Bike Stand Fabrication - Sort of...

Dino Sarti

So I am a rookie welder.  I picked it up as a hobby last year and am basically self taught thanks to YouTube and a few forums.

That being said, here are a few pics of a stand mount I built and am really stoked about.  It started as a heavy duty steel table that wanted in my garage.  Here is the evolution:

The stand works with a trailer-hitch type set-up.  Meaning I can slide it in and out of the receiver part when not in use.  I can also attach different "bench mounted tools.

The Park Tools peice was the item I obviously didn't make, but I needed to build the base.  The Park Tools bench mount was just way to short.  On their base, the bike is just off the floor versus at a good working level.  So, I made a new pole out of identical steel stock that came from Park Tools.  I just needed to cut the post, drill a few holes then weld the post to the base plate.

Thing works awesome!  It is completely rock solid versus the portable Park Tools model I was using:

The thing holds a bike perfectly.  Not a wiggle when you are trying to apply leverage to your tools.

Now a little paint is in order....

Any thoughts for improvements?

robin sarner

 Cool.    Make me one?

Coach Rich

Nice garage!

Norton

Posted By Rich Strauss on 28 Apr 2012 05:40 PM

Nice garage!

X2!

tuckerm

Your seats too high

Dino Sarti

@Tucker - how can you tell? Haha

Thanks for props, peeps. I was so stoked, I even painted it. Looking pretty legit, if I so say so myself!

[Deleted User]

Wow, that's pretty badass. I'm impressed with the fact that it can support the bike so well even with all the torque on the post. I think you can build the ultimate bike workstation if you add a wheel truing stand and find a clever way to hang a bunch of tools off of it.

Dino Sarti

@Anson - First I need to learn to true wheels! hahaha. Bike specific tool collection is coming along nicely. I keep them in the box behind me. Tonight stand got a real test. I recabled the rear derailleur adjusting a rookie issue I created for myself when I cabled it last week. I also give it a bath, tune-up and bar tape fluff-up for Widlflower. Stand worked like a champ!

John Withrow

Dino- Wow! Awesome stand! I want one for my basement, how much to ship it to NJ for me...?

Coach Rich

That table rocks, though any horizontal surface in my garage gets covered in dreck instantly. And the only complete, organized set of tools is the kit I keep on the dirtbike, otherwise I have a vast assemblage of odd wrenches, sockets, etc just dumped into a couple tool boxes.

Dino Sarti

@John - shipping would be the deal breaker. The table is knocking on 1,000 pounds. The top is 1/2" steel plate weighing 460 pounds alone. Each wheel is rated for 3,000 pounds. I wanted something that would hold an engine block if I was ever so inclined. The work surface is awesome.

@Rich - keeping it tidy is a full time job and only getting worse with my kids grow up. Note my daughter's bike in the pics... . Lucky she is so cute...

Nemo Brauch

Park Tool and wheels on the table were smart ideas. Joe tried to weld me a stand a few years ago and the main reason I don't use it is because it's a) freaking heavy, and b)the mount for the bike isn't as friendly as I'd like (read- I don't trust it not to scratch the paint). Your table is way too big for my space, but I can see some design ideas here that would be useful in modifying the stand Joe welded for me. Thanks!

PS- I didn't see the arc welder in any of the pics. Does your wife let you keep an acetylene tank for the torch? That's where I've drawn the line- those things scare me.

Joe Matchette

@Dino - which Park Tools piece is that? It looks like it is made for aero seatposts.