STM 1800 flatness

[Joebuck]

Hello FOG.

Ive been using and enjoying my STM 1800 for the past several months, and have no buyers remorse whatsoever. It’s a fantastic piece of gear.

That said, I noticed today that the pull out extension bars (the ones with the plastic ends that twist up for lifting materials) seem to be sagging quite a bit. Just wondering if anyone else has encountered this same issue. And if so, did you find any remedy for it, including replacing those arms with new parts. It could very well be that I bent them under heavy load, or maybe they just naturally get that way over time as they cantilever out quite a ways unsupported.

Any thoughts?

 

[jarbroen]

I've noticed the same thing, especially when they are fully extended.  The closer the wood supports are to the frame and the more you snug the knobs the closer to 'level' you'll get.  Same with the other extenders.

When I use the STM as an assembly table I have a 4'x6' 1" MDF sheet I lay on top.  I'll even shim a little underneath if there is any sag - only if I'm doing something critical like cabinet doors.
That gets it near dead flat.
If I'm cutting/hauling I don't worry about the sag.

 

[fshanno]

I wondered about that.  That's always going to happen in designs like this.  There's not enough tube left inside to provide absolute rigidness.  There can't be.  The obvious fix is awful,  we see it on many miter stands, a height adjustable leg the folds down for support.  They can't do that.

I can think of another fix.  Taper the sacrificial wood piece to compensate somewhat for the sag.  You could actually make the thing convex with the outside a little higher than the inside.  Load would flatten it.