Portable Tuning Set-up Show and Tell

[Blue Streak]

While it is technically portable...I was looking for more stability when mounting and waxing. The extending arms really keep the tips and tails stable when buffing.

View attachment 45114 View attachment 45115 View attachment 45116 View attachment 45117

I plan on changing the table top to a different material.

Very snazzy looking. I would have expected no less from @Philpug

 

[pjcodner]

This is what I use. A long time ago I bought some table legs that I screwed to some old doors to make tables for a garage sale. Being the pack rat that I am I saved those legs when I threw the doors away about 15 yrs ago. I told my wife I will use those again some day and here you go.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

This is what I use. A long time ago I bought some table legs that I screwed to some old doors to make tables for a garage sale. Being the pack rat that I am I saved those legs when I threw the doors away about 15 yrs ago. I told my wife I will use those again some day and here you go.

I like that. Looks like the table/tray is wide enough to catch most of the wax scrapings.
-Chris

 

[pjcodner]

I like that. Looks like the table/tray is wide enough to catch most of the wax scrapings.
-Chris

I usually put my trash can at the end to catch anything while scraping. I was more worried about dripping wax on the floor so I made it wide enough to catch all the wax drippings off the skis. My longest pair are 182's and the board is long enough to catch everything. The only issue I have is while scraping the whole thing will move on the floor. I am going to pull the feet off the legs and replace them with rubber feet.

 

[Doug Briggs]

I usually put my trash can at the end to catch anything while scraping. I was more worried about dripping wax on the floor so I made it wide enough to catch all the wax drippings off the skis. My longest pair are 182's and the board is long enough to catch everything. The only issue I have is while scraping the whole thing will move on the floor. I am going to pull the feet off the legs and replace them with rubber feet.

Nice rig. I don't have a traveler, but my home shop bench has a tray to catch drippings and scrapings. I hate cleaning up the floor.

Just a thought about slipping on the floor: yoga mat. Designed to be grippy especially if you add the rubber feet, very small when rolled for traveling and an extra layer of protection for the floor. I'm assuming some travel use may involve motels or the like. I used to use my 4 pair bag that held 215s as a tarp on the floor. It saved many a cleaning bill.

 

[bad influence]

This has been a great thread, thank you. I recently set up my new tuning table. Im doing basic tunes with diamond stones and spray wax now but will hope to progress soon!

 

[Tom K.]

This is what I use. A long time ago I bought some table legs that I screwed to some old doors to make tables for a garage sale. Being the pack rat that I am I saved those legs when I threw the doors away about 15 yrs ago. I told my wife I will use those again some day and here you go.

That is beautifully done.

And that is called Midwest Thriftiness, not being a pack rat!

 

[Uncle-A]

That is beautifully done.

And that is called Midwest Thriftiness, not being a pack rat!

Not uncommon here in the Northeast, just a slightly different name "Yankee Ingenuity" and the DIY community like to call it Repurpusing.

 

[Dave Marshak]

My minimalist bench. Best ever for side edge sharpening. I use it every day or two, so it stays in place all winter:

This is the critical part:

For serious work I have this:. It works great but it takes too longto set up.

dm

 

[wiread]

This is what I use. A long time ago I bought some table legs that I screwed to some old doors to make tables for a garage sale. Being the pack rat that I am I saved those legs when I threw the doors away about 15 yrs ago. I told my wife I will use those again some day and here you go.

View attachment 122208

any chance I could get you to give me your height , your table top height length/width and height and length of your top for attaching vises? and do you find it to be a comfortable height?

I'm going to do something similar except my base will have 2x4's running lengthwise that will drop into a pair of portable dewalt horses. if I have a starting point I can figure how high to then build the center blocks to bring the working height up to something that fits my size.

 

[Johnny V.]

Old thread, but I took pics of my "road" setup when I was at my brother in laws place in New Hampshire a couple of weeks ago. Folding Quiklok keyboard/utility stand with my vises attached. Far from perfect-it's too low and if you raise the legs it's less sturdy, but it works and folds up fairly small.

Forgot a dropcloth, but he had an old piece of rug to use for the drops and scrapings.

 

[mdf]

In Taos I discovered that a 2x4 between two ladders makes a pretty good bench. I brought my vice and attached it to the 2x4.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Old thread, but I took pics of my "road" setup when I was at my brother in laws place in New Hampshire a couple of weeks ago. Folding Quiklok keyboard/utility stand with my vises attached. Far from perfect-it's too low and if you raise the legs it's less sturdy, but it works and folds up fairly small. View attachment 166526 View attachment 166528 Forgot a dropcloth, but he had an old piece of rug to use for the drops and scrapings.

When I was travelling a lot to race, I'd use my 4 pair ski bag as a drop cloth. I like the effective repurposing of your keyboard stand.

 

[slow-line-fast]

Light vises, dropcloth, extension cord, then hope for a balcony with a railing that fits the vises or if lucky a bench in the ski room. I do my best to scrape toward the dropcloth, but inevitably there is a little wax scraping ‘snow’ that floats down below. Sorry.

Note to hotels and vacation rentals, if you do have a bench in the ski room, do advertise this, as it’s actually a selling point for a handful of ski nuts.

 

[mdf]

In Taos I discovered that a 2x4 between two ladders makes a pretty good bench. I brought my vice and attached it to the 2x4.

Here's the picture from the Taos trip report thread:

 

[cantunamunch]

^I was totally expecting to see more outdoor-duty ones. Because electric sharpeners.

 

[mdf]

^I was totally expecting to see more outdoor-duty ones. Because electric sharpeners.

At home I use the electric sharpener with a folding table in the garage, but use my permanent bench (a recycled sewing-machine cabinet) in the basement for waxing or welding.

 

[Dave Marshak]

^I was totally expecting to see more outdoor-duty ones. Because electric sharpeners.

At home I use the electric sharpener with a folding table in the garage, but use my permanent bench (a recycled sewing-machine cabinet) in the basement for waxing or welding.

If I had a garage I would do the work with the doors open, but I don't so it's outdoors for me. I don't hot wax often but that's always outside because I don't want the indoor air polution. Soldering projects are outdoors also, for the same reason.
Everything needs to be ready to go with no set up. I won't use a folding table if I need to set to it up every day. I put a battery on my grinder because running an extension cord or even just plugging it in outside didn't work for me. My semi-permanent outdoor fixture is the best because there's no place to leave stuff piled up on it, and it stores away easily in the summer, which is important for me in my small apartment. I've eliminated all the wasted motion in the process. I don't even need to clamp anything.
dm

 

[James]

Here's the picture from the Taos trip report thread:

What is that vice?

 

[mdf]

What is that vice?

Don't remember. Bought it from Slidewright ages ago. I just checked, and zero markings (except part manufacturer on the cleat for the central lasso).

Simple, light, and it works.


Here it is in its usual home.

It's been about a year since we got rid of some stuff and moved the bench back about a foot. I still haven't relocated the hanging power cord....