I need some ideas on this contraption..

[Jim O'Dell]

I got this at work, came out of a utility van that was being gutted. It doesn't look like it has ever been bolted down, or had anything bolted to it. It is about 9" tall and 5 " wide. There are 2 adjusters, one on top, and one on the side. These both have numbered dials on them, and the one on the side has elevation marks from 20 to 66. It looks like it accepts a pole on top that is about 1 1/2" diameter and the 3 bolts on the side of the tube tighten down on the pole to secure it. There are 3 square holes on the bottom for mounting it using carriage bolts. There are also two lock down bolts to tighten to hold the settings you have dialed in with each of the adjusters. 4 pictures from each of the sides.
1) right side 61337 2) left side 61338 3) front 61339 4) back 61340.
My first thought was to mount my scroll saw to it so I could adjust and get just the right tilt. Any other ideas out there? I'm hoping someone had a really good idea for this thing.....that I can use in MY shop!:D Jim.

[Dick Brown]

:eek: Looks like a T.V. dish roof mount to me.
Dick :)

[David G Baker]

Great minds think a like. That is what it looks like to me as well. A satellite dish mount for a RV is what my guess would be.
David B

[glenn bradley]

It's a dish mount, and a good quality one BTW. No sarcasm.

[Doug Shepard]

I doubt the tube section will do much for you, whatever you use it for. But my first thought for a WW shop type item is that it looks somewhat like a grinder jig - just a really big one.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

My first thought was to mount my scroll saw to it so I could adjust and get just the right tilt. Any other ideas out there?

That a thought. I'd have to be really sure of it's rigidity and etrength before I'd want it holding a pice of machinery but as maachines go a scroll saw is the least likely to do you more harm than landing on you foot.

I'd thik about getting a power feeder and using that as the maching base mount.

You might also think about using it as a base for an adjustable angular mounting base for assembling or working on odd shaped work.

Or you could use it to mount you 5' diameter sattilite dish.

[Brian Weick]

You can use that to mount a vacuum line with some pole construction to virtually put it anywhere you want- that's my idea? It would be very useful for vac system on a lathe.
Brian,:rolleyes:

[Mike Heidrick]

You could make it a fishing rod holder for a boat.

[Jim O'Dell]

:eek: Looks like a T.V. dish roof mount to me.
Dick :)

That makes perfect sense. These cargo vans could have been set up for sat tv installations. They had metal racks bolted into the sides. Could have had them too, but couldn't think of a place to put them.
I may still try the scroll saw idea. If it's all bolted down, it'd have to break to fall on my toe! :p :D

Mike, I don't own a boat, and my Dad sold his a while back. This would need to go on one of those salt water fishing rigs. The steel plate is almost an 1/8" thick. Pretty robust. Probably more robust than a digital sat dish would require...maybe for one of the old style, like Cliff mentioned.

Thanks for the ideas on what it probably is. guess I could mount it on the shop door with a sign on a pole that said I was gone fishin'. :D Jim.

[Brian Weick]

fishing rod holder- now that's a good idea!

[Jon Knauft]

I was thinking it would make a great flag pole holder. Or if you expanded the size of the collar you could turn it into a malt beverage holder! Add a fine control motor to it for tipping and you'd be set.:D

-Jon