# What do you use for lifting heavy objects?



## Ecosta777 (Dec 13, 2022)

Just like the title says! What are you using in your shop for lifting heavy things like dividing heads, rotary tables, mill vises, etc...?

I recently found out I have a small hernia, but it's also been getting harder to man handle heavy tooling items as I get older. I am looking to keep the budget to under $300. So far I have only been looking at engine hoists, and electric ceiling hoists. 

The engine hoist would be beneficial to me to move any heavy machinery if needed, but even a collapsible ones takes up a lot of space. And it seems like it would be hard to maneuver close to machines / excessive for just picking up a dividing head or rotary table. I can find a used 2 ton for about $200 pretty easily. 

A 220lb cap. electric hoist is about $100 + whatever I need to make to install it. I was thinking either just a swing arm off the wall, or maybe a small mobile stand for it? The mobile stand would also take up space I don't necessarily have, but be more easily maneuverable than an engine hoist. The swing arm doesn't take up floor space and is easily moved out of the way. I am leaning more in this direction.

I was wondering if there's any other options I have overlooked, or if anyone else has installed one of these electric hoists in their shop?



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## tq60 (Dec 13, 2022)

We have a hoyer lift, looks like engine lift but people size.

They are for lifting folks from beds.

Show up at thrift stores.

Very handy.

Also have overhead trolly lift, still to be installed. 

Our heavy bench is rather crude, a 2 post car lift with a chunk of plywood, lower to floor, place heavy item and raise to working  level.
Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk


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## BGHansen (Dec 13, 2022)

I have a HF gantry crane, HF hydraulic pump-up lift table and a Sam's Club 2-ton engine hoist.  Though my born-with hands and back still do a lot of lifting (for now).  Don't be afraid to ask for help!  I solicit our son's help all of the time; it's not a measure of "manliness", it's a measure of using your brain cells!  There's a line from a Clint Eastwood movie I often quote (Magnum Force), "A man's got to know his limitations".

Regarding the hernia, hopefully you can have it taken care of laparoscopically.  When you feel the pain, sit down and massage the area regardless of the crap others might give you.  I had 3 hernia operations in about a 2 year timeframe:  left groin, upper ab area and the right groin.  Mine were all done laparoscopically with mesh; think pulling a tire with a hole in it and installing a patch on the inside.  In my case(s), the surgeon travels from town to town, hits our town on Thursday.  I went in Thursday afternoon for the "turn your head and cough" exam, "Okay, STOP, you have a hernia!"  Scheduled for surgery the following Thursday morning, follow up appointment made the following Thursday afternoon in the recovery room.  I took a week off from work with the first two and would have liked a little longer.  I took two weeks with the third one, was good to go when I went back to work.  My advice, take 2 weeks if it down laparoscopically!  And more advice, if you think you might hurt yourself, ASK FOR HELP!

Bruce


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## jbaccell (Dec 13, 2022)

tq60 said:


> We have a hoyer lift, looks like engine lift but people size.
> 
> They are for lifting folks from beds.
> 
> ...



I too own and use a Hoyer lift.  As you said, it's very handy....


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## C-Bag (Dec 13, 2022)

I have no room at all, but there‘s always room for lift/safety equipment. 2tn folding engine hoist(lives in the shed) 1tn lift cart(doubles as a welding table), 1tn chain hoist mounted over the mill for my 10” rotary table. All Harbor Freight. All used for different things. I mostly work alone so you can never have too many ways to safely lift things and worth 10x more than I paid.


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## imagineer (Dec 13, 2022)

A very well used Spanco rolling gantry crane.   I cut some off the legs to have it fit the overhead clearance of my workshop.    The top beam was stenciled for 2000lb capacity, but not knowing the age or history, I'm considering it a 1000lb max capacity.    

For a hoist, I use a HF electric hoist (# 62853) mounted on a modified HF trolley (#97392).

So far, the heaviest item I've lifted with it was a 460lb table saw.


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## tjb (Dec 13, 2022)

Ecosta777 said:


> What are you using in your shop for lifting heavy things


Neighbors.


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## rabler (Dec 13, 2022)

Well, how heavy?  I've gone a bit overboard. 
I'm a big believer in using my shop to make things easier for me, especially when it comes to lifting.  I'm working on building a bridge crane in the back of the shop for general purpose lifting, up to about 3000 lbs, but have only got the posts in so far.   Other things -

Simple hoist over the lathe for lifting chucks, etc, up to about 150 lbs:



General purpose lifting, up to about 400 lbs.  Designed to straddle  machines to get stuff on/off mill tables, etc:



Moving up to about 3000 lbs, the tractor loader:



I built this gantry originally to lift my big lathe at 9000 lbs off the trailer.  I wouldn't use it for more than 3000 lbs on the wheels, but on the drop legs it'll hold quite a bit.  Mostly this is used for stock handling at this point (fixed position).



Moving the really heavy stuff, I've resorted to renting:


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## wayback machine (Dec 13, 2022)

1 ton engine crane (w. 8" casters), 1,000lb lift table, 1,500lb "Little Mule" lever type chain hoist, hung from triple 2x12 beam.


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## Winegrower (Dec 13, 2022)

Wow, Rabler is a hard act to follow!   My hat’s off to you, amigo.  

