Convert stand machine to tabletop

[mauricem]

Anyone know if the Spinfire Blaze AKA Alpha Apex Speed, can be easily (or with great difficulty!) removed from a stand and used as a tabletop? I haven't seen any images with enough detail to work out how its attached to the stand and what would be involved in remounting it to be fully functional WRT to rotation etc. FWIW the retailer says no but that just makes it more of a challenge!
I'm ok with basic mechanical problems but far away from solutions that might require a CNC mill or parts fabrication!

Image below

 

[mauricem]

 

[Wes]

^^^
Yeah, that's not going to be an easy mod (at least, certainly not something I'd want to take on).

Perhaps Spinfire has an equivalent model to the Alpha Revo 4000 (already a tabletop crank). If so, you may want to look into that.

BTW, those base clamps pictured on that Spinfire Blaze are not the same (gravity-release) bases that come on an Alpha Apex Speed.
Just so that you know.

 

[mauricem]

BTW, those base clamps pictured on that Spinfire Blaze are not the same (gravity-release) bases that come on an Alpha Apex Speed.
Just so that you know.

Thanks Wes, I picked up on that as TW Australia list the gravity clamps as a $300 option.
The tabletop model is called the Spinfire inferno but it loses the self centering and curved rails of the Blaze and as far as I can tell is a bit "lighter weight" overall.
BTW I was almost ready to spring for the Stringmaster Deluxe but I can't get anyone to reply to emails or answer phones!

https://www.spinfiresport.com/product/spinfire-inferno/

 

[Wes]

Thanks Wes, I picked up on that as TW Australia list the gravity clamps as a $300 option.
The tabletop model is called the Spinfire inferno but it loses the self centering and curved rails of the Blaze and as far as I can tell is a bit "lighter weight" overall.

If you happen to end up getting a Spinfire Blaze, I would suggest upgrading the base clamps (or ordering clones of the same gravity-release bases from AliExpress/Alibaba etc.)
See @dak95_00's "I put lipstick on my pig..." thread...

I put lipstick on my Pig!!! (And I love it too!!!)

So a handful of weeks ago you guys talked me out of buying a Neos 1500 for $900. That would be my ideal machine if it had gravity release base clamps. I already have a Wise TH. I prefer the 2 point over the 6 point mount. I currently have a Neos 1000 and a cheap, half broken 6 point Eagnas. The...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

You also may want to have a consult w/ @MikeCrowChip regarding the specifics of what he chose for his machines.

Down Press Clamp Base

Does anybody know where to get these things? I know "The Mighty Sensor" had them, and Xpider makes the ones released on some Tourna machines. Unique Sports claims they need to come mounted on the rails. I'm a little suspicious of that. How do you take them off and clean them? When I was first...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

As far as straight rails vs. (slightly) curved rails... it makes little to no difference (I've used both). So, personally, I wouldn't factor that into any machine that I was considering.

BTW, the Blaze is not self-centering. See below.

OK for racquet to hover?

I have a 6 point mounting system (Alpha Pioneer DC Plus) that I'm very happy with. However, I have one question about the 4 side mounts (not the 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock ones, but the other four). The part of the side mounts that touch the racquet are shaped like a sideways V. Everyone I string...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

BTW I was almost ready to spring for the Stringmaster Deluxe but I can't get anyone to reply to emails or answer phones!

Don't give up just yet. Keep trying to reach them.
Even though I've never used one, I think I'd be much happier with a Stringmaster Deluxe than any of the Spinfire machines.

 

[Dags]

Turning that machine from a floor stand to table top is a piece of cake... if you've got the base. The machine in the photo would ship in two parts. The top part (basically, the 'machine'), includes turntable and tension head. The bottom part is the stand and tool tray - that part stops where the paint goes from blue to black. To assemble, you simply slot the top part into the stand and turn the screw to fix it in place.

For a table top model, instead of shipping with a stand you get a base. It will contain the bracket for the machine to slot into in the same way. Some sites sell those separately, though you would want to confirm that the dimensions are a match. The ones that look similar almost certainly come from the same factory, so you'd likely be fine. Probably.

 

[Irvin]

Turning that machine from a floor stand to table top is a piece of cake... if you've got the base.

I agree with what you say but you still have the height to contend with. There’s a longer gap between the turntable and table top brace on the Spinfire. Using a lower table should correct that with no problem. And I have no idea how long the post of the Spinfire extends into the stand.

 

[mauricem]

BTW, the Blaze is not self-centering. See below.

