Tappets

anyone have any success fabricating their own bicycle work stand?

the main problem would be the adjustable top section that would clamp to the seat post or frame. i have an old adjustable utility light stand that would make a great base. any thoughts?

i'm not saying i'm cheap... more like thrifty.

actually i just don't have the cash to dump into a premade one right now.

ok, i'm cheap...

DanO220

Yea, it can be done if you've got a modicum of backyard engineering experience. I've done it myself. But this is one area where a nice stand makes life so much easier that you're just better off biting the bullet and going store bought if you can at all afford it. Or better yet, have your wife buy you one this Xmas. It's the best gift mine's ever given me. Of course I'll deny saying that. Anyway, you don't have to spend a fortune... something like this https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...ruing%20Stands. You'll probably spend half that down at the local True Value getting stuff to convert your light stand, so why not invest?

DanO

here and there

In this now dated picture you can see the stand I built for myself. Cheap ($15 total cost) and works fairly well. I've used it outside on our raised grassy area and the bike sat high enough so that it was comfortable enough for drivetrain cleaning. For adjustments/repair I just go to my workshop/living room and work from the comfort of the couch.

Retro Grouch 

I've built a few but only one that was sturdy enough to be worth a darn. The best part is that I had zero out-of-pocket cost.

The "works" was composed of a horizontal 2X4 with a front QR axle and a handfull of washers to hold the front fork. The 2X4 was just long enough to hold the bottom bracket with the bike's rear wheel hanging off in space. You can figure your own way to hold it up, just be sure to leave room for the crank to turn.

toolboy

Mighty impressive timbers Here and there! Motorcycle stand?

dave80909

Here's mine

the horizontal pipe pivots against the vertical for easy hight adjustment.
it swings easily back and forth too.

a plair of vise-grips holds the bike clamp. Works fine for me

gerv 

There have been a number of threads on this topic. Try the photo about halfway down
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...t=repair+stand

Sounds like a lot of work, though, but there are 4 pages of posts to read through....

DieselDan

My trunk rack has worked well for many repairs, including a frantic stiff link search before a race in June.

here and there

It does have a bit of a motorcycle stand feel to it...and a motorcycle stand probably weighs just as much as my stand does. It works well for a college student on a budget....though if I work on there for a while I do get a backache from the bending/kneeling/hunching over so I will definantely replace this stand with a better one in the future.

slowandsteady

Well, even the cheapie Nashbar one is $80. And $80 is a lot of money for a couple of pipes and a clamp. I don't mind spending $80 on components that will improve the feel of my ride, but for something to hold up my bike once a week or less I just can't justify it. I am with the OP on this one.

SaabFan

Spin Doctor Essential is $40 at Performance:

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=4216

At that point, I think the home-made route isn't attractive from a price point of view. If you're in it for the tinkering and DIY pride though, that's another story!

operator

So then don't buy it. When you can make one that is as sturdy or better than the one for $80, write up how you did it and what stuff you bought.

waterrockets 

I built one of these for $20. Works like a champ. I welded everything rather than brazing as described in the article:
https://www.motherearthnews.com/DIY/1..._Service_Stand

The key is that's based on a vice-grip, and can spin in 2 axes. I got a $2 long-nose vice grip from Harbor Freight, welded that 1/2" nut to the side, and a couple pieces of angle iron to the jaws, and went from there.

It works really really well. Let me know if you have any questions. I can post close-ups of my clamping mechanism if anyone is interested.

If you don't have a welder, you can buy a decent one for the price of a nice work stand, and build your own. Then you have a welder and a work stand

Tappets

Hey, some good ideas here. i suppose part of the equation is the fun and/or frustration of building it too. i have access to a welder and several pairs of generic vise-grips, so this last plan looks relatively good. welding is definately better too. no a problem there as a few of my car friends are pretty accomplished welders and they work for beer on the weekends.

currently i'm using an engine assembly stand and some bent pipes, but it's massive and hard to work around. pulling the engine out of the old drag car/rustbucket soon, so i have to come up with a plan b anyway.

thanks for all the replies!

Tappets

"the horizontal pipe pivots against the vertical for easy hight adjustment.
it swings easily back and forth too. "

^^^^^^^^^^^
dave80909
that is a great idea there. i'll build that into my plan.

slowandsteady

Wow, so defensive. Insecure about your handyman skills perhaps? Telling you I am a woman will probably put you over the edge.

Actually I plan on making one this weekend. It looks like I will need about $25 in parts and about an hour and a half of my time. There are plenty of people on here that have already posted how it can be done for much less and end up with a sturdier work stand. This isn't exactly new ground here. I like the idea of steel pipe, an elbow, a flange and a 2x2 board, and some vice grips coated in rubber. The Pony pipe clamp seems like overkill.

DMF 

A mechanic at Bikefest was set up with a really tall and heavy (for stability) stand that was obviously home-made. But it had a fancy clamp head. I asked about it and he said you can buy just the head. I forget the brand - might thave been Park.

IMO the real risk of a homemade stand is how it treats the bike mounted on it, so I would want a purpose-designed clamp.

That said, I'm using the Spin Doctor Essential at home. Works fine for most things, but you'll want a low stool for working on the drive train.

lennyk

you can make a clamp with a welder's vise grip and have it able to swing 90 degrees

DMF 

What's your time worth?

Nice job, though.

waterrockets 

This is a good point. For many of us, the journey is as important as the destination. For people who like to build stuff...

Same thing for me with wheels. I roll my own.

In astronomy, I will never spend money on a go-to system, because the hunt for the object is as much fun as observing the object.

In another thread, I mention that, as a woodworker, I'm planning to build my own aero bars out of wood...

lymbzero

Cheap and easy...

I used an adjustable drum stand tripod I found in the back of my apartment.
I used rope to tie a set of road drops wrapped in old inner tubes.

You can image what it looked like:

Bike frame craddled in the drops.
Drops connected to the top of the stand.

Worked great!

Let us all thank gravity.

knewbike

I've never needed to clamp mine so I've always used this. V groove through the length of the top 2X4. Free from scrap.

CannondaleKid

What about an old desk, or work bench with a quick release attachment for the front fork, and then a piece of wood sticking up to the BB with a pad underneath. I think someone posted pictures before but it'd be simple for you do make up, and it'd be like the one Disco uses.

lennyk

well I had gotten a welder to build a gate, so he did this in about 20 minutes.
The pipe clamp is a little too long though and it was cut exactly half way down the pipe
the clamp needs less because it will hit cable guides etc, it should be about 1/3 of the pipe on each side of the clamp, used foam from a flip flop slippers

lland

I have one of these and while not commercial grade, for occasional use, it's fine.

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=4216

It's inexpensive and if you're a Team Performance member, there are some coupons for 10 -20% off plus the 10% credit.

LL