How to install gas struts

[@macclesfieldufosociety5490]

What a very pleasant manner you have Peter. A true gent.

[@WobblycogsUk]

Interesting video. I've never really considered using gas struts but now I can think of loads of places where they would come in useful. Great to see the evolution of the design as well. So many people hide their mistakes but now we all know a range of ways that won't work.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Wobblycogs Workshop Now I have done it once I would not hesitate to use them again. Metrol have been a great help. Cheers. Peter

[@davidpedlar240]

​@@NewBritWorkshopawardeesttfftf 8:25 fff

[@CanadienNortherner]

I'm designing a Solar array of panels with this idea of gas struts . It'll work out good . Thanks 👍 very nice cabinet ! Cheers

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Sounds great!

[@plumbc007]

Thanks for the info on how to remove the ball on the strut, I needed to do a ifor williams trailer strut and fit a new bellow cover on 1 😊

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Glad it helped

[@EducatingSavvas]

This looks a lot better for the structure of the CNC machine than lofting it upright. Very elegant design.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Educating Savvas Many thanks. I also use the top of the closed unit as a work surface for other tasks. Peter

[@roncooper6302]

Peter, the good comments have already been made. It is always a joy to see your workmanship. Regards.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Ron Cooper Hi Ron, Many thanks - you are a great supporter and it is much appreciated. Peter

[@charlion570]

Great Explanation Peter-just what I was looking for. Thanks.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Glad it was helpful! Peter

[@harveysmith100]

Hello Peter, I saw you at the D&M tool show last week, I nearly said hello but you looked busy. Don't give up on the idea of struts for the cover. There is always room if you look hard enough. May I suggest to you and other who wish to use gas struts, take a look at any hatchback or estate car. You can learn a lot from how the are positioned. Not only do the hold up the tailgate, they also act to hold it closed. I can't explain properly with just words, but it is all to do with angles. go have a play and you will see what I mean.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Harvey Smith Hi Harvey, You should have said hello - perhaps we'll meet next year. The gas struts are very interesting and for the main lifting part of the CNC cabinet it was complicated by the parallel motion which is quite unlike the top hinged situation with a car tailgate. The top is not very heavy and the fixed stays seem to be okay. Certainly anyone doing their own design could fully commit to gas struts at the design stage and they should not encounter the retro fitting complication that I experienced. See you nest year at D&M. Peter

[@cjhification]

It was definitely worth waiting for, replaced existing struts previously but not used in a custom install like this, good to know there fiddly when not doing the car boot. Thanks for another great video Peter. Craig

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Craig Hastie Hi Craig, Many thanks. I should have thought it through a little more at the design stage. The way the top hinges up and forwards makes any normal use of gas struts almost impossible. The only way to do it was my first attempt. Unfortunately the horizontal vector of thrust was in the wrong direction. I then had to devise the "compound" idea by introducing the swinging arm. The second design assumed that it would be easy to get both adjustable gas struts to the same force which I could not manage. The final design works quite well. I wanted to show the failures as I hope it will be more informative to anyone going through their own design process. Another approach could be to use linear slides. I know that Accuride make them (they are not drawer slides) but I could not take the risk of trying those without a higher degree of certainty of success. Gas struts are really inexpensive for what they offer and so I would recommend them to anyone. Cheers. Peter

[@cjhification]

Thanks for further information, always good to understand the design process. Seeing you make mistakes and evolve the design will definitely give a lot more people confidence to have a go as you are known for having made some really good cabinetry and if you, (who for your info sit on a pedestal in many of our minds) can make mistakes it's OK for the rest of us to too.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Craig Hastie I am red with embarrassment now - thank you. Peter

[@MisterAngry1965]

My wife saw me grinning at the laptop and asked if I was watching something funny, I started to tel her about the section where you lost the gas from the strut and the pee taking was then relentless she even messaged the kids to tell them how sad I am! Great video as usual.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Chris L Hi Chris, Many thanks - did it happen to you? Peter

[@MisterAngry1965]

No, I'm far too clever to make that mistake. *cough*

[@scsolutions25]

GREAT videos...some of the best I've ever seen.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Wow, thanks!

[@maz1980s]

I very much enjoyed this video. Thanks for sharing

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@michael.schuler]

Thank you! Very useful info on quite practical topic.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Glad it was helpful!

[@fjn667]

hm, gas struts. Why didn't i think of that. Very clever design

[@jeffwaite7413]

Once again, a great solution and a great instructional video!!! Keep up the great instruction Peter! Thank you, Jeff

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Jeff Waite Hi Jeff, Many thanks - I am hoping to finish off the drawers in the next 2 weeks. Cheers. Peter

[@philipgostling7065]

Hi, very versatile solution Keep up the good work. Phil.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Philip Gostling Many thanks Philip. Peter

[@sandeepsoni5031]

This vedio is fantastic!!! It really works for me .. thanks

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Sandeep, Many thanks. Peter

[@DalyMalcolm]

Nice job Peter! Can I say the oak frame of your CNC cabinet looks absolutely perfect, it's a lovely piece of workmanship itself 👍🏻. Malcolm

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Malcolm Daly Hi Malcolm, How are you? Almost all the wood that I use for these workshop "furniture" items is either left over from something else or it has come out of the skip at the timber yard. I did have to buy a little bit more oak faced MDF for the drawer fronts but they have yet to be seen in public. They are being made now and I hope to have the whole thing finished in the next 3 days. The video will take a little longer. I did not intend to put hinges on the top but a couple of people have suggested it so I am giving it a try. The problem comes with the stays to hold it safely open but I am working on that. Cheers. Peter

[@DalyMalcolm]

+New Brit Workshop (Peter) I'm fine thanks but my CNC machine that I build from scratch has been a bit of a disappointment, it's not as accurate as I'd like and an incident involving missing tabs damaged my spindle so I'm dismantling it and starting from scratch, hay ho upwards and onwards. Looking forward to seeing your cabinet finished, cheers Malcolm.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Malcolm Daly Hi Malcolm, I am sorry that your CNC is not as good as you had hoped. What size will the finished machine be and how much has it cost so far? Peter

[@DalyMalcolm]

+New Brit Workshop (Peter) it'll an 8' x 4' sheet. Approaching 5. Malcolm.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Malcolm Daly Ouch ! Breaking new ground like this is often tricky but (eventually) one ends up with something far superior to anything on the market for the same outlay. Good luck. Peter

[@robertdwyer9243]

Gas springs from STABILUS INOX, usually sold by Attwood, have retainer clips in the heads that can come out and get lost. Stabilus does not supply replacements! These are the clips that you must compress using needle-nose plyers in order to remove the spring from the nub. Very irritating when you've lost the darn clip!

[@grahamcifuentes4451]

Very nice! A well enunciated production, but it totally ignores the main installation situation where the strut is fully compressed and goes slightly overcentre to keep a door closed.

[@Dqrnan]

I am wondering if there is a way to refill the strut with an air compressor. Good video; thank you.

[@baburamabadhran1437]

Can you help me know two gas,springs separately be used for opening and closing is it possible pl. ??

[@enyoc3d]

brilliant solution; thanks for sharing. near 6 years on, how has this stood up to the test of time? do you still find it useful? would you change anything?

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi John, I changed the CNC to a smaller model and decided to make the enclosure smaller. The new design is without gas struts. The old design worked really well and I would have continued to use it but for our move of house and my slightly smaller workshop. Here is the new cabinet: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6rWiomDo7-reLM Peter

[@enyoc3d]

@@NewBritWorkshop Thank you sir

[@nippychippy]

Welcome back you have been missed😄

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+nippychippy Hi Robert, I have been away for two weeks and have also been helping all sorts of people with various practical tasks. I will be glad when the CNC cabinet is completed as it has been one of my trickier tasks. Cheers. Peter

[@nippychippy]

I can see that still watching must of been a lot of head scratching another great video

[@joestafford6255]

Great design as always Peter. Nice job. Did you ever consider using another strut and a piano hinge so you could just lift the cover and it would stay up out of the way? That way you wouldn't have to lift the cover off and find a place to store it.

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Joe Stafford Hi Joe, My design does not allow for a gas strut for the lid. Originally I was going to have the lid as a detachable piece but, after some encouragement from other viewers, I have installed hinges. I am currently working out the easiest design of stay. Cheers. Peter

[@ianmurray3820]

Attatchment a dust collector to it and you could do your machining whilst it’s closed!!!😂😂

[@RustyCas999]

@@NewBritWorkshopIn addition to hinges on the cover top at the back edge, I was going to suggest a piano hinge along the front so the front folds flat against the top when opened. You might attach a whiteboard to the inside of the cover for making notes or sketches when in “working” mode. When I saw your name attached to strut installation I knew you’d have a meticulous execution of the install!

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Rusty, great idea - cheers. Peter

[@motionstruts]

decent explanation, appreciate for that!

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Many thanks for this - especially coming from an expert. Cheers. Peter

[@derekmmmm]

Great to see the evolution of the design. Great video. P.S. Maybe don't call it the "final Solution!" Haha

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Derek, Many thanks - it is the "final" effort from me ! Cheers. Peter

[@allseas3953]

Fat side (tube) up. That's what I was looking for. Thanks. :-)

[@cayrick]

In the medical field you have so much to memorize that you look for anachronisms to help you remember. In my case its "tits up" or "tube up". Hope this helps!