Got it! I found the sellers description a bit confusing but understand the difference now 'What sets this machine apart from the competitors is the "6 point self-centring suspension mounting system" This advanced turntable allows you to mount and dismount the racquets faster using 4 knobs instead of 6. Furthermore, it provides self leveling and 6 solid points of support on the frame."

 

[mauricem]

Turning that machine from a floor stand to table top is a piece of cake... if you've got the base.

That's sort of what I thought but buying a seperate base would push the price past what I think this machine is worth. At that stage I'd look at other options especially as my intention is to eventually fit a Wise or similar electronic head.

 

[mauricem]

There’s a longer gap between the turntable and table top brace on the Spinfire. Using a lower table should correct that with no problem.

Yep, I can chainsaw off table legs with the best of them, though seriously I'm fairly tall and have always preferred to place my stringer on a high workbench as it seems much easier on my back.

 

[MAX PLY]

Sell it and get a comparable table top.

 

[diredesire]

Yep, I can chainsaw off table legs with the best of them, though seriously I'm fairly tall and have always preferred to place my stringer on a high workbench as it seems much easier on my back.

I'd definitely use a bandsaw... but you could just add some (rollerblade) casters and add 2-3 inches on top of the height adjustment of the base, instead?

I recently bought a StringMaster machine, and their communication is pretty bad overall, but Dirk responded to e-mails several times within an hour or two (at 10+PM their time). Keep trying!

 

[mauricem]

I recently bought a StringMaster machine, and their communication is pretty bad overall,

I gather you got the deluxe v3 which I was keen on but they all seem to be sold out now. Are you happy with your machine, any feedback on plus and minus?
The 4000 is available but apart from the clamps the turntable looks less substantial so overall the deluxe appears to be better value as the clamp upgrade alone would be close to $1000AUD.
I saw one review where the owner mentioned that adjustments were not as smooth or precise as on a Tomcat which surprised me.
Assuming your are in the US did you ever ask about how warranty returns would be handled?

 

[diredesire]

I gather you got the deluxe v3 which I was keen on but they all seem to be sold out now. Are you happy with your machine, any feedback on plus and minus?
The 4000 is available but apart from the clamps the turntable looks less substantial so overall the deluxe appears to be better value as the clamp upgrade alone would be close to $1000AUD.
I saw one review where the owner mentioned that adjustments were not as smooth or precise as on a Tomcat which surprised me.
Assuming your are in the US did you ever ask about how warranty returns would be handled?

Yes, I got the Deluxe LE v3, but I haven't received it yet. I'll probably post some thoughts a while after I do... Stringing (and playing) isn't a top priority in my life right now (long story), but I'm hitting a non-zero amount, and I got a little obsessed with acquiring a new machine recently.

Without having received my machine, the reason I went this route is that it's basically the guts of a Tourna 700-es, but it doesn't have the plastic shroud under the turn table (from what I can see in photos). The tensioner is also an Xpider unit from what I've gathered, just more compact (?). There's some discussion online about it maybe pulling on the slower end, but from what I could find in videos, it didn't seem very slow at all. That's not something I'll have a great feel for until I'm stringing frames. It's unclear to me if the 700-es has this feature or not, but you can start the tensioner by pulling the string sideways on the gripper jaw to cinch it up. This video demonstrates it pretty well:

Edit: Comparing to the 4000, it actually wouldn't surprise me if the 4000 turntable were more rigid. That appears to be a machined, cast (iron? aluminum?) table, and it probably has higher rigidity than the flat plate metal of the 700-es/deluxe. With that said, the clamp rails probably do stiffen the table on the 700-es/deluxe quite a bit. The clamp bases would be my bigger concern, like you mentioned. I also personally don't have strong feelings about curved vs. straight clamp rails. I might even prefer straight rails, provided they're not spaced too closely together. On my sensor, the bases of the clamps were pretty large, so I had a lot of annoying issues bonking them together at the tip of the frame after a handful of crosses. I personally like to orient the clamp bases out of the way as soon as possible, and on the sensor, that might be a third of the way down the frame.

I'm not overly concerned with the warranty... if the thing works out of the box, I'm probably going to be fine for the duration of the warranty period. I'm stringing very little at this point in my life, and spare parts are to be had for now. I'm also an electrical engineer, so if something fails, hopefully I can just fix it without having to bother

 

[Irvin]

There's some discussion online about it maybe pulling on the slower end, but from what I could find in videos, it didn't seem very slow at all.

The 700 does pull noticeably slower even on the fastest speed. I’ve found hold the racket or turntable so the table does not wobble speeds up the time to beep.

It's unclear to me if the 700-es has this feature or not, but you can start the tensioner by pulling the string sideways on the gripper jaw to cinch it up

The 700 does not.

