Bluestar Range Casters Alternative - moving the range
Matthew Rieger
8 years ago
Wow, pricey. Does anyone have any leads if any non Bluestar generic caster brands exist that fit and work just as good as Bluestar (same bolt diameter, height, etc)? As a reference, here are the prices. Figure if I get 2 for the rear, it would be much easier to move the range in/out. I found really great very low profile dollies I used when redoing my kitchen. I got 4 of them and was able to easily move the range in my house. It even worked like a charm putting it into the cabinet space for test fitting clearance when my counter was installed. If I had 2 permanent casters in the rear, I could place these under the front and roll out. I included this in the last picture in case anyone could use them.
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Comments (16)
John Liu
8 years ago
rwiegand
8 years agoRelated Discussions
for those with Bluestar ranges.. Casters?
Comments (8)On the basis of advice received here I stapled these slick strips to the floor which allowed the range to be pushed back more easily...I also used magic slider style things to move it back to its recessed nook. It is a beast, no doubt about it. I have had to pull mine in and out several times, however, the good news is that once it is FINALLY set you hopefully will not have to move it for a good long while. It sure would be nice if it had some rear casters. But still, after the initial effort you are all set. Oh yes,Trevor at Eurostoves gave me the best advice ever... before attempting to move the thing take everything removable OFF! So, remove all the burner grates and bowls, remove the shelves and remove the oven floor. That makes a huge difference to the ability to move it. I am now an expert at disassembling and reassembling that range :) Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: Slick Strips...See MoreHow to move burners on a Bluestar Range
Comments (8)I'd also think about how you are going to use them. For me, having them up split means that I can put two, 12" diameter (or larger) pots on the "boil gallons of water" burners at the same time. With the burner on the center back, I can comfortably put on three big pots on high output burners. Having them up front is where I want high output for saute/stir-fry. Having them up front also means that I'm less likely to scorch the riser and/or backsplash, depending on your configuration. I would not be surprised if moving burners by anyone other than BlueStar or their authorized agents is considered "unauthorized modification" as far as their warranty goes. If it is done by anyone other than a certified gas fitter/technician, you may also have some fancy talking involved if you ever have a fire and try to make an insurance claim if the range is, in any way, related to the cause or the spread of the fire....See MoreHow do I move a bluestar range on hardwood floor without scratching?
Comments (8)One-quarter-inch thick hardwood plywood can be spread out for sliding heavy appliances to cabinet adjacency, and then front-to-back strips of the plywood aligned with the "feet" of the appliance can be used for final sliding into place. Then, either jack up one side after another and remove the strips, or keep them in place if the floor is soft (cherry, pine, etc.). For supporting significant weight on small feet over soft wood, the hardwood plywood can be augmented by stainless steel or aluminum strips to help spread the weight over more of the hardwood plywood and hence more of the underlying soft flooring. My 48-inch SZ refrigerator/freezer uses that approach over a cherry floor. This does raise the appliance slightly, so that may be a factor in deciding whether to keep the strips in place after appliance placement....See MoreBluestar range ignitor / igniter replacement....finally a solution
Comments (0)Found alternative solution. Less than half the price of the knock off ones being sold on ebay and a fraction of Bluestar OEM part price. This is the part that will work with modifications. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0028S3T4Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 These are the parts side by side....very much different. I found this part on a post years ago and gave it a try. Follow my instructions and you can do it. A bit difficult, but worth it. The other ones will be a breeze after going through this figuring out on my own. 1) Take your bad ignitor and bust it apart with a hammer on both ceramic ends. The small mounting tab will break off. Save the tab and clip the ignitor wire off. 2) This is the mounting tab you will need. 3) Put the mounting tab in a vise and drill out the opening to fit the new ignitor threaded base. The metal is very hard, be patient. I had to angle the bit and work it some to open it up. Just widen it enought that the mounting tab can slide down the threaded base. 4) Next, take one of the 2 nuts that came with the ignitor and use a grinding wheel and take a side down as shown in the photo. Confusing, but the base of the threaded portion is wider than the OEM ignitor, so to get this to work, it needs to be shaven down, otherwise you cannot secure the ignitor with 2 nuts to hold it into place on the tab. This shaven down one goes on top. The nut has enough meat on it to adequately hold the ignitor in place just fine. 5) Here is the finished product....see the shaven down nut....this avoids it hitting the burner and making it cocked out on an angle. I will not fit correctly. If you do not do this, any option would be to fabricate a new mounting tab that is longer so it clears the burner using both nuts unmodified. 6) The wire connector is different. I clipped the OEM wire and used a butt connector to the new wire after removing its plug. The wire is very long, so you can trim down quite a bit to match the lenght of the OEM wire. 7) Here is the new ignitor attached to the burner. NOTE: On all my burners I removed the OEM screws and use all key stainless steel bolts. This is the bomb and a MUST do to all your ignitors. Take you screw or burned to a good old school hardware store and get some. Makes all the difference and you will NEVER have a stuck screw again. If you cannot get your screw out...spray some rust cutter on them and use a vise grip to grab the screw, will come right out. As you can see, the one nut does not need to be modified because it can fit in place fine. The allen screw bolt head is small giving it that extra room also. As mentioned, the other nut needs to be shaved down. 8) View form the burner after in the range again. Items not mentioned.....the wire tip on the burner is very much different and longer. You need to be careful and plan out how long and where to bend. The metal is very hard, use 2 needle know plier to bend. Be careful not to damage the ceramic. One good thing, the metal thread base allows you to move the ignitor up and down to fine tune it placement. My first try, the tip was too high so it did not make any spark (could not jump that far and get to ground). So I lowered the ignitor and it work better than the OEM ignitor, went on instantly. Very satisified. Go for it. I was looking for years to an alternative solution than the rip off Bluestar ignitor. These also are solid on the top so no junk gets in theem....See MoreMatthew Rieger
8 years ago
cookncarpenter
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoMatthew Rieger
8 years agobkln
8 years agoI've been doing my homework before purchasing a BS and in my research I came across this info that you may find interesting. I'm pretty sure that most homes do not have the flooring recommended and I don't know what an equivalent would be.
weedmeister
8 years agosidpost
8 years agoMatthew Rieger
8 years agoweedmeister
8 years agogeoffrey_b
8 years agopractigal
8 years agogeoffrey_b
8 years ago
mandy_elaine
8 years agoJohn
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
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