For me, the HF 2 ton engine hoist has done terrific work, lifting the Takisawa lathe (2500#), the Jet vertical bandsaw, the Bridgeport head when I added the riser, the motorcycle for maintenance and to stabilize it on its little lift, the Laguna bandsaw to replace the pathetic factory wheels, log rounds into the pickup, etc.   it only takes up a few square feet of floor space when stowed.  I also added a $50 chain hoist (1 ton) for emptying the dust collector, and by moving the suspension point around in the garage I can position it at various strategic locations…overhead the middle bay, so I can back the truck in for loading and unloading, over the lathe, etc.


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## great white (Dec 13, 2022)

Cherry picker (engine hoist) for big stuff.

My assorted attachments and accessories are all "hobby sized" (ie: relatively small; 5" rotary table, 5" milling vice, etc.)  so I'm still able to move them around without assistance.


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## Nutfarmer (Dec 13, 2022)

For things like the dividing head and rotary table I is a die cart that has a hyd. jack to raise the table level to the mill bed. Bigger items the forklift is a back saver.


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## CJ5Dave (Dec 13, 2022)

That.


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## brino (Dec 13, 2022)

I like "That"!

Brian


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## K30 (Dec 13, 2022)

This covers pretty much most of it.  I do have a hydralic lift table too, but I don't use it a lot.  TLDR: Tractor, two post lift, engine hoist, and gantry.  Also, I'm stupid and will lift heavier stuff than I should just because it's faster.


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## benmychree (Dec 13, 2022)

I used HF hoists running on barn door tracks over my large lathe, and another over my #2 B&S mill.


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## FOMOGO (Dec 13, 2022)

I use the backhoe for the bigger stuff. Have a 2T engine hoist I've used a few times. Later this winter will be building two jib cranes that will reach everything in the welding, and machine shops. And like mister Hanson, I use my car lift as an adjustable height work table when needed. Mike


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## OTmachine (Dec 13, 2022)

For the lathe, I like these mounted to the tool post: https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/09029968
for the mill,  I like something like this


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## rwdenney (Dec 13, 2022)

The only thing I have that fits in the 2-C-note category is an engine hoist. A chain hoist is cheap enough, but it has to attach to something. For the intended purpose, that something has to be able to move, so there needs to be an overhead track, gantry, bridge crane, or jib crane. And that will make it more than a coupla hundred bucks, by far.

I have used the bucket on my tractor to move things, but it's ungainly for things I want to move in and around my lathe. I was the only thing I had for moving the concrete counter top I put on my main bench.







Rick "pondering a beam on the ceiling for a trolley and chain fall" Denney


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## Ischgl99 (Dec 13, 2022)

I would like to get one of these some day.  My engine hoist is difficult to maneuver and the legs stick out so far that it is not easy to get it close to the machines.  This is probably way over your budget, but there might be something similar at a better price.






						Counterbalance Lift Truck - Ruger Floor Cranes - Ruger Industries
					

The Counterbalance Vertical Lift's reverse base allows easier access to loads than traditional straddle leg style designs. Contact us for a free quote.




					www.rugerindustries.com


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## davidpbest (Dec 13, 2022)

For equipment, this is really handy.  Battery powered, will lift 3K pounds to 15 feet.




In the shop, I have anchor points in the ceiling at strategic spots and use this *Kito Chain Fall* I ordered from Japan.


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## rabler (Dec 13, 2022)

Winegrower said:


> Wow, Rabler is a hard act to follow! My hat’s off to you, amigo.


Try not to follow!  I think it is mostly in defiance of over 4 years of hormone deprivation therapy for prostate cancer.  Without testosterone those cancer cells don’t reproduce but the muscles waste away awfully fast.  I wasn’t going to let it stop me.  Thankfully done as of Sept, slowly recovering strength and energy.


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## Just for fun (Dec 13, 2022)

Ecosta777 said:


> Just like the title says! What are you using in your shop for lifting heavy things like dividing heads, rotary tables, mill vises, etc...?
> 
> I recently found out I have a small hernia, but it's also been getting harder to man handle heavy tooling items as I get older. I am looking to keep the budget to under $300. So far I have only been looking at engine hoists, and electric ceiling hoists.
> 
> ...



The thing about an engine hoist is that the boom does not extent past the legs.  So, if you want to move a rotary table for instance you will have to straddle the mill.  My shop is really full right now and using an engine hoist is out of the question.  One of the hydraulic tables is a little inconvenient also but would work.

For me, I am gathering parts to put up a lightweight Jeb crane using a length of Uni-strut and a small 220lb electric hoist like you are thinking about.  It doesn't need to lift a lot, my 8" rotary table I think would be the heaviest item.  It's just that my back is not all in that good of shape, most of the time I can lift and move the table but there are times when I wouldn't be able to.


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## mmcmdl (Dec 13, 2022)

rabler said:


> Try not to follow! I think it is mostly in defiance of over 4 years of hormone deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. Without testosterone those cancer cells don’t reproduce but the muscles waste away awfully fast. I wasn’t going to let it stop me. Thankfully done as of Sept, slowly recovering strength and energy.


