Bicycle Mechanics - To someone with a TS-3

I've decided to build myself a truing stand that is at least equivalent to a TS-3. I don't expect this to be cost effective, I don't expect this to be time effective. I am however an engineer and this is the sort of thing I do with my spare time. That said it's been a while since I've seen one in person, and the local shops have TS-2s. I'm looking into methods of adjusting the width and am trying to avoid acme or ball screws. I can find lots of pictures online, including an exploded view (linked below). However, I can't seem to visualize the width adjustment. If someone with a TS-3 would please post a picture of a TS-3 from the back, that would be great. If e-mail is preferred, send me a PM and I'll provide an e-mail address.

Edit: To be more specific, I'm talking about parts #11-17 in the linked document.

Thanks in advance

http://www.parktool.com/products/documents/TS_3_2005823_26925.pdf

Do you know what a "Watts Link" is? It's a sort of parallogram thing.

Anyway, there's one in back of the TS3 with a handle that slides the two towers in and out together. To be honest with you, I think that it looks and works kind of cheesy.

I didn't know what that was before, but I just looked it up and that makes sense. I always found the one I used a couple years ago to be a bit stiff, but I'm not coming up with anything else. I like the screw mechanism with the TS-2 but I don't want to have to turn a knob several times. I liked the fact that a single lever slide moved the arms from all the way out to all the way in. Do you have any suggestions for how else to do this?

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff237/mechBgon/Park_Tool_TS2_TS3.jpg

An older pic. That's the best I can do at the moment (my camera's out on loan).


I like the screw mechanism with the TS-2 but I don't want to have to turn a knob several times.

Me neither, hence the aluminum flywheel, and the dial gauge at the left that indicates how far open the axle supports are. I like my custom TS-2 better than my TS-3 (which is vegitating in its original carton at the moment). The TS-3 does open wider, which could be important if the user works on tandems.

If you're not in a hurry, I can get you more photos of the TS-3 when I get my camera back.

An older pic. That's the best I can do at the moment (my camera's out on loan).

Me neither, hence the aluminum flywheel, and the dial gauge at the left that indicates how far open the axle supports are. I like my custom TS-2 better than my TS-3 (which is vegitating in its original carton at the moment). The TS-3 does open wider, which could be important if the user works on tandems.

If you're not in a hurry, I can get you more photos of the TS-3 when I get my camera back.

Thank you. I found a TS-3 review you did online with mention to the flywheel but the blog link you left was gone. I liked the fact that the TS-3 had a pull of a lever rather than several turns, even with a bigger wheel, but I'll consider that. Also, whenever you get your camera back, I would appreciate more pictures.

Edit: I do have a tandem that I work on so the width is important.

Actually, something else, what is the maximum and minimum axle spacing the TS-2 and TS-3 can accommodate?

I looked up the TS-2 on the park page and it claims the TS-2 can take up to a 150mm axle. As tandems are 145 it seems like the ts-2 should work? Is it an issue that it isn't really the full 150 or is it just a pain to get the axle in without more clearance?

I looked up the TS-2 on the park page and it claims the TS-2 can take up to a 150mm axle. As tandems are 145 it seems like the ts-2 should work? Is it an issue that it isn't really the full 150 or is it just a pain to get the axle in without more clearance?

A TS-2 will just barely handle a 160mm OLD Santana tandem hub.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff237/mechBgon/DSCF0004.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff237/mechBgon/DSCF0005.jpg

^pics of the TS-3 at the bike shop. I hasten to add, that mess you see in the background doesn't belong to my workbench!

The TS-3 opens to 173mm. My TS-2 is not a very recent one, and it opens to edit: 157mm stock, or 172mm with Park Tool's TS-2EXT extensions added to the axle supports.

That's exactly what I was after. Thank you.