Time to Flip My Lid! (flip top stand)

[Art Mulder]

(part 1)

Hey, Folks...

So I bought one of these...
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But my shop is only this big...
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So I decided I needed to build (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=44710) one (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=17841&highlight=flip) of these. (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=11844&highlight=flip) To do this...
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So far I've turned one sheet of 4x8 paint-grade maple plywood into this...
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Editorial aside: One thing that puzzled me with most of the other fliptop stands that I've come across is that people would double-up the plywood for the sides. Why? Plywood standing on edge is really, really strong. I'm sticking with just one thickness of plywood. However, I did add a narrow 1-5/8" strip on each edge. This gives more strength, and also helps remove the wiggle.

I am planning to toss two bags of sand into the base for a counterweight. When I do that, I'll put a top over it.

(to be continued)

[Art Mulder]

(part 2)

Here's the "axle"...
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I bought a 3ft rod of 1/2" steel, and cut it down to fit. I made the groove in the two top pieces using a 1/2" roundover bit in my router. I picked this up from a previous SMC post -- seems like it'd be much more robust than those plans that just have a bolt on either side of the flip top.

And speaking of the top, here it is...
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Someday, maybe I need to get some clamping cauls. Ya think?

(...to be continued)

[glenn bradley]

Lookin' good. I love my flip-top for saving space. Mine's planer on one side, CMS on the other. Got a grin out of your clamp-up. Everytime I do one of those I think of a porcupine or that spaceship in 'Close Encounters'. ;-))

[Art Mulder]

(part 3)

Almost there...

Well after a few more hours in the shop we're almost there.
Here is the carcass, now assembled and finished.
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In a previous posting, someone mentioned not being happy with the idea of the axle bearing on a plane plywood edge. I agreed, so I cut a notch out of the top of the sides (which you can see in the previous posts also). I then cut some axle support blocks out of white oak, and drilled a 1/2" hole partway into each to receive the axle. I also dabbed in a bit of wax, to help it turn.

These blocks are just held in place with two screws, so they're easy to replace should this not work out, or should they wear out. And it isn't easy to see, but they are intentionally a bit thicker than the sides, so that it holds the flip top away from the sides so it doesn't scrape. (They protrude about 1/16" - 3/32" on the inside)

I put three coats of flecto varathane WB on the top. First, I had it available, and second, I thought it would give it a nice protective coating. But that was too much work for the rest of the carcass. On that I wiped on , and buffed out, (wax on, wax off!) a coat of walnut oil. I happened to have a small can of it that I had picked up some months back and then decided not to use. It spread on quickly and easily, and buffed up with a satiny danish-oil feel. Gives a nice warm tone to the pale plywood.

Here's the flip top in action. Whee!
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All I really need to do now is put on some more latches to hold the top steady (only has one so far, to try out how well it holds), and then bolt the planer into place. Oh yeah, and I also need to pick up a bag of sand (or two) to toss into the bottom to give some weight to the thing. Oh, and I think I'll want to fabricate some handles for the flip top.

Stay tuned and I'll toss up some more pics next week. Probably.

[Jim Becker]

Don't forget that you'll also want to weigh both tools to be accomodated on the stand so you can do a little balancing act...it will make changeovers easier. And that Dewalt planer is one heavy tool!

[Art Mulder]

Don't forget that you'll also want to weigh both tools to be accomodated on the stand so you can do a little balancing act...it will make changeovers easier. And that Dewalt planer is one heavy tool!
Jim,

I'm only putting the one tool on the stand. Haven't got anything to counterbalance it. (Yet, I know, yet.-- :D But you know all about how that goes.)

I was asking about that very thing in a previous thread, and did see a few stands where people were flipping them with only one tool. So I'm going to try. That is another reason for wanting to put 50-100lbs of sand in the base, to serve as a counter weight so that the tool stand doesn't flip over when spinning.

Spinning isn't even the right word. I expect to be very careful and ease the tool over.

One thing I did do is balace the planer on a 1" dowel to verify that it's center of gravit seems to be pretty close to the center of the machine. That should help.

And if it doesn't work, I'll just have to give up. (Or maybe..... I'll have to buy another tool! Like an OSS, or CMS, or ... :eek: )

[John A. Williams]

That looks really nice. Thanks for the description and pictures. I really need to build one or two of these.

[Rennie Heuer]

Hi Art,

I built the same cabinet some years back and love it. It holds my planer and mortiser. Works like a charm and saves a bunch of floor space, not to mention my back as I no longer have to lift that monster onto the workbench! :eek:

Nicely done - I hope you will be as happy with yours as I am with mine.
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[Art Mulder]

(part 4)

All done!

Here's the planer bolted into place and hanging down...
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Then you lock the wheels. Next, grab it by the handles on the top of the planer ... well, right now they're at the bottom ... anyway, you grab them and give it a heave-ho and up it comes.
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Make sure you've got control of the thing or it'll just keep right on flipping. (No, that isn't a DAMHIKT situation. I was careful right from the start.)
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Then you throw the latches and Bob's Yer Uncle.
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(...to be continued...)

[Art Mulder]

The stand seemed pretty stable as it was. But I still took the advice of previous stand builders and threw a 50lb bag of sand inside the base. This should provide some stability.
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Now, the problem for anyone else with a DW735 planer is this thing.
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This key sits in a hole in the top of the planer. So what do you think happens when you flip the planer over? Right.
For now I've just left it sittin inside the base with the sand.

----

For anyone curious, here are the vital stats:
- 35" tall - just a bit shorter than my TS, so I can use it as an outfeed table if needed. (at least, until I get another tool to counterbalance the planer.)
- 25 1/4" wide by 27 1/2" long. (the actual flip top is 23-3/4" by 25-3/4")

This is a pretty big stand. It could have been a bit smaller, if I was willing to take the dust shroud/port off of the unit each time.

---

...and that's all, folks!

(I'll post here again, if I come upon any issues with use. For one thing, now that I know how stable it is, I think I would try to design the base differently. It sure doesn't need the whole base for sand.)

[Roy Bennett]

Art, neat project. I really love how you beefed up the pivot point.

I noticed that Rennie selected his mortice machine to pair with the planer. Your original post mentioned considering the CMS/planer pairing. Thinking about the series of operations I went through this week making some doors, I would have to agree with Rennie. I commonly go through several planer/TS/CMS sequences when cutting blank stiles or rails. That means several flips of the planer/CMS stand. But if the morticer is on with the planer, only one flip needed because by the time I get to chopping mortices, I'm through with the planer.

Hope this rambling makes sense.