How to build the BEST mounting stand you'll ever use.

[George Roof]

This is going to be dicey for me as it's the longest one I've done so far, but the intent is showing you how to make a mounting stand that's easy to use, many times by simply touching your mount and lifiting the muzzle slightly. No pins.

First, the base.  I did not include materials or instructions in the tutorial as you can probably figure it out by yourself. I constructed it using 1.5 inch square tubing with 5 legs , each 24 inches long.  I used square tubing because it allowed me to put "extensions" on the legs.  By buying 1 inch square tubing, it slid up inside the 1.5 inch tubing giving me a "footprint" of nearly 4 feet per leg.  That will hold any animal you work on.  The center post was made from one inch pipe.



Now to the mount stand.



Items you'll need is a sheet of 1/8 plate steel.  I don't have a price on it and any plate will work if you have access to it. You'll need:

LOWES
1" x 6 ' pipe ($24)
1.25 x 6" pipe (threaded) ($26)
2@ 1.25 floor flanges ($9.26@) or you could manufacture them out of your steel plate
1/" x 1" x 4' flat bar ($6.27)
3/8" x 36" rod steel ($4.92)
7@ 5/16" x 2" bolts and nuts ($.30 @)
2@ 1/2" x 5" lag bolts

TRACTOR SUPPLY
1" clutch spring ($2.50)
2@ 1/2" x 2" adjustable clevis pin ($1.99 for a 2 pack)
2@ 1/2" x 5/8 "R" pins ($.99 for a 2 pack)
1 4016V chain sprocket gear ($8.49)


First, it's the manikin mount plate. As you can see, it's totally detachable allowing you to mount the plate on your manikin and THEN installing it on the mounting stand - securing it with an adjustable lynch pin and "R" clip.

[George Roof]

I apologize for doing this in sequences but I'm afraid I'll lose some of it during conversion.

On to the rotational mount bar and swivel gear box.









In retrospect, I wish that I'd cut the sprocket gear in half and used stop bars instead of the whole wheel.  If I had, I'd have been able to position my mount within 120 degrees. On my model, the mount will spin completely around 360 degrees.  The sprocket lock prevents the mount from falling, but if I get stupid and lift it too far, only the friction lock prevents it from "rolling over" and crashing down backwards. Some of you ingenius folks can figure out the stop blocks.



As you can see, we welded a reinforcement block over the sprocket gear so that we could use a friction lock against the hub without chancing breaking the sprocket gear hub.

On one model, I used a threaded knob for the friction lock but on the other stand, I used a simple "T" bolt through the "C" pipe holding the gear box so that it locked the "B" pipe with the sprocket gear.

[Vicki Chritton-Myers]

Thank you for sharing this with us!

[George Roof]

You may have to cut and paste my sketches on your photoshop program in order to enlarge them, but most of this is to whatever whim you choose.  One word of extreme caution however. When you go to attach the "C" pipe to the "A" pipe BE POSITIVELY SURE that the sprocket lock is engaged and your "A" bar is PERFECTLY LEVEL.  It will make setting eyes and antlers so much easier when your "A" bar can be set at a level position.

[JeffC]

Thank you very much George for your time and effort. Will definitely have to get one made.

[Edgewater Taxidermy Galen]

Thank you .   
 looks  like a  really  nice  stand. 

   ..  some  reason  two  of  the  pics  are  not  working  .  anyone  else  have  this happen ?

[mmhanas]

George, looks great!. Instead of welding could I just use Bondo?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[strutinh]

THANKS GEORGE !! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  perfect timing !!  one of mine has just about had it,

[Agren]

Thanks George, this will give my hubby something to do!

[dlivermore]

wow just saved me some money! thanks!

[oldfather]

Nice article on Mounting stands! I will Give my attention to it soon.
Thank you, George Roof.

[brelo]

Awesome!!!!!

Thanks!!!
Dave

[Tana M]

That is great!  Thanks for posting it