DIY-Bonsai Work Stand & Turntable

 I've wanted a freestanding turntable-not just a lazy susan bearing you put on top of a table, but a real work stand.   There are many purpose built stands available  from the better bonsai supply dealers, the only draw back being the price tag.

Im not afraid of a little Do -It-Yourself action, especially if it will save me some money.  In mulling over the problem, I figured that a good start would be on of the bar stools I had curb picked last year. There where a pair of wood bar stools out with the trash I was not too proud to stop and get them into the trunk. It amazes me at the variety of both useful and usable items that get thrown away every trash day.  I like to do what I can to keep useful items from taking up space in the landfill, so I will always stop and check, and usually load up.
Aside from one loose support rung, these stools were in good shape and were just the thing to pull up to the work bench, or to set a tree on top of while sitting in a lawn chair. For me the problem was that the tree still sat just a bit too low, and there are times when I'd like to work on a tree while standing up, and putting the stool on top of something like a milk crate was both inelegant and unsafe.

I had a dim memory of reading a Popular Mechanics article written by a guy who had built his own bonsai turntable gizmo. Part of the reason it stuck in my head, I think, was the fact that it was in Popular Mechanics, circa 1980. Especially that far back, I am very surprised to see mentions of anything bonsai related in the 'general literature".  This little splinter of memory had stuck in my head for a while, it's probably a quaint notion to say that though I was able to get to it now through the quick access of Google, by original locating of it was accomplished through the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature!

The article that ran in Popular Mechanics was written by Frederic L Ballard, one of the founders of the National Bonsai Federation. His wife was Ernesta Drinker Ballard, who wrote one of the early books that brought bonsai culture to Americans, Growing Plants Indoors. Ballard's article and schematic drawing suggested just what you see in the photographs: using the basis of a sturdy stool to make a bonsai work stand. His idea was to use a piece of black pipe, with a flange at one end and cap at the other to be the main support of the work surface, which is cut from plywood.

The original article suggested using an X shaped arrangement of two pieces of lumber,installed  diagonally between the legs of the stool, to brace the lower end of the pipe. Due to the end cap, this would also limit upward travel.   I though that trying to make four cuts with compound angles was a bit more complicated that I wanted to attempt, so simply put one piece of wood on existing supports. Since there were two of these support on each side of the stool, I calculated that it would be plenty sturdy.

Ballard's idea for holding the table top and allowing for height adjustment was to use the tail stop from a pipe clamp.  Used for carpentry tasks like cabinet making where a large item has to be held securely, pipe clamps have a fixed portion at one end of the pipe that is adjustable for fine increments, and the  tail stop at the other end allows large adjustments. Sliding a lever allows the tail stop to be snugged up, then the little handle on the other end of the clamp is turned to make the final tension.

Since I had the stool, the plywood for the work surface as well as the wood for the bracing, had to purchase the following items:

• 36 inch length of 1/2 inch black pipe, threaded at each end. This was a standard item at my local hardware store (Roush Hardware, Westerville, support the small box guys)
• One end cap and one floor flange-the flange was already drilled for screws, saving me from doing it!
• Pan head sheet metal screws to attach the pipe stop to the stool, and also wood screws to go through the flange into the work surface.
• Enamel spray paint to render the project one uniform color, and protect new bare wood.
• The pipe clamp was purchased at Harbour Freight, mainly because their ubiquitous 20% off coupons made me feel much better about buying an item that I was going to throw away half of!
• TOTAL INVESTMENT=$30

Once all the parts were assembled, the project took one afternoon. The basic steps:

1. The stool was sanded to remove flaking paint and discoloration that had started on the unpainted seat. Loose support rungs were glued and allowed to dry overnight. A bungee cord works well to hold everything snug as the glue dries.
2. The work surface was cut from a piece of 3/4 inch plywood I already had, then sanded.  If you are buying this item for your project, there many options for plywood rounds already cut to size.
3. Two holes were drilled in the tail stop so that it could be attached to the seat of the stool. The stop has a thick coating of enamel on it, so I was afraid drilling would be a problem, Ballard directs using a center punch and hammer to make to two starting spots for the drilling, this doesn't seem to make a dent in the metal, but does chip off the enamel, which means the drill bit doesn't skate around. I drilled these two holes easily.
4. Drill a hole through the center of the seat to accommodate the black pipe, and drill the same size whole through the wood support piece as well. Holes will also need drilled for four screws attaching the work surface to the flange, two holes holding the pipe clam to the stool seat and screws holding the support slat to the rungs of the stool.
5. Once the needed holes are drilled, a power driver bit can be used to place the screws as needed to hold the parts together.
6. Once the wood parts are assembled, the black pipe can be screwed in the floor flange, then the pipe itself fitted into the pipe clamp and supporting wood slat,then 'capped off' with the end cap.
7. Sand wood surfaces and remove dust, then apply spray paint. Since some bare wood is used in the project, and project will come into contact with moist items like soil and may be left outside, liberal application of paint is encouraged.  I made a point of turning the completed item upside down and spraying the bottoms of the legs and other "underneath surfaces". Several coats of paint were spaced out until the can was empty.

Initial tests indicate the project was worth the time & money.   The clamp mechanism holds very securely, in only one direction, so while there is no way to push the thing down with out unlocking the adjustment lever, it can be moved upwards easily.  At full extension the work surface seems close to 5 feet tall, so considerations of tree size and top heavy tipping should be held in mind.