As I built my plane, I needed to balance it laterly. (Thanks to RCKen for his help/advice)

So I needed to suspend it, while I tinkered with the balance weight. I used a couple step ladders, and a long carpenters level and some string to do so. (See picture 1 below.) The contraption worked, but it took up a lot of area in a clutter workspace. I decided there had to be a better way. So I made a trip to the hardware store and bought some pvc pipe and fittings.

I'd need two stands. For each stand, I made two "T" shaped supports, and one cross piece.

First I cut the pvc. It took 6 pieces 2 feet long, and 4 pieces 1 foot long. I also needed 4 T-joints, 4 elbows, and 8 end-caps. (Picture 2)

Before assembly, I took for 2-foot pieces and sanded down one end on each. I made sure this sanded end easily slipped into one end of the elbows. (see picture 3)

Then came time for glue-up. pvc glue-up for pvc pipe is a 3-step process, cleaning, priming, and glue/assembly. Each piece of the joint needs to be cleaned and primed. So like an assembly line, I did all the cleaning, followed by all the priming. Remember, only clean/prime one side of the elbows, you'll see why later. (See picture 4)

Finally glue-up.

I started on the cross beams. Each consist of one 2-foot piece (clean/primed on each end) and two elbows. Make sure you have a flat area on which to work. Apply some glue to one end of the 2-foot piece, and slide it into the cleaned/primed end of the elbow. Hold together for a few seconds while the glue sets. Then apply glue to the other end of the 2-foot piece. Making sure the unglued ends of the elbows are flat on your surface, slide the second elbow onto the 2-foot piece. Hold for a count of 10, and your cross beam is done. (See picture 5)

Now for the end pieces. Glue one end-cap onto each of the 1-foot pieces. Then glue the other ends of the 1-footers into the T piece, such that they're opposite of each other. Finally glue 2-foot piece (the cleaned/primed end, not the sanded end) into the leg of the T piece. Your support system is done. (See picture 6)

Now, to make the actual hanging easier, and a bit adjustable. I took some old nails I had. These nails are about 3.5" long. I bent each into the shape of an "S". The bends had to be sharp enough so the strings and hooks would slip off. (See picture 7)

Now for the use. Remember the unglued elbow ends? And the sanded 2-footer ends? These slide together. Do NOT glue these. Let gravity help you.

I put loops on each end of the strings so they would loop around the cross beam and into a nail. And I put loops on each of the strings that held up the plane. One end of the S-shaped nails hook into the string loop, or loops, and the other ends hook into each other.

Viola! The plane is held up nicely, but now there's more room to walk around it. (see picture 8)

It took me one trip to the hardware store for materials. Total cost for me was around $20.00. I already had the glue. And it took about an hour or so to do the cutting/gluing.

By not gluing the cross beams to the verticle, it's collapseable, and takes up a bunch less space. It holds the plane nicely. Depending on the plane, you may need to shorten or lengthen the strings. And if it's a particularly big bird, you may need to length the leg of the T-shapes so you can hang from high enough. The bird's wheels are only an inch or so from the floor, so if it's out of balance, it won't tip far and damage itself.

The one modification I might, or might not make, is to NOT glue the leg of the T end piece together. Sand the end down a bit so it slide into the T piece easily enough. The stand would be a little more collapsable, but it'd be a bit more wobbly. It's your choice....

I thought I'd post this, thought it be a useful device for all you builders out there....

1. Plane suspended by ladders 'n such. It takes up a lot of floor space.
2. pvc pieces cut. 6: 2-footers, 4: 1-footers, 4 Ts, 4 elbows, and 8 endcaps.
3. Sand one end of 4 of the 2-footers so it easily slides into an elbow
4. All pieces ready for final assembly. Remember, prepare only one side of each of the elbows, and don't prepare the ends you sanded
5. Glue up the cross-beam assemblies. Remember to make sure the elbows face the same direction. (Flat surface needed)
6. Glue the end-pieces. They form a big "T" shape, the sanded end of the 2-footer is out-of-frame
7. Bend some old nails, or whatever you have handy into "S" shapes.
8. The plane suspended on the new stands. Floor space saved. The stands can be disassembled for easier storage.