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DIY base for Minoura Workman Pro
I was in need of a foldable, portable truing stand. After looking at
the field, I settled on a Minoura Workman Pro, mostly due to the fact that it was closest in use to the (heavy, non-foldable, non-portable) Park TS-2 I have used for nearly 20 years. The drawback to the Minoura is that it is too lightweight and unstable as it comes in the box. To address this, I fashioned a base from a 19" x 15" piece of 3/4" MDF and various pieces of wood and hardware I had in the shop. The base makes the Minoura pretty stable and also serves as a storage/transport station when the stand is folded down. I wouldn't want to build wheels on it on a regular basis, but it should be fine for occasional use by a home builder, and it works just dandy as a truing stand 'in the field' (which was my goal/intended use). Pictures are worth a kiloword, so here they are, first the base itself, then with the stand in the folded/stored mode, and last, three pics of the stand in the "deployed" mode on the base: http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura1 http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura2 http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura3 http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura4 http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura5 Last time I looked, Nashbar had the Minoura for $45 (and there's usually a 10% off coupon floating around somewhere), and the base should cost less than $10 to build up, so this is a pretty affordable project. |
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#2
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DIY base for Minoura Workman Pro
"Ozark Bicycle" wrote in message ups.com... I was in need of a foldable, portable truing stand. After looking at the field, I settled on a Minoura Workman Pro, mostly due to the fact that it was closest in use to the (heavy, non-foldable, non-portable) Park TS-2 I have used for nearly 20 years. The drawback to the Minoura is that it is too lightweight and unstable as it comes in the box. To address this, I fashioned a base from a 19" x 15" piece of 3/4" MDF and various pieces of wood and hardware I had in the shop. The base makes the Minoura pretty stable and also serves as a storage/transport station when the stand is folded down. I wouldn't want to build wheels on it on a regular basis, but it should be fine for occasional use by a home builder, and it works just dandy as a truing stand 'in the field' (which was my goal/intended use). Pictures are worth a kiloword, so here they are, first the base itself, then with the stand in the folded/stored mode, and last, three pics of the stand in the "deployed" mode on the base: http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura1 http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura2 http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura3 http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura4 http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura5 Last time I looked, Nashbar had the Minoura for $45 (and there's usually a 10% off coupon floating around somewhere), and the base should cost less than $10 to build up, so this is a pretty affordable project. Nice execution. I bought one of these last spring. I screwed mine to my workbench but I'm going to check out your strap setup. I built 1 set of wheels on it and decided that it was too hard on the old hands so I found a good local wheel builder. ;-) My main complaint with the Minoura is the rigidity or lack of it in the uprights. The way they are held is very flimsy. I can do just as good a job with the wheels in the bike. I've used lots of Park Pro stands and I had an old Var wheel stand that I could use to build truck wheels and so maybe I was expecting more from what looked like a good design. The problem is that the uprights don't center the hub. I use a very old 1st generation Park dish tool to make sure the hub is centered. With just a little more effort, Minoura could have fixed this design problem. Chas. |
#3
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DIY base for Minoura Workman Pro
On Feb 12, 12:35 pm, "* * Chas" wrote:
"Ozark Bicycle" wrote in message ups.com... I was in need of a foldable, portable truing stand. After looking at the field, I settled on a Minoura Workman Pro, mostly due to the fact that it was closest in use to the (heavy, non-foldable, non-portable) Park TS-2 I have used for nearly 20 years. The drawback to the Minoura is that it is too lightweight and unstable as it comes in the box. To address this, I fashioned a base from a 19" x 15" piece of 3/4" MDF and various pieces of wood and hardware I had in the shop. The base makes the Minoura pretty stable and also serves as a storage/transport station when the stand is folded down. I wouldn't want to build wheels on it on a regular basis, but it should be fine for occasional use by a home builder, and it works just dandy as a truing stand 'in the field' (which was my goal/intended use). Pictures are worth a kiloword, so here they are, first the base itself, then with the stand in the folded/stored mode, and last, three pics of the stand in the "deployed" mode on the base: http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura1 http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura2 http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura3 http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura4 http://ozarkbicycleservice.com/minoura5 Last time I looked, Nashbar had the Minoura for $45 (and there's usually a 10% off coupon floating around somewhere), and the base should cost less than $10 to build up, so this is a pretty affordable project. Nice execution. I bought one of these last spring. I screwed mine to my workbench but