Improved RC work stand

[arborvitian]

My work stand was getting on my nerves. It had an adjustable, threaded center column with a set screw to lock the height. At first, the screw kept spinning, until I finally cranked down on the set screw hard enough. Then the connection at the top started spinning, no matter how hard I cranked on the screw. It was very annoying, wanting to rotate away from me while I wrenched on the truck.

So I fixed that problem once and for all today, and it was all "free" in that I just used stuff I already paid for long ago, and had in stock in my shop.

First, I cut a couple pieces of aluminum round bar to length.

Then I faced off one end of each bar in the lathe.

I strained by brain for a bit, trying to figure out how to cut them to exactly the same length. I broke my V-block clamps, and haven't made a new set yet, so I got creative. I put an indicator in my Noga base and zeroed the machined side, then I milled off the end and zeroed my DRO there.

Put the next one in to the 0 mark, machined on the 0 mark, and they were only 0.0012 different in length. I could have done better, but for this use, that was pretty good!

Then I center drilled

Drilled with letter drill I

Tapped

Assembled, et voila! This ain't going nowhere! I could have done fancier, more machinistier things with precisely mating hooptums and snugly fitting blibble blabbles, but this simple design was easy to make and extremely robust.

 

[DMDUK]

Ahh... proper engineering!

 

[Greengaunja]

My work stand was getting on my nerves. It had an adjustable, threaded center column with a set screw to lock the height. At first, the screw kept spinning, until I finally cranked down on the set screw hard enough. Then the connection at the top started spinning, no matter how hard I cranked on the screw. It was very annoying, wanting to rotate away from me while I wrenched on the truck.

So I fixed that problem once and for all today, and it was all "free" in that I just used stuff I already paid for long ago, and had in stock in my shop.

First, I cut a couple pieces of aluminum round bar to length.
View attachment 300423
Then I faced off one end of each bar in the lathe.
View attachment 300424
I strained by brain for a bit, trying to figure out how to cut them to exactly the same length. I broke my V-block clamps, and haven't made a new set yet, so I got creative. I put an indicator in my Noga base and zeroed the machined side, then I milled off the end and zeroed my DRO there.
View attachment 300431
Put the next one in to the 0 mark, machined on the 0 mark, and they were only 0.0012 different in length. I could have done better, but for this use, that was pretty good!
View attachment 300425
Then I center drilled
View attachment 300426
Drilled with letter drill I
View attachment 300427
Tapped
View attachment 300428

Assembled, et voila! This ain't going nowhere! I could have done fancier, more machinistier things with precisely mating hooptums and snugly fitting blibble blabbles, but this simple design was easy to make and extremely robust.

View attachment 300429

It's very rare that I'm impressed by another man's tools but, I seriously mangasmed looking at your shop. The things I could do with that setup and those ultra precision tools. My Mitutoyo and I bow!

 

[Boggs3010]

My big gripe is playing the balancing game.

 

[kspitters]

Well done man!

 

[Mikeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal]

I truly love my Noga indicator bases they're the best.

 

[arborvitian]

I truly love my Noga indicator bases they're the best.

I made one of the worst mistakes of my life. My kid needed a new vehicle, so I bought a Subaru Outback off a machinist. It was high mileage, but those things run forever, right? Yeah. The car was overpriced junk that basically exploded. It lost 1st gear, and he had to start in 2nd. Then the brakes literally fell apart. I gave that piece of $@#$@# to my wife's boyfriend for free, and he ended up mad at me for "selling" him a piece of junk. (He didn't die? I was hoping he would die. It figures.)

But the highlight of that trip was getting to tour the guy's shop. His boss had retired, and sold the place to him for a song. He never told me the price, but I think it was around $50,000. He had two gigantic lathes, two gigantic mills, and a ton of tooling that made my eyes water and my heart cry.

He was the guy who showed me my first Noga base.

I got a cheap knock-off first, and it was JUNK. Then Travers had Noga bases on sale, and I scored two of them for half the price of one. Noga bases are the real deal!

It's very rare that I'm impressed by another man's tools but, I seriously mangasmed looking at your shop. The things I could do with that setup and those ultra precision tools. My Mitutoyo and I bow!

The really satisfying thing is that I kind of had a mangasm of my own when I did this project. I hadn't been out to the shop since fall, because it's in a crappy Harbor Freight tent garage, and the only economical way to heat it is with propane. I learned the hard way that propane + cold iron = RUST, so my shop is basically dead until spring, or until I can afford $20,000 for a real building.

I hadn't been out there since October or something, and I forgot. I'm struggling financially right now, but the money I sank into that shop was well-spent.

I'm editing this now to delete my whining about my cheating ex, and just appreciate the good things in life. I have to make it until 2027 without going bankrupt, and then I am out of the woods. It's not forever. I can probably do it. In the meantime, if I can hold onto my shop stuff, I should. I will never be as cheap again as it was when I bought it all, and I got good stuff that is very capable. Kurt DX4 mill vise, Aloris AXA tool-post, digit-reading outside mics up to 5", bore gauges, tenths and thousandths DTIs, dividing head, rotary table.

And oh yeah, my pothead neighbor borrowed one of my tools when he was in the process of being evicted, and the next morning, it was sitting on my porch along with a 6.5" Wilton machinist vise. The vise has seen better days to be sure, but they cost $999 new, and I got this one for free! Score!