Why don't we have spherical wheels on computer chairs, which would easily rotate in any direction, like the ones in the old mice?
Dec 28, 2022 Last reply: 3 years ago 51 Replies
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Commander Kinsey
I can see the longer arm working better - more leverage, but on a computer chair, sticking further out will run over your toes - ouch!
Where have you seen these castors? I'd like to give one a try if I can get it fitted to my computer chair. And presumably if you saw some cheap plastic ones there are also more expensive metal ones?
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C
Commander Kinsey
Are any of those loads dirty? As in as dirty as a carpet?
C
Commander Kinsey
Are you telling me Acme make what I want?
F
Fredxx
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Colin Bignell
I don't move my computer chair, so don't get that. I only have to swivel the seat to get up. However, I do have furniture moving dollies; triangular bits of ply with a castor at each corner. Those have 4" diameter castors and have no problem moving heavy furniture across almost any surface, so I think it is the castor size that causes the problems the people on here are reporting.
C
Commander Kinsey
Is that 100 Euros EACH? 500 Euros to upgrade a computer chair is absurd. A simple bearing shouldn't cost that much.
I've found Omnitrack themselves on Ebay, but they only advertise ball transfer units, not castors, I'll message them.
C
Commander Kinsey
Firstly, you never want to sit in front of a different part of the desk?
Secondly, don't the arms smash into the desk when you rotate it?
Anybody using a supermarket trolley would disagree.
C
Commander Kinsey
They replied instantly. This is the smaller version, but still, $50 each is ridiculous:
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I'll go chinese:
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T
The Natural Philosopher
The issue is that balls can roll between two planar surfaes brilliantly, but they cannot rotate with respect to just ONE surface without an axle or at least a cup that has friction between it and the ball, which defeats the point entirely.
You are reinventing the paleolithic log roller, and discovering why the wheel worked better....
B
Bill
Maybe a flat air bearing mounted on each leg?
C
Colin Bignell
Why would I want to do that? The layout is designed for me to work from a single position, which is much more efficient.
They can just touch the keyboard shelf, if it is extended, but that doesn't cause a problem. At worst, the shelf just gets pushed back a bit.
That is down to maintenance, which is an entirely different problem
T
The Natural Philosopher
Just make it a hovercraft....flat base with a fan and a skirt. Fire up the fan when you want to move...
C
Commander Kinsey
There is friction in the axle of a normal wheel, and even more friction in the likes of a computer chair or supermarket trolley caster, which have two axles.
C
Commander Kinsey
So you only use a computer, you never use the chair to read some paperwork sat to your right?
Also, the human body is not designed to sit in one position, I often adjust my position a bit to avoid wearing out one particular vertebrae etc. Car seats are a pest.
Why not put the keyboard on the desk?
I must have different shaped body parts to you, because the arms of my chair are 1.5 inches above the surface the keyboard sits on.
Most chairs irritate me by having arms far too low down, this chair has an adjustment up and down for the arms. Maybe I don't have long orangutan arms?
Nonsense, the whole design is flawed.
C
Commander Kinsey
And add another fan for sideways movement, so you can go to the other end of the office at 50mph.
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Colin Bignell
Trying that would result in my knees hitting the drawers. I use the centre of the desk top for paperwork I am looking at.
Wrong height. The keyboard shelf is about three inches lower than the desk top and at an ideal height for typing.
S
soup
Erm from that site:- " Note: Usage Method: The main ball points upwards, when used downwards it gets stuck. Non-quality problems."
Not a lot of use for your(TINY) computer chair
C
Commander Kinsey
Don't you ever want to look at papers and the keyboard at once?
I have no drawers on this desk, they're a pest for the knees. Drawers are elsewhere out of my way.
Then change the height of the chair?
C
Commander Kinsey
I read somewhere it works both ways, maybe that was another Chinese seller. Probably the same product. Anyway I bought the one with the M10 peg, looks pretty industrial. And I see no reason it would know which way up it was. All it feels is pressure from both ends.
What is "non-quality problems" is English?
My computer chair is the normal size, what is your point?
C
Colin Bignell
Having papers on the desk top, between the keyboard and the centre screen allows me to do exactly that.
Where, presumably, you have to get up to get things from them.
Then the deck top would be too low for writing.
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