My solution for chuck lifting, moving, storage

[f350ca]

I went a little over board and built two overhead systems that cover the whole shop. Best thing I ever did. The one over the work bay gets used steady. Not just for lifting but a second set of hands to position things. My lathe has a 16 inch 4 jaw and 12 inch 3 jaw, I'd never lift either of those by hand. When I made the C hook for the chucks I made the part that goes into the chuck from 2 pieces of pipe that spin on each other to alow me to align the pins.


Greg

 

[scrdmgl]

I made a C hook to handle my milling machine dividing head; instead of pipe, I used solid 1" stock through the div., then used flat bar bent into a L shape with the round bar welded through a hole in one end, and welded a eye bolt to the other end to accept the hoist hook at a point where the div. head is balanced level, the div. head chuck clamps down on the round bar to keep things from rotating.

Hi Benmy:
I'm interested in your version of the Lathe Chuck Hook, could you please send me a picture of the unit?

Thanks

Jorge

 

[Janderso]

I have to wait for one of my boys to visit to use my rotary table.
I need to rig up something.
I like the super strut components

 

[NC Rick]

I’m using two parallel uni-strut tracks 8 ft long each with “c” hooks on fixed length chains. I store two of my chucks on here and it’s easy to swing them out or in to pass the other chuck or the carriage. At least it’s easy with a chuck up to the size of mine (12” dia. 4jaw).

 

[benmychree]

Here is what I use for my dividing head; for lathe chucks, I have all the heavy ones drilled and tapped for eye bolts. The hoists are HF winches that run on a barn door track over the mill and lathe.

Hi Benmy:
I'm interested in your version of the Lathe Chuck Hook, could you please send me a picture of the unit?

Thanks

Jorge

 

[Larry$]

As I get older, things get heavier. Must be a change in gravity, due to climate change. It's even causing my chest to be pulled down to my belt.

 

[benmychree]

As I get older, things get heavier. Must be a change in gravity, due to climate change. It's even causing my chest to be pulled down to my belt.

Et tu Brutae ----

 

[Tim9]

Good move with the National Hardware struts. I ran into a lot of trouble with my strut sections which I purchased at a big box. Cheap Asian versions which were not uniform and that’s a big problem for the roller when you have more than one section. I love my Unistrut. And the rollers are only 25.00 on Amazon. If I had to do it again… I’d go to an electrical supply warehouse which carries something like the National brand.

by the way….I welded up my hanger braces. It’s really easy to make those. I used some square tube I get from an ornamental fence supplier. Fence suppliers tend to have good prices on steel lengths and they don’t have any minimum orders. I think the tube size was 1-1/2” square. And I just slit it with an angle grinder and welded it to some flat 1/4” hot rolled steel. I think a 20’ length of the flat 1/4” thick HRS 1-1/2” is less than 20.00 from my Ornamental Fence Supplier.

sorry for bad picture but I blew it up and cropped it from another picture.

 

[FOMOGO]

This is my solution for now, but have three jib cranes in the works to cover the machine and welding areas. Mike

 

[Tim9]

Here’s another idea for a chuck hook. It’s a real cheap and fast hack job. I just envisioned it and went with something I remembered seeing. I used some 1/2 solid HRS steel bar. ( another really cheap item from fence suppliers)
Heated it with torch…and while in the vise and bent it with a hammer. Weld a 3/4” round steel bar. It works great !