Quick question: purpose of diagonal shelf in machine stand?

Okidoki · Oct 10, 2021

Quick question, guys. I’m looking to change the stand for my mill-drill from something selfmade to a general machine stand (see picture) with the goal to make the setup more rigid. A nice feature of the (green) stand in the picture is the option to store tools/materials via shelfs, but this only goes for the upper shelf, since this one is horizontal.

It’s not easy to make out from the picture, but the lower shelf is in fact diagonal and runs upwards towards the back of the stand. This has been purposefully made this way, but I can’t figure out as to why. What would be the benefit of having this angled shelf in the stand?

DDoug · Oct 10, 2021

Okidoki said:
Quick question, guys. I’m looking to change the stand for my mill-drill from something selfmade to a general machine stand (see picture) with the goal to make the setup more rigid. A nice feature of the (green) stand in the picture is the option to store tools/materials via shelfs, but this only goes for the upper shelf, since this one is horizontal.

It’s not easy to make out from the picture, but the lower shelf is in fact diagonal and runs upwards towards the back of the stand. This has been purposefully made this way, but I can’t figure out as to why. What would be the benefit of having this angled shelf in the stand?

View attachment 331787

You could anchor your Mill/drill to a solid block of concrete and not make it any more rigid.

It's not the stand that is the problem with them.

Okidoki · Oct 10, 2021

I understand your point (although it being a little beside the point in light of the question

). The stand I built was made out of standard square (mild steel) stock material bolted together, approx. 90cm high with length/width similar to the mill-drill base. This made it relatively high in respect of the length/width and thus susceptible to (for example) torsion. Now all rigidity might indeed be contained in the machine itself, but when the machine starts to shake, due to dull bits or mills for example, it will definitely not help if the base/stand is susceptible to movement itself, since in the most negative scenario this could enhance unwanted vibrations (resonance).

dalmatiangirl61 · Oct 10, 2021

Are you sure bottom shelf is not just pushed up in back? Maybe from lifting with a forklift? If you can pull it out, drill holes in it for collet storage.

Ries · Oct 10, 2021

If its really sloped, intentionally, its possible that is a cold saw stand, and the coolant tank went there, sloped so it would be deepest over the pickup tube?

Okidoki · Oct 10, 2021

@dalmatiangirl61
No, it's not disoriented or misplaced. I've looked at it because it seemed strange to me to be oriented this way, but this bottom shelf cannot fit in
the stand's housing in any other way than this. It's detachable though, so indeed other purposes are thinkable

Okidoki · Oct 10, 2021

@Ries
Your guess is at good as mine. The space in the stand seems to be made to be accessible, though. For example, there's never been a door on it (no hinges). So it doesn't seem to serve a purpose of a tank, which would probably be stored inside the base because it wouldn't require regular access. Geez, I don't want to make too much a fuss about this detail, but it does itch the brain why this was made this way, grrr...

plastikdreams · Oct 10, 2021

I've been looking into them, what mill drill do you have?

Gordon Heaton · Oct 10, 2021

I'm going to guess that the open end of that stand is, in fact, the end. And that the up-slope is there to clear a part of the machine casting over which the pedestal is mounted. I cannot, however, make a guess as to what that protrusion might be.

Oh, nevermind. I'm beginning to think that stand is somewhat smaller and lighter duty than it first appeared.

LKeithR · Oct 10, 2021

Could be that the shelf is sloped so you can lay larger drill bits on it. If the shelf has a bit of a slope
it would make it easier to see the bits when you're picking one...

beege · Oct 10, 2021

No lip on the shelf means it probably doesn't hold anything. Footrest?

plastikdreams · Oct 10, 2021

beege said:
No lip on the shelf means it probably doesn't hold anything. Footrest?

Probably for a sewing machine

rons · Oct 10, 2021

The bottom word on that shelf is whether it is welded in a sloped position. If it is moveable then it should be straightened out. Maybe with some Italian persuasion. (Hey Jimmy, can I talk to ya now...).

If you made a drip pan to sit on top of the stand then no junk is going to bleed all over your stand.

It could be that the sloped shelf was holding a tray of collets and the angle position gave a good sighting for selecting which one to use.

true temper · Oct 10, 2021

Straighten it out and still don’t see it??

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

EPAIII · Oct 11, 2021

Well, if you can give us some numbers, perhaps we can make better guesses. Like, how deep (front to rear) is the shelf and how much higher the rear edge is in relation to the front edge.

If the slope is not too great, perhaps it was designed to allow a bucket type container to have the last drops of a liquid flow toward the front so all of it can be accessed with a tube or spigot located there.

dian · Oct 11, 2021

an old boy-scout tric to keep a fire going is to place logs on a tilted stand. maybe the same applies here for round stock?

Okidoki · Oct 11, 2021

Preliminary conclusions

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I've added a picture that will hopefully make it more clear what dimensions the stand has and how the shelf slopes. In respons to questions/remarks:

@plastikdreams
It's a RF-31 clone, probably Chinese.

@beege
I was thinking the same thing, except not understanding the purpose of a footrest for what probably was the original application of the stand: supporting a heavy drill-press (I took the drill-press off from this stand).

@rons
Both shelves (horizontal and diagonal) are detachable and can be taken out.

Some conclusions for now:

1. The sloped shelf is a footrest (but why?!)
2. The purpose of the sloped shelf is meant for easy and visual acces to stock/tools, as suggested by @rons and @LKeithR. It could be that over time, changing users and movement of the machine, the shelves were misplaced and should in fact be interchanged: diagonal shelf up, horizontal below. Following this idea it might also be possible that the diagonal shelf should be turned upside down, giving it the lip to hold tools etc, but I'll have to check this upcoming weekend if it's possible.

Thanks everyone for thinking along

Any upcoming ideas are welcome

GregSY · Oct 11, 2021

It's probably to keep drill bits from 'hiding' at the back of the shelf. By having the shelf angled 45 degrees, the drill bits will vend themselves out in a forthright manner.

L Vanice · Oct 11, 2021

Hardinge built foot rests into some of their machine bases. The HSL-59 speed lathe is an example. They also listed industrial stools with backs (not made by Hardinge) in their catalogs. I suppose there are some production jobs that can be performed while sitting and with one or both feet resting on the machine base foot rest.

Larry

gustafson · Oct 11, 2021

missing collet rack?

Quick question: purpose of diagonal shelf in machine stand?

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