[Max von Bargen]

This weekend Alexander Hinman and I got together at my home in San Jose to build a new cutting stand. I was cutting off of a very poor improvised one before, so I wanted to make something that took up less space but was tougher and more permanent. We settled on a multi-piece design for easier storage and adjustable target height. It took us two days to build, but that was partially because we were busy a lot of the time, and we started rather late in the day the first one. I think the end product is pretty good, but I have yet to try it out. I'll post pictures of it in action tomorrow. It's capable of holding either plastic bottles or rolled-up newspaper/tatami mats, thanks to a removable section of PVC pipe I can attach the latter to.


This is the cutting stand in its entirety, with the PVC pipe section attached. Note the pegs at the top so that I can change the target height in 6-inch increments.


Detail of the bottom. These pegs are glued in since the main box is separate from the legs (you'll see below).


Detail of the top. At the bottom you can see the peg to adjust the height. We put styrofoam on the top so that if I missed, it wouldn't damage the blade.


Detail of the top without PVC pipe.


I think we made the maximum height a little too high! (For reference, I'm 6'2"!)


This shows the whole piece disassembled for storage and movement.


Close-up of the disassembled top section.


Close-up of the disassembled middle section.

[Charlee Garvin]

That's good Max!

You ought to refine that and get a patent on it; especially the peg system, which is unique.

Charlee

[Douglas G. Taylor]

Hi Max,

Really neat design! I'm awaiting my first sword, and I definately wanted to do some cutting. Your stand makes perfect sense. Thanks for the great photos, I'll be able to copy it no problem. All the best!

Doug

[Max von Bargen]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Here are some pictures of the stand in action, using my Albion NG Hospitaller. I had hoped my Talhoffer would arrive in time to participate, but apparently it's still in the works.


I test the distance to the target.


Alex makes an energetic thrust.


Taken immediately after Alex neatly bisected a milk jug.


I land a horizontal cut on the milk jug. You can see the sword flexing a little.

[Christopher B Lellis]

That is an excellent design, I'm going to copy that
The basic tatami cutting stand isn't enough for me.

[Jeffrey Faulk]

A very similar (not identical, but same principle) stand was designed/built by Chris Peroni on the SBG forum a while ago...

http://www.sword-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=300

This particular design here in the thread is very robust... perhaps even slightly over-built but if it works, it's all good!

[Chad Arnow]

The stands pictured here are lovely... and too complicated for my tastes. The base supports stick out too far in my opinion, too.

Here's my modular stand. It lets you get pretty close because the base is smallish, but heavy for stability. You can do noodles and jugs/fruit easily. It could be configured for tatami, too.

Here's how I described it in another thread: