The green monster flip top tool stand is done!

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  • dbhost
    Slow and steady
    • Apr 2008
    • 9209
    • League City, Texas
    • Ryobi BT3100

    The green monster flip top tool stand is done!

    It's not perfectly square, but it holds in position tightly, and is super easy to flip, completely eliminates liting either of these tools and as such makes life on my back easier. So in my book absolute win! On the square issue. It would appear that the holes I drilled for hte axle did not quite end up perfectly center on both sides. My fault, but not bad enough for me to care rnough to fix it. The ply base was slightly taco chipped, but once weight was applied on the floor it straightened out nicely.

    The Harbor Freight urethane locking / non locking swivel casters roll REALLY smoothly even around my junked up shop floor. Happy there. Very happy.

    The rigid sander and Dremel scroll saw are yet to receive their treatment, but should have no issues. The design is absolutely solid, although my implementation was somewhat intentionally rough and just knocked together.

    The work surfaces are more or less at the same height as the BT table / workbench. So all in all,

    Oh and considering the volume of stuff I reclaimed to from my cutoffs, I can honestly call this prooject made from at least 70% reclaimed materials

    One thing I did notice is the jointer basically barfed shavings when I flipped it. Apparently the dust port isn't quite as effective as I had thoght, even pulling straight to a shop vac!

    So what would I do differently for the next one?

    Well I am close to out of suitable lumber for the build, so I need to get some 2x4s and plywood. BUT....

    #1. The half laps will be cut on the table saw next time, and sized up so that they are properly sized. Mine are sloppy and while it works, it is ugly.

    #2. Obtain more of the rotation stop bolts / pins. WIll do this as an add on to this build, but I want the pins to be sligtly longer, with a small piece of chain and a pull ring held in by a nut. Or even just a longer all threaded bolt with a couple of nuts. It is hard to get my fingers on the bolt head to remove it.

    #3. Use perfectly clean 2x4s instead of 2x4s with live edges. I bypassed the rabbet / additional storage pockets due to the live edge issue. These 2x4s were just nasty, which is why I had them left over.

    #4. NOT use threaded rod for the axle next time. No problem in operation, but the threads made it hard to pass the rod through the bores...

    #5. Overall, go slower, and just take my time to measure and insure everything is going where it needs to go holes wise...

    So having said that, what would I do the same?

    #1. I would absolutely reproduce this design, of course with the rabbet / panel addition. And I would add pegboard. I am sold on it now, with the spare pegboard baskets I have to hold the sander accessories.

    #2. Absolutely use the HF casters again. I have them, I like the way the not only roll, but how well they lock and unlock. These are cheap but a real winner functionally.

    #3. The green paint. The hunter green gloss paint. I know not everyones cup of tea, but boy oh boy is this really growing on me. In the past I never would have painted my shop fixtures, it's something my dad, grandpa, and uncles / great uncles did, now I know why... Although they all used something akin to battleship gray which I suspect Grandpa bought at an Army / Navy Surplus store in a 55 gallon drum... I don't have enough to do the next one, so I am going to just paint a sample for color match and go to Home Depot and grab a gallon of Glidden gloss color matched to this...

    #4. The simple pivot, and pin stop design. I have seen guys do complex embedded rotating eye bolts with handhweels and, nope, unneccessarily complex. A pin stop works great and is easy to do, very little to go wrong...
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  • Jim Frye
    Veteran Member
    • Dec 2002
    • 1051
    • Maumee, OH, USA.
    • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

    #2
    All right! Dual use shop items are my favorite things. Doesn't a finished project feel wonderful when it comes out as planned?
    Jim Frye
    The Nut in the Cellar.
    ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

    Comment


    • dbhost

      dbhost
      commented
      Editing a comment
      Or even off kilter in this case. But yep... I've been putting off flip top stands for over a decade because, well. The "tool stacker" worked. Just not well enough. I finally wanted better than just not well enough...

      It's not fancy, on the contrary, it's ugly, but it is also beautiful in its ugliness.

    • capncarl
      capncarl commented
      Editing a comment
      Will the table rotate continuously or is there stops for each side? Rather than bolts could you use a square knob or something?

    • dbhost

      dbhost
      commented
      Editing a comment
      Well if I wanted to be stupid I could just let it keep spinning, but yeah, no stops aside from the bolt / pins...

      It works, and the balance is so close to dead on that I don't need to do anything different.

      I right now only have 2 bolts / pins in it, Need to drag up a few more. Good thing is 5/16 is pretty easy and cheap to get...
  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    #3
    What's the weight of the jointer?
    What's the weight of the planer?

    Are they close enough to balanced so its easy to flip or is it a bit of a wrestle?

    What's the force when its halfway flipped (put a stick under the outer edge of the heavy side tool resting on a bathroom scale).?

    Click image for larger version

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    Does having the thickness planer that high easy to use? Usually I like the planer kind of low.


