MadModder
The Craftmans Shop => New from Old => Topic started by: PTsideshow on May 19, 2012, 05:29:06 PM
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Well we and a nurse at a Doctors office finally convinced my Dad (86) that it was time to give up the cane and start using a walker. It was long past due, my mother has need one for the last two years after a mild stroke. Believe me it wasn't a pleasant trip taking them to the doctors, or to food shop.
Well he didn't like the one with out wheels, didn't like the 3" I got him. so Since I had picked up an old walker before the swarms of scrapers made it by the street one day.
I had two sets of lower legs to work with, a couple pairs of 5" lawn mower wide tread wheels.
A full box of the axle bolts from the local hardware going belly up!
Some 2"x3" Acetal rods from a 50 pound plastics buy at the NAMES expo a couple years ago.
And some new toys for my Sherline lathe. Quick change tool posts and holders, along with the follower rest that came with the kit.
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Projects/Walker001.jpg)
all the parts, but the 4 copper spacer washers and two plastic washers
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Projects/Walker009.jpg)
The plug that will go in the end of the tube.
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Projects/Walker007.jpg)
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Projects/Walker005.jpg)
The plug and both plugs after trimming the one that I installed before trimming to size, Wife had a very important news to tell me about her outlaws in Fla. I forgot to trim one. I went out into the shop and pressed the plug into the tube with the H frame press and then realized I hadn't trimmed it! :palm:
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Projects/Walker006.jpg)
That were the follower rest came in handy. Have had the lathe for 6 years and never used it before! :clap:
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Projects/Walker004.jpg)
Finished wheel set. I tapped the Acetal plugs for the 3/8-16TPI axle bolt thread.
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Projects/Walker002.jpg)
Here they are on the junk walker. The frame is bent so it is not even on all 4 points.. Some tid bits the walkers here in the states are apparently all the same size in the tubing dia for the regular ones. As the replacement legs and wheel sets are called universals. I couldn't find any bigger than 3" dia. finally found a set on line $50.00 a pair.
One other hint you want the wheels on the outside of the legs, and 90' from the adjustment holes in the leg tubes. That way it doesn't make any difference if the push button adjusters are on the front or back side.
I guess they figure if you need a walker you shouldn't be outside in the grass watering a garden. Hope the old man likes them, because the next step is pneumatics so they will roll over rocks. :dremel: :thumbup:
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Great job!!! Good on you for taking care of your folks!!!
~Wes~
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PT -- There are several manufacturers of industrial casters that make really nice wheels designed to operate on, shall we say, less than clean factory floors. The ones I used to make my mother her walker (back in the 80's) had relatively soft non-marking urethane wheels that were (about) 8 inches in diameter. I picked them up from a surplus bin for not too much $$$ (the mount plates were pranged) and they worked really well and didn't sink badly in saturated lawns (a normal condition here in the Soviet of Washington).