A friend has asked me to repair a set of 5 barstools for him, mostly loose joints, loose hardware screws, etc. Several of the casters are loose, meaning they roll OK, but drop out when the stool is lifted off the floor (they are stem casters). I know they can be repaired by drilling out the caster hole to the next larger size, gluing in a dowel, and redrilling for the proper size hole– but I’m looking for an quicker, easier way, something that will not be just a temporary quick fix till it wears out again.
Two ideas come to my mind so far: 1. buy some 3/8″ rubber O rings to slip over the stems to take up the present sloppy fit, preventing their slipping out of the holes. 2. glue a few toothpicks around the perimeter of each hole to take up the slop, and when the glue dries, tap the caster back in.
I’m just looking for a simpler way to do a successful repair. Any ideas will be appreciated. Thanks, Gary
Replies
Assuming these are not antique, heirloom-type barstools (Grin), what I have done for a quick fix in similar situations (e.g., desk chairs with blown-out casters) was to fill the hole with JB Weld, or similar epoxy material and then drill it out with the correct-sized drill. Worked so far!
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
or construction adhesive
Surprisingly, I just today replaced the four stem casters on a bar stool. If the caster falls out but the barrel stays, then just pull out the barrel. Squeeze the top together noticing that the upper portion slants inward to reduce the overall diameter. Reinsert the barrel and just push in the caster. This assumes the caster top still has the button on top to snap into the barrel.
If the barrel is coming out of the chair, just glue it in with the caster removed. Reinstall it after the glue sets. Be careful not the get glue into the barrel or the stem will not snap in or will not rotate freely.
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