Great to hear that Rab . It took awhile for me to get back into the swing of things myself . My stomach lets me know when I'm doing too much , and then I back off . We have a lift limit of 50 lbs. at work ............................there's not a day in the week we're not lifting over 100 lbs .


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## rwdenney (Dec 13, 2022)

I never knew that unistrut channel could be used to support a trolley with a load rating of a quarter ton. And it’s cheap!

Rick “putting stuff on his Amazon shopping list” Denney


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## Dabbler (Dec 13, 2022)

I'm glad you asked!

I have a 2000lb engine hoist
5 ton gantry crane
27" wide and 16" wide pallet jacks
Motorcycle lift
2 (yes 2) Genie lifts - one for each hand!
... and am building a 400lb bridge crane in my shop

I prefer to avoid manhandling anything above 40 lbs these days: knees, hips, back, shoulders and one elbow are all far less than 100%.  My wife thinks I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, but I think I am just wearing out.  Might as well use it until you lose it!


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## graham-xrf (Dec 13, 2022)

rwdenney said:


> I never knew that unistrut channel could be used to support a trolley with a load rating of a quarter ton. And it’s cheap!
> 
> Rick “putting stuff on his Amazon shopping list” Denney


In a smaller shop, Unistrut can be fixed at every joist right near the walls all the way along. That would be a quarter ton on each side A cross beam can be a small section RSJ good for (say) a ton or so, factoring in some safety. It's a gantry crane safe to maybe 1/3 ton that I have speculated about building, but I do already have a 2-Ton engine crane that folds up and stacks away nice. It is awkward to use pushing it about on the floor, but so far, it has saved my back and been real handy, and didn't cost a bundle.


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## sdelivery (Dec 13, 2022)

Actual photo of me and my  "friends "moving me  into
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
 the shop


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## pontiac428 (Dec 13, 2022)

I use the ancient Shaolin art of Iron Egg Skill for my heavy lifting.


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## sdelivery (Dec 13, 2022)

pontiac428 said:


> Translations. You will feel nothing,, like a 65 yearoldborn again virgin..







pontiac428 said:


> use the ancient Shaolin art of Iron Egg Skill for my heavy lifting.


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## Ecosta777 (Dec 13, 2022)

Thanks guys! I don't quite have enough room for a nice tractor or a gantry in my basement shop, but those would be great to have! 

I did a little more research and watched some videos this afternoon and I think I've decided to go with the electric hoist with a roller trolley in unistrut attached to the ceiling. I'll have to do some more calculating / measuring, but I am also considering making a small jib crane for the electric hoist. 

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## brino (Dec 13, 2022)

mmcmdl said:


> We have a lift limit of 50 lbs. at work ............................there's not a day in the week we're not lifting over 100 lbs .


Be careful Dave!
We all want you to enjoy your eventual retirement.
Brian


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## brino (Dec 13, 2022)

Ecosta777 said:


> I did a little more research and watched some videos this afternoon and I think I've decided to go with the electric hoist with a roller trolley in unistrut attached to the ceiling. I'll have to do some more calculating / measuring, but I am also considering making a small jib crane for the electric hoist.



Please post back with pictures of your solution.
Brian


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## tailstock4 (Dec 13, 2022)

I built what I call a “chuck lifter” a while back. Maybe it has some possibilities for you or least an idea or two.

It can lift about 300 lbs. The big chuck being lifted in the pictures is about 190 lbs. It has enough reach to install this chuck on my American Pacemaker.

The elbow joint and rotating hub make it easy to have good control. I used a Harbor Freight 500 lb. come-along. It is fast and doesn’t take up much room.

In addition to the chucks, this cart holds tool holders for my multi-fix tool post and aloris tool post.

As a side note – I originally tried to make the knuckle joint with a bronze bushing. This proved to have too much friction, so I changed to needle bearings and a ball thrust bearing on top which made for almost no resistance.


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## tjb (Dec 13, 2022)

tailstock4 said:


> I built what I call a “chuck lifter” a while back. Maybe it has some possibilities for you or least an idea or two.
> 
> It can lift about 300 lbs. The big chuck being lifted in the pictures is about 190 lbs. It has enough reach to install this chuck on my American Pacemaker.
> 
> ...


That's very nice!  How many chucks are on the cart?  And how many lathes in your operation?  From the pictures, I think I see two.  Are there more?

Regards


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## Beckerkumm (Dec 13, 2022)

Pictures of the pacemaker and how do the Rivett and 10ee compare?  That would be a great thread.  Dave


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## matthewsx (Dec 14, 2022)

Ischgl99 said:


> I would like to get one of these some day.  My engine hoist is difficult to maneuver and the legs stick out so far that it is not easy to get it close to the machines.  This is probably way over your budget, but there might be something similar at a better price.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looks like a project….


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## Larry$ (Dec 14, 2022)

@ 80 my ability to lift much has really gone down hill. I have a cabinet with most of my heavy accessories on a shelf at the level I can match the mill table to, not requiring any actual lifting just carrying. I made a wooden carrier, with handles & that fits the lathe bed so that the mounting studs fit the spindle w/o any additional lifting.  It is for my 8" chuck with cast iron back plate. The rest of my chucks have integral mounting. 8" rotary table can be moved as long as I don't have anything mounted, like an 8" chuck! BS-1 indexing head is the same way as long as a chuck isn't installed. Even the 7 x 10 tilt table pushes my limit. My 6" Kurt vice is also pushing my limits. Things for the mill all have alignment blocks on the bottom that makes it more difficult to place them directly over the center Tee slot. All of these things require some reach out to place them. All are just in the 40 to 50# range. Hell to get old!