    Last edited by LCHIEN; 01-28-2022, 03:09 PM.
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

    Comment


    • capncarl
      capncarl commented
      Editing a comment
      Where would you use pegboard

    • dbhost

      dbhost
      commented
      Editing a comment
      If you saw the design from the other thread, on the other one for the sander / scroll saw, I would cut a rabbet on the inside of each panel to accept what is it 3/16" I think thickness peg board. There should be way more than enough clearance for the back side of the pins for the baskets. Either that or just use some 1/4" ply I have and just build a side attached box for the sander accessories...

    • Jim Frye
      Jim Frye commented
      Editing a comment
      My planer tables are 40" off the floor. 1" higher than the BT300, assembly table, and workbench.
  • BadeMillsap
    Senior Member
    • Dec 2005
    • 868
    • Bulverde, Texas, USA.
    • Grizzly G1023SL

    #4
    Nice work and good way to save limited space. I built one severaal years ago and find it very handy at times.
    "Like an old desperado, I paint the town beige ..." REK
    Bade Millsap
    Bulverde, Texas
    => Bade's Personal Web Log
    => Bade's Lutherie Web Log

    Comment

    • leehljp
      Just me
      • Dec 2002
      • 8429
      • Tunica, MS
      • BT3000/3100

      #5
      I have read numerous articles on the flip top in mags and online but never gave it a thought for me, but reading yours has intrigued me. It would be late spring or early summer before I could do though. I have enough on-siget lumber to make one now, but too many other projects ahead of it.

      Thanks for the write up and picts.
      Hank Lee

      Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

      Comment

      • Brian G
        Senior Member
        • Jun 2003
        • 993
        • Bloomington, Minnesota.
        • G0899

        #6
        I appreciate the narrative and photos about your journey. I am at a point where I need to consider more efficient use of space, especially for larger tools that I don't use often. Everything I have in my basement shop is on wheels, but I have too many single purpose stands. A flip-top stand or two will help me. Your design is helpful.

        You might consider replacing the corner braces at the bottom in favor of a drawer compartment. The top of the drawer compartment would serve as the additional bracing (probably more rigid). The size of the compartment will depend on the height of the taller of whatever tools you mount. You'll gain storage space for items that won't fall off pegboard hooks.
        Brian

        Comment


        • dbhost

          dbhost
          commented
          Editing a comment
          Something to consider is that this is a back saver project for me. I admit 100% I have a BAD weight problem, and am trying to save what is left of my back, along with trying to drop weight. Contrary to popular opinion it is not due to lack of activity or diet. (I don't eat too much, avoid sweets as much as possible, and am fairly active... other medical issues at play here, not blaming aything just stating facts) so stowage at foot level needs to be minimized for me. However for someone younger with a healthier back, probably not a bad idea...
      • capncarl
        Veteran Member
        • Jan 2007
        • 3564
        • Leesburg Georgia USA
        • SawStop CTS

        #7
        How critical is to have the neighbor tools weight simular? If you were to build numerous flip flops and you knew you used the planer, jointer and belt sander on most all jobs, would you pair them up on the same flip,flops or pair each up with lesser used tools… regardless of #2s weight?

        Comment


        • Jim Frye
          Jim Frye commented
          Editing a comment
          I built my roll around tool cabinets with the idea that a major use tool (band saw, drill press, jointer, & planer would reside on top, with lesser used or lighter tools (OSS, scrollsaw, drill press jigs) underneath inside.

        • dbhost

          dbhost
          commented
          Editing a comment
          Not sure, but someone brought up the idea AFTER I built this, to keep items within a workflow on separate stands. So for example the jointer and planer should be on separate stands, The scroll saw and sander since they would tend to be used on the same projects should be on saparate stands.

          So IF weight isn't critical, I have things to move around. when I build the next one. I think the Scroll saw is similar in weight from the planer / jointer. It is the Rigid sander that is a bunch lighter....

          The question I would have on that, if weight is critical, what can I use that would be space, and cost efficient that would add weight to the sander side?

        • LCHIEN
          LCHIEN commented
          Editing a comment
          DB, it is not just weight but the center of gravity and weight. If item A is a 10 pound uniform block and it is 2 feet tall then the lever arm is 1 feet from the pivot and 10 pounds.
          Item B is 20 pounds (2x as heavy) but is only a foot tall so the lever arm is 20 lbs x 1/2 foot.
          It will be balanced when you flip it over even though B is 2x as heavy. its half as tall so the moment is the same.
      • Jim Frye
        Veteran Member
        • Dec 2002
        • 1051
        • Maumee, OH, USA.
        • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

        #8
        I got your roll around tool stand right here. Just kidding.
        Click image for larger version

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        Jim Frye
        The Nut in the Cellar.
        ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

        Comment


        • LCHIEN
          LCHIEN commented
          Editing a comment
          Vertical lathe!

        • dbhost

          dbhost
          commented
          Editing a comment
          My back hurts just looking at that...
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