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Heavy chuck
- Thread starter yota
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2022
- Messages
- 192
Congratulations on your lathe. That’s a good one. I’ve posted about a chuck cart before and below is a link to that post. I’ve also included a couple of pictures of the cart and two recent pictures of it being useful on another job – an installation of a 125 lb. taper attachment on a TOS lathe.
I’ve made a few different lifts over the years. This is the one I like best so far. The really useful parts are the 360-degree swiveling arm and vertical post. This allows you free movement in any direction to align any size or type of chuck mount and even a few odd jobs.
I don’t think this would have to be mounted to a cart. I believe the vertical post could be bolted to the bed ways. The vertical part of this lift could be shortened at the bolted flange. Then the lower bearing hub would be replaced with a heavy swivel caster minus the wheel. The vertical support would then be bolted or welded to the caster where the wheel would go. This would then be bolted to a plate which would mount on top of the ways and be clamped by a bottom plate similar to the way a steady rest attaches – one bolt. This would maintain both the swiveling arm and the rotating vertical post.
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/chuck-cart.109060/post-1081783
I’ve made a few different lifts over the years. This is the one I like best so far. The really useful parts are the 360-degree swiveling arm and vertical post. This allows you free movement in any direction to align any size or type of chuck mount and even a few odd jobs.
I don’t think this would have to be mounted to a cart. I believe the vertical post could be bolted to the bed ways. The vertical part of this lift could be shortened at the bolted flange. Then the lower bearing hub would be replaced with a heavy swivel caster minus the wheel. The vertical support would then be bolted or welded to the caster where the wheel would go. This would then be bolted to a plate which would mount on top of the ways and be clamped by a bottom plate similar to the way a steady rest attaches – one bolt. This would maintain both the swiveling arm and the rotating vertical post.
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/chuck-cart.109060/post-1081783
- Joined
- May 7, 2023
- Messages
- 2,429
Personally I would gang two of them together with a plate that would accept the hook of the hoist.
This would spread the load better and roll easier.
I'm thinking that one trolley as pictured will work fine for a 12" chuck. if not, I can add one later as RaisedbyWolves suggests. it's a single 10 ft Unistrut, so no joints to roll over. one end will be against the wall above the bench, the other end will reach over halfway down the lathe, which is 9ft 3in long. I'll put a bolt or 2 thru the end over the lathe so the trolley can't roll out of the strut.
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2021
- Messages
- 621
I found a used skyhook for $500. they come up periodically. Dave
I bought a hydraulic lift table from Horror Fraught and store my heavy bits (big chucks, rotab, etc) on it. In conjunction with a holder across the bed of the lathe (which I don't use (yet!) because I have a different device, I can roll up to the machine adjust the table, in the case of the mill, and jack the heavy bits to just the right height for loading / unloading.
GsT
GsT
I see they make the skyhook in several configurations. the tool post mount would worry me, although several of the big YouTube machinists say it's fine. they also make one on a rolling table I think. I don't want to spend even 500 bucks on this. the Unistrut is like 30 bucks at Lowes. there are used pieces on marketplace for half that but none nearby. the trolley is 20 something. I have everything else.
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2022
- Messages
- 235
I know Unistrut publishes specs on the amount of weight it supports based on span. I've seen a couple guys on YouTube build 2 parallel tracks with a cross track on trolleys between them so you have full x/y freedom of movement. Seems like for the option of installing a chuck or getting heavy work in the machine that setup would be ideal. Probably handle a couple hundred pounds if you plan it correctly.
my 10 ft strut will have a fastener every 2 feet, 6 fastening points. will probably block between trusses and use carriage bolts to give clearance inside the strut for the wheels.
not clear on how you would get the trolley to turn 90 degrees or what the parallel tracks would do. I don't really need this for anything else in the shop. I have a 1-1/2 ton chain hoist in the center of the shop I back my truck under when I need to unload big stuff.