Sewing Machine Work Stand
05-26-2015, 11:00 PM
#41
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Victorian Sweatshop Forum
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Originally Posted by OurWorkbench
Cari-in-Oly - Cari, I'm glad to know you're interested in this. If the frame and pivots are strong enough and you have a firm grip on the machine, you'll have no problems. I'll help in any way I can. It would be great if you could post your ideas and progress here.
John
John
John your pics and instructions are great. I'm good at assembling things and if the pieces were in front of me I could get it put together. PM coming your way.
Cari
05-27-2015, 09:37 PM
#43
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Alaska
Posts: 133
I really need to figure out how to build one of these -- it seems like every machine I've worked on lately has been a heavy old monster! I wonder if there is a different material that I could use to get around the welding part -- that is the only part of this design that I don't have the ability to do. Any ideas for alternative options?
05-28-2015, 09:23 AM
#44
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Centralia, WA, USA
Posts: 4,890
Wood will work though it might be a bit more bulky than metal. It's what I'll use to make mine.
You can also use bolts instead of welding if you prefer a metal frame though the end result won't be as nice looking as welding it.
Rodney
You can also use bolts instead of welding if you prefer a metal frame though the end result won't be as nice looking as welding it.
Rodney
05-28-2015, 05:49 PM
#45
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Alaska
Posts: 133
Originally Posted by ThayerRags
The 1951 Brewer Sewing Supplies Company catalog had three versions of sewing machine “Repair Jacks” listed for holding sewing machines to work on them. The “Wedge Lock” #1205 ($25.90), the “Roemer” #1206 ($15.00), and the “Boco” #1207 ($25.90). The Boco was “The Sewing Machine Vise Combining All Important Features Required by the Mechanics”.
I wish Brewer still carried them.....
The photo is mine, but the catalog contents are copyright 1951 by Brewer Sewing Supplies Company.
CD in Oklahoma
I wish Brewer still carried them.....
The photo is mine, but the catalog contents are copyright 1951 by Brewer Sewing Supplies Company.
CD in Oklahoma
05-29-2015, 05:03 AM
#46
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,258
Anyone building something like this should consider that this could be dangerous for machines and maybe even for people if the machine comes loose or the swing frame holding it fails. Please indulge me a few thoughts about stresses within the frame.
Below is an interesting picture to ponder. The machine is balanced, top forward. It looks like the swing frame and machine are happy and content. They're not. There is a lot of force being contained, hidden within the frame. This is, in fact, the most stressful position that a sewing machine and swing frame can assume.
(Frame Under A Lot Of Stress)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]520960[/ATTACH]
Imagine for a moment being behind the frame in the picture and gripping the top edge (as shown) of the machine with your fingers, thumbs placed on the bottom of the frame. Then, while you're holding it, someone takes the clips loose. A lot of pressure would be exerted by the machine trying to fall out. Your fingers would have a lot of pressure on them. Machines weigh commonly between 30 and 40 pounds, much of this acting like a lever the length of the machine's height. Many people would have a hard time holding the machine this way. An equal force also exists at the bottom edge, only in the opposite direction. The machine wants to twist and fall.
These forces must be conducted through the frame, where the corners are trying to shear apart. The very greatest stress point is where the forces of both the front and the back of the frame combine, where the uprights are attached. The twisting force at these two points can be great.
A welded mitered corner is essentially solid metal. A bolted corner is no stronger than the bolt(s). And they loosen. Especially where the uprights meet the bottom of the frame, I was concerned doing anything else.
All I can recommend in good conscience is what has been proven here. I'd feel terrible hearing of anyone hurting themselves or their machines because this device wasn't strong enough to contain the mechanical stresses that it must.
With these words of concern and caution aside, I'd love to see alternatives that work as safely. QB people are among the most creative and resourceful people I've ever seen. Just please be cautious and careful.
Continued soon...
John
Below is an interesting picture to ponder. The machine is balanced, top forward. It looks like the swing frame and machine are happy and content. They're not. There is a lot of force being contained, hidden within the frame. This is, in fact, the most stressful position that a sewing machine and swing frame can assume.
