# Castor wheel



## dickm (28 Aug 2022)

Recently got the chance of a very reasonably priced electro-hydraulic log splitter, to ease the task of splitting the wood from the five fir trees. Seemed to work well, but was a bit of a pig to move around, as it's heavy and the single leg has an unerring aim for ankle/shin when moving it. So with £1 worth of steel tube, some steel strip left over from building a weaving pole set-up for daughter's agility dog and a biggigh castor from who knows where, produced this. Welding is very untidy, and it still needed a bit of work when I took these pics, but it's one heck of a lot easier to move.

Then today managed to fall out of apple tree, so won't be heaving logs around for a while!


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## toolsntat (28 Aug 2022)

Crikey Dick, hope you get well soon and I'd give up on the scrumping...
Cheers, Andy


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## Richard_C (28 Aug 2022)

Sorry, just had to post this link when apple tree got a mention. Plus it's in my head at the moment because my wife is practising the flute part in an arrangement for a (very) amateur local villages wind band I live in a village called Newton, where we know a great deal about apples and gravity.

Hope you feel OK soon.


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## Lard (29 Aug 2022)

I bought one a few years back and, yes, it’s literally a bl**dy pain to move around, especially on our very uneven garden.
Keep promising myself to add wheels but another one of those jobs I haven’t got around to 

Well done for doing yours…..here’s hoping


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## dickm (29 Aug 2022)

Got this comment from old friend "Newton has surely been tested enough already".


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## Ttrees (29 Aug 2022)

Do we get to see the self lifting function, or is it for your eyes only?


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## dickm (30 Aug 2022)

Ttrees said:


> Do we get to see the self lifting function, or is it for your eyes only?


Sadly, no self-lift, so it still has to be lifted by me in order to flick the wheel down, but at least it doesn't snap at ankles with a straight lift. Now, suppose it would be possible to slip a small car jack under the bottom bar....? Will think about that.
Dick


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## Ttrees (30 Aug 2022)

Does the thing not go up n down?


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## dickm (30 Aug 2022)

Ttrees said:


> Does the thing not go up n down?


Er... what "thing"? The castor wheel is on a stem, pivoted at its upper end. Lift that end of the splitter, push the castor stem out and down and put a pin through the outside to hold it in place. I suppose a long lever attached to the stem somehow COULD be made to lift it (I have one for the Lurem universal and a similar one for the massive router table). Probably not worthwhile in this case as it's more the awkwardness of the splitter than its absolute weight.


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## Ttrees (30 Aug 2022)

Only jokingly suggesting what you said,but thinking some old tree trunk or whatever sketchy thing might have been utilized.
It's one of the more interesting takes on the retractable caster solution that I've seen.
Cheers
Tom


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## dickm (1 Sep 2022)

Ttrees said:


> Only jokingly suggesting what you said,but thinking some old tree trunk or whatever sketchy thing might have been utilized.
> It's one of the more interesting takes on the retractable caster solution that I've seen.


Thanks for the compliment! In the wee small hours, it occurred to me that a heavy strap hinge or something similar could be welded to the side of the pillar furthest from the frame, and used as a handle to lift it. Could then be folded away under the frame. Maybe in a month or two.......


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## pe2dave (1 Sep 2022)

Thought: Would the mechanical advantage of some form of lever with fulcrum be easier than a handle and deadlift?


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## dickm (2 Sep 2022)

pe2dave said:


> Thought: Would the mechanical advantage of some form of lever with fulcrum be easier than a handle and deadlift?


Definitely. I've been mentally designing something which shouldn't be too difficult to make (once I'm mobile again!) but not sure how it will "feel" in action, as at some point in the raising process, the thrust on the castor may want to move the whole thing forwards, rather than a clean lift. My maths and mechanics/kinetics aren't up to checking the theory.
(Many years ago, was critical reading some stuff by a colleague which included the line "draw the mechanism and analyse its motions". To a agriculturalist taking faecal samples, that means something rather different from what he intended!)


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## pe2dave (2 Sep 2022)

dickm said:


> Definitely. I've been mentally designing something which shouldn't be too difficult to make (once I'm mobile again!) but not sure how it will "feel" in action, as at some point in the raising process, the thrust on the castor may want to move the whole thing forwards, rather than a clean lift.


Chock / wedge under the castor to limit movement while you lift?
Given right 'aid', a ledge under which you can rest the bar while you drop the castor (unless you can free it to drop while you're lifting?)


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## dickm (2 Sep 2022)

pe2dave said:


> Chock / wedge under the castor to limit movement while you lift?
> Given right 'aid', a ledge under which you can rest the bar while you drop the castor (unless you can free it to drop while you're lifting?)


Both excellent ideas. The first, when I get "a round tuit", MAY not be needed, though it'll probably be easier to put a long chock in front of the two non-swivelling front wheel, not the castor. The second is basically what I've got for my Universal and router table, and work well. So getting to be spoiled for choice. What is done will probably depend what I can find in the "come in useful sometime" drawer! And the restoration of ability to bend, move around etc. without squawking!


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## Tris (2 Sep 2022)

Reminds me of the mechanism on the front of my rotovator, the arm holding the wheel (caster in your case) has an elongated hole at the pivot to allow it to slide in and out of two positioning grooves in the side plates, one up, one down. The pin that locates in the grooves is fixed through the arm and holds one end of the spring which pulls the arm back against the pivot keeping it firmly in place.

Hope you are feeling better soon, may be safer to let the apples come to you next time.
Couldn't help thinking of this


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## dickm (3 Sep 2022)

Tris said:


> Reminds me of the mechanism on the front of my rotovator, the arm holding the wheel (caster in your case) has an elongated hole at the pivot to allow it to slide in and out of two positioning grooves in the side plates, one up, one down. The pin that locates in the grooves is fixed through the arm and holds one end of the spring which pulls the arm back against the pivot keeping it firmly in place.


Yes, wondered about something like that, but decided my chosen design was "better". or more accurately, was easier to make with welder and power hacksaw!


Tris said:


> Hope you are feeling better soon, may be safer to let the apples come to you next time.


Think the plan is to let ex-mountaineering son-in-law do the climbing, in exchange for a tithe of the apples! Been getting very ferocious comments from SWMBO. With which I have to agree, as it's taking a heck of a time to start feeling better!
DickM


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## mikej460 (3 Sep 2022)

I've had mine for years and just left it beside the log stack with a bulk sack slung over it. The rubber wheels have now perished so won't be moving mine anywhere...


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## dickm (3 Sep 2022)

mikej460 said:


> I've had mine for years and just left it beside the log stack with a bulk sack slung over it. The rubber wheels have now perished so won't be moving mine anywhere...


Brought to mind the 30", pretty much unguarded, circular sawbench that lived uncovered outside our then farm. Driven by a long flat belt by a 1938 John Deere. Interestingly, it didn't ever seem to rust. Wonder if it was so coated in resin etc. as to be protected. Probably fortunate I was too young to be allowed near it, given my record! Wonder where it is now.


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## dickm (9 Oct 2022)

Having regained mobility after the apple tree incident(!) decided to try out an idea for lifting which save either using a jack or doing contortions lifting with one hand and pushing the castor wheel down with the other. This is the thing assembled, obviously still in need of tidyingn but it works and doesn't seem to get in the way.


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## TRITON (9 Oct 2022)

mikej460 said:


> The rubber wheels have now perished so won't be moving mine anywhere...



Have you tried castor oil ?.


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## mikej460 (9 Oct 2022)

TRITON said:


> Have you tried castor oil ?.


My mother gave us that when we were kids, ghastly stuff.


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