Technique
Recessed Caster Pockets for a Low-Deck Welding Cart
Bolting 5" casters under a frame puts the deck almost 9" off the floor. Recessing them into boxed pockets in the frame corners brings this cart's deck down to about 6⅞" without giving up 1,000 lb casters.
How the pocket works
Each corner of the frame has a pocket boxed in with short 1×2 pieces, the P members on the frame plan. A mount plate made of two layers of 11 ga steel is welded into the pocket, flush with the top of the frame. The caster bolts up under that plate. Because the plate sits at the top of the frame rather than the bottom, the frame itself hangs down around the caster.
The result: the deck top sits about 6⅞" off the floor and the frame clears the floor by about 4¾". Boxing the pocket around doubled 11 ga plates also means no 3/8" plate is needed to carry the caster.
Caster and plate specs
| Item | Spec |
|---|---|
| Casters | FOVERSWIVE 5" × 2" polyurethane on polyolefin core, 4 Brake set |
| Configuration | All four swivel with brake |
| Top plate | 4" × 4½" |
| Rating | 1,000 lb each, 4,000 lb per set |
| Overall height | 6½" |
| Swivel radius | About 4" as designed. Not listed by the maker, so check yours. |
| Mount plate | Two 7 × 7 squares of 11 ga, stitched together |
| Bolt pattern | 2⅝ × 3⅜, centered, as drawn. Confirm against your plates before drilling. |
| Fasteners | 3/8-16 × 1" flat-head socket cap screws, flat washers, nylon-insert lock nuts |
| Pocket sides | Seven P pieces: three at 8", four at 7" |
Building them
- Stitch each pair of 7 × 7 plates together, drill the caster pattern, and countersink from the top for the flat heads.
- Build the frame with the P pieces in place and weld it out with flush tops.
- Weld each mount plate into its pocket, flush with the top and welded all around.
- Bolt on each caster and spin it a full turn to check it clears the pocket walls.
- Tack each bolt head in its countersink, so you can tighten the nuts from below without holding the head.
Using different casters?