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## GeneT45 (Dec 14, 2022)

I use an HF hydraulic lift table.  I store my heavy accessories on it (large chucks, rotab, etc).  I can wheel it over to the mill, raise the HF table, lower the mill table, and slide stuff across.  At the lathe I use a "chuckmate" to swing the chuck into place.  Hmmm, I don't see the chuckmate in a quick search - they might not be around anymore.  A picture is warranted, I will follow up...


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## Ischgl99 (Dec 14, 2022)

matthewsx said:


> Looks like a project….


I’ve been eyeing up my engine hoist to see if I can remove the current base and make a counterbalanced base so that I can get close to the machines.  Nothing I have is very heavy, so all I would need is a couple hundred pound capacity and good maneuverability.


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## brino (Dec 14, 2022)

GeneT45 said:


> At the lathe I use a "chuckmate" to swing the chuck into place. Hmmm, I don't see the chuckmate in a quick search - they might not be around anymore. A picture is warranted, I will follow up...


Yes please!


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## GeneT45 (Dec 14, 2022)

Pics in three parts.  The gold colored block on the lathe saddle is the  mount.


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## GeneT45 (Dec 14, 2022)

The rest of the tool.  Orientation is correct, note the piece that goes into the chuck is removable from the arm.


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## GeneT45 (Dec 14, 2022)

Put the chuck insert in the chuck jaws (loosely enough that you can turn the chuck to orient it when needed), move it to the arm, and you're ready to swing it into place, align it, and install with very little effort.
You can see the HF table to the right of the chuck in the picture...  
HTH,

GsT


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## tailstock4 (Dec 14, 2022)

Ischgl99 said:


> I would like to get one of these some day.  My engine hoist is difficult to maneuver and the legs stick out so far that it is not easy to get it close to the machines.  This is probably way over your budget, but there might be something similar at a better price.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I’ve included some pictures of the small jib cranes I’ve built. The smaller one can lift 500-600 lbs. fully extended. The larger one can lift about 1,500 lbs. The larger one started out as an engine hoist, but little remains that hasn’t been modified or strengthened. One thing that I do recommend is that I used a hoist with a load brake and a large wheel which I made. This allows you to lift or lower a load without fiddling with a ratchet.

The yellow one also has a boom extension which is a hand wheel and an internal acme screw which means it can extend or retract the boom even when fully loaded. It has a 610 lb. counterweight which was a 3” chunk of steel I cut in half and welded together. It sits on a 1.5” thick piece of steel with a 1.5” back bulkhead.

The thing you have to be careful of is the more you design them to lift, the heavier they get and the harder they become to move. I’ve refined these two over many years and they seem to work well.

I also have a large gantry on tracks and a forklift. And even so, I find these two lifts very useful and versatile.


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## tailstock4 (Dec 14, 2022)

tjb said:


> That's very nice!  How many chucks are on the cart?  And how many lathes in your operation?  From the pictures, I think I see two.  Are there more?
> 
> Regards


There are nine chucks on the cart plus a 10EE collet nose. I have six lathes now and have included some pictures of these.


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## tailstock4 (Dec 14, 2022)

Beckerkumm said:


> Pictures of the pacemaker and how do the Rivett and 10ee compare?  That would be a great thread.  Dave


The comparison between a 10EE and Rivett would be a good idea for a post.  Would it go in the Monarch forum?

I am also considering doing a post on my Moore jig bore that I restored. As you know these have some unique features and construction. I ran into a couple of things that I had to fix that I don’t think I’ve seen posted on before. If I do, where in the forum would I post about a Moore jig bore?


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## Beckerkumm (Dec 14, 2022)

Machine jewelry.  We need to start a thread and talk about those.  Your restores and machine choices are absolutely best of the best.  The Pacemaker and P and W trip my trigger even more than the Rivett and 10EE.  Dave


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## francist (Dec 14, 2022)

Wow. Beautiful machines. Did I say “wow” yet…?


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## Ischgl99 (Dec 14, 2022)

tailstock4 said:


> I’ve included some pictures of the small jib cranes I’ve built. The smaller one can lift 500-600 lbs. fully extended. The larger one can lift about 1,500 lbs. The larger one started out as an engine hoist, but little remains that hasn’t been modified or strengthened. One thing that I do recommend is that I used a hoist with a load brake and a large wheel which I made. This allows you to lift or lower a load without fiddling with a ratchet.
> 
> The yellow one also has a boom extension which is a hand wheel and an internal acme screw which means it can extend or retract the boom even when fully loaded. It has a 610 lb. counterweight which was a 3” chunk of steel I cut in half and welded together. It sits on a 1.5” thick piece of steel with a 1.5” back bulkhead.
> 
> ...


Your first pictures is what I am looking to do with my engine hoist.  I would like to make something I can unbolt from the current base and install on the counterbalance base and then back again when needed.  Your description gives me some ideas on how to make it better, thank you!


