save to lift?

[Mr blindbird]

It finaly arrived,my lathe where i've been dreaming of since i left school 20 years ago
I had a real tuff strugle to get it from my driveway up to my litle shop,had to tackle numerous bumps on the way along with 2 steps up.
But i finaly got it in place to lift it up on it's standart BUT...i can still loose it if not carefull enough.
That's why i thought maybe one of you guys has more experiance with lifting things,back at work i move around pipes that are 5 times heavyer on the 4t bridge with ease and very confident but here in my shop i only have a minimum of lifting choises.
This is how i got it now,the side of the headstock hangs in a 1t strap on a treaded bar M14,the side of the tailstock is hanging in a 1t strap on a treaded bar M12,both bars were fitted tru the wooden beams on the sealing which are 50 year old 6X2.5,i drilled the holes in the midle,which means they have 3" under them.
will it all be strong enough to lift it safely or are other ideas better maybe??what should i do?[/img]





Danny

[sbwhart]

Hi Danny

It's difficult to say what the best thing to do is, if you have any doubt in your mind, try and give the wooden beam some extra support.

Have you removed as many things as you can to get the weight down:- Tailstop, compound slide, sadle, electric motor, its easyer to bolt them back onto the lathe when its in place than to try and fix a broken lathe or a broken you.

Good luck and be carful.

Stew

[Mr blindbird]

Thx already,i posted some pics to...was to late ,as you can see indeed,i already removed as much as possible to lower the weight,i'll go try with extro support on the beams,and thx for the concern,i'll make sure that in w.c.s it's only a broken lathe and not a broken me ,there are more lathe's where this came from 

[Darren]

Hi Danny,

I would think the beams would be ok, but just to be sure could you support them with another post under them. Upright from the floor to the beam?

I'm not so sure about the threaded bar though? It might be M12 but in reality because of the thread the diameter strength would be more like a 10mm solid bar.
That does not sound much to me?

[sbwhart]

Hi Danny

I think the beam will be OK. But I don't like how that studding is bending try and get the weight closer to the beam, or a thicker bit of bar.

You can take the chuck off and the compound slide that will help quite a bit.

Good luck Stew

[Brass_Machine]

Is that threaded rod bending already? The beams are probably good... but I wouldn't trust that rod.

Something thicker perhaps?

Eric

[John Hill]

Danny, I think the threaded rod is not safe like that!  The weight will (might) cause the rod to bend and so tend to pull the beam sideways in a direction where the beam is weak.

I suggest you consider:

   
Is it permissable to remove a plank from the ceiling? If so, remove a plank and place a piece of timber across the hole (on the top side of course) then loop a strong rope or strap around the timber to support the chain hoist.  Use a piece of timber that will spread the load across the two beams.

Remove threaded rod and make a loop of several turns of wire through the hole, thread through the hole then under the beam and through the hole again, use steel wire of a heavy gauge.  Use that loop to hold the chain hoist machine.  This is not a safe as the first suggestion.  If the timber in the building is old it will be dry and it will not give any warning before breaking!

At the very least, move the chain hoist right alongside one beam and tie it so it cannot slide along the bar.



Your lathe is very much like mine and I think the chain hoist is the same too!

Good luck and be safe, I lifted my lathe off the floor about 10cm then put all my weight on it (95Kgs) to ensure everything was strong enough.

[Mr blindbird]

Yes,have to agree,when i took a 2nd look at the m12 rod it was bending a bit to much to feel safe but not able to find a larger diameter rod,i tightened the nuts some extra,removing a plank from the cieling(floor from above)seamed a bit to much work,they're these planks that klick ineachother,I also shoved a piece of wood between the wooden cieling and the rod so it couldnt go anymore further north,and placed an extra stud as close as posible to the beam under the rods....the M14 rod didnt bend to much to worry.
Worked like a charm ,got it up on the supports,now i can begin to reassemble(might be spelled wrong ) the thing and start cleaning the packing grease from hell
This is gonne be a long night,you know that urge when you start cleaning a bit,you cant stop before the whole thing is shining...
Probably will need a truck of

Thx for the helping hints all of you guys,greatly apreciate it,i'll get another pic on when my baby is up and running
Ps,John...shouldnt you go check if you lathe and chain hoist are still there?...
Danny

[John Rudd]

MrBlindbird,
Good to hear you got it sorted and without incident (although some would say you took a chance).

Been in a similar situation my self with my 9*20, its amazing what we do to arrive at what we want...

[Darren]

Well done Danny,

I was going to suggest you could make a small hole on the floor above and loop the chain through and over another beam across the ceiling beams.

But I see you have done it now 

[John Hill]

Danny,  I know my lathe is still there as I play with it every day but I am not so sure about my chain!

I think the lathes from China are packed in dragon fat!

[sbwhart]

Well done Danny 

Please you got your machine lift sorted, that dragon fat gets every where, it pays to clean it off, look for casting sand while your at it there not to good at getting rid of it, and in the wrong place it can cause big problems.

Have fun

Stew

[Stilldrillin]

Well done Danny! 

What a marvellous feeling when you realise something is safely in place......

No drama. No crisis. No skin & hair missing.......

You can relax, & breath again....... 

David D