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

It seems that the smallest skyhook crane is for a B size aloris type. I guess they figure that if your lathe is small enough that you use the A size, nothing is going to be too heavy to handle.

After all, the skyhook itself is 23 lbs. So of you can't lift a 20 lb. chuck, the skyhook won't do you any good.

It sucks to have a bad back.
 
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.
 
I agree with Tony, the Sky hook is nice, but I'm sure there has been a few cross slides damaged from it's use on smaller lathes over the years that haven't been talked about. I have rigged up a similar device that was C-clamped to the lathe bed for removal of the saddle from a 20" lathe that was too heavy to lift by one or more of me.
 
I have a lite block & tackle made for picking a deer up to hang in a tree. It only weighs a few pounds and will lift a 200 pound deer. Just put a hook in the ceiling over the lathe. I actually bought it for assembling and disassembling my Christmas tree which is in 3 pieces that weight about 40 or 50 pounds each and stack vertically.
 
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.
 
4gsr said:
Here's a couple of pictures of the one's I've built and installed in my shop. They are rated for about 300 to 400 lbs lifting with a SF of about 2 designed into them. I know SF should be 3 or 4 but for the limited stuff I use it for, the heaviest item I have to pick up is a 215 lb rotary table onto the mill.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the pictures they look good, but more invasive of space than I can have, and I cant envision lifting anything heavier than 25kg, I'm sure my 4 jaw is under that probably 15/16kg. the real problem is space my lathe shares a very smoall corner of the car garage, and according to my other half is not welcome even on it's own, so to start building serious sky hooks will only invite trouble. Maybe later when she has goten usd to the lathe being there.
 
bobshobby said:
Thanks for the pictures they look good, but more invasive of space than I can have, and I cant envision lifting anything heavier than 25kg, I'm sure my 4 jaw is under that probably 15/16kg. the real problem is space my lathe shares a very smoall corner of the car garage, and according to my other half is not welcome even on it's own, so to start building serious sky hooks will only invite trouble. Maybe later when she has goten usd to the lathe being there.
Click to expand...
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
 
I'll second that, Ken. That track will easily handle the load of that size chuck. I'd be sure to put cross-bolts or pins on both ends just to keep things off my toes.

You could use the tailstock ram to stabilize things if the track is a bit far ahead of the chuck. Extend the ram into an open chuck so it could swing out and level itself even with the track center, then pull the tailstock back and roll the chuck off to the side where a table should be waiting.
 
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