[@adammason4554]

happy i found this channel

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Adam, Brilliant. Peter

[@henrysworkshop7477]

What a great design Peter! I wonder whether the removable cover could be hinged at the back and lifted with the aid of gas struts too so that you don't have to lift it off when you want to use the CNC?

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Henrys Workshop I had thought of that at the start but I would have to find a way of ensuring that the additional lifting mechanism did not interfere with the movement of the CNC platform. Another idea was to have the top hinged but with a simple stay. In the raised position it would provide an anchor point for a vacuum hose linked to the spindle and also for the mains cable of the Dewalt router that I will install soon. Many thanks for your brilliant suggestion. Cheers. Peter

[@henrysworkshop7477]

A simple hinge could work very well!

[@ianbeswick8557]

Peter...if a lid is hinged at the back side ..like the boot of a car, then it's easy to understand the action and utility of gas struts. In your application the motion of the machine table is parallel to the ground and I don't see any explanation of how that's achieved..............you've showed the front so what happens at the back? But anyway thank you for uploading these interesting videos. Ian Beswick Victoria BC

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+ian beswick Hi Ian, I hope to be putting the main construction video on line in the next 2 or 3 weeks and all will then be clear. Peter

[@broccolihart1]

Thanks for explaining this.

[@AkinetikFitness]

This is amazing. I have a 1000mm Xcarve and would love a bench like this for my small garage. Do you have plans for this available?

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Akinetik Fitness, In order to get plans or to contact me via email I need your email address. KZbin no longer has a private messaging service and so in order to get in touch you need to place a comment on this or any other video with your email address. The KZbin software should identify and send it to the spam folder for The New Brit Workshop. Nobody will be able to see your email address except you and me. I will then delete your comment so that it does not end up in the public domain and I will then send the plans. Were we to do this the other way around then my comment, with my email address, would appear for all the world to see. Peter

[@Bright8888]

Thanks Peter, for your interesting video. I have a gas strut removed from a car which I think of using in a woodworking project and your video has taught me quite a bit on the subject. What happened to the gas strut from which you allowed all gas to escape? Is it totally useless now or can it be refilled?

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+Bala Chandar Hi Bala, The gas strut that I emptied was sent back and refilled. It is as good as new and in use in that cabinet. Good luck with your project. Peter

[@ChrisBrown1957]

What a great, informative video. As someone just learning about gas struts, was very helpful. One question not directly related to the struts, but how is the platform kept level? Is it some form of paralellogram?

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Chris, Apart from the gas struts there are two pairs stays, one set on each side with one at the front and one at the back. One end of each stay is attached to the rising platform and the lower end is attached to the frame. The stays are about 450 mm long. That means that the platform has to move through an arc defined by the stays. The gas struts just provide the motive power. Peter

[@lion123145678]

hi all, I wonder where is the power to push the cylinder of gas struts to up and down. maybe we use by hand, right?

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Qhungvt, One installs the gas struts in their open position and then when you close the lid (or whatever) you have to apply some force which then provides the stored energy to open the lid later. Peter

[@nadeemuk6194]

Hi may I fit these gas struts wooden butter leaf under table to hold table board

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Muhammad, I am not quite sure how you propose to do this but as long as the mechanism has a positive stop for the gas struts to push up to then it could work. The other consideration is the amount of force needed to close the butter leaf away. Good luck. Peter

[@nadeemuk6194]

Sorry I mean how much weight would they are Handel and my table have extendable legs which are I don't like they block way for chairs to push in under the table that's why I want to fit

[@NewBritWorkshop]

Hi Muhammad, You can get different gas struts with different force ratings. The ones that I used are adjustable by allowing some of the gas to escape. Doing an adjustment is a one way process and if you let too much out then the gas struts may not have enough force capability. I recommend that you look at the supplier's or manufacturer's web site to find the particular force capability that you need. You should easily be able to find something strong enough for your needs. Peter

[@horatio71]

Hi Peter,I really like all your videos and admire your drive for precision, but please change the "Benny Hill" music in you video, it is driving me nuts ...:-) Keep up your great work and many thanks for hours of really fantastic videos (I've watched the entire festool stuff and much of the other. Wanted to ask if you saw AVE's video how he takes apart TS 55? (see "BOLTR: Festool Track Saw TS 55"). And what your thoughts are in response.Best,John

[@NewBritWorkshop]

+horatio71 Hi John, The Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin is a great tribute to one of the United States' best music writers but I admit that I do over use it. I have not seen that video and will look out for it. Many thanks for your support. Peter

[@nadeemuk6194]

Thanks to reply me

[@sitaratandoori]

this doesnt really tell you how to fit one, just oddly designed table, which im sure has some good use!

[@CarAudioInc]

shit. I went "EUURHH!" and ruined everything