Popular Woodworking 2000-10 № 117, страница 8
Ingenious Jigs Microadjustable Support Stand The extra hand you need — and one more. My grandfather used to call them "dead men" — T-shaped stands that he placed outboard of a tool or a workbench for additional support. They were the extra hands he needed to manage large workpieces — when I wasn't around, that is. After I was old enough to have my own shop, I built dead men topped with rollers to help support the work. These roller stands are very useful — indispensable, really, unless you have a permanent grandchild installed in your shop. The trouble is, sometimes a board droops as it leaves the worktable. By the time it reaches the stand, it may have dropped below the roller. You need a grandchild to guide the workpiece onto the stand, which, of course, puts you right back to square one. Because my own grandchildren are not all that useful yet (they still tend to drool on the tools), I decided to improve my roller stand by adding an extension table. This table fills the gap between the stand and the worktable, supporting the work-piece and guiding it onto the rollers. It's an extra hand for my extra hand, if you will. When I don't need the table, it swings down out of the way, and I can use the roller stand alone. I made one more improvement. When using a support stand or an extension table, it's difficult to adjust it level with the power tool. So I made this stand microadjustable. A small screw jack makes it possible to dial in the position of the stand and the table in 1/64n increments. Pretty neat, huh? You can't get this option elsewhere, even on the better grade of grandkids. Building the Support Stand The support stand is made up of four assemblies: the base, the roller head, the extension table and the jack. Nick Engler is the author of over 50 books on woodworking, plus countless articles and project plans. He has two granddaughters who are currently more interested in eating sawdust than helping him make it. To adjust the extension table level with the tool, lay a straightedge across them. Loosen the locking knob and raise the roller head. It's so easy, you're guaranteed not to curse and wake Fluffy. Base • The base rests on three feet so it will be stable, even on an uneven floor. The feet support a U-shaped channel that holds the roller head and guides it up and down. The sides of this channel are dadoed to hold the microadjustment jack. To make the base, double-miter the adjoining ends of the legs and attach them to the underside of a round plywood plate with screws and glue. Cut dadoes in a board 12 Popular Woodworking October 2000 |