(Frame Under A Lot Of Stress)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]520960[/ATTACH]
Imagine for a moment being behind the frame in the picture and gripping the top edge (as shown) of the machine with your fingers, thumbs placed on the bottom of the frame. Then, while you're holding it, someone takes the clips loose. A lot of pressure would be exerted by the machine trying to fall out. Your fingers would have a lot of pressure on them. Machines weigh commonly between 30 and 40 pounds, much of this acting like a lever the length of the machine's height. Many people would have a hard time holding the machine this way. An equal force also exists at the bottom edge, only in the opposite direction. The machine wants to twist and fall.
These forces must be conducted through the frame, where the corners are trying to shear apart. The very greatest stress point is where the forces of both the front and the back of the frame combine, where the uprights are attached. The twisting force at these two points can be great.
A welded mitered corner is essentially solid metal. A bolted corner is no stronger than the bolt(s). And they loosen. Especially where the uprights meet the bottom of the frame, I was concerned doing anything else.
All I can recommend in good conscience is what has been proven here. I'd feel terrible hearing of anyone hurting themselves or their machines because this device wasn't strong enough to contain the mechanical stresses that it must.
With these words of concern and caution aside, I'd love to see alternatives that work as safely. QB people are among the most creative and resourceful people I've ever seen. Just please be cautious and careful.
Continued soon...
John
05-31-2015, 09:35 AM
#48
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Centralia, WA, USA
Posts: 4,890
I was in a body shop once that did a lot of hotrod type work. They had a much larger version for working on car bodies.
OurWorkBench raises some very good points about the stresses on the stand. Your average sewing machine is going to be around 35 lbs. That's a pretty substantial amount of weight to hang off 2 pivot points. There will be additional live loads on the stand as you work on the machine too. The stand's construction needs to be solid. Any weaknesses will make themselves known quickly.
Rodney
OurWorkBench raises some very good points about the stresses on the stand. Your average sewing machine is going to be around 35 lbs. That's a pretty substantial amount of weight to hang off 2 pivot points. There will be additional live loads on the stand as you work on the machine too. The stand's construction needs to be solid. Any weaknesses will make themselves known quickly.
Rodney
06-01-2015, 12:18 PM
#49
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,258
SUPPORT METHODS
I planned to write about the baseboards and fasteners, but I think this might be a good time to consider a few alternatives for supporting a swing frame. I'd like for people early on to see that there are many possibilities. I'll address the baseboards next.
I have had lots of daydreams during the building of this work stand. I thought I'd share some of the better ones here. I'm going to offer detailed plans for the original prototype base soon. However, these are just quick illustrations to show a few alternative design ideas. I've made all the same size and scale for easy comparison. And for simplicity of illustration only side views are shown.
Prototype Base
The first or prototype base was designed from necessity. It supports the weight of the swing frame and machine on two vertical legs. Two more pieces, running front to back on each side, keep the supports from tipping forward or backward. Lastly, a cross member holds the sides together. Bolted with lag bolts, it forms a sturdy, simple and portable base for the work stand. It is so satisfactory that no other support methods have been needed.
(Prototype Stand)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]521272[/ATTACH]
Hanging
Perhaps the simplest support of all would be to hang the swing frame, as shown in the picture below. This could be a rigid installation, with supports fastened to ceiling joists, or it could have the ability to swing if it was bumped. If mounted with connected eye hooks at the top, it could move. Of course, some kind of large washers should be on the ends of the pivot shafts to prevent them from slipping out of the supports.
One could even use chains with large hooks, provided the pivot shafts were prevented from slipping out. With chains, some unique style of locking mechanism would be needed and I don't yet have a good idea for that.
(Hanging Support)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]521273[/ATTACH]
Wall Mount
A swing frame could be supported from two arms attached to a wall. The connection of the arms to the wall would need to be very secure, such as fastening them to the wall studs with lag bolts.
