Tupers
Member
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- 896
I made this stand in 2011 for my then new shrinker stretchers but over the past 6 years I've had a few ideas on how to improve it so this weekend I started chopping it to pieces.
One of the main issues was with the crossed base design bending and causing the whole thing to wobble around in use. I decided to cut the feet off and flip them making 4 legs that I welded back onto the centre.
The 2nd issue was that I've been wanting to add foot pedals to actuate the jaws but the machine were too close together for things to line up nicely so a new top plate was required.
I had to make it from two pieces of steel as I didn't have one off cut large enough and also added a gusset on each side to support the longer edge.
There's a big gap where the two section of top plate meet so I can get a nice thick weld to join each side and the box underneath together in one shot.
Now that the shrinker and stretcher are back on top I can start designing to pedal system. I've picked up some nice clevis joints to do the drop link and I think the rest will be 30MM box.
One of the main issues was with the crossed base design bending and causing the whole thing to wobble around in use. I decided to cut the feet off and flip them making 4 legs that I welded back onto the centre.
The 2nd issue was that I've been wanting to add foot pedals to actuate the jaws but the machine were too close together for things to line up nicely so a new top plate was required.
I had to make it from two pieces of steel as I didn't have one off cut large enough and also added a gusset on each side to support the longer edge.
There's a big gap where the two section of top plate meet so I can get a nice thick weld to join each side and the box underneath together in one shot.
Now that the shrinker and stretcher are back on top I can start designing to pedal system. I've picked up some nice clevis joints to do the drop link and I think the rest will be 30MM box.