Rolling Kitchen Island

[Scott Welty]

I'm planning on a rolling kitchen island for our place. It will be roughly 24 x 48 and 36 high. The wheels need to lock but I also want to be able to get at the locking mechanism easily enough. There are a few combinations:
1. all wheels swivel and lock
2. two swiveling 2 non-swiveling and only swiveling wheels lock
3. All or some of the wheels swivel but use these to lock down the island: If so...how many of these should be installed?

I'm thinking 3" or 4" wheels.

Thanks! I'm sure someone has already built something like this!
Scott

[Lee Schierer]

If you install four of those floor locks, they will lift the cabinet slightly and you won't need to lock any of the casters.

[Jim Becker]

The mobile kitchen island I build back in about 2002-2003 or so utilizes 4" double locking casters from Lee Valley. I chose to use four swiveling units rather than two fixed and two swivels as it made it far easier to manipulate position. We rarely move it...just for "heavy cleaning" every once in awhile, but those casters are rock solid, smooth rolling and worth every penny. I've used the same casters in my shop for heavy movable things, too. If our floor was smooth, I would have used the 3" version, but the floor is brick and the larger wheels roll easier on the uneven surface.

Photo is after I made some changes to the island a couple years ago...



BTW, the original reason I made the island mobile is that at that point in time, the kitchen door was "the" primary entrance to the house, including for bringing in larger items, such as furniture, etc. A fixed island would have caused a problem with that function. The downside is that I have no electrical capability on the island. Were I building this "today" post-major home addition where we actually have a front door now (that's wider than the kitchen door) I'd build the island permanent and have power on the island.

[Mel Fulks]

This is the first I've heard about rolling islands, but I did say at the beginning that I didn't think they would last long !
Now they are getting fitted to be rolled to the door! Soon the TABLE will be returned as kitchen scientists discover and explain to us "foot room"!! Meanwhile more kids will be needed as the island sink is filled ,and emptied by stainless steel refrigerator matching buckets. Grampa will say "we didn't have those new fangled buckets ....had to use heavy wooden ones that matched the "ice box".

[Scott Welty]

Jim...that's a great product....no longer available! RATS! Other source?;

Scott

[Jim Becker]

Jim...that's a great product....no longer available! RATS! Other source?;

Scott

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/pag...at=1,240,66331


These are the current version and I've used them on a number of my tack trunk commissions. The only major difference is the "tire" material.

[Scott Welty]

Thanks Jim...they're on their way to me! I'll post pics upon completion.

Scott

[Jim Becker]

...and you picked an excellent time to order them since it's a Lee Valley "Free Shipping" window.

[Scott Welty]

Jim - got the wheels and construction begins today. Looking at your picture I'm wondering how far the wheels are recessed beyond the edge of the cart. It's a good look to not see the wheels directly but how do you get your foot in there to operate the on/off levers?
Thanks
Scott

[Bill Adamsen]

The swivel radius impacts where the tire contacts the floor. Optimally, that point would be as far "outward" as possible - or at least in a consistent place - for stability purposes. When the wheel is in the inboard position the unit will be less stable other factors considered (moving, drawers open, unit width) . Unfortunately having the wheel way out is probably not what you had in mind from a visibility perspective. Mounting it inboard could create stability issues. This sort of application is ideally suited for a leveling (and therefore locking) caster which would give you that fixed point. It takes some work to find a quality unit at a reasonable price.

[Jim Becker]

The wheels are inset slightly to allow for swiveling, but I, um..."screwed up"...in the original implementation and had to make small cutouts in the lower apron to insure full swiveling.

[Mark W Pugh]

We don't have locking wheels on ours, and we have not had a problem. Once you get it loaded down, it doesn't want to move. Of course, we don'e have kids that may want to push it around.

[Jim Becker]

We don't have locking wheels on ours, and we have not had a problem. Once you get it loaded down, it doesn't want to move. Of course, we don'e have kids that may want to push it around.

Part of the reason for the double locking casters is to absolutely insure it doesn't move even slightly when you are working on it, particularly with sharp knives. I could probably leave mine unlocked because our brick floor makes it hard to move the the thing even with volition, but...

[Colleen Bokoski]

Looking for help on making my oak kitchen island Mobil, it is 67”xx32”. And I plan on putting granite on top. I want hidden wheels with stops. My biggest concern is if I can mount wheels on the bottom of cabinet and it can support the weight. Since normally the sides and toe-kick support the weight, and they would be raised off the ground. Will I need to add extra supports. Any suggestions appreciated. I did get some 4 wheels that support 550lbs each that have a ratchet system to bring down a stop pad. Just worried about the strength of bottom if it would need extra support

[Jim Becker]

Colleen, it's easy to build in the necessary structure at the bottom of the island cabinetry to provide the required support. That can be as simple as doubling up the bottoms with a single piece that spans the whole thing or something more involved is the island is "very large". Honestly, the biggest challenge is placing the casters so that they can fully swivel without interfering with any of the island structure as well as provide access for you to lock them down when the assembly is where it needs to normally live.

You can also consider cutting weight by selecting an alternative material for the island top. It doesn't have to match other counters. If granite is still the correct choice, you can have your fabricator create the top with thinner material and just bond stone under the perimeter to give the feel of the same thickness of other counters. Significant weight can be saved that way.