|
Post by millring on Oct 24, 2017 15:36:50 GMT -5
I've thought about this and done nothing about it for more than 30 years. It still bugs me. I need to invent levelers for the legs of my display. Yesterday I took a big step in speeding up my set-up time (that has increased to sometimes approaching 4 hours -- one full hour wasted doing what should take me no more than five minutes). The step I took yesterday was to have some angle iron cut and drilled to replace some hinges that originally held my display together. The display is four folding units. They are paired such that when two units are held together by slipping a hinge pin into a loose pin hinge, one unit folds in one direction while the other folds perpendicularly. Hinged together, they hold each other up. Over the years I figured out that the hinges left in place scratched the displays terribly while transporting them in my van. I'm now going to use angle iron that will hold them together with wing nuts and bolts. I'm happy. But the thing I've always wanted to invent for the display is some sort of leveling device that would be unobtrusive beneath the 1.5"X2" cherry wood legs. I originally thought of boring the legs and then finding a machine shop who would take tubing that would sleeve over the end of the legs so that, even though the legs are bored, they wouldn't then splay and split from the weight and motion. The tubing could have an end welded on -- making it a full cap. And that cap could then have a nut welded onto it so a threaded rod wit a foot welded to it could run up and down the leg giving me infinite levels on each foot. Can't find anyone to do it AND I still fear compromising the legs by boring them. So I'm back to imagining free standing shims that could be spread of adjusted some way. I can't imagine it. I need to go from 0" to 4" in height. Sometimes I have that much variation in the ground I'm setting up on.
|
|
|
Post by xyrn on Oct 24, 2017 15:58:21 GMT -5
What size is your town? In Northfield I've taken small welding projects to the muffler shop; not like a Midas, rather a small one-man professional operation.
Usually I've paid $5-10 for either a while-I-wait or come-back-after-lunch timeframe.
You may have luck with someone similar.
|
|
|
Post by brucemacneill on Oct 24, 2017 15:58:55 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Marshall on Oct 24, 2017 16:21:09 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by fauxmaha on Oct 24, 2017 16:29:34 GMT -5
I recommend levitation.
|
|
|
Post by TKennedy on Oct 24, 2017 16:29:55 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by brucemacneill on Oct 24, 2017 16:48:58 GMT -5
If you go with Terry's idea you should make some ceramic caps for the ends of the legs probably with some decorative acorns on them.
|
|
|
Post by RickW on Oct 24, 2017 18:16:22 GMT -5
I still fear compromising the legs by boring them. Well, yeah. If they're bored, they'll get even more restless.
|
|
|
Post by millring on Oct 24, 2017 19:35:32 GMT -5
Dang, Bruce, these look promising. Thanks. They do just about everything I need. I could mount them to the inside of each leg so they wouldn't be visible from the front, I could switch out longer threaded rod if I need it, and I wouldn't have to bore the legs. they're wider than my 2", but I'm wondering if I could even make that work with a plate on the front side of the leg. Or levitation.
|
|
|
Post by theevan on Oct 24, 2017 21:16:55 GMT -5
A plate on the other side is perfect, but not unobtrusive. You could paint the plate I suppose.
|
|
|
Post by david on Oct 24, 2017 22:13:21 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by millring on Oct 25, 2017 4:52:22 GMT -5
Do you remember where these came from? These could either be easily fabricated here or even modified to an L shape so that they could be mounted on the inside of each leg.
|
|
|
Post by theevan on Oct 25, 2017 5:28:43 GMT -5
I've been using those in my business for decades. Strong, fast, obtrusive. I don't think there's a good way to affix them to 2x2 legs.
|
|
|
Post by millring on Oct 25, 2017 5:39:28 GMT -5
I don't think there's a good way to affix them to 2x2 legs. That was my thought. I couldn't find a measurement, but I'm guessing it's closer to 3". The ones Bruce linked to are 2 1/8" and honestly 1/16 could be cut from each side to make them flush. The holes would already fit within the 2". But the one from Marshall's post would be even more elegant a solution. I've got the angle iron over at my neighbor's right now, being cut and drilled. I may take the photo from Marshall's post over there and see if they could simply fabricate those. I don't like drilling parallel holes in the legs, but that solution would be a lot less of a compromise to the wood grain than boring up from the bottom.
|
|
|
Post by millring on Oct 25, 2017 5:42:02 GMT -5
The other thing I noticed about Marshall's is that the threaded rod can be taken out of the bracket. That would be nice for both transporting the display and for the times I don't need any shim on a particular foot.
|
|
|
Post by aquaduct on Oct 25, 2017 6:02:49 GMT -5
If you want it to be a real engineering project, don't forget the 3 months of pointless over-thinking, 8 weeks of unnecessary redesign, $3000 in change order fees, and 6 weeks of supplier APQP and PPAP.
Marshall's idea should be ready for approval about mid-next season with a launch date sometime in early 2019.
Just trying to help you do it right.
|
|
|
Post by millring on Oct 25, 2017 6:07:42 GMT -5
If you want it to be a real engineering project, don't forget the 3 months of pointless over-thinking, 8 weeks of unnecessary redesign, $3000 in change order fees, and 6 weeks of supplier APQP and PPAP. Marshall's idea should be ready for approval about mid-next season with a launch date sometime in early 2019. Just trying to help you do it right. I'll also have to run it by OSHA
|
|
|
Post by theevan on Oct 25, 2017 6:15:35 GMT -5
I don't think there's a good way to affix them to 2x2 legs. That was my thought. I couldn't find a measurement, but I'm guessing it's closer to 3". The ones Bruce linked to are 2 1/8" and honestly 1/16 could be cut from each side to make them flush. The holes would already fit within the 2". But the one from Marshall's post would be even more elegant a solution. I've got the angle iron over at my neighbor's right now, being cut and drilled. I may take the photo from Marshall's post over there and see if they could simply fabricate those. I don't like drilling parallel holes in the legs, but that solution would be a lot less of a compromise to the wood grain than boring up from the bottom. If you go that route, I still think fabricating a plate for the other side and bolting through is the answer. Over time wood screws in a 2x2...nah.
|
|
|
Post by millring on Oct 25, 2017 6:22:29 GMT -5
That was my thought. I couldn't find a measurement, but I'm guessing it's closer to 3". The ones Bruce linked to are 2 1/8" and honestly 1/16 could be cut from each side to make them flush. The holes would already fit within the 2". But the one from Marshall's post would be even more elegant a solution. I've got the angle iron over at my neighbor's right now, being cut and drilled. I may take the photo from Marshall's post over there and see if they could simply fabricate those. I don't like drilling parallel holes in the legs, but that solution would be a lot less of a compromise to the wood grain than boring up from the bottom. If you go that route, I still think fabricating a plate for the other side and bolting through is the answer. Over time wood screws in a 2x2...nah. Absolutely. You oughta see the worn out screw holes from the hinges I'm replacing.
|
|
|
Post by Marshall on Oct 25, 2017 8:22:14 GMT -5
Do you remember where these came from? These could either be easily fabricated here or even modified to an L shape so that they could be mounted on the inside of each leg. Here's where teh picture came from www.atlascasters.com/index.php/SROThey look pretty big in actuality. I just googled leveling casters and looked at images. These look like they are big and for a different purpose. But the concept would work on a smaller leg. It's be nice to get a shoe that fit the leg (no drilling) with a flange that sticks out and is drilled for the leveler.
|
|