Caster Hardware for a Mobile Kitchen Island
Heavy-duty industrial casters are recommended, but nylon slides may also work. November 22, 2005
Question
What hardware would you suggest for making a medium-sized kitchen island mobile, besides industrial casters?
Forum Responses
(Cabinetmaking Forum)
From contributor T:
Industrial casters will give you the best value, selection and reliability. They don't have to be visible. They can easily be concealed in the base. You need a heavy weight caster so as to take up the everyday abuse, and you get the best selection of materials that contact the floor with the least amount of damage. There are some nice decorative wood casters that are very lightweight and are really only good as a decorative element. Either way, a mobile island is very functional.
From contributor G:
You should consider using nylon glides instead of casters. Most kitchen floors are anything but carpet, so they will slide well. They won't move the island as easily as casters, which is good as far as I'm concerned. Also, casters need to be the swivel type. If you use a toe kick, they have to set back far enough for wheel clearance when swiveling, which means the wheels are farther from the outside, which translates to less stability depending on just how big the cabinet is. Also, they look better and they're less expensive.
From contributor M:
I made a mobile 4' long island and used casters that would spin. I never had any problem with stability. The only problem I had was after I filled the island with the contents. I had ceramic tile and before I placed pots and pans in the cabinet, it went across the floor with relative ease. After I placed everything in, the cabinet would drag slightly when the wheels would go through the low spots. I only allowed about an 1/8 inch clearance. If you have a very flat floor, an 1/8 is enough, but if it is slightly out of level, I would raise it a little and use the casters.
