My Heavy Blank Lift System

[Steve Schlumpf]

I want to thank all who contributed to the thread on lift systems (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?174934-Lifting-Heavy-Blanks), there were some really nice options! I especially liked Bret Leishman’s electric hoist system but decided to try a simpler option first.

I picked up this hoist system (http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=402419&pdesc=HME_Products_4_1_Gambrel&str=gambrel&merchID=4005) locally and figured that for $20, it was worth a shot! I liked the 4:1 ratio and also knew that having a brake would be appreciated! I also stopped in at Menards and picked up a 10” long 7/16” thick eye bolt that I figured would hold up under any weight I might try to lift! I believe the proper term would be ‘overkill’.

Once home, I cut a piece of 2” x 10” to 20” long and drilled a 7/16” hole through the width of the board. I then cut about a 2” deep notch at the top of the drilled hole to allow access for a nut and washer so I could secure the eye bolt at the proper height. After installing the eye bolt into the 2 x 10, I used 8, 3 ½” deck screws to secure it to a floor joist (which just happen to run perpendicular to the lathe bed), making sure that the eye bolt was centered over the lathe bed. The height of the eye was then adjusted so as to be just below the suspended ceiling tile once it was reinstalled. The nut was then tightened and the ceiling tile cut to allow for the eye bolt.

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At this point I attached the gambrel system, hoisted the gambrel up to about a foot off the floor and stepped onto it to see if there would be any problems holding my 170 pounds. Felt very secure!

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Next step was to try it out with an actual blank! This is a piece of Maple that Marc Himes gave me right after I got the Robust home. It weighed right at 50 pounds, so while not extremely heavy, it would still provide a challenge when mounting to the chuck by yourself.

One side of the blank had a series of deep checks, so I mounted Jerry Marcantel’s chuck plate to the ‘good’ side of the blank by tapping it into the wood with a rubber mallet. Figured that would eventually be the top of the hollow form and by creating a tenon on the ‘bad side’, I would end up turning away all the checked areas.

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I will eventually come up with a sling or something to use with the lift system but for the first time I just used the 1” strap off of a cheap ratcheting tie down.

Took a series of photos showing the blank as soon as it was lifted, right after it was attached to the chuck and also as soon as the tension was removed from the lift system. With the blank weighing 50 pounds and the lift system having a 4:1 ratio, the blank only required 12.5 pounds of force to lift in place! Plus – once lifted – I didn’t have to struggle with the weight/bulk while getting the blank centered! While I am not advocating anyone else do what I did, I am very happy with how easy the system was to install and use!!
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continued...

[Steve Schlumpf]

Seeing as how this is my second large rough out for hollowing, thought I would share just a couple additional photos to give you an idea of what this one may become!

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As always, your opinions, comments and/or critiques are welcomed!

Thanks for looking!

[Pete Jordan]

Nice job Steve!

Where's the remote?

[Pete Jordan]

I cannot get over how beautiful that lathe is!

[David DeCristoforo]

Well, Steve... it would seem that the new machine is inspiring somewhat larger pieces than you have typically done. This is most impressive! Did you have to get a bigger DNA tank?

[charlie knighton]

thanks for sharing Steve, i especially liked the way you used Jerry's chuck tendon, whole lot easier than trying to put faceplate on spindle

[Scott Hackler]

Steve, looks like the deer rigging will work well.

[Bill Bolen]

Well thought out and functional lift system! And on the cheap too! My kinda story... Now for the big question. Are you a good enough shot with that big 'ole 3/4" bowl gouge to shoot the shavings right into the trash can??

[Prashun Patel]

I think Caterine the Great used a similar system...

That lathe looks like the Black Stallion. Nice!

[Rob Cunningham]

Steve, looks like you came up with a good solution.
My only concern is the deck screws. You are applying a shear load (side load) to them which they may or may not be designed to handle over time and increased weight. I would vote for replacing a couple of the screws with some thru-bolts. It may be overkill but better to be safe than having something let go at the wrong time.

[Dick Wilson]

Beautiful lathe. The makings of a big bowl. An effective lift system. The only pictures left out are the ones that show us how you clean the carpet of the powder shavings.

[Roger Chandler]

When you first shared this idea using the game lift, I felt like it would work well............now you have shown it can and does. I have a very similar game lift stored overhead of my lathe, just to get it out of the way............now I think I will utilize it for the same purpose.

I will have to do some bracing for the support up top though.........not hard to do............I made a support one time to lift my big 18" bandsaw to put a mobil base underneath............used an I bolt like you did and used the cable on my ATV winch to lift it.

Sometimes simple is best! Thanks for posting pics of this and the explanation............you may have just saved a lot of backs here on out of a lot of creekers!

[Roland Martin]

Thanks for the update, Steve. Looks like that ought to do the trick just fine. WOW, that is one big chunk of wood! Are you still going to use the bag/DNA/shaving system you've been using to soak? That's one heck of a nice lathe!

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a nice looking system Steve. Looks like the lathe has inspired some rather large pieces.

[Tony Wheeler]

is that a thompson 3/4 gouge they are just the ticket for this big stuff now if you have enough turning musle to stop that beauty with it

[Steve Schlumpf]

Thanks for the comments everyone!

DD - I grabbed one of my wife's plastic laundry baskets and it allows to me enough room to place up at an 18" diameter form in it. I still use a contractor's plastic bag to hold the DNA and pack shavings around the outside of the bag to minimize the amount of DNA used.

Rob - I was wondering about shear load when I installed the 2x10 and figured maybe someday... adding thru-bolts. After your comment, I went ahead and added 2 thru-bolts. Let's just say - it ain't going anywhere now!!

Tony - that is a DT 3/4" V and I have it in a Monster handle that is full of #4 lead shot. It is heavy but works great on these larger pieces! I don't know about turning muscle but I have stopped the Robust more than once by being too aggressive!

[John Keeton]

Steve, perfect setup!! And, in a pinch, you can dress a deer down there - I don't want to be there when Colleen finds out about that!!:eek:

I guess I am most interested in seeing the acrylic finial for this piece!!:D

[Scott Hackler]

...... but I have stopped the Robust more than once by being too aggressive!

As a HUGE drooler (and possible future owner) of Brent's lathes, this kinda concerns me a bit. I have roughed VERY agressively on my little 1 1/2 HP Nova and until I bound up my McNaughton corer, I had never stopped the motor and its only 120v.

What size motor did you order for your AB, Steve?

[Roger Chandler]

As a HUGE drooler (and possible future owner) of Brent's lathes, this kinda concerns me a bit. I have roughed VERY agressively on my little 1 1/2 HP Nova and until I bound up my McNaughton corer, I had never stopped the motor and its only 120v.

What size motor did you order for your AB, Steve?

Scott,

I have a friend who has a Oneway 24/36 with a 3 hp motor.............he stalled it once with a 5/8" bowl gouge, but it bent the gouge pretty good.............he told me he backs off that real aggressive stuff now...........he almost broke his wrist in the process! :eek::eek:

[Steve Schlumpf]

Scott - I have the 3 hp motor. Please understand that this happened on a large chunk of wood, slow speed and I was using the 3/4" V. The shavings coming off it were about 1" wide and fairly thick. The lathe never actually stopped - but slowed down enough that I stopped before I smoked the belt. Happened a couple of times - so I watched how big of a shaving I was taking until the blank was balanced. Once I turned the speed up - never had a problem again. Just one of those getting to know your lathe moments!

[Jim Adkins]

Nice system Steve, looks like a lot of good ole ingenuity went into this. Also a very nice lathe
just for this big log of maple. Is this going to become a basket??

[Baxter Smith]

Cheap, simple, and effective on anything you are going to get into your basement. Looks like a winning combo Steve!

Glad you added the thru bolts. They would come in handy if you need to lift your lathe to update that carpet. She would look awesome on some white shag.:)

[Rich Aldrich]

Steve - nice set up. That should save your back.

[Harvey Ghesser]

You're a very clever man, Steve...very clever indeed!

[Harry Robinette]

Steve
I like the lifting system you can up with cheap and functional. A ladder shape made from the strapping like the lift is made with an X in the bottom works very well as a sling you can hang the piece right at the spindle and screw the spindle onto the face plate cause you have both hands, if a picture would help let me know thats how I do it.

[Sid Matheny]

Looks good Steve but I am wondering if it was any trouble getting the blank up without it hitting the lathe? Looks like you would have to keep a hard pull away so it don't rub the lathe on the way up. But I may be missing something.

Sid

[Steve Schlumpf]

Sid - I threw a piece of plywood between the blank and the lathe just so it would be a smooth lift. Will try to figure out something different for future lifts as the plywood wanted to move on me when first starting.

[Jon Lanier]

Nice way to figure out a hoist system. But Steve, I can't figure out why you just can't pick that chunk up and spinner her into place? Surely you've got some biceps that are at least 19 inches. :)

[phil harold]

This was my first concern too

along with the eye of the bolt opening up (needs to be welded)
I wood have sistered the whole joist and added solid blocking (bridging) between the the joists

May be over kill, but rather safe than sorry

Nice lathe!
Steve, looks like you came up with a good solution.
My only concern is the deck screws. You are applying a shear load (side load) to them which they may or may not be designed to handle over time and increased weight. I would vote for replacing a couple of the screws with some thru-bolts. It may be overkill but better to be safe than having something let go at the wrong time.

[Ken Whitney]

You need to get some CA drips and drops on that too clean lathe:)

[Dave Ogren]

Good inexpensive way to solve the lift problem. Now my question is when turning green wood how do you keep the drop ceiling panels from getting coated ?? The wall behind my lathe has water and dust strips right to the ceiling, then back over my head on the ceiling for about 12 to 15 feet and everything behind me is also soak and wet. Just curious. Thanks,

Dave

[Steve Schlumpf]

Dave - same thing happens in my shop. The panels have a faint yellow stripe to them located directly above when I would rough out either a HF or bowl. I do have a drop cloth (canvas) that hangs in back of me while turning. Makes a huge difference in confining the shavings to just around the lathe area!

[Tim Rinehart]

Nice and effective solution for lift means Steve. You've overcome concern I had with conventional block and tackles, since this one appears to have a locking means for safety.

[Curt Fuller]

I love that lathe! That's a great back saver you've rigged up too. But the best part is still that groovy striped carpet. That's the classiest turning area I've ever seen!;);)

[Jeff Nicol]

Steve, Of course when I see what you rigged up my mind goes into design mode and I envision special log lifting tong that would be adjustable for length and with points that could be hammered into the blanks with also holes for screws. Then when the slack is taken up on the block and tackle the tongs tighten at the lifting point to put additional clamping pressure as the blank/log is lifted into place. I can see it in my cluttered mind clear as day! I may be needing that gambrel to hoist up the big whitetail that I know is going to walk by me in the morning!!!!!


Great lathe and I can't wait to see some of the "BIG" stuff come of it soon,

Jeff

PS you could put another rope and pulley to hold the blank out and away from the lathe until it clears the bed of the lathe and then slowly let the blank back to where it hangs well.

[Jim Burr]

That's it:eek:? You hang a log, clean the outside off and your done:mad:?!! Ouch:p!!! What else ya got:D!? Sure hope you're having fun!