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## pontiac428 (Dec 14, 2022)

I am fond of those Pacemakers, very nice classic.

Sure, everybody loves a 10EE, but that Rivett is beauty, sophistication, and refinement all in one.  You don't see them every day.

I take it the Famot was the one you bought for turning metric threads...


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## tailstock4 (Dec 14, 2022)

Beckerkumm said:


> Machine jewelry.  We need to start a thread and talk about those.  Your restores and machine choices are absolutely best of the best.  The Pacemaker and P and W trip my trigger even more than the Rivett and 10EE.  Dave


I would enjoy any discussion on these or other machines. One of the things that fascinates me is the ability of forums or YouTube to promote some machines (deservedly so) while at times forgetting others. I think Pratt & Whitney while not forgotten may certainly be underappreciated.


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## tailstock4 (Dec 14, 2022)

Ischgl99 said:


> Your first pictures is what I am looking to do with my engine hoist.  I would like to make something I can unbolt from the current base and install on the counterbalance base and then back again when needed.  Your description gives me some ideas on how to make it better, thank you!


I hope it helped.  Be sure to post a picture of what you come up with.


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## tailstock4 (Dec 14, 2022)

pontiac428 said:


> I am fond of those Pacemakers, very nice classic.
> 
> Sure, everybody loves a 10EE, but that Rivett is beauty, sophistication, and refinement all in one.  You don't see them every day.
> 
> I take it the Famot was the one you bought for turning metric threads...


I find the 10EE to be like a Porsche 911 – refined for decades and in the right hands very capable. The Rivett is more like a Pantera – beautiful and full of potential but lacking the refinement of the Monarch. But they are both first class tool room lathes. Hard to go wrong.

I did in part get the Famot for metric threading, although I do have metric change gears for the Pratt & Whitney. The Famot is made by the same company that makes Bison chucks. The quality is actually quite good. It has a number of things that I look for in a lathe of this size such as a weight of around 4,000 lbs., a clutch headstock, a headstock scraped to the v-ways, and isolation of the spindle from the gearing. The drive gears, clutch and brake are housed in the base there by reducing heat and vibration. It’s a very accurate machine and capable of finishes approaching the quality of the 10EE or Rivett though not as easy to achieve. This machine pleasantly surprised me in some of these respects.


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## westerner (Dec 14, 2022)

Winegrower said:


> For me, the HF 2 ton engine hoist has done terrific work


Yup. I used to have a larger one that did not fold up. The Horror Fright unit has done everything the old one did, at 1/4 the floorspace. 580 Super E does all the stuff heavier than that.


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## Just for fun (Dec 14, 2022)

tailstock4 said:


> *I’ve included some pictures of the small jib cranes I’ve built. The smaller one can lift 500-600 lbs. fully extended. *The larger one can lift about 1,500 lbs. The larger one started out as an engine hoist, but little remains that hasn’t been modified or strengthened. One thing that I do recommend is that I used a hoist with a load brake and a large wheel which I made. This allows you to lift or lower a load without fiddling with a ratchet.
> 
> The yellow one also has a boom extension which is a hand wheel and an internal acme screw which means it can extend or retract the boom even when fully loaded. It has a 610 lb. counterweight which was a 3” chunk of steel I cut in half and welded together. It sits on a 1.5” thick piece of steel with a 1.5” back bulkhead.
> 
> ...



That small one looks pretty handy, how much weight is in the base to be able to lift 500 lbs?


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## tailstock4 (Dec 14, 2022)

Just for fun said:


> That small one looks pretty handy, how much weight is in the base to be able to lift 500 lbs?


I'm not actually sure.  The weight is taken on both of them with the booms fully extended and angled at their highest position.  The weight of course goes down as the approach horizontal.  I test them with a Castron electronic crane scales.  I usually hook on to a work bench that weighs about 1,800 lbs. and see what I have.  The little one has grown over the years.  The box you see is a 45 kva step-up transformer.  I estimate its weight to be close to 400 lbs.  The square you see behind that is a main transformer out of 10EE modular machine which weighs about 150 lbs (a guess).  The round is a 6" pipe filled with concrete.  The base started out as a hydraulic table I made.  The base is 1/2" plate.  The top plate is 3/8" thick with 1/2" skirting around it. One of its best features is that it can go anywhere in the shop.  It is steered by a tiller on the back. 

The larger one has the advantage in that you can set a pallet on the legs, pick something up and retract the boom in and set it on the pallet.


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## RWL (Dec 14, 2022)

I have yet to build this, but I have the parts.  I picked up a winch from a boat trailer at a yard sale to use as the winding mechanism.


			https://rick.sparber.org/mmct.pdf
		


For the moving the lathe and mill I have a Harbor Freight engine hoist.  There's so little room in the shop now that it really isn't very useful, but if I have to lift a machine, it's the only thing available.
I have a 1000 lb Harbor Freight lift table [a Craigslist buy], but rarely use it because it takes forever to pump up.


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## RWL (Dec 14, 2022)

You can also make your own wooden gantry.  It's described in a discussion on lifting / moving a big shaper here:





						Log In
					






					groups.io
				



I'm not sure if that link will open for everyone or not.  I'm a member of the group, so I can see it, but it's worth joining just to read that thread on making a lifting horse / wooden gantry.


