GrumpyOne Posted August 4, 2010 Author Share Posted August 4, 2010 I was thinking of making the star in front a bit smaller (or the back one a bit larger) so that the plates don't completely overlap, so that when they line up, they would be kind of like side by side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBoyd Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 dang macgyver, that's darn cool. good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted August 7, 2010 Author Share Posted August 7, 2010 dang macgyver, that's darn cool. good job. Thanks, I'm working on a Polish plate rack now.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 Star update: After several thousand rounds expended on (and several more thousand expended as misses! ), the star is holding up well. No weld breaks, no problems with the bearing, no problems with the plates. Even the clamps, once I re-inforced them with the flat iron seem to be holding up quite well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted April 2, 2011 Author Share Posted April 2, 2011 Update: I added another bearing to the front of the star, to keep it from wobbling. Now it's rock solid...several more thousand rounds have hit it, still no major issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markcic Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 That is awesome. If you are concerned about the arms getting shot or making it more portable you could change how the arms mount to the center hub. If you put the equivalent of a receiver hitch on the hub for each arm, slide the arms in, and secure them with a bolt/bolts then you can break it down for transport and have a replacement if one gets damaged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goosedowner Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Did you have to make one arm of the star heavier then the others and ten set the heavier arm above center to get to start spinning? I hope this question makes sense. I have never seen a star in person to know and I would love to build one. Thanks Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted April 3, 2011 Author Share Posted April 3, 2011 Did you have to make one arm of the star heavier then the others and ten set the heavier arm above center to get to start spinning? I hope this question makes sense. I have never seen a star in person to know and I would love to build one. Thanks Lee See this post. http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=106158&view=findpost&p=1211923 There is an activator plate, which then swings out when you hit it, and one of the arms has a drop away weight hanging on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goosedowner Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Thank you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noexcuses Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 great post and pics, I am going to have to build me one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.D. Larsen Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Very Nice! How much to make one for me? No seriously! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanseiPA Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 very nice! i have to share this with a few of my buddies out here....AWESOME! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giarc01 Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Looks great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackson923 Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Nice job nothing beats a DIY project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 It's still spinning. ..a few mods done to it...added a second bearing, and modified the activator plate to lock back when hit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchet Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 Very nice. Ahh, to have a shop and a welder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmorris Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 So how many years did the epoxy hold up? You likely have it already figured out by now but I forgot why I uploaded the photos of the counter rotating part until now. On this one I used A different style pillow block that the one I posted on the other page. With them mounted on channel iron, I just flipped the back half upside down and the spacing was perfect for the gears I used. I don't know what they came out of, maybe an old transmission.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuildSF4 Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 I love the simplicity of the clamps. I have most of the parts to make mine, just haven't had time to complete it. I also like the counter-rotating stars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted June 15, 2013 Author Share Posted June 15, 2013 So how many years did the epoxy hold up? You likely have it already figured out by now but I forgot why I uploaded the photos of the counter rotating part until now. On this one I used A different style pillow block that the one I posted on the other page. With them mounted on channel iron, I just flipped the back half upside down and the spacing was perfect for the gears I used. I don't know what they came out of, maybe an old transmission.? The epoxy is still holding up, although I did add a second bearing to help stabilize it. The clamps are still working, but I've had to beef them up by adding 1/2" flat bar to them. When they finally quit, I'll build some different ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stick Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 Looks good! What about welding heavy springs to the back of the arms to hold the steel instead of the clamps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Phil Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Welding steel = bad! No temper, no spring... I used a flat peice of steel with a through bolt and a coil spring to retain tension on the bottom of the plate. (the plate slips between the arm and that flat piece.) Also put a bolt in the bottom to keep the plates from "volunteering" when a plate falls and hits the arm. The bolt acts as an indexing pin. Works great! I have 2 stars and a polish plate rack and all work just fine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcqueen Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Nice job! I am getting ready to make one too but I think you have out scrounged me. Thanks for the ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlgentlegiant Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I was wondering how you indexed the plates on the star using those clamps. Nice design. I was worried about the clamps holding the plates of someone really got the rack spinning or about them popping with hits on the arm. I worked the steel stage at Area 6 (was stage 4 and had to be thrown out). The star and plate rack used what I think were screen door spring hinges that were not up to the task of handling that many shooters. We also had issues of hits near the plate but on the bar causing the hinge to pop (one person had 3 reshoots due to that). Yours looks like a good design! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toyotafrank Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 nice Star Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted December 29, 2014 Author Share Posted December 29, 2014 Thanks! Gonna re-work it when I get a chance. Gonna change the clamps to another design I made...much more robust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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