[How do I?] Lift Heavy Items Onto Lathe.

Tony Wells said:
Member Frank Ford had a nice method to address this issue. Hope he doesn't mind posting from his site.

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Projects/MiniHoist/minihoist.html
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An excellent project, thanks, unfortunately I have ruled out hanging anything from the roof, which is low pitched only about 22deg. so almost impossible to get in under the galv iron sheets, without removing them. We build our houses quite a bit differently from you guys. And i'd need to put beams up there to spread the load over a few joists, the ceiling itself is gyprock, I think you guys call it plasterboard. For the same reason I don't want to hang anything off the wall. It would have to be floor mounted and again no room. I'll play with the toolpost idea and see where it gets me.
 
4gsr said:
The simplest is go buy a piece of "barn door track/rail" at your local building center and mount a short length of it on the ceiling. Place it so it is just in front of your chuck. Hook up a small 1/4 ton ratchet hoist from HF on it. May have to put a short length of chain on it, from the track to the ratchet hoist so you are able to use it at a reasonable height. Ken
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I have already ruled out hanging anything from the ceiling or wall for reasons explained in this forum, but thanks any way for the good ideas, I had actually considered it before, but hanging anything from the ceiling is just too hard.
 
Tony Wells said:
I bet I haven't changed a chuck in 20 years. I wouldn't try it right now because of my broken leg, but even then my back is in not too good condition either so would need to look at something to help. Oddly, none of my lathes are currently where I can get the rolling gantry over them. The mills are, but not the lathes. Hmm, should have thought about that before I got rid of my forklift. Guess I was counting on my back, but it's not what it used to be. In fact, going in for more nerve burns in about 2 weeks.
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Now that you've said you haven't changed a chuck in 20 years, you'll probably have to do it tomorrow.
 
I hope not, Bob.....if it comes up, I'll have to call in some help. Doc hasn't cleared me to go back to normal work yet, and I figure changing a chuck is out. The smallest presently mounted is a Strong brand 10", then a couple of 12's or larger. One of those machines is just idled at the moment so not an issue. 10" 3 jaw is way heavier than I want to lift right now.

Been sitting, thinking about your problem and may have come up with something that I will want to build for myself. You have issues drilling into the concrete right behind the machine? I'm thinking of a sawed off jib crane. I have built a couple of full sized, 4 ton units, and I think it would be a very simple job to built a small one. I just happen to have a 500 lb electric chain hoist .

Oh, and naturally, the one lathe I never use actually has a sort of jib swung over it, good enough to handle chuck changes and steady rest mounts...oh well. Guess I need to wire it up and start using it.


Oh, and btw, what you are thinking of I believe we call in generic terms "sheetrock". It is pressed gypsum with paper on both sides and comes in thicknesses of 1/4 to 5/8" (as far as I know) and standard sheets are 4 x 8 feet, or 4 x 12 at times, used mostly in commercial work. The joints are filled with a water based gypsum "mud" and paper tape. Sometimes just called "drywall". Largest maker may be using the tradename sheetrock, and is US Gypsum IIRC. But I can understand your reluctance to open that can of worms.
 
Tony Wells said:
I figured something made out of an old tailstock as a base or something like it would be easier on things than the skyhook. I really am not all that fond of putting that much leverage out there on a tool post and compound, but I suppose they have done the math.
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I think the forces on the toolpost when machining are pretty high, I don't know the numbers, but taking a heavy intermittent cut would be pretty severe. I've even seen guys run a tool post into spinning chuck with no apparent damage apart from a broken toolbit. Not that I intend to do that, but I don't think the loads I'm considering would be excessive.
 
Probably not, as long as the lifting arm were kept reasonably short. You would only need to be able to reach out over the chip pan or base to get the chuck on a rolling cart, or the floor.....as needed. The leverage shouldn't be too much. And as said, the Skyhook people are in that business and have been for a while. Many people seem to like those things, so the concept is accepted.
 
Tony Wells said:
Probably not, as long as the lifting arm were kept reasonably short. You would only need to be able to reach out over the chip pan or base to get the chuck on a rolling cart, or the floor.....as needed. The leverage shouldn't be too much. And as said, the Skyhook people are in that business and have been for a while. Many people seem to like those things, so the concept is accepted.
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My thoughts exactly it only has to reach out about 250mm 10"from the center of the bed so I don't think that would hurt.
 
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