The carrier i made works pretty well. I set the track so i can use it for both the lathe and mill, made a chuck carrier from an old sterring rack, the rack teeth allow the lifting washer to engage wherever it balances best with no slippage.
Pretty nifty. I like the idea of the notches to allow balancing the chuck. I have long wanted to do something similar but the fear of some s**t for brains student deciding to see what would happen if you loosen the chuck in mid air has kept me from acting on the idea.
Errol Groff
Instructor, Manufacturing Technology H.H. Ellis Technical High School
613 Upper Maple Street Danielson, CT 06239New England Model Engineering Society
You could make a cradle/basket that would hold the chuck.
Dave
Is that overhead garage door track your using??
Is this something that could be done using a Bridgeport Series 1?
Is your track short lipped c-channel or commercial hoist track? I sure like that.
Wes
Thats the machine I am using. As for the track, it is a galvanized C-channel with short lips coming in from the edges. Got it from the left-overs when the welder on the next ranch moved, I don't know what it was intended for but it holds the weight. I bent the smooth curve by putting it cross-wise in the hydraulic press between pins and pressing down on it with an old trailer leaf spring. It took 4 presses to get the length I wanted.
Neat!
I'd want a Weston brake in one of the blocks, so when they let go of the rope to scratch the chuck would stop in place rather than crash.
Is it this stuff?
technomaNge
it is the 3300 on that page. Nice to know that the 100Lbs and less that i lift are well under spec even though I have it rotated 90 deg. I would be more worried about the 5/16 lag bolts into the rafters pulling than a track failure.
A weston brake would be nice, or a marine camlock, but with two double blocks even the large mill vise and rotary table are easy to hang on to.
If you drill and tap the chuck for an eye bolt then that won't happen.
If you lift the chuck with a small sling around it, you can find the balance point of the chuck. Then find a spot under the sling that you can drill and tap with out damaging any working parts of the chuck. Then you never have to find the balance point again. Just screw in the eye bolt and lift with the crane.
Richard W.
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