automobile turntable

[c.architectural]

Anybody have any experience with any of the companies that offer these ? Maintenance problems ? Thanks

 

[isb cornbinder]

What companies? Is it possible that you are referring to a rotisserie? Picture please.

 

[Ironcrow]

I know what you mean
http://www.carturntable.com/car-turntable.html
No experience. I was thinking of making my own though.

 

[Bluevista]

You still see those steel turntables in driveways at some old houses around here. They were built in the late teens so the things have been around a long time. No motors, you pushed the car around, they're usually right in front of the garage door.
The downfall was the ice and snow and the things rusting to nothing but I'm sure they have all those bugs worked out by now, at least the rust problem that is.
The Green Hornet had the best one, they must have had some elaborate systems to keep the fluids in the cars when they were upside down? But it was a TV show so...

 

[Lelandwelds]

Didn't that "Dan Tanna" show in 1979 have a turntable? I thought the drive in living room was the coolest thing when I was a teenager. Did he have epoxy floors too?

That might explain a few things . . .

 

[matt01073]

There is a house a couple towns over from us that has one inside a garage, its centered in what would have been a 2 or 3 car garage and makes the whole rest of the garage useless in order to leave space to use it. I always thought te guy should learn how to back up but he does live on a busy street and its his garage he's wasting so to each his own .

 

[RWorth]

Anybody have any experience with any of the companies that offer these ? Maintenance problems ? Thanks

Just curious, why do you want one, and where do you live,seems like they would take up a lot of space?

 

[laser3kw]

are you thinking this vvvvvvv

 

[Matt M PA]

Found this on line....carturner.com

I can understand the use if you have a very tight space to run into a garage...

 

[apollo11]

For ambiance

are you thinking this vvvvvvv

 

[Ironcrow]

Some states and municipalities have ordinances forbidding backing out onto major highways/parkways whatever. Like if all of the curb cuts are into shopping center parking lots the occasional residential driveway may need to