(Wall Support)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]521274[/ATTACH]
Simple Floor Stand
A simple floor stand could be constructed as shown below. I would probably put crisscrossed ties between the sides on the back supports, for side to side stability. Then, a single cross piece in the front, 6 to 12 inches off the floor, could serve as a comfortable foot rest.
(Floor Stand)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]521275[/ATTACH]
Simple Floor Stand With Shelf
From the side view here it doesn't look much different, but adding a shelf to the floor stand would change its feel quite a bit. Instead of being an open stand, it would take on more of the feel of a desk, with a place to put parts or tools while working.
(Floor Stand With Shelf)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]521276[/ATTACH]
Curved Metal Tubing Supports
For use with a sturdy desk or bench, metal rectangular tubing could be fashioned into a stylish and in-obtrusive support system, using two curved arms. It would have to be custom fabricated. It would be the most expensive of these approaches to the support of a swing frame. But it would look nice.
(Metal Tubing Supports)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]521277[/ATTACH]
My daydreams are starting to cost a lot, so I'll stop. But, I hope the above ideas may be helpful at your early stages of thinking. I'm sure there are many more methods of safely supporting a swing frame. These are but a few possibilities. Maybe you can think of some ways that I haven't.
More soon...
John
I planned to write about the baseboards and fasteners, but I think this might be a good time to consider a few alternatives for supporting a swing frame. I'd like for people early on to see that there are many possibilities. I'll address the baseboards next.
I have had lots of daydreams during the building of this work stand. I thought I'd share some of the better ones here. I'm going to offer detailed plans for the original prototype base soon. However, these are just quick illustrations to show a few alternative design ideas. I've made all the same size and scale for easy comparison. And for simplicity of illustration only side views are shown.
Prototype Base
The first or prototype base was designed from necessity. It supports the weight of the swing frame and machine on two vertical legs. Two more pieces, running front to back on each side, keep the supports from tipping forward or backward. Lastly, a cross member holds the sides together. Bolted with lag bolts, it forms a sturdy, simple and portable base for the work stand. It is so satisfactory that no other support methods have been needed.
(Prototype Stand)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]521272[/ATTACH]
Hanging
Perhaps the simplest support of all would be to hang the swing frame, as shown in the picture below. This could be a rigid installation, with supports fastened to ceiling joists, or it could have the ability to swing if it was bumped. If mounted with connected eye hooks at the top, it could move. Of course, some kind of large washers should be on the ends of the pivot shafts to prevent them from slipping out of the supports.
One could even use chains with large hooks, provided the pivot shafts were prevented from slipping out. With chains, some unique style of locking mechanism would be needed and I don't yet have a good idea for that.
(Hanging Support)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]521273[/ATTACH]
Wall Mount
A swing frame could be supported from two arms attached to a wall. The connection of the arms to the wall would need to be very secure, such as fastening them to the wall studs with lag bolts.
(Wall Support)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]521274[/ATTACH]
Simple Floor Stand
A simple floor stand could be constructed as shown below. I would probably put crisscrossed ties between the sides on the back supports, for side to side stability. Then, a single cross piece in the front, 6 to 12 inches off the floor, could serve as a comfortable foot rest.
(Floor Stand)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]521275[/ATTACH]
Simple Floor Stand With Shelf
From the side view here it doesn't look much different, but adding a shelf to the floor stand would change its feel quite a bit. Instead of being an open stand, it would take on more of the feel of a desk, with a place to put parts or tools while working.
(Floor Stand With Shelf)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]521276[/ATTACH]
Curved Metal Tubing Supports
For use with a sturdy desk or bench, metal rectangular tubing could be fashioned into a stylish and in-obtrusive support system, using two curved arms. It would have to be custom fabricated. It would be the most expensive of these approaches to the support of a swing frame. But it would look nice.
(Metal Tubing Supports)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]521277[/ATTACH]
My daydreams are starting to cost a lot, so I'll stop. But, I hope the above ideas may be helpful at your early stages of thinking. I'm sure there are many more methods of safely supporting a swing frame. These are but a few possibilities. Maybe you can think of some ways that I haven't.
More soon...
John
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