I can't STAND it!!!
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2020 4:21 pm
The very first outing after I built my otops, I had planned to put them on my tripod stands. I built the stacking bases and installed pole mounts. However, the creaking/swaying when we set the first pair on the tripod freaked me out and we set them up on a deck instead. Since then, they've set on other less than beautiful "stands" - boxes, coolers, subs... I had an idea for building some stands, but it has taken me a while to get around to it. Two goals: keep the cost down, and make them look respectable. Not quite done yet, but I think I'm going to succeed.
The plywood for the bases and tops was all free, rescued from EU shipping crates that typically get tossed after the payload is unloaded at my work. I picked up a couple "10 foot lighting trusses" from Amazon, I think they were about $50. They are actually two 5 foot sections, 11" width, which was exactly what I wanted. We purchase multiple disposable balances for weighing out hazardous products. Each one comes with a couple pretty stainless 300g weights, but since they aren't NIST traceable, we can't use them. So rather than scrap them, I kept them. Turns out they are the perfect diameter to slide inside the trusses. I was going to just use 1 3/8" dowel sections, but these look so much cooler - at least until the stands are set up. Anyway, had a friend weld them onto electrical box covers through the center KO - dipped them in muratic acid to get rid of the galvanized layer. They are then through bolted to the bases and tops, with fender washers on the backside. To give the bases some weight, they are attached to horse stall mat rubber. I used multiple tubes of construction adhesive on each one (all free after rebate - thanks Menards), then stack them and put a couple hundred pounds of tile on top until it cured. I used a hole saw to core out the rubber where each bolt comes through so I can retighten/remove/change easy in the future. Oh, killer internet tip on cutting the horse stall mats. I was thinking to use a jig saw, but a utility knife works like magic. Google it.
To give lateral rigidity, I picked up 4 $12 aluminum squares (again, free after rebate, thanks Menards!) I made them into rectangles with JBWeld and pop rivets, then epoxied a strip of thin baltic birch to the vertical parts and routed out a 1.5" channel so then nest up tight against the trusses. In the pic, I have clamps holding them right now, since my bolts were a little too long preventing the wing nuts from tightening down all the way. Will get that taken care of this week.
Sprayed the electrical plates, then slapped some cheap black paint on, followed by a quick coat of duratex since it was sunny and relatively warm out today. Duratex is the secret to make any DIY project look legit!
To finish up, I need a way to keep the trusses attached to the bases and tops. Usually you run a pin through the tubes, capturing the mounting studS, but these weights are to hard to drill out. Therefore, I plan to through bolt eyes top and bottom, then connect them with threaded rods with turnbuckles, so I can snug them up. May put them in an x pattern to give more rigidity. We shall see. Next outing in two weeks, so hope to have them all ready to go by then.
Will post some pics in a minute.
The plywood for the bases and tops was all free, rescued from EU shipping crates that typically get tossed after the payload is unloaded at my work. I picked up a couple "10 foot lighting trusses" from Amazon, I think they were about $50. They are actually two 5 foot sections, 11" width, which was exactly what I wanted. We purchase multiple disposable balances for weighing out hazardous products. Each one comes with a couple pretty stainless 300g weights, but since they aren't NIST traceable, we can't use them. So rather than scrap them, I kept them. Turns out they are the perfect diameter to slide inside the trusses. I was going to just use 1 3/8" dowel sections, but these look so much cooler - at least until the stands are set up. Anyway, had a friend weld them onto electrical box covers through the center KO - dipped them in muratic acid to get rid of the galvanized layer. They are then through bolted to the bases and tops, with fender washers on the backside. To give the bases some weight, they are attached to horse stall mat rubber. I used multiple tubes of construction adhesive on each one (all free after rebate - thanks Menards), then stack them and put a couple hundred pounds of tile on top until it cured. I used a hole saw to core out the rubber where each bolt comes through so I can retighten/remove/change easy in the future. Oh, killer internet tip on cutting the horse stall mats. I was thinking to use a jig saw, but a utility knife works like magic. Google it.
To give lateral rigidity, I picked up 4 $12 aluminum squares (again, free after rebate, thanks Menards!) I made them into rectangles with JBWeld and pop rivets, then epoxied a strip of thin baltic birch to the vertical parts and routed out a 1.5" channel so then nest up tight against the trusses. In the pic, I have clamps holding them right now, since my bolts were a little too long preventing the wing nuts from tightening down all the way. Will get that taken care of this week.
Sprayed the electrical plates, then slapped some cheap black paint on, followed by a quick coat of duratex since it was sunny and relatively warm out today. Duratex is the secret to make any DIY project look legit!
To finish up, I need a way to keep the trusses attached to the bases and tops. Usually you run a pin through the tubes, capturing the mounting studS, but these weights are to hard to drill out. Therefore, I plan to through bolt eyes top and bottom, then connect them with threaded rods with turnbuckles, so I can snug them up. May put them in an x pattern to give more rigidity. We shall see. Next outing in two weeks, so hope to have them all ready to go by then.
Will post some pics in a minute.
