support for my pilot
Hello all-
I just got my new pilot in my studio and I’m very excited!
Except, my studio has carpet floor and every time I pull the handle down, the entire thing moves so much.
I think the floor carpet is one problem and the small table I use to put my pilot on top is the other problem.
The picture I attached will give you some more idea of what the condition is.
Does anyone have a suggestion?
Thanks!
A sturdier table? Metal or wood with braced legs.
The carpet shouldn’t be any problem. It’ll make standing there for hours at the press a lot easier on the legs.
The table looks awfully short, though it’s hard to judge the scale from this picture.
You might try giving the table more weight by attaching a strong shelf and storing type or other heavy stuff on top of it. The greater mass of the table will keep it from being so “tippy”. Keep the weight fairly close to the floor and it may help you out.
The table looks too low to me, too. I made my table for a Pilot out of 4 X 4s, plywood and one-inch boards. It really needs to be stout to carry the weight and the stress from the press being used. Pilots are worth too much to risk ruining one with a table that’s too lightweight.
Updated. Agreed on the table heft & height. My Pilot is bolted to the top of a 2.5x4 ft table, 3 ft off the deck. It’s got 2x4 legs (six of ‘em) and 3/4 plywood top. The top holds the press, an ink mixing surface & a small file cabinet with tool drawers (maybe 2x2x1 ft). I also built a galley cabinet & six large drying shelves into it. What with the press, the galleys and all the other stuff, the press & table are one piece and although there is some movement as the press cycles, it is a sturdy, stuck-to-the-floor-by-gravity bench from which to work. There’s a picture of it at http://s51.photobucket.com/albums/f377/nilsbull/?action=view¤t=com...
That much mass in cast iron & that much weight being moved demands a very solid base. Most office furniture won’t handle the load & movement.
Nils
Thanks everyone for your reply. I think I will ask my husband to build some kind of table.
Thanks!
Staza -
I actually have a cabinet that was designed to support the Pilot. It even has a drawer to store rollers in and slots for the chases. I believe it was factory built by Thompson or Hamilton or some company that sold them to schools. I’ll get the dimensions and weight and post some photos for you and everyone to see.
- Alan