More shop-made aids

Fri, Feb 29, 2008, 1:40am (EST+5) snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net (Chuck=A0Hoffman) doth sayeth: Had a need for a couple roller stands. Looked in the Rockler catalog and they wanted abour $80.00. Harbor Freight wanted $30.00. I picked up eight 2" castors and a 2X4 Doug fir stud and made myself two roller stands for less than $11.00 total.

I wouldn't have bothered with casters.

JOAT

I did the same thing. I have two shop-made adjustable-height saw horses. Clamped a 2x4 with casters mounted on it to a sawhorse. I also have a Record roller stand which I bought for $20. The shop-made roller has an advantage that it allows a side to side movement, unlike the Record.

I wouldn't have bothered with casters.

JOAT

I do not have a problem with a woman president - except for Hillary.

So true about the sideways movement. I welded up my own stands from bits of pipe I had lying around for an adjustable stand, and used the rubber rollers off an old wringer washing machine on top. But if I am planing long boards and the roller is not exactly lined up to match the direction of the travel, it skews the back of the board around to one side until it jams into the side of the planer's bed. Rollers that allow sideways movement would work much better here. I have recently seen a set that used steel balls instead of cylinders, was very tempted but the production standard looked like c r a p. No need to waste money and chuck more Chinese potmetal on to the junkpile I decided.

-P.

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Probably no news but,

PVC pipe works well too. I use 2 1/2 pipe, cut plywood circles for each end, stick 1/4" bolts through stand ends into holes in the ply. Stand height is adjustable.

I used the roller, if that's what you call it, from an old typewriter.

Fri, Feb 29, 2008, 2:29am (EST+5) snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net (Chuck=A0Hoffman) doth sayeth: Heh heh. Point taken, JT...but they were only $0.99 each at Harbor Freight. I'm gonna use these stands for cutting some full sheets of 3/4 ply so the rollers will be useful.

I'd figure casters would be apt to let 'em move unexpectedly. Hmm, hit me just as I typed that, I've been thinking casters on the base. You mean on the top. Ah ha, in that case I would probably do the same. Sometimes you get a thought in your mind and it just sticks there, I bet skate board trucks would work well for that, wonder if I have any more left.

JOAT

No, I didn't know that you can buy them in this form. I even managed to find a shop in NZ that sells them!

thanks, -P.