Part of a Park bike stand.

[FICHT 150]

A friend recently gave me the bike clamp part of a Park tool bicycle stand. It is new, and never has been used. It is frustratingly useless without the stand elements that make it complete. When I contacted Park, they were pretty much disinterested in helping me, unless I was willing to buy a new, complete stand. The toughest part of fabricating something to use with it would be coming up with a decent clamp arrangement to use on the round end of the clamp itself.
Any ideas? I like the idea of having a bike stand around.
Ted

 

[Andrew Gorman]

That is a score! All you need to mount the clamp is a piece of pipe that the end of the clamp will slide into. Easiest mount would be one like:
http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=23&item=PRS-4W
I'd find a short section of black pipe nipple, drill and tap a hole for the setscrew, and thread the black pipe onto a flange and bolt it to the wall. Anything with a pole and a heavy base could work for a freestanding stand. Check the metal bins and scrapyards near you, or that guy with a yard full of junk- something will turn up.

 

[FICHT 150]

Not a bad idea. My bench in the garage has space to run a iron pipe all the way through, and I could get a piece long enough to hang out a few feet, and use the clamp part on the end, with a set screw of some sort.

Wall space is at a premium in my shop. But, I have plenty along the front of the bench. Total effort would be two holes punched in the front and back lumber of the bench, a section of black pipe, and a machine screw. I have a drill press and a few taps. I can't see a need to make the pipe permanent, just slide it in and out when I need the stand.

Thanks for the tip.
Ted

 

[Andrew Gorman]

That sounds like a good plan. Thinking about it a little more, I'd scout around for something thicker than schedule 40 black pipe just to have a more solid thread for the setscrew. My old Park stand has a threaded bung welded to the pipe, and the screw has to be tightened down with some force to hold a bike in peculiar positions or while hammering out rusted headset and crank cups.
Being able to swivel the bike around is a HUGE advantage, so make sure the pipe is solidly mounted and have a handwheel on the setscrew. Park also makes a bench mount workstand that could give you some ideas:
http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=23&item=PRS-4+OS
For what it's worth, I really enjoy having a free-standing workstand I can move around into the light, out of the light, outside, shove out of the way or pack along to another location. The last time I was this deep into bicycles I made a workstand out of a cheap Chinese engine stand and a drill press vise. After lengthening the upright with some angle iron it swiveled and held bikes almost like a real one. I had way more time than money then, and access to some pretty stellar dumpsters.