Lifting a Grizzly G0602

[Transformer]

I am considering the purchase of this lathe and would have to lift it from the floor onto a bench, probably using a chain hoist. Are there lifting points on this machine? Can you just strap around it? I have looked at the on line manual but it says nothing about how to lift it.

 

[Tony Wells]

I'm going to get yelled out for this, but here goes how I would lift it.

I would use a webbed strap around the spindle, behind the chuck, and the other end of the strap around the tailstock. A single loop, not a choker with a twist around each end and it can't move or slip. Of course, the tailstock should be moved to wherever the machine will balance.

I feel this is safe in view of the light weight of the machine, and it's rating for a workpiece. There won't be any shock load on the spindle, and the amount of stress from lifting the machine (330 lbs I believe) is not going to damage anything. You'll put more stress on it while working that you will lifting it this way.

I have also seen, but not too crazy about, people simply slide a bar through the spindle and strap both ends of it and hoist away....on much larger machines. The people doing it were well seasoned men who had move a lot of machinery, and I do not know of any harm done doing it.

 

[kizmit99]

I used a strap around the headstock (not touching the spindle) and under the ways. One thing to watch out for is to make sure your strap is between the lead screw and the casting, so there's no pressure on the lead screw. Good luck!

 

[Bill C.]

I'm going to get yelled out for this, but here goes how I would lift it.

I would use a webbed strap around the spindle, behind the chuck, and the other end of the strap around the tailstock. A single loop, not a choker with a twist around each end and it can't move or slip. Of course, the tailstock should be moved to wherever the machine will balance.

I feel this is safe in view of the light weight of the machine, and it's rating for a workpiece. There won't be any shock load on the spindle, and the amount of stress from lifting the machine (330 lbs I believe) is not going to damage anything. You'll put more stress on it while working that you will lifting it this way.

I have also seen, but not too crazy about, people simply slide a bar through the spindle and strap both ends of it and hoist away....on much larger machines. The people doing it were well seasoned men who had move a lot of machinery, and I do not know of any harm done doing it.

I would make sure the bench is strong enough for the lathe. I watched a video showing HF mini lathe in operation the bench wobbled everything the machine is running. Good luck

 

[Transformer]

Thanks for the info. Lifting sounds very doable, I'll make the final how to decision when I get the lathe.

On the stability issue, good point. I am redesigning my table to increase the width and thus the stability.

Thanks all, and Merry Christmas.

 

[MikeWhy]

I very recently bought a g0752, basically the same machine. The manual shows how to place the lifting straps. You can download this from Grizzly's web site.

I used a single 13' lifting strap (Amazon), looped twice under the bed. Hook the center of the strap in the hoist hook, route each end behind the leadscrew and around the bed, then clip them into the hook. Make sure it lifts level.

I bought a 2-ton chain hoist, $62 from Grizzly. It differs from their 1 ton hoist only by the addition of a lift hook chain pulley, which adds an additional fall, doubling the leverage on the load. (Mine was jammed, so I just bolted the chain to itself around the pulley so it couldn't suddenly release. Any thoughts on how to unjam this thing would be appreciated.) Anyway, the 400 lb lathe was all but weightless on just the hoist.

 

[billooms]

One other option -- get two young strong guys to lift it for you.

When I was moving my shop a few years ago, I had some young guys from one of the summer camps come to help move equipment. At that time, the heaviest item was my wood lathe which was 800 pounds. I unbolted the lathe from the heavy base (probably 400 pounds each) and offered the use of hand trucks, etc. One of the guys just grabbed the lathe and carried it to the new shop (about 200 feet away). Later I asked him and he said he bench pressed 350 pounds.

Oh, to be young again.