Restoring Leather Castors
The origin of the castor goes back to certainly the early 16th Century when, ‘baby cages’ and invalid chairs are known to have been equipped with wheels. They were used in England certainly towards the end of 17th Century and by 1690 there was an established castor-making trade in London. Castors, to begin with, were simple hardwood wheels mounted on horizontal axles but by 1700 vertical spindles mounting jaws in which horizontal axles and wheels were carried were in use.
Leather wheels are quieter than both wood and metal and are kinder to wooden flooring. They are generally fitted between brass jaws either in the hidden plate form or the more usually seen vertical spindle cup castor. As frequently happens, the spindles, rust or the holes in which they are mounted, wear and the wheels seize. Consequently the castor wheel will not follow the direction of push of the piece of furniture and it suffers serious wear against the floor. This happens with brass wheels as well as leather ones and if not remedied in time, flats wear on the wheels when they cannot rotate anyway. The wheels have to be replaced, probably as well as their spindles.
The leather castor is made up of a number of hard leather washers. I say ‘hard’ in that the leather is ‘bridle leather’ which is taken from areas either side of and close to the animal’s spine and is indeed the leather from which most saddlery is made. Leather from the flanks and belly, used more in upholstery, is too soft.
The image left shows a set of six socket castors from a mahogany framed settee in which the top three are in an acceptable state while the lower three have all been seized and consequently flattened.
The image on the right shows three spindles, the two left-hand having square bodies.
The photograph below shows the original washers after they have been disassembled.
The photograph below right shows some replacement leather washers which have been stamped concentrically with two sizes of hole punch one 7/8″ for the OD and one 1/4″ for the axle.
The new spindle (shown below left) is either turned or, and probably better, is of square section and is drilled to accept its axle. At one end a fixed and rounded shoulder is turned. A complimentary end washer with the same profile is turned ready for closure of the wheel.
About the Author
Georgetown Refinishing & Antique Restoration
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