I’m one of these guys with a high work bench. When I use my wrapper...I feel like Lilly Tomlin in a big chair. My butt is half on my rolling chair, and my foot is reaching for the pedal. I was thinking about making a long box to raise my pedal up. Not hard to figure out. I was a cabinetmaker my whole adult life. However, I was thinking about how annoying it is to slide my foot pedal. It gets knocked around as I’m working. So...I was thinking about putting it on a track, kind of like a thread carriage. Any ideas? Any of you do it? It doesn’t have to be exactly like a thread carriage, but it need to be sturdy and move smoothly. I like cutting down on trail & error type stuff. If any of you have done it already, please tell me how you did it.
Danke schön!
-Raymond



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2018 07:29PM by Raymond Faus.

RodMaker Magazine Volume 10 issue 5 has full plans for a full length foot pedal control mounted under the work bench.

Raymond heres mine,using it for years, Easy Build

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Raymound,

Another option is to move the wrapper and then every thing else stays in place. Of course you need to space to be able to move the wrapper on a bench from one end of the rod to the other - but if you have the space, this is a nice option.

Here is a picture of the wrapper bed that I use. I put skate board ball bearings on the underside of the channel to let it roll easily on the laminate counter top rod bench that I use. Then, to stop the wrapper from moving, I installed brakes by adding a pair of carriage bolts through the base with a crutch tip on the end to provide the braking. Then, a knob on the top side of the bed to access the brakes.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Before getting the rollers on the underside of the bed, I used lumber rollers in between sections of bench to roll my wrapper:
[www.rodbuilding.org]

Before making the aluminum channel wrapper, I used a wrapper made from a simple 1x10 board and used the lumber rollers to roll it by my chair, lights, tools and foot pedal:

[www.rodbuilding.org]


Evolution of the wrapper over the years.

As the saying goes, it is easier to move the mountain than to move the prophet. So, I stay put and the mountain or wrapper moves past me. the only special need on the wrapper motor is a cord long enough to allow the motor to move up and down the bench as the wrapper moves.

Thanks guys! I think I’ve found my answer. I have lower cabinets under my countertop, hung with no toe kick. Foot options seem to be an issue...so I’m gonna make a treadle bar that’s either forearm activated or under my bench top, belly activated. Similar in concept to Barry’s, but not foot activated.
Roger, that’s a very ingenious way to do it. I’d be super tempted to make that happen if it wasn’t for the amount of packages showing up lately. It’s a very smart idea to move the wrapper. As I get further along with these vintage builds I’m doing...new needs are popping up to make it smarter, not harder. If I could start all over, I’d set my bench up drastically different. So...this little palace isn’t gonna be perfect overnight. This frog is gonna get boiled in cold water.

Thanks again gentlemen,

-Raymond

Thanks guys! I think I’ve found my answer. I have lower cabinets under my countertop, hung with no toe kick. Foot options seem to be an issue...so I’m gonna make a treadle bar that’s either forearm activated or under my bench top, belly activated. Similar in concept to Barry’s, but not foot activated.
Roger, that’s a very ingenious way to do it. I’d be super tempted to make that happen if it wasn’t for the amount of packages showing up lately. It’s a very smart idea to move the wrapper. As I get further along with these vintage builds I’m doing...new needs are popping up to make it smarter, not harder. If I could start all over, I’d set my bench up drastically different. So...this little palace isn’t gonna be perfect overnight. This frog is gonna get boiled in cold water.

Thanks again gentlemen,

-Raymond