Thread: Lifting Lathe

Hi Guys. would it be OK to put a large bar in the chuck to lift the lathe or would it load the bearings and the spindle too much. It is a h&f lathe.
Kim

Probably best not to if you can avoid it. Especially with a bar as it extends further out from the bearings. Those that do elect to lift by the spindle, normally choke a soft sling, behind the chuck.

What model is it, would I find a picture of it on H & F’s site.

Phil.

Are you planning on lifting on both sides of the headstock.
This would be better and safer than just lifting from one side.
You may need to wind the carriage and tailstock towards the headstock to try and get an even lift if dont use a sling around the tailstock end of the lathe.
You could probably get away with a piece of pipe rather than solid bar.

Hi Phill
It is an al335.and weighs about 350kg
Kim

With my AL1000 I just used a soft sling through the bed stiffeners. Lifted it from the one point... It did balance fairly well..

Is it on the stand like this one?

http://www.machines4u.com.au/view/gallery/?advert_id=7005

If you open those doors up, is there provision for lifting bars under there?

Phil.

Hi Guys
I didnt see any provision for lifting bars but I will have another look.
Thanks guys.
Kim

Dont lift the lathe by the chuck or spindle . Take the chuck off and use slings . Cut some stout steel bars and place them under the bed with the slings down inside the bed holes.
Then use elastic octocords to strap the bars in position so they do not move or fall away when no lifting strain is on the slings. You can slip some thin rubber mat between the bar and the lathe bed if you like. Adjust the sling position near the tailstock so a balance can be struck , some lathes will balance with both bars near the headstock because that is the heavy part. Move the tailstock about to aid balance . Only lift it a few inches to check the balance and once found then only lift the minimum height to achieve the move . Dont wrap slings around the outside of the lathe bed as the lifting pressure can and will bend the lead screw or feed shaft.
I saw a photo on a H&F catalogue of a fairly large lathe being delivered being swung by just a single sling on the chuck . Made my blood run cold. We know it is a strong part of the lathe but why put that much pressure on precision bearings , funny how after I mentioned it the photo was gone next catalogue . I don't care how many experts say it is ok , it is not ok.
Don't be tempted to do a half ass job of lifting a lathe as many people drop them and wreck them forever.
If you don't have good slings go to Repco or Super Cheap Auto and buy a non stretch towing sling and just double it up a few times to form a Y sling . They also sell good quality 2 ton rated recovery bow shakles .

This photo is taken from my AL335 owners manual, and is how I lifted mine. Seems to be pretty well balanced when lifted in this fashion. Obviously you need to make sure you thread the sling behind the control rods to avoid bending them!

Originally Posted by BigStick

Hi Phill
It is an al335.and weighs about 350kg
Kim

I made a bracket that used the bed cap screws to attach it to the lathe and lifted mine with that. A lot easier and less scary (IMO) than using slings under the bed. No chance of it tipping or slings slipping. ( I don't know if they CAN slip but that was a fear.)

sterob

Hi all,

When I lift mine, I go by the user manual which also recommends a sling around the bed. With the tailstock removed and adjust the saddle along the bed to achieve balance. Also a second piece of tape rope can be attached to the end of the bed and back to the sling to give some more stability. I found this to be a very safe and secure method.

There are obviously people here with more expertise than me but lifting the lathe via the spindle and headstock seems to me to put a lot of stress on the spindle (bearings will handle it) and headstock bolts. Not suggesting the bolts will shear, far from it but why put stress on the bolts that hold the headstock in in precise location that you otherwise wouldn't want moving or adjusting?

Cheers,

Simon

Originally Posted by Retromilling

Dont lift the lathe by the chuck or spindle . Take the chuck off and use slings . Cut some stout steel bars and place them under the bed with the slings down inside the bed holes.
Then use elastic octocords to strap the bars in position so they do not move or fall away when no lifting strain is on the slings. You can slip some thin rubber mat between the bar and the lathe bed if you like. Adjust the sling position near the tailstock so a balance can be struck , some lathes will balance with both bars near the headstock because that is the heavy part. Move the tailstock about to aid balance . Only lift it a few inches to check the balance and once found then only lift the minimum height to achieve the move . Dont wrap slings around the outside of the lathe bed as the lifting pressure can and will bend the lead screw or feed shaft.
I saw a photo on a H&F catalogue of a fairly large lathe being delivered being swung by just a single sling on the chuck . Made my blood run cold. We know it is a strong part of the lathe but why put that much pressure on precision bearings , funny how after I mentioned it the photo was gone next catalogue . I don't care how many experts say it is ok , it is not ok.
Don't be tempted to do a half ass job of lifting a lathe as many people drop them and wreck them forever.
If you don't have good slings go to Repco or Super Cheap Auto and buy a non stretch towing sling and just double it up a few times to form a Y sling . They also sell good quality 2 ton rated recovery bow shakles .

Only read this after posting. Thats a great idea. I'm going to do this from now on too!

Thanks retro.

Proper lifting slings are so cheap I don't know why you'd bother with towing straps: eBay: lifting sling

Originally Posted by Bryan

Proper lifting slings are so cheap I don't know why you'd bother with towing straps: eBay: lifting sling

It is not a matter of price so much as availability. Many people have a Repco or Supper cheap auto handy but no industrial lifting supply . I could not buy professional lifting slings for anywhere near as cheap as the heavy duty tow strap was at the time and back then there was nothiong much on e-bay like there is now. I agree that the slings on e-bay are good value and worth getting if you are not in a hurry.
Also the strap will also be useful for towing a vehicle when the lifting is over .
It also lifted a milling machine that was heavier than my lathe by just wrapping it multiple times around the head travel castings .
Another useful bit gear is the cheap Chinese electric winch . I dragged my milling machine into place on steel roller bars by placing a t- bolt anchor in the concrete floor and connecting a chain to that .