Old Stern - How do you put the legs on?

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Fifty
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Old Stern - How do you put the legs on?

Post by Fifty »

Hi guys,

I'm working on an old Stern. I've never put the legs on one of these before but I'm having problems. The front legs I believe I have covered, the leg brackets were completely stripped but I have replacements. See photo. If you can't figure out which is the old and which is the new I'm not going to tell you.
20180722_135446.jpg
For the back legs I'm at a total loss. I assumed it would be the same as the front. I mean, why devise a different method? Unfortunately the back legs have a large metal plate. The hole is not threaded or at least it isn't now.
20180722_135504.jpg
Two questions;

1) For the front legs. Is the leg plate just held in with basic pan head screws or do I need to do something special?
2) For the rear legs. WTF? How do I attach the legs to these?

I'm feel embarrassed for even asking how to install this stuff but I want to do it correctly.

Thanks,
Tim

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Re: Old Stern - How do you put the legs on?

Post by semicolin »

On mine, the plates press-fit into the wood when the legs are tightened and are held in with a spike. Front and back are the same small-ish plate. I have seen some games that have a second large cross-plate on the inside that covers over and prevents you from using bolts that are excessively long.

What game is this?

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Re: Old Stern - How do you put the legs on?

Post by Fifty »

semicolin wrote:On mine, the plates press-fit into the wood when the legs are tightened and are held in with a spike. Front and back are the same small-ish plate. I have seen some games that have a second large cross-plate on the inside that covers over and prevents you from using bolts that are excessively long.

What game is this?
It's a Meteor.

On the front, when I removed the stripped plate it was just press-fit into the wood like you mentioned. No spike. By spike, do you just mean an old nail?

On the back, if I put a bolt into the leg hole it just slides right through unobstructed.

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Re: Old Stern - How do you put the legs on?

Post by tinyrodent »

I doubt those rear plates are original. You could use washers and nuts to hold the legs on, it's not hard to do with the head removed. Or replace with the proper type of plate.
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Re: Old Stern - How do you put the legs on?

Post by Fifty »

tinyrodent wrote:I doubt those rear plates are original. You could use washers and nuts to hold the legs on, it's not hard to do with the head removed. Or replace with the proper type of plate.
I'm was starting to think they are not original too so I decided to remove one. When I did I saw that two different types of nails were used. This led me to believe it was definitely added on by some over-zealous person. The metal plates are crazy thick. When the plate was pulled away there was nothing under it. I mean nothing. No sign of any original leg bolt system, no wood wear. This leads me to believe these thick-ass metal plates are original. Dumb, but original. I am guessing they were threaded at one point in their life but any sign of thread is long gone.
20180722_144053.jpg
20180722_144027.jpg

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Re: Old Stern - How do you put the legs on?

Post by Fifty »

I removed the second plate. Now that I was able to hold them both in my hands I still think this is an after-market fabrication. The metal isn't even cut square, and the one was held in with a spiral nail and a finishing nail.

I'm going to install the new leg system.

One last question, does the flanged side of the new bracket point in towards the cabinet or get pressed into the wood?

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Re: Old Stern - How do you put the legs on?

Post by semicolin »

Ah! Here's a picture from my Meteor.

All four legs are exactly the same: Two tacks to hold them in place, one screw to secure the ground braid, and the thread flange/burr presses into the wood... in my case, they really press into the wood because of some dumbass who used an impact wrench to tighten down the bolts. (You know who are(there's more than one of you), and you make Mary weep)
asset+%283%29.JPG

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Re: Old Stern - How do you put the legs on?

Post by Fifty »

4 hours later and it's up on legs...
20180722_170333.jpg
I installed the leg bracket with the flange side pointing in. My thought process was that the bolt would be pushed in the bracket and the bowl on the opposite side of the flange would center the bolt so that it would thread properly. The other way around the bolt would be pushed into the thinner flange side and the possibility of cross threads or damage would be greater.

Thanks for the help everyone.
20180722_170952.jpg
20180722_171011.jpg

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Re: Old Stern - How do you put the legs on?

Post by OTTOgd »

Great resto problem-solving thread with helpful pics, thanks.

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Re: Old Stern - How do you put the legs on?

Post by R.A.B. »

OK.

But Tim, originally the nut plates were always installed the other way at the factory. Maybe you have improved the past. :D

Hugs,

Rob
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Re: Old Stern - How do you put the legs on?

Post by Fifty »

R.A.B. wrote:OK.

But Tim, originally the nut plates were always installed the other way at the factory. Maybe you have improved the past. :D

Hugs,

Rob
Ha! I was waiting for you to chime in. I was going to put them the other way, I really was, but the more I thought about it the less sense it made to me. The bowl shape helps direct the bolt into the hole properly. If I install them the "way you're supposed to" and push the flanged end into the wood then the bolt has nothing to help direct it into the hole. It has the thru-hole of the cabinet yes, but there is always a ton of play in those holes. So the bolt could easily hit the thin edge of the metal on the flange and cross thread.

I dunno, I still might flip them. They did a lot of things in the past that were far from perfect.

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Re: Old Stern - How do you put the legs on?

Post by Fifty »

Sparky wrote:The reason to have the taper on the inside is that once it is tightened for the first time, the taper digs into the wood and then keeps it in the same place, centered with the hole.

;)
I'll flip them over tonight. It's getting harder to find the hole the older I get. ;)

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