Building the Stand Parts
Earlier today I mentioned buying the "standchions" for the base from a lamp store. I read on another website that lampshade extenders make nice standoffs for a dressy base. I spent some time in the shop tonight getting them ready. Here's what one looks like.
Inside the hull I epoxied a stack of plywood. The machined screw on the end is only about 5/8" long and my blocks were way too thick so after drilling the hole I used a Forstner bit to make a flat-bottomed counterbore. I should have used a small pilot hole, then used the forstner and then the clearance hole drill...but I didn't. Therefore, it was hard to center the forstner and the counterbore came out a little off center. I used my Dremel to enlarge the space so the knurled nut would center over the screw. I sanded the bottom of these nuts to give them a rough surface and very sparingly used Gorilla Urethane glue to glue the nut to the block. It's going to be of sight when the decks are in place and needs to stay put. I going to remove the screws soon just in case the Gorilla glue has seeped into the threads. It DOES expand when it cures.
Here's the two stands fitted to the hull. They're nice and straight and are going to look good mounted on a nice plank. The holes are 8" apart on the centerline. I put a small locating hole into the hull to align the blocks when I epoxied them in.
Now to the other end. I bought some 1/4-27 threaded rod also. I actually went back in the lamp store's workshop and hacksawed my own pieces. They all had to be deburred so I chucked them in my mini-lathe and filed the first couple of threads to a nice taper. I put them into the female end of the stands and used a red thread-lock anaerobic adhesvie to prevent them from turning when a nut is put on the other end.
You have to use those knurled nuts because I challenge you to find a 1/4-27 nut in the Home Depot. I left 5/8" exposed which should be enough wood to hold a plastic ship and a 1/8" thick knurled nut.
Earlier today I mentioned buying the "standchions" for the base from a lamp store. I read on another website that lampshade extenders make nice standoffs for a dressy base. I spent some time in the shop tonight getting them ready. Here's what one looks like.
Inside the hull I epoxied a stack of plywood. The machined screw on the end is only about 5/8" long and my blocks were way too thick so after drilling the hole I used a Forstner bit to make a flat-bottomed counterbore. I should have used a small pilot hole, then used the forstner and then the clearance hole drill...but I didn't. Therefore, it was hard to center the forstner and the counterbore came out a little off center. I used my Dremel to enlarge the space so the knurled nut would center over the screw. I sanded the bottom of these nuts to give them a rough surface and very sparingly used Gorilla Urethane glue to glue the nut to the block. It's going to be of sight when the decks are in place and needs to stay put. I going to remove the screws soon just in case the Gorilla glue has seeped into the threads. It DOES expand when it cures.
Here's the two stands fitted to the hull. They're nice and straight and are going to look good mounted on a nice plank. The holes are 8" apart on the centerline. I put a small locating hole into the hull to align the blocks when I epoxied them in.
Now to the other end. I bought some 1/4-27 threaded rod also. I actually went back in the lamp store's workshop and hacksawed my own pieces. They all had to be deburred so I chucked them in my mini-lathe and filed the first couple of threads to a nice taper. I put them into the female end of the stands and used a red thread-lock anaerobic adhesvie to prevent them from turning when a nut is put on the other end.
You have to use those knurled nuts because I challenge you to find a 1/4-27 nut in the Home Depot. I left 5/8" exposed which should be enough wood to hold a plastic ship and a 1/8" thick knurled nut.
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