Leave Casters on?

[Mike Lipke]

I purchased a used OneWay 1640. It is one of the early ones (SN#63) that did not come with adjustable legs. It is too low for me. The casters on my old lathe are the good Urethane ones from Woodcraft, and if I mounted them on the 1640, they would raise it up 4", which is a perfect height for me.
It seems to be heresy to leave casters on a lathe, but on my old lathe, they never gave me any issues. I would move the unit around somewhat, and lock the casters. It would jiggle a little with out of round blanks, but it never bothered me.
Does anyone else have casters on their lathes? Is this a closet group?
I've never turned without them, so maybe if I raised the lathe up with 2x4s instead of casters, I'd say "Wow, I musta been nuts to leave them on". I sure like being able to move it though.
Appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks

[Travis R. Nelson]

Depends on what you are wanting to do with the machine. If you need to be able to move your machine around your shop then casters are the only good way to go. As long as you lock the casters when in use you should be OK for smaller stuff. Ideally, IMO, a machine the size of your machine should be stationary for maximum stability. The spindle height is also of primary importance so you can be comfortable while standing at the machine. I have a delta 12" that is on casters that I use only for SMALL stuff, jamb chucks, and jigs. My PM is bolted to the floor and braced to the wall framing. So I can see the advantage of both.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mike - congrats on your new lathe! Oneways may be different than other lathes - but there is always a concern of having the bed twist slightly when moving - and then moving a lathe back into position. Doesn't take much to get the centers slightly out of alignment. If you do decide to keep the casters on - even if just to try it out - make sure you check for level as well as alignment before you operate the lathe again. If you move it a couple of times and nothing changes - then you know you have no worries.

Let us know what you find out.

[Mike Lipke]

Thanks Steve and Travis.
I will let you know. If I can leave them on, I will, and report back either way.

[tim mathis]

hi mike ,
i use zambus casters ac-600 on my lathe. which has a pad that you lower with your fingers and it raises the lathe off the floor. they are easy to level and are very stable.
tim m.