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## tailstock4 (Dec 14, 2022)

RWL said:


> I have yet to build this, but I have the parts.  I picked up a winch from a boat trailer at a yard sale to use as the winding mechanism.
> 
> 
> https://rick.sparber.org/mmct.pdf
> ...


I suppose there are as many solutions to this as there are problems.  For me the important thing is that these small lifts are designed to save my back.  For that to become a reality they have to be easy to use and easy to deploy - no set up.  Otherwise, when you are in a hurry, you just skip it.


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## Winegrower (Dec 15, 2022)

When I converted the HF press to an air/hydraulic cylinder, I made a toe jack out of the old cylinder.   This is really handy at times for either getting started with cribbing, to insert a roller bar, put in a shim, etc.


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## sdelivery (Dec 15, 2022)

I used this to do a scrape job job.
It worked very well but takes up alot of space.


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## Larry$ (Dec 15, 2022)

RWL said:


> There's so little room in the shop now


I sort of suffer the same issue, but I also made a mistake when first laying out my work area. I didn't plan for as much "stuff" as I have accumulated. Both machines and tooling (and stuff of dubious value.) The original layout was to keep everything within arms reach & machines near existing 3 phase power outlets. I've only added one major machine, a nice industrial cold saw. But it requires enough room for the material to stick out both sides & 3 phase. What had been my original work bench is now covered  with sharpening and grinding stuff. I've added 2 roll around tooling cabinets & a large electrical cabinet converted in to an enclosed shelving unit to keep stuff clean. I have access to a 5K# forklift but it can't reach the face of my lathe (2700#s) or mill now. 

*If* this was a production shop I' d move everything to make it more efficient.  But it's not. Live & learn.


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## tjb (Dec 15, 2022)

tailstock4 said:


> There are nine chucks on the cart plus a 10EE collet nose. I have six lathes now and have included some pictures of these.
> 
> View attachment 429989
> View attachment 429990
> ...


Very nice.  Thanks for posting the photos.


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## Beckerkumm (Dec 15, 2022)

Tailstock, I found your thread on PM about the P and W and even found where I commented.  I'm getting old.  Fun rereading the thread.  Saw the Moore too and will have to look for the rubberized vinyl you used for the covers.  Forgot that too.

Off for an Alzeimers test.  Dave


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## Shotgun (Dec 15, 2022)

pontiac428 said:


> I use the ancient Shaolin art of Iron Egg Skill for my heavy lifting.


Dragging stuff around the shop by YOUR ba*****

I'm torn between "You're the toughest motha' ever" and "I will never buy anything from your shop"


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## pontiac428 (Dec 15, 2022)

Shotgun said:


> Dragging stuff around the shop by YOUR ba*****
> 
> I'm torn between "You're the toughest motha' ever" and "I will never buy anything from your shop"


Just pass on the lifting slings...


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## tailstock4 (Dec 15, 2022)

sdelivery said:


> I used this to do a scrape job job.
> It worked very well but takes up alot of space.
> 
> 
> ...


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## tailstock4 (Dec 15, 2022)

sdelivery said:


> I used this to do a scrape job job.
> It worked very well but takes up alot of space.
> 
> 
> ...


We had a couple of those at a power plant I worked at. I believe they were called “Blue Goose”. I thought those were far superior to the standard Chinese engine hoists in terms of construction and weight.


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## tailstock4 (Dec 15, 2022)

Beckerkumm said:


> Tailstock, I found your thread on PM about the P and W and even found where I commented.  I'm getting old.  Fun rereading the thread.  Saw the Moore too and will have to look for the rubberized vinyl you used for the covers.  Forgot that too.
> 
> Off for an Alzeimers test.  Dave


I learned a few things from doing that post. One, I would have expanded on parts of the restoration that I didn’t have pictures for. And two, I would have given more time between postings to give people a little more time to interact.

While I’m not new to machining, I am new to posting. This was my first attempt at a technical thread that was this long. As they say, we learn more from our mistakes than our successes. Hopefully that’s true when it comes to posting.


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## Beckerkumm (Dec 15, 2022)

I start out a project with the intention of taking pictures and fully explaining the process but that lasts as long s my attention span and soon I'm twelve steps along before remembering to document any useful information.  Yours are a million times better.  Dave


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## Cheeseking (Dec 17, 2022)

Couple ideas for those of us (like myself) that don’t have separate shops or garage space available and opted to set up in a basement, consider possibly using the I-beam/s. Granted not all homes have steel I beams or deep enough foundations to be useful. In my case I had a couple 6x10 steel beams in the shop to take advantage of. Between the various chain fall hoists, a folding engine crane and putting things on wheels I’ve been able to single handed move and re-assemble a BP, lathe, surface grinder etc.
Made an eye bolt plate with thread rods slung over some pallet rack uprights that I use when the I beam travel isn’t convenient. Not lifting more than 500lb so I’m sure there’s not a strength issue. 















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Harry Knutz (Dec 21, 2022)

Gantry I built for a lathe and mill I bought just for the tooling that came with them, Sold what I didn't need. Beam was not long enough, Extended the beam. I have a trailer hitch that spans the legs and use a chain on each side to stiffen it enough to move around the yard. A guy came from Montana to purchase this "Lagun Mill" that was barely used by a deceased Hobbyist. I did wind up parting out my old South Bend 13 and keeping the Shenwai, I have seen people bash these little lathes, But They most likely never owned one of these Taiwan made little lathes that make accurate parts, I have thoroughly enjoyed the lathe.

