Blind hole caster mount, advice wanted

[TheGrooveking]

I am looking to mount 4 swivel casters to the bottom of one of my job boxes, but the problem is that the lower pedestals as I call them are all heavey sheet metal and welded on all sides, thus no way to place a nut on bolts. I want to mount the casters using screws, like self drilling sheet metal screws but am concerned with stripping. This box doesn't see a lot of use, but the last thing I want is to be moving it with 400 pounds of tools in it and have a caster come off. I do not want to weld the casters on, as that I may take them off when needed. What would you guys recommend?

The box in question is like this, except the legs are enclosed, no openings for access.

TheGrooveking

 

[gearbuilder]

Hi,

How about barrel nuts or rivet nuts? You can get them at McMaster Carr.

Jamie

 

[Tatsuya]

Can you mount it to a dolly and instead of taking the casters off just lift it off the dolly?

 

[nehog]

The suggestion of nut-serts is a good one, also see how thick the metal on the bottom is. You may find it is thicker at the corners to allow mounting of wheels. In that case you might be able to drill and tap some holes.

Also I'd not use self drilling screws, instead pre-drill the holes and use self tapping screws, and then very slightly undersize the holes. Use care not to break off the screws the first time. Reason is that self drilling screws seem to over size the holes, at least in my experience.

Another easy choice is to weld some 1/4" plate to each corner, then drill and tap the plate for bolts. The 1/4 plus the base thickness, would be sufficient to hold most anything.

 

[bgott]

Cut holes in the base runners so you can use nuts.

 

[Quiksilver]

I like the cart idea. If you often need to lift it with forks, you could make two carts out of angle iron, one for each "pedestal" as you call it. Then attach with rivet nuts through the side. This puts the bolts in shear, meaning that you don't have to worry about pulling the threads out.

 

[larry_g]

Make a horse shoe shaped plate that will slide over the 'leg'. Drill through the horse shoe and the leg and then put the bolt through and a nut on the inside. So in other words the bolts will run parallel to the floor instead of verticle up from the bottom. Bolt or weld the castor to the horseshoe. You could also run bolts from the inside of the box through the bottom of the foot and bolt the castor on that way.

I highly suspect that the box has a reenforcement in the corner for castors esp if castors are an option on the box you have. Call the mfg and ask.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Strouty]

Cut holes in the base runners so you can use nuts.

Not this. /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Use the threaded inserts or nut-serts. If you always wanted it to be on wheels you could weld the casters to the bottom as well.

 

[tfi racing]

I highly suspect that the box has a reenforcement in the corner for castors esp if castors are an option on the box you have. Call the mfg and ask.

Have you looked at the bottom yet?Both my Greenlee and cheap imitation no name job box had threaded nutserts for casters welded in from the factory.

 

[wilb1976]

+1 with there should be threaded holes already from the factory

 

[TheGrooveking]

No threaded holes, this is an older Grainger job box that I bought back in 1988. I believe it was made for them.

TheGrooveking

 

[Falcon67]

I would get a couple of pieces of 2x2 tube, weld the casters to that and mount the tubes to the bottom right next to the legs. Or go ahead and add some angle, tie the tubes together to make it a full dolly that fits between the legs and then just self-tap from the box bottom into the angle.

 

[dumper]

how about a large-flange style nutsert, spot welded in place? I would not trust the nutsert in this application without the weld.

 

[bgott]

OK, lets see how Jobox does it...http://www.arizonatools.com/tool-st...and-greenlee-tool-storage/detail/JOB1-654990/

"Casters install with 5/16" self-tapping bolts"

I just remembered that I mounted casters on my Knaack cabinet, that's how they do it, too.

 

[TheGrooveking]

OK, lets see how Jobox does it...http://www.arizonatools.com/tool-st...and-greenlee-tool-storage/detail/JOB1-654990/

"Casters install with 5/16" self-tapping bolts"

I just remembered that I mounted casters on my Knaack cabinet, that's how they do it, too.

This box over 15 years old, they didn't provide any holes on the bottom, so of course there are no threads to put bolts into it.

TheGrooveking

 

[Mike14k]

I've done this exact thing a couple times... a 3/4' ply platform the job-box sits on, with blocks to hold the "pedestals" in place. And the casters attach to the ply w/ fender washers and appropriate bolts.

Works great...

 

[RobSmith]

yeah, build a dolly and someday you'll just need such a dolly to move something else.
Two problems solved ! I built a dolly for a spare engine & gearbox....it comes in real handy for moving other heavy stuff.

 

[rockchucker]

Maybe some C channel large enough to house the Pedestals. Weld Plates on the end of the C-Channel to stop them from moving around. Drill and countersink the holes for the bolts for the Casters. Mount the Casters on the bottom of the C-Channel. Lift Box and set on the C-Channel. Drill through the side of the C-Channel and through the Pedestal to install a through Bolt it you feel the need. You could even install 3 lighter Duty Casters on each rail instead of 2 large ones to save on height and price.


Or use Self Tapping screws through the Casters into the bottom of the Pedestals.


I would weld on good, high quality, replaceable, grease-able, Locking Casters if it was my box though.

 

[Kevin54]

4 pieces of angle iron. Build a square frame with casters welded to it, then set the box inside of the frame. Paint the frame black or paint the frame to match the box.

 

[Tink]

Drill through the legs into the bottom of the box and use bolts. If you don't want the bolts sticking through the bottom you could oversize the holes inside the box so you can get the nut to the bottom of the leg.

 

[bgott]

This box over 15 years old, they didn't provide any holes on the bottom, so of course there are no threads to put bolts into it.

That's where the "self-tapping bolts" come into play.

 

[kbs2244]

Building a dolly is the best idea.

But with a fully assembled furniture dolly at the big boxes for less than $20.00 I have to think they are the way to go. (When I asked why they are cheaper than 4 identical casters alone all I got was a shrug.)

Get 2. Bridge them with a 2x4 with holes lined up to holes you drill in the feet.
Bolt and screw together and you are good to go.