From coat stand to test stand
My movement test stand has and still is proving to be a reliable piece of kit which can be made quickly for very little cost.
The enclosed photograph shows the finished article which was made by modifying a coat stand which was bought at auction for only a few pounds. These coat stands seem to appear frequently in local weekly auctions.
The stand that I purchased was a plain simple design that most people are not interested in but is suitable to convert. The conversion carried out was to cut off the lower part and upper part including the tie rails to give an overall height of 52in at the back and 47½in at the front. The stepping-down at the front allows the movement to be tested complete with dial if needed. The only new bits to be made are the two stepped-down side pieces and back/front tie rails which are screwed to the four uprights. Job done!
This test stand is portable and allows all-round visibility of the movement on test.
Peter Simpkins, UK