The gantry is wide enough to pull a Car trailer between it. My guesstimation is "4000" Pounds.

I also have this old Military crane trailer with a Yanmar diesel engine and a hydraulic winch, this Thing is surprising what it will lift, And I have an old diesel tractor with forks on it. And a 2 ton Cherry Picker.


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## Charles scozzari (Dec 21, 2022)

Harry Knutz said:


> Gantry I built for a lathe and mill I bought just for the tooling that came with them, Sold what I didn't need. Beam was not long enough, Extended the beam. I have a trailer hitch that spans the legs and use a chain on each side to stiffen it enough to move around the yard. A guy came from Montana to purchase this "Lagun Mill" that was barely used by a deceased Hobbyist. I did wind up parting out my old South Bend 13 and keeping the Shenwai, I have seen people bash these little lathes, But They most likely never owned one of these Taiwan made little lathes that make accurate parts, I have thoroughly enjoyed the lathe.
> 
> The gantry is wide enough to pull a Car trailer between it. My guesstimation is "4000" Pounds.
> 
> I also have this old Military crane trailer with a Yanmar diesel engine and a hydraulic winch, this Thing is surprising what it will lift, And I have an old diesel tractor with forks on it. And a 2 ton Cherry Picker.


Great design with gusseting for no problem lifting. I think you can go more then 2 tons.


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## Dabbler (Dec 21, 2022)

Here is my 5 ton gantry crane.  This is a picture of the short main beam, which gives it a 5 ton 6 foot wide format for indoor use.  The other beam is 11 feet 8 inches wide and also 5 ton capacity for rolling a trailer underneath in outdoor use.


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## Charles scozzari (Dec 21, 2022)

Dabbler said:


> Here is my 5 ton gantry crane.  This is a picture of the short main beam, which gives it a 5 ton 6 foot wide format for indoor use.  The other beam is 11 feet 8 inches wide and also 5 ton capacity for rolling a trailer underneath in outdoor use.
> 
> View attachment 430658


WOW, that'll hold the crack of daylight


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## Harry Knutz (Dec 21, 2022)

Charles scozzari said:


> Great design with gusseting for no problem lifting. I think you can go more then 2 tons.


Thank you! I imposed my own limit, I doubt I will get anything over 4000# for my little 900 sq feet shop, However I am looking at a Supermax mill which is a heavy beast, But I still don't think it's 4000#, But close. If I do get something heavier, I may try it slowly and see what happens.

I used the crane trailer to upright it.


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## intrepid (Dec 21, 2022)

rwdenney said:


> The only thing I have that fits in the 2-C-note category is an engine hoist. A chain hoist is cheap enough, but it has to attach to something. For the intended purpose, that something has to be able to move, so there needs to be an overhead track, gantry, bridge crane, or jib crane. And that will make it more than a coupla hundred bucks, by far.
> 
> I have used the bucket on my tractor to move things, but it's ungainly for things I want to move in and around my lathe. I was the only thing I had for moving the concrete counter top I put on my main bench.
> 
> ...


Tell us about the concrete countertop.  How has it held up as a workbench top?  Thanks.


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## Dabbler (Dec 21, 2022)

Harry Knutz said:


> Gantry I built for a lathe and mill I bought


I love your crane!  very nicely done!


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## Chips O'Toole (Dec 21, 2022)

GeneT45 said:


> I use an HF hydraulic lift table.  I store my heavy accessories on it (large chucks, rotab, etc).  I can wheel it over to the mill, raise the HF table, lower the mill table, and slide stuff across.  At the lathe I use a "chuckmate" to swing the chuck into place.  Hmmm, I don't see the chuckmate in a quick search - they might not be around anymore.  A picture is warranted, I will follow up...



These things are incredible. They don't look all that useful, but once you have one, you start to think up all kinds of things you can do with it. I have a set of 4 shelves, each one 4x8 plywood, and I picked them up and moved them on my Harbor Freight table. I got them more or less where I wanted them with the tractor, and the table let me fine-tune the position. I bought the 500-pound table because there is no way I would try to move the bigger one into or out of a vehicle without help.

I put a quick attach adaptor on my tractor's loader, and I used the table to lift it to the loader so I could line it up and put the pins in. Really made things easier. You can't do that with an engine hoist or a Hoyer lift.

I want to screw a sheet of steel onto it with hinges so I can roll things like pressure washers and generators onto it and lift them so I can work on them. There is no reason why you can't modify one of these things. I may weld some stuff on the bottom to move the wheels out farther so I can have a larger platform.

Lifting is really stupid. I try to resist lifting anything. When I was young and even dumber than I am now, I liked to see what I could lift, and when I was with other guys, I would get right in there with them, lifting just to be macho. I gave that stuff up years ago, and more than once, I've told my friends "so sorry" when they tried to get me to help them with things they shouldn't have picked up.


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## rwdenney (Dec 21, 2022)

intrepid said:


> Tell us about the concrete countertop.  How has it held up as a workbench top?  Thanks.


