays yer money. You may not need bolts and t-nuts but it's worth considering. Screwfix is usually a good source for this kind of hardware.

Edited November 19, 2010 by stevie

[Wil]

Not too concerned about floor coupling - I've got 700 watts to play with, and even outside on beer crates I've always had more than enough low end with this cab.

Lots of things to consider here. I thought it would just be a case of bunging some screws in, but if bolts are the preferred fixing method then perhaps a board would be easier than dismantling the cab.

[icastle]

[quote name='Wil' post='1029186' date='Nov 19 2010, 12:39 PM']I've recently bought a set of four heavy duty casters to affix to my Schroeder 410L. They didnt however come with any fittings.

Now, where woodwork is concerned, I havent got a clue. So, a few idiotic questions:

What do I need, in terms of fixings? Self tapping screws?

Do I need to drill pilot holes first?

What size screws will I need typically to take the load and where can I buy them?[/quote]

Definatetly [b]not [/b]self tappers - they'll rip themselves out of the wood the first time you wheel the cab into a bump.

A lot of cabinets tend to use T Nuts - this sort of thing...

[url="http://www.fitscoindustries.com/product.aspx?c=bb148bee-9d2e-45ba-ae8f-15481b8c4097"]http://www.fitscoindustries.com/product.as...8f-15481b8c4097[/url]

You drill a hole, place the nut "teeth side against the wood, bolt the wheel into place and as yo utighten the bolt the teeth bite into the wood and hold the nut in place.
They spread the load over a wider area of wood than a plain nut and bolt and allow you to remove the castor for repair\replacement in the future without having to dismantle the cabinet a second time.

Size depends on the size of the mounting hole in the castors you have bought, but the bigger the better IMHO...

Edited November 19, 2010 by icastle

[Lozz196]

I`ve put castors on a fair few of my cabs, and always used the following procedure:

1. Find out the depth of the wood.
2. Buy self-tapping screws to the same length - you`re going to use up at least acouple of mm on the depth of the castor bracket. Just ensure thatthey are as wide as possible, but - obvious really - fit through the brackets on the castors.
3. Make guide/pilot holes using a hammer and a pointed instrument - a wide nail is ok.
4. Fit the screws.

I`ve always bought both the castors, and the self-tapers from B&Q. To date, none of the castors I put on have ever come off, or even needed re-tightening, and I`m not very proficient at DIY.

[Grand Wazoo]

Drill away, don't worry, worst case scenario wood is the easiest thing to work with, if you mess up you can always glue small wood stakes to fill the holes and redrill again and you can even patch up the vinyl cover in drastic situations, some people can make them to look like new and never lose value on it, just make sure that where you drill you don't foul with wirings, reflex ports or even the speakers.

Measure the cabinet thickness and make sure you buy screws to match, so that they don't stick out from the inside. Self tapping screws help but any proper wood screw will do,

Edited November 19, 2010 by Grand Wazoo

[bluesparky]

[url="http://www.ernieball.co.uk/products/productdetail/Amp+Caster+Set+Deluxe+Pop-in+Socket/part_number=6102/574.1.4.3.56.23624.0.0.0?pp=8&"]http://www.ernieball.co.uk/products/produc...0.0.0?pp=8&[/url]
I've used these on all of my cabs and amps so far.
They've been bumped up and down all manner of stairs and steps and have been rock solid and i'll definitely buy them again for the next cab i buy.
Heartily recommended.
Also, with them being pop-out you can get rid of them for the gig if needs be....

[Ian Savage]

T-nuts are the king for this kind of job (hadn't realised that was what they were called, but I've used 'em to fit castors to a couple of cabs with no problems!).

[quote name='4 Strings' post='1029297' date='Nov 19 2010, 01:30 PM']Another thought is that, for some, its important to have a good contact between the cabinet and the floor/ground/stage and this will be compromised with castors. In which case put them on the side or back. Doesn't look great, but if you agree with the cabinet/contact thing they look foolish on the bottom. (Could always turn the cabinet on its side to play)[/quote]

Actually I've found the opposite to be true, in that sometimes decoupling the cab from the stage (particularly in smaller venues with hollow or semi-hollow stage bases) can be really beneficial in keeping bass rumble out of microphones and suchlike. Varies totally from venue to venue, but if my physics is right (and there's no guarantee ) with, say, 10cm high castors you only start getting any significant acoustic interference into the realm of kilohertz (way out of fundamental bass range); any benefit you might get from coupling the cab to the stage will depend entirely on the stage being totally rigid which may not always be the case!

Just a thought...

[4 Strings]

Off the original subject now but one of the main things is for the cab not to be rocking (no pun intended!) or loose on its footing in any way (bit like putting your hi-fi speakers on spikes etc) as those low frequencies will be ruined.

Agreed about the booming of wooden box stages, I knock off a bit of bass sometimes to avoid deep boom, as you say each venue to its own. You can buy foam decouplers to do the job.

I don't have enough conclusive experience to set out any rules but, as a habit, I sit my cab flat and square. Years ago I had a little combo which sounded better tipped back on the floor than lifted on a chair but that's about all I'll argue.

Back to original subject, yes top-hats should work well, I'd use bolts and big washers.

[Ian Savage]

[quote name='4 Strings' post='1030026' date='Nov 20 2010, 12:10 AM']Off the original subject now but one of the main things is for the cab not to be rocking (no pun intended!) or loose on its footing in any way (bit like putting your hi-fi speakers on spikes etc) as those low frequencies will be ruined.[/quote]

Aye, I'll agree with that; as long as you're using good chunky castors with locks you should be fine but beware of flimsy ones! I'd be looking at 4" castors at a bare minimum.