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

OK, here's a wild hair that might get you started on the design of a "skyhook," and doesn't require attachment to the rafters or walls of your garage. It's based on the photo of your lathe at http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/liang-dei-ld-1216gh-picked-it-up-yesterday.49920/#post-421502

Get a steel plate, about ¼" or ⅜" thick and about 2 feet square, plus another about 1 foot square. Detach the lathe from the base. Slip the plates between the chip pan and the base. Drill as required for the lathe mounting bolts. The 2x2 plate should stick out an inch or two behind and to the left of the chip pan. Weld a pipe vertically to the plate at the rear left corner. Weld diagonal braces from the front left and rear right corners (Caution - be sure the side brace doesn't interfere with access to the end of the headstock!) The pipe will become the upright pivot post for your skyhook. Re-attach the lathe to the base.

Of course, this assumes you have access to a welder and that you can temporarily detach your lathe from the base and lift it. The rest of the design for the skyhook would be up to you, but it seems to me that the position and mounting of the base is your biggest issue right now. I'd be very hesitant about bolting anything to the carriage or to the tailstock that might involve off-center loads.. Even 20kg can produce quite a lever arm if you're a foot or so off center. And damage to the carriage would pretty well kill the lathe!

Just my two pence worth. Hope it inspires you toward a solution!
 
Tozguy said:
Installing/removing my 4 jaw has never been anything to look forward to.
Click to expand...

Changing chuck is only part of my problem.
Try loading an 6inch piece steel 3feet long, and get it centered in a 4jaw.
That was one of my summer lathe projects.
Not particularly heavy. Just really awkward....
Took two ugly guys to load and hold until I got the steady in place enough to support her.
Then centered the 4jaw.

Am looking for ideas. But, am thinking about a wall mounted jib crane.... someday.

Daryl
MN
 
Daryl,
A similar situation for me when I wanted to mill a slot in the end of a long heavy bar.
The end to be cut was held in the tool post while the other end had to be supported but still be free to follow cross slide movement.
I used a chain hanging from the rafters with a scale and turn buckle to support the end. After weighing the whole bar I used the turn buckle to dial in half the weight of the bar. Improvised but it worked like a charm!

IMG_1482.JPG

IMG_1484.JPG
 
hman said:
OK, here's a wild hair that might get you started on the design of a "skyhook," and doesn't require attachment to the rafters or walls of your garage. It's based on the photo of your lathe at http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/liang-dei-ld-1216gh-picked-it-up-yesterday.49920/#post-421502

Get a steel plate, about ¼" or ⅜" thick and about 2 feet square, plus another about 1 foot square. Detach the lathe from the base. Slip the plates between the chip pan and the base. Drill as required for the lathe mounting bolts. The 2x2 plate should stick out an inch or two behind and to the left of the chip pan. Weld a pipe vertically to the plate at the rear left corner. Weld diagonal braces from the front left and rear right corners (Caution - be sure the side brace doesn't interfere with access to the end of the headstock!) The pipe will become the upright pivot post for your skyhook. Re-attach the lathe to the base.

Of course, this assumes you have access to a welder and that you can temporarily detach your lathe from the base and lift it. The rest of the design for the skyhook would be up to you, but it seems to me that the position and mounting of the base is your biggest issue right now. I'd be very hesitant about bolting anything to the carriage or to the tailstock that might involve off-center loads.. Even 20kg can produce quite a lever arm if you're a foot or so off center. And damage to the carriage would pretty well kill the lathe!

Just my two pence worth. Hope it inspires you toward a solution!
Click to expand...

Thanks for you comments, all worth thinking about. Nothing will happen until the last few days of Sept. at the earliest as I am currently overseas. And I doubt if I'll have a working solution before Xmas.

Lifting the lathe off the base is a real problem, but you have given me another idea, I will think about a while and if and when I decide i'll throw it back to you.
 
bobshobby said:
Owing to an old back injury I find it difficult to lift heavy items onto my lathe. Lifting the 3 jaw chuck is very difficult, and I can't lift the 4 jaw at all, likewise the steady rest is out of the question.

Has anyone made or tried to make a lifting device that fits on the lathe, say in place of tool post holder. something that could lift say 100kg max probably mostly only 30-50kg, would be fine.
Click to expand...

Since I have back issues as you do, I also decided that it was time to quit trying to lift heavy things (and then being out of commission for a couple of weeks). I have limited space in my shop and wanted something that was mobile so I could use it for the lathe and mill as well as getting heavy items in and out of my truck. I finally decided that for me the best thing was one of the hydraulic engine hoists with folding legs. I made a set of shorter legs so it would be more maneuverable in the shop and easier to get close to the machines. With the short legs the boom has to be kept in the retracted position to maintain a safe balance but this still provides more than enough lifting capacity for things like rotary tables, large lathe chucks, etc. So far, this has proven to be a very versatile tool and my back really likes it too.

Ted
 
I have to ask......what is it we (so many of us) have in common that gives us back backs? I have disc degeneration in 2 lumbar discs, arthritis forming in several, and a (forget the proper term) interior protuberance that is pressing on my spinal cord. If not for my leg, I still have the strength to lift, it just isn't smart, because for several days after, I wish I hadn't. I'm not all that old, but sure feel decrepit at times.
 
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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Ken...
I did just as you mentioned. I "sistered" a 2x6 the full length of the joist that runs down the center joist in my shop (20'). Basically I have a 4x6 now above my bench and mill and lathe. Bought 20' of barn door track, mounted it overhead and used the rolling hardware to mount an 880 lb capacity HF electric hoist to it. I have a small vertical mill (770 lbs) and it lifted it quite nicely onto the bench. Total cost... a little over $100. Bought the winch on sale for $49.95 plus 20% off. The barn door hardware was around $60....

Bill
 
Tony, I think it is because when we where young and dum we where to proud to get help lifting things. Oh and also back supports for lifting wasn't common in the work place tillit was to late for us old-timers
 
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Well, I remember thinking (and probably saying), that a man ain't a man if he needed help handling anything that weighed less than he did. I disagree with that now.

And waiting on the forklift, or crane......nonsense, who has time for that....."hey!, c'mere and gimme a hand with this!" and everybody pretty much did it. Part of that was working for a slave-driver though. Other part probably was a bit of youthful arrogance and pride.
 
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