With that said, the clamp rails probably do stiffen the table on the 700-es/deluxe quite a bit.

The 700 table appear to me to be as stiff as my Star 5. And much more rigid that my older 6004 machine. Although I’m not so sure a rigidity of the table makes much difference in the string job.

 

[USMC-615]

Haven't read through any of the comments but I feel pretty certain a Sawz-all or bandsaw be your best friend in this endeavor...just make sure you measure twice and cut once, not the other way around.

 

[diredesire]

The 700 does pull noticeably slower even on the fastest speed. I’ve found hold the racket or turntable so the table does not wobble speeds up the time to beep.

The 700 does not.

The 700 table appear to me to be as stiff as my Star 5. And much more rigid that my older 6004 machine. Although I’m not so sure a rigidity of the table makes much difference in the string job.

Thanks for the confirmation(s)!

My comment about rigidity was related to flex from the tension head pulling slightly down and causing the turntable system to bow down. I'm not convinced it's turntable flex, it could just be slop or flex in the center shaft. I think this came up in the Tourna 550-es thread, and that turntable looks a lot like the 4000 mentioned up thread.

 

[tjanev]

Any metal chair you find in the dump that has a single main trunk and 4 or 5 leg pattern would probably do. Chop it off at preferred height and make an adapter. Even a desk chair with those hard plastic bases will work. Try to pry off the piston from the base and keep or remove the castors. Only thing left is to make a ln adapter that fits in the hole of base to the bottom of the stringer. This is where a 3d printer would help . If ttw didn't have the stupid picture rule that you had to li k your pics from an external site, I'd have posted my home made stand for my tomcat plus a few other 3d printed parts.

 

[mauricem]

I'd have posted my home made stand for my tomcat

How's you Tomcat going? Please post some pics, its not that hard!
Re chopping down a table or chair I was joking about chainsaw although it is one of my favorite non precision tools. I've got a decent wood shop with way too many carbide toothed finger loppers and occasionally make custom furniture for family and friends.
re the Spinfire I'll give it a few more days and see if I can get a response from tennisman as the Stringmaster 4000 with Wise is probably the better value if I dont get hit with import taxes.

 

[Wes]

If ttw didn't have the stupid picture rule that you had to li k your pics from an external site, I'd have posted my home made stand for my tomcat plus a few other 3d printed parts.

How's you Tomcat going? Please post some pics, its not that hard!

@tjanev,
See my guidance here...

Stringing a Blackburn

Really? I'd rather string up a Blackburne DS than a Mad Raq or MacGregor Bergelin. Fair enough, never having strung either, those would not be a joy to string either. Safe to say there are many contenders in the worse racquet to string of all time. I'm glad none of those ever were overly popular.

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

 

[tjanev]

On vacation but I'll make an effort to post my upgrades and diy stand when I get back.

Love the machine btw

 

[Irvin]

Thanks for the confirmation(s)!

My comment about rigidity was related to flex from the tension head pulling slightly down and causing the turntable system to bow down. I'm not convinced it's turntable flex, it could just be slop or flex in the center shaft. I think this came up in the Tourna 550-es thread, and that turntable looks a lot like the 4000 mentioned up thread.

The 700 does not sit on a vertical shaft. The turntable and tension module are mounted to a very right rectangular steel tube. That horizontal tube rests on the vertical support. Any bowing is between the vertical and horizontal tubes. take off the vertical shaft and use the 700 as a tabletop machine and I’d be amazed if there would be any bowing.

There is some slop when the ‘unit’ is mounted on the shaft but is that bothered anyone you could easily shim it up.

 

[diredesire]

The 700 does not sit on a vertical shaft. The turntable and tension module are mounted to a very right rectangular steel tube. That horizontal tube rests on the vertical support. Any bowing is between the vertical and horizontal tubes. take off the vertical shaft and use the 700 as a tabletop machine and I’d be amazed if there would be any bowing.

There is some slop when the ‘unit’ is mounted on the shaft but is that bothered anyone you could easily shim it up.

I'm referring to the turntable shaft, not the machine base.

See the turntable movement (very slight) at this timestamp. It looks like the entire turntable shifts, which makes me lean towards (pun intended) there being slop in the turntable's center shaft.

Note the reason I brought this up in the first place was OP's concern about the turntable of the 4K compared to the 700-es, which to me doesn't seem to be a major concern. If the machining of the bushing (I assume) has worse precision for some reason on the 4K, then that's something to be concerned about, but also not something easily determined...

 

[Bambooman]

Cut a square hole in a table and hide the stand under the table.