I just set it on top of a bench that had a 2x4 top. 







Since that photo, I’ve loaded it down with a vise, a bench motor, and my Gerstner box on a Kennedy mid-box. Hardly any room left 

The top is an asbestos concrete that was surplus from Oak Ridge National Labs—it’s basically impervious to everything. 

Note the HF lift cart next to it. I used that to lift it up high enough to slide it onto the bench. 

Rick “drilled the vise holes wet while masked up” Denney


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## Chips O'Toole (Dec 21, 2022)

Winegrower said:


> When I converted the HF press to an air/hydraulic cylinder, I made a toe jack out of the old cylinder.   This is really handy at times for either getting started with cribbing, to insert a roller bar, put in a shim, etc.


Been wondering what to do with mine. Now I know! Thanks.


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## Charles scozzari (Dec 21, 2022)

Ecosta777 said:


> Just like the title says! What are you using in your shop for lifting heavy things like dividing heads, rotary tables, mill vises, etc...?
> 
> I recently found out I have a small hernia, but it's also been getting harder to man handle heavy tooling items as I get older. I am looking to keep the budget to under $300. So far I have only been looking at engine hoists, and electric ceiling hoists.
> 
> ...


I posted this a while ago and got mixed reviews with it but it has been a great help to me for dead lifting my vise, rotary table, 10" chuck from either the floor or my tool caddy. Made lifting points for each tool. It mounts to the mill bed and uses a 220lb electric winch that I 2 to1 to slow it down so as not to have the winch snap up on the initial lift. It weighs 43 lbs total and for the most part I leave it on the table. When I need to remove it's not a problem since it weighs less then any of my tools. It made a big difference for me, and is much safer. As I said before it is lighter than the original Bridgeport power feed that was mounted on the right side of the table.
	

		
			
		

		
	




	

		
			
		

		
	
Just some food for thought.


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## Weldingrod1 (Dec 21, 2022)

I like the vise grabber! Well thought out!

Sent from my SM-G715A using Tapatalk


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## Charles scozzari (Dec 21, 2022)

Weldingrod1 said:


> I like the vise grabber! Well thought out!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G715A using Tapatalk


Thank you very much.


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## GunsOfNavarone (Dec 21, 2022)

The HF engine hoist folds up pretty small. It takes about 18" x 24" of floor space and just shy of 5' tall. For its ability to move my CNC mill, manual mill, lathe and even ripped a push out of the ground roots and all, I'll accept the storage size. The long legs out front are sometimes a pain when moving things, but pretty easy to work around. I think I paid $200 back when they had 20% off coupons.


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## Chips O'Toole (Dec 22, 2022)

I like the shopmade rig.

I've seen the Sky Hook, and it's so ungodly expensive, it makes sense that people buy other stuff or make their own. Harbor Freight sells little cranes for under $200, and if that's too much, MIG isn't very hard. I would love to support non-Asian companies, but $1000 for a little manual crane that looks like it should sell for $300 is hard for me to understand.


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## rwdenney (Jan 8, 2023)

rwdenney said:


> I never knew that unistrut channel could be used to support a trolley with a load rating of a quarter ton. And it’s cheap!
> 
> Rick “putting stuff on his Amazon shopping list” Denney


Installed my first one today. 






It has a 10-foot track extending from over the lathe chuck to the middle of the bay, where I load and unload things from my trailer. Load rating is 600 pounds if moved slowly to avoid dynamic loads. Hoist is an old Jet half-ton, but I need to shorten the chains. The track and stops came from Lowe’s, the trolley from eBay (Unistrut-branded), and the brackets were also from eBay. 

The brackets are lagged into the trusses using a 3/8x5” lag bolt. 4” of thread has a pullout strength of 250 pounds/inch of thread so half a ton on each screw. The trolley is the weak link but it’s a pretty balanced collection of parts. 

I spent less than $150, including the hardware. 










Rick “don’t like ladders” Denney


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## matthewsx (Jan 8, 2023)

rwdenney said:


> Installed my first one today.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice RV....


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## rwdenney (Jan 8, 2023)

matthewsx said:


> Nice RV....


It’s a work in progress. Mechanicals are up-to-date and first-rate. Interior is decent. But boy does it need a paint job. 

‘73 GMC Motor Home for those who don’t know. 

Rick “paint is too expensive” Denney


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## wayback machine (Thursday at 9:13 AM)

rwdenney said:


> It’s a work in progress. Mechanicals are up-to-date and first-rate. Interior is decent. But boy does it need a paint job.
> 
> ‘73 GMC Motor Home for those who don’t know.
> 
> Rick “paint is too expensive” Denney


If you ever decide to paint it, don't feel you have to _spray_ a big thing like that motor home - Read up on "rolling and tipping".
It's the way many fiberglass boat hulls are painted - If done right, with good paint, it can look like the best spray job.


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## Larry$ (Thursday at 10:20 AM)

The trick with tipping is a high quality brush and paint that is just the correct consistency. The reducer used has to match the temperature. 
I've got access to a spray booth and I keep a detail gun just for my use. I keep it as clean as possible. A good paint job is mostly about the prep. 

I really dislike the thick layer of goo manufacturers put on castings to make them look smooth.


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