Kerry, I haven't tried to build it it, but I may someday if I can find the time. Having said that, I want to say "Thanks!" It is very impressive! You are certainly multi-talented!

Regan

Thanks for the plans Kerry!

Thanks for the plans Kerry. The past 3 months I have done a couple of shows with kids and wished I had a better table just as you have shared. I am not a carpenter is but my dad sure is. I will share the plans with him over the holiday. Thanks for sharing.

Here is a shot of my table. 100 straight shows and it never failed.

I got a deal on some cabinet grade plywood. A bit thicker than the plans called for, but the extra weight made it VERY stable when rolling it on and off stage.

Painted the front with the stone texture spray paint, the sides with a nice dark brown and of course flat black inside.

Tooled my logo on saddle skirt, edged with 1" braided nylon rope and mountd to the front.

Made two tops, one of a size needed for the multiplying bottles. After that routine I picked the top up and moved it to the side, replacing it with one for my square circle. Lots of room in back for everything.

Click here to view attached image.

Are these plans still available to download. I clicked on the link but got a blank page.

This link works just fine, it seems the web address link in not working.

http://www.usc.salvationarmy.org/usc/dow......inal.pdf

this will download automatically, so if you are on dial-up it will take a while to load. You need the free "Acrobate Reader" software on your computer, get it at http://www.adobe.com

Hi Gang,

Thank you all for the continuing kind words regarding the Fastand plans. I never expected this kind of traction, but am glad the plans have been of some help to the magic community.

The plans are still available for free download, along with photos of the finished product as a shop aid for builders. Here are the links that I know work - just tested them:

Plans in PDF (1.6mb): http://kkistler.powweb.com/magic/fastandplans.pdf

Photos in PDF (649kb): http://kkistler.powweb.com/magic/fastandpix.pdf

Photos in Word (14.1mb): http://kkistler.powweb.com/magic/fastandpix.doc

If a page seems "blank" the file may still be in the process of downloading. I've been fooled by this myself, thinking a download link was no longer working only to discover it was just a big file still downloading. Or, my file hosting service could have had a hiccup.

I'm surprised the Salvation Army link still works. I no longer work for them and our old web site was taken down months ago. I'm guessing their webmaster will eventually discover this orphan file on their servers and delete it. The Powweb link will work as long as I can afford to pay for the hosting.

Warmest regards to you all,
Kerry

Thanks for the plans.

Thanks...appreciate it.

I have a challenge to the builders. Kerry mentioned in an earlier post that he wished he had worked harder to solve the problem of the top shelf being too wide to fit nicely into the trunk. I am still very happy with my stand in terms of strength, appearance and durability, but I agree with Kerry that this would be a nice problem to solve.

Do any of you have promising ideas on this front?

John

Been browsing the forums looking for case ideas. This one looks do-able - If I can find someone with power tools! Kerry, thank you for the plans!

John, very impressive build! I may have a solution to the top shelf storage issue but I think it would require starting over almost from scratch.

1) Increase the height of the bottom part of the case by a few inches so the shelf can fit vertically along the side of the bottom section, and maybe add a strap inside to hold it in place against the wall or possibly a small track or divider for it to slide into. (I'm not sure how many extra inches in height would needed to fit the shelf since I don't have a finished case in front of me. Be sure to take the inside dowel into account when figuring out the new height.)

2) If adding a couple of inches in height to the bottom section makes the stand higher than you'd like, remove a couple of inches in height from the top section.

3) If you add a couple of inches in height to the bottom section (whether or not you then subtract height from the top section), when the case is closed, and the top part is folded over, the top part will no longer completely cover the open back of the bottom part of the case. There will be a gap at the bottom.

4) Solution: Add a strip across the back of the bottom section to form a lip and cover the gap. A lip of a few inches might even be helpful with regard to keeping some props in the case a bit better when the case is open.

5) If you attach the strip/lip across the outside of the back (as opposed to affixing it inside between the two side pieces), then, if you get the measurements right, when the top is pivoted down and in the closed position, the (now) bottom edge of that closed top piece will be flush with the top of the added lip. You could then attach a clasp there to lock the two pieces together when closed, though that might not be necessary.

I hope you're able to follow my description without pictures. It works perfectly in my head!

Lucky, I like this idea for stowing the stand top in the base. I just went and measured the stand, and there is 16.75" available (from floor of stand to the bottom of the dowel rod). The stand top would need 22.5" to fit comfortably in a vertical position, so adding 6" to the height of the lower section would be required. That might make the overall height of the opened stand too tall for some performers so, as you say, the top section could be shortened to compensate.

I designed and built this for my height (6'3") and the overall opened height is 42". Adding 6" would make the stand 4" tall - probably too high for most performers. Your proposed adjustments would be workable.

Thanks for your input,
Kerry

I'm glad you were able to make sense of my suggestion!

Thank you again for sharing your plans.

Great build, Kerry, thanks for sharing it with the rest of us! How about an open question, to you and anyone else using this or similar stands?

How do you use the stand? That is, do all of your props transport inside, or do you have more props in an auxiliary case? If you tote props in the stand, are they set and ready to perform? Is there room for a sound system as well?

Thanks in advance for the input. :0)

Glad to see the stand is still getting some attention. I have been using mine for the past year and a bit, and I'm still very happy with it.

Thanks for the suggestion Lucky. I'll have to think hard about whether I feel like building a new stand.

And again, thanks for giving us the plans, Kerry, and for checking in from time to time.

If you haven't build one, maybe it's time to consider.

Oh, and Mulee Pete--your stand looks very professional. Well done.

JOhn

Oops, not able to see either page. Other options?

Thanks all for the kind words. Glad to be of service.

There are newer links posted near the top of this page that work - just tested them.

The cargo area is roughly 4.5 cubic feet.

This held my whole show for many years - I would preset as much as possible and finish the rest when I arrived at the venue. It's about the right size for a "pack flat, play big" kind of show. It did not also hold my sound system but it could if you were using something like the Happy Amp.

When performing I made every attempt to not work from behind the stand but to the side or in front. Depending on the show, some of my props were set on the top, some on the handle shelf and some in the lower cargo area. The servante did not serve that purpose very much. It became more of a catch bag for smaller items used in the course of routines (things like ropes, silks, etc.).

As the show progressed props would migrate from the top/shelf to the cargo area so that immediately following a show I could pop off the top and close the case thus hiding props away from prying eyes and hands (very helpful at birthday parties and outdoor festivals).

Hope that helps. Kerry

Kerry, you give them a wonderful table and now you tell them how to use it. What a guy, giving all that valuable information to everyone. I would let them figure something out for themselves.

Thanks Kerry for the plans. Been reading over them, and I too (like many others) have been looking for something very similar to this. Thanks to you I am going to be purchasing more tools and having a new project to work on.

In all seriousness, thanks again. Very nice of you to give this away

Just a note - updated download links to these plans and photos are on page 3 of this thread.
Best, Kerry