I'm going to check out your strap setup. The straps are only used in the folded/stored/transit mode The two metal tabs are movable and swing out and back over the Minoura's 'mounting tabs' (the ones you used to screw it to the workbench). Together with the front facing "dock" for the forward brace and those two small blocks near the tabs, they make the stand pretty stable. I built 1 set of wheels on it and decided that it was too hard on the old hands so I found a good local wheel builder. ;-) My main complaint with the Minoura is the rigidity or lack of it in the uprights. The way they are held is very flimsy. I can do just as good a job with the wheels in the bike. Properly anchoring the Minoura makes a big difference. Just using their mounting holes does not make the stand suffeciently rigid, IMO. I've used lots of Park Pro stands and I had an old Var wheel stand that I could use to build truck wheels and so maybe I was expecting more from what looked like a good design. The problem is that the uprights don't center the hub. I use a very old 1st generation Park dish tool to make sure the hub is centered. With just a little more effort, Minoura could have fixed this design problem. The "self centering" feature is kinda useless, but no more so than the same feature on the TS-2. An alignment guage ("dishing tool") is a must for precision work. |
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DIY base for Minoura Workman Pro
On Feb 12, 11:49 am, "Ozark Bicycle"
wrote: The "self centering" feature is kinda useless, but no more so than the same feature on the TS-2. An alignment guage ("dishing tool") is a must for precision work. This is the thing that makes me think that your frame is a fine truing jig unless you are making wheels for someone else. Eyeball the center (dish) and it is good enough. All you need is a decent spoke wrench. It is a nice stand you made, BTW. |
#5
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DIY base for Minoura Workman Pro
On Feb 12, 9:49 pm, "Ron Ruff" wrote:
On Feb 12, 11:49 am, "Ozark Bicycle" wrote: The "self centering" feature is kinda useless, but no more so than the same feature on the TS-2. An alignment guage ("dishing tool") is a must for precision work. This is the thing that makes me think that your frame is a fine truing jig unless you are making wheels for someone else. I guess "fine" is in the eye of the beholder; yes, you can true a wheel in your frame, if you don't mind the PIA factor. Having done this sort of thing in the distant past, I would never want to do it again (the pronouncements of certain self-appointed internet bicycle gurus not withstanding). If you do this sort of thing regularly, even a modest truing stand makes life far more pleasant. At least that was my experience when I obtained a used (old, original model) Minoura truing stand way back ~25 years ago. Eyeball the center (dish) and it is good enough. All you need is a decent spoke wrench. When I said the self-centering feature is "kinda useless", I meant that in a relative way: even the Minoura makes centering the wheel easier than does a bike frame, especially for a rear wheel. My comment an alignment guage was aimed at the goal of getting the wheel centered to within ~1mm and doing so in a reasonable time frame. It is a nice stand you made, BTW. Thank you! |
#6
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DIY base for Minoura Workman Pro
"Ozark Bicycle" wrote in message oups.com... On Feb 12, 9:49 pm, "Ron Ruff" wrote: On Feb 12, 11:49 am, "Ozark Bicycle" wrote: The "self centering" feature is kinda useless, but no more so than the same feature on the TS-2. An alignment guage ("dishing tool") is a must for precision work. This is the thing that makes me think that your frame is a fine truing jig unless you are making wheels for someone else. I guess "fine" is in the eye of the beholder; yes, you can true a wheel in your frame, if you don't mind the PIA factor. Having done this sort of thing in the distant past, I would never want to do it again (the pronouncements of certain self-appointed internet bicycle gurus not withstanding). If you do this sort of thing regularly, even a modest truing stand makes life far more pleasant. At least that was my experience when I obtained a used (old, original model) Minoura truing stand way back ~25 years ago. Eyeball the center (dish) and it is good enough. All you need is a decent spoke wrench. When I said the self-centering feature is "kinda useless", I meant that in a relative way: even the Minoura makes centering the wheel easier than does a bike frame, especially for a rear wheel. My comment an alignment guage was aimed at the goal of getting the wheel centered to within ~1mm and doing so in a reasonable time frame. It is a nice stand you made, BTW. Thank you! You made a portable "truing" stand which is what you set out to accomplish. I use mine to get wheels to within .010 (.25mm). If I were going to be building wheels on a regular basis I'd get a Var or Park stand. Chas. |
#7
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DIY base for Minoura Workman Pro
On Feb 13, 9:14 am, "* * Chas" wrote:
"Ozark Bicycle" wrote in message oups.com... On Feb 12, 9:49 pm, "Ron Ruff" wrote: On Feb 12, 11:49 am, "Ozark Bicycle" wrote: The "self centering" feature is kinda useless, but no more so than the same feature on the TS-2. An alignment guage ("dishing tool") is a must for precision work. This is the thing that makes me think that your frame is a fine truing jig unless you are making wheels for someone else. I guess "fine" is in the eye of the beholder; yes, you can true a wheel in your frame, if you don't mind the PIA factor. Having done this sort of thing in the distant past, I would never want to do it again (the pronouncements of certain self-appointed internet bicycle gurus not withstanding). If you do this sort of thing regularly, even a modest truing stand makes life far more pleasant. At least that was my experience when I obtained a used (old, original model) Minoura truing stand way back ~25 years ago. Eyeball the center (dish) and it is good enough. All you need is a decent spoke wrench. When I said the self-centering feature is "kinda useless", I meant that in a relative way: even the Minoura makes centering the wheel easier than does a bike frame, especially for a rear wheel. My comment an alignment guage was aimed at the goal of getting the wheel centered to within ~1mm and doing so in a reasonable time frame. It is a nice stand you made, BTW. Thank you! You made a portable "truing" stand which is what you set out to accomplish. Yes, that was the goal: a truing stand for use "in the field". That is why I removed the vertical guage from my Minoura: it's presence made it impossible for the stand to accept wheels mounted with anything other than the narrowest of tires (a necessity for "quicky" truing during a simple tune up, etc.). I found that a simple piece of tubing mounted between the lateral truing indicators works well as a vertical indicator when necessary and is quicker than replacing the Minoura supplied vertical guage. I use mine to get wheels to within .010 (.25mm). You mean in lateral runout? If I were going to be building wheels on a regular basis I'd get a Var or Park stand. I've never used the VAR; I can recommend the Park TS-2, but with the reservation that an alignment guage is needed for precision work, despite the "automatic centering" feature. |
#8
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DIY base for Minoura Workman Pro
"Ozark Bicycle" wrote in message ps.com... snip You made a portable "truing" stand which is what you set out to accomplish. Yes, that was the goal: a truing stand for use "in the field". That is why I removed the vertical guage from my Minoura: it's presence made it impossible for the stand to accept wheels mounted with anything other than the narrowest of tires (a necessity for "quicky" truing during a simple tune up, etc.). I found that a simple piece of tubing mounted between the lateral truing indicators works well as a vertical indicator when necessary and is quicker than replacing the Minoura supplied vertical guage. I use mine to get wheels to within .010 (.25mm). You mean in lateral runout? Yes.... If the wheel was well built to begin with and not too trashed, it's not too hard to get it that close. The idea being that the wheel will stay within tolerable runout longer if it's trued better. i.e. I don't have to mess with it again for a while. Pay me now or pay me later. I'm not obsessive enough to try to correct ovoid rims. If I were going to be building wheels on a regular basis I'd get a Var or Park stand. I've never used the VAR; I can recommend the Park TS-2, but with the reservation that an alignment guage is needed for precision work, despite the "automatic centering" feature. The lower priced VAR #74 weighed 22 Lbs. (10 Kg) and was sturdy enough to be used with motorcycle wheels. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/var/pages/var0035.html A better stand that I forgot about was the Hozan wheel truing stand. We had one or two at our shop that were beefier than the model they sell today. It weighed about 30 Lbs. http://www.hozan.co.jp/cycle_e/catal...tand/C-330.htm They have a lot of interesting tools on their web site: http://www.hozan.co.jp/cycle_e/ Chas. |
#9
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DIY base for Minoura Workman Pro
On Feb 13, 11:30 am, "* * Chas" wrote:
"Ozark Bicycle" wrote in message ps.com... snip You made a portable "truing" stand which is what you set out to accomplish. Yes, that was the goal: a truing stand for use "in the field". That is why I removed the vertical guage from my Minoura: it's presence made it impossible for the stand to accept wheels mounted with anything other than the narrowest of tires (a necessity for "quicky" truing during a simple tune up, etc.). I found that a simple piece of tubing mounted between the lateral truing indicators works well as a vertical indicator when necessary and is quicker than replacing the Minoura supplied vertical guage. I use mine to get wheels to within .010 (.25mm). You mean in lateral runout? Yes.... If the wheel was well built to begin with and not too trashed, it's not too hard to get it that close. The idea being that the wheel will stay within tolerable runout longer if it's trued better. Yes, but, IME, there is an optimum combination of lateral true, vertical true and balanced spoke tension. IOW, I wouldn't attempt to achieve 0.25mm of lateral runout at the expense of the other two parameters. i.e. I don't have to mess with it again for a while. Pay me now or pay me later. I'm not obsessive enough to try to correct ovoid rims. If I were going to be building wheels on a regular basis I'd get a Var or Park stand. I've never used the VAR; I can recommend the Park TS-2, but with the reservation that an alignment guage is needed for precision work, despite the "automatic centering" feature. The lower priced VAR #74 weighed 22 Lbs. (10 Kg) and was sturdy enough to be used with motorcycle wheels. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/var/pages/var0035.html A better stand that I forgot about was the Hozan wheel truing stand. We had one or two at our shop that were beefier than the model they sell today. It weighed about 30 Lbs. Yes, the Hozan is sort of the classic old image of the truing stand seen in shops way back 'in the day'. http://www.hozan.co.jp/cycle_e/catal...tand/C-330.htm They have a lot of interesting tools on their web site: http://www.hozan.co.jp/cycle_e/ Chas.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - |
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