lifting a 12x36 lathe

[casta-baga]

recently I purchased a new 12X36 King gear head lathe that for some reason came without manual or stand assembly screws, all the information that I gathered so far was through the internet but with the exception of how to properly lift the machine...

I can't find any information on how to lift the machine to put it on the stand, this machine is over 500Kg.
I have an engine crane to do the job but I'm a little skeptic.

I figure that I can grab the machine with a strap on the tail-stock side without damaging the leadscrew and feed shaft...

but how can I grab on the chuck side? the gear head is very heavy and no place that I see to put a strap or anything ...

Is there any secret on how to lift this machines?

thanks

[Geof]

One way to get a strap on the headstock is to put a length of bar or pipe through the spindle and loop a strap over each end.

Something to be careful about with these small machines is balance. It is easy to slip straps around the bed or through between the ways and around webs in the casting but lifting from a low point can mean you are below the center of gravity. Lifting from the spindle means you are very likely high enough to be above the C of G.

Also do not use a single strap that just goes up and over the hook on your hoist from one end of the machine to the other. This way the strap can slide over the hook allowing the heavy end of the machine to drop; even if you start out balanced as you push or tug it into position you can unbalance it causing it to slip. Loop separate straps between the hook and the points on the machine you are lifting at, and remember to keep the angle between the straps no larger than 60 degrees at the hook.

[casta-baga]

Originally Posted by Geof One way to get a strap on the headstock is to put a length of bar or pipe through the spindle and loop a strap over each end. Something to be careful about with these small machines is balance. It is easy to slip straps around the bed or through between the ways and around webs in the casting but lifting from a low point can mean you are below the center of gravity. Lifting from the spindle means you are very likely high enough to be above the C of G. Also do not use a single strap that just goes up and over the hook on your hoist from one end of the machine to the other. This way the strap can slide over the hook allowing the heavy end of the machine to drop; even if you start out balanced as you push or tug it into position you can unbalance it causing it to slip. Loop separate straps between the hook and the points on the machine you are lifting at, and remember to keep the angle between the straps no larger than 60 degrees at the hook.

hello Geof,
thats a perfect idea using a length of bar or pipe through the spindle and loop a strap over each end.

and I'm going to find away to attach the straps to the pipe or bar like having couple of clamps or bolts on the edges...
I'm going to work on that Thursday or Friday night.
thanks

[g-codeguy]

Geof's answer was much better than what I was going to say (when isn't it? ). As soon as I saw the title line my thought was to tell you to bend at the knees and lift with the legs.

[casta-baga]

Ou boy!!! Understanding this world....
If asks is because asks....
Even if the question is on the right place.
If breaks is because didn't know...

[Mcgyver]

Originally Posted by Geof One way to get a strap on the headstock is to put a length of bar or pipe through the spindle and loop a strap over each end. Something to be careful about with these small machines is balance. It is easy to slip straps around the bed or through between the ways and around webs in the casting but lifting from a low point can mean you are below the center of gravity. Lifting from the spindle means you are very likely high enough to be above the C of G. Also do not use a single strap that just goes up and over the hook on your hoist from one end of the machine to the other. This way the strap can slide over the hook allowing the heavy end of the machine to drop; even if you start out balanced as you push or tug it into position you can unbalance it causing it to slip. Loop separate straps between the hook and the points on the machine you are lifting at, and remember to keep the angle between the straps no larger than 60 degrees at the hook.

Hey Geof, sound advise as usual....but the bar through the spindle concerns me. That's putting a lot of load on the bearings which is supposed to be no-no, especially when they're not moving. Over cautious? Maybe, but at over a grand for high end spindle bearings....... i haven't seen one that couldn't be strapped to the bed using two straps as Geof describes. Move carriage and tail stock to the end to balance against headstock weight and of course lock in place.

[Geof]

You are being a bit over cautious I think. Certainly very large static loads can be problematic for bearings but I don't think the weight of the machine is in the 'very large static load' category. The main reason I suggest using the spindle bore is that it almost certainly puts the COG below the lifting point; lifting from the bed may not.

For anyone wondering about why static loads are bad for bearings Google 'bearing brinelling' and 'false brinelling'. Under some circumstances bearings can be damaged with very small static loads but the key is that the load has to be applied rythmically for a long period of time.

[RotarySMP]

The Steady rest would be near the CofG, and would therefore take nearly the entire machine weight.

Lifting with the steady rest would put a very concentrated bending/tensile force into a small area of the bed, right where it would instantly scrap the machine if a chunk of casting broke out.

Sounds like a risky idea to me.

I think if you look up the spindle bearings in a bearing catalog, you will find that the static load of lifting from a bar through the spindle is only a small fraction of the rated bearing load. For example 6210's with a 50mm ID and 80 OD are rated 3743 lb static force, and your machine weight is only a 1/4 of that, and you would only be exerting abut 65% of that force through the headstock end, and that force will be shared between at least two bearings. Comes out at about 9% of the bearings rated capability.

I would expect such a lathe to have significantly bigger bearings than 6210's.

[GaryCorlew]

This is how I lifted mine, it is a 12x37 HF probably about the same weight as yours, I used two lifting straps and an engine hoist. One strap was as close to the head stock as I could get it, this strap needs to be rated to take at least the full weight of the lathe, I then used a ratchet strap around it and the head stock to make sure it stayed in place, the other lifting strap I threaded between the casting and the lead screws to the right of the carriage and under the casting. I then started the lift while holding the hand wheel on the apron so the apron did not move (while still over the bed of my truck so if sh*t happened it would not fall very far) Once I got it up a couple of inches I then moved the apron to level out the lathe, once it was level I locked the apron in place(mine locks with a bolt) I then pushed the apron as hard as I could to make sure it was not going to move, when satisfied I drove my truck forward, moved the lathe over the table I made and lowered in place. It was easier then I imagined it would be. Most of all be safe, arms, legs,hands, and feet are much more valuable then the lathe! Your mileage may vary

[Geof]

This is how I lifted my old manual lathe; most emphatically not good practise:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/attach...3&d=1189962581

The whole sequence of pictures shows I was more careful with its replacement:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43657

[MattTheNoob]

Somewhere in the bed, there should be a threaded hole for a lifting lug. Lift with an engine hoist (if you don't have one, buy one and you'll use it many more times... your new hobby will only get bigger and heavier) Use the carriage to balance the load.

Be careful. The steel-to-concrete interface is very unforgiving to fingers.

Lifting by the spindle may be fine, but I wouldn't do it with my lathe.