Brent IE table repair/replacement

[g-bus 3]

Hey folks,

I have an older Brent IE wheel that I'm getting fixed up to sell to a friend. I purchased it used and I think it may have been stored in a shed that wasn't very dry. The table (not sure if that's the proper term for it, but close enough) is like particle board/pressboard/melamine/whatever (why they though it was a good idea to use that around something that routinely gets wets I have no idea) is soft and spongy through a large section of it so I was thinking of possibly trying to cut out that area and fitting in a couple of pieces of plywood glued together. It's too big of an area for just wood filler or something like that, and feels like some of it is has really broken down so I doubt wood hardener would help. I'm not sure if the problem extends all the way to the where the wheel head is mounted, but if so I'm thinking I should just try to make a whole new table for it. Yeah, probably more work than it's worth but I'm trying to help a friend out with an affordable wheel. Was thinking the same idea, glue together a few sheets of plywood to get the appropriate thickness and then use the old table as a template to cut it out and match up all of the holes, then a few coats of poly, or if I can successfully get the existing laminate off of the top of the old table I could glue that back on top. Any thoughts, suggestions, potential issues or general input on this? Thanks!

[neilestrick 3,445]

I don't think you'll ever get a satisfactory repair on the old top. You'll want to replace the whole thing. The newest version of that wheel appears to have a HDPE top, which would be waterproof. If you replace the top with plywood, you'll need to seal it really well, like with a marine grade urethane. You could also buy a hunk of premade formica countertop at Menards or Home depot and cut the new top out of that, then seal the edges with urethane or a good exterior paint- anything that'll soak in well. You could also put on an adhesive or heat set edging. Whatever you do, pay close attention to how it's assembled, because the new top may need to be the same thickness in order for it to go back together and have the main shaft reach where it needs to.

[g-bus 3]

Thanks Neil. Yeah, I was pretty much thinking that replacing it is the way to go. If the damage was just out towards the edge I might be able to do some sort of patch job, but structurally I don't see how I could make that stable. This project just got a lot more involved.

[Mark C. 3,823]

I agree with Neil on the fix.The thickness can be a little different but you will have to move the bearing/sprocket/pully on the wheel head up to down to get hot exactly where it was before.HDPE is really the way to go-you can buy this at a plastic outlet store or online from a place like Tap Plastic.com.

A extra large  and thick cutting board made from this will work as well from a restaurant supply.

You will find you may need a wheel puller to get the pull off. The wheel head has 3 bolts to remove..Make sure you drill the hole in the exact spot on the new deck as the old one a well.

Edited September 14, 2018 by Mark C.

[g-bus 3]

Thanks for the input gentlemen. Thinking replacement is the way to go. Brent wants about $100 for the piece and $75 to ship for the old style, so I'm going to pass on that. Probably end up going with a mix of plywood and HDPE or PVC if I can find a decent deal. I'm not trying to drop $150 for a 1" thick piece of HDPE. I'm going to check with our local plastic processing facility and see if they can help me out. They were super generous when I was teaching Tech Ed and stopped by there to take a tour for potential field trips. Or maybe just go on the cheap and grab a piece of laminate countertop from the Habitat Re-Store. I'll let you know how/if it turns out.

[neilestrick 3,445]

I'd go with the laminate countertop, and just paint the edge with several coats of outdoor paint. Cheap, easy to work with.

[Mark C. 3,823]

If you go laminate -I suggest a thinned soak coat of oil base polyurethane  than another two to 3 coats. I taped off the top on my two model A's they have same tops as yours.

[g-bus 3]

Good call, I think that's how I'm going to go, and just seal the heck out of the edges. The local Re-Store has a nice selection of colors, and I'm giving my friend a much better deal than I realized at first so not really trying to make this harder than it needs to be. This wheel really isn't worth too much effort. Still boggles my mind why Brent thought using exposed particle board was a good idea.

[oldlady 2,384]

g-bus,  where in the shenandoah valley do you live?    i am looking for some countertop and know the winchester store but it is not really close enough to go look without knowing it's the one you are thinking about.

 

[Mark C. 3,823]

Brent thought using exposed particle board was a good idea.

 

It was a very poor choice, The holes that the 3 deck connectors(carriage bolts) penetrate also need to be sealed. I siliconed mine. I should add that I only trim on this wheel so not wet stuff happens on it.

[g-bus 3]

Sorry oldlady, didn't check in on this post for a bit. I ended up finding a piece of a countertop at our local building supply thrift store for $15, so I'm all set there. Thanks for asking though! Still working on getting this thing all put together so I appreciate all of the input, especially about sealing around those holes. Might follow your lead there, or possibly try to paint some epoxy or something in there, and will be sealing the heck out of the edges. If I was keeping it for myself I prob would've gone with some sort of plastic (I have a CXC so luckily not an issue for me), but the person buying it from me wasn't real big on dropping that much additional cash, especially for a starter wheel.