How do I remove these casters?

Share your phonograph repair & restoration techniques here
Zenger
Victor I
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 7:50 pm

How do I remove these casters?

Post by Zenger »

I can't for the life of me figure this one out -- they appear to be attached by a screw, but it's neither a slotted nor a phillips, and in any event the wheel blocks access to it. I can't seem to just pull it off, either. Any suggestions?
Attachments
Caster 1.jpg
Caster 2.jpg

User avatar
Curt A
Victor Monarch Special
Posts: 6412
Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 8:32 pm
Personal Text: Needle Tins are Addictive
Location: Belmont, North Carolina

Re: How do I remove these casters?

Post by Curt A »

It's easy, they are not screwed on, the "X" is just stamped to "peen" the parts together... just use a screwdriver or small pry bar to remove it...
It's rusty after 100+ years and inserted into a sleeve that is driven into the wood leg, so don't be afraid to use a fair amount of force to get it out.
Attachments
Screen Shot 2020-09-23 at 10.35.37 PM.png
"The phonograph† is not of any commercial value."
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.

"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife

JerryVan
Victor Monarch Special
Posts: 5278
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 3:08 pm
Location: Southeast MI

Re: How do I remove these casters?

Post by JerryVan »

Curt is correct! Wouldn't hurt to turn the cabinet upside down and squirt a bit penetrating oil into the gap that Curt has identified as the area to pry on. Most likely, the shaft of the caster is a little rusted in place, as well as normally being a snug fit anyway.

soundgen
Victor V
Posts: 2996
Joined: Mon May 13, 2013 2:04 pm
Contact:

Re: How do I remove these casters?

Post by soundgen »

Zenger wrote:I can't for the life of me figure this one out -- they appear to be attached by a screw, but it's neither a slotted nor a phillips, and in any event the wheel blocks access to it. I can't seem to just pull it off, either. Any suggestions?
Why do you want to ?

User avatar
Henry
Victor V
Posts: 2624
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:01 am
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania

Re: How do I remove these casters?

Post by Henry »

Even when first invented and applied to furniture, casters like the one pictured are death to wood floors! Why they continued to be applied to phonograph cabinets, or anything else, well into the 20th century is a mystery to me. I've placed rubber (?) cups under each caster/leg of my VV-XI; one of these days I'll get around to next step, putting teflon pads under each cup. Meanwhile, the phonograph stays put.

User avatar
Curt A
Victor Monarch Special
Posts: 6412
Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 8:32 pm
Personal Text: Needle Tins are Addictive
Location: Belmont, North Carolina

Re: How do I remove these casters?

Post by Curt A »

I always remove them, clean them up with a steel wire wheel to remove the rust and oil them so they work better... they can be replaced with brass or wood wheeled casters, but cleaning off the rust and oiling them works well.
"The phonograph† is not of any commercial value."
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.

"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife

gramophoneshane
Victor VI
Posts: 3463
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 3:21 pm

Re: How do I remove these casters?

Post by gramophoneshane »

Henry wrote: Why they continued to be applied to phonograph cabinets, or anything else, well into the 20th century is a mystery to me.
That's a pretty easy question to answer.

It's because wall to wall carpet didn't start to gain popularity until the late 20's into the 30's.
This meant most people were still picking up mats and carpets on a weekly basis to take them outside for a beating.
In turn, this meant a lot of furniture has to be moved to enable said carpet to be rolled up and taken outside, so dining tables, lounge suites, desks, dressers, beds and just about anything else that was reasonably heavy, and your feet touched the floor for more than a few seconds using it, were given casters so they could be rolled out the way.

Even those lucky enough to have wall to wall and a vacuum often found furniture needed moving because vacuums and carpet sweepers didn't always clean right up to the leg on furniture.

This of course wasn't such a problem in rooms that used lino, oil cloth, wood or stone flooring because they were usually mopped, washed or scrubbed and/or polished.
A kitchen for example may have only had casters on the ice chest/box, and some smaller kitchen hutches so they could be moved away from the wall for proper cleaning. Other items usually stood on ant proof bowls


User avatar
Henry
Victor V
Posts: 2624
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:01 am
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania

Re: How do I remove these casters?

Post by Henry »

gramophoneshane wrote:
Henry wrote: Why they continued to be applied to phonograph cabinets, or anything else, well into the 20th century is a mystery to me.
That's a pretty easy question to answer.

It's because wall to wall carpet didn't start to gain popularity until the late 20's into the 30's.
This meant most people were still picking up mats and carpets on a weekly basis to take them outside for a beating.
In turn, this meant a lot of furniture has to be moved to enable said carpet to be rolled up and taken outside, so dining tables, lounge suites, desks, dressers, beds and just about anything else that was reasonably heavy, and your feet touched the floor for more than a few seconds using it, were given casters so they could be rolled out the way.

Even those lucky enough to have wall to wall and a vacuum often found furniture needed moving because vacuums and carpet sweepers didn't always clean right up to the leg on furniture.

This of course wasn't such a problem in rooms that used lino, oil cloth, wood or stone flooring because they were usually mopped, washed or scrubbed and/or polished.
A kitchen for example may have only had casters on the ice chest/box, and some smaller kitchen hutches so they could be moved away from the wall for proper cleaning. Other items usually stood on ant proof bowls
My point still holds: these metal casters are ruinous to wood floors!

User avatar
Curt A
Victor Monarch Special
Posts: 6412
Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 8:32 pm
Personal Text: Needle Tins are Addictive
Location: Belmont, North Carolina

Re: How do I remove these casters?

Post by Curt A »

"My point still holds: these metal casters are ruinous to wood floors!"

Good point, Henry... The obvious solution for collectors is cement floors. :? Get rid of that wood... :lol:

OR, you could replace those steel casters with wooden wheeled ones...
https://www.rockler.com/hardwood-caster ... gJT0PD_BwE
Attachments
Screen Shot 2020-09-27 at 9.11.31 AM.png
"The phonograph† is not of any commercial value."
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.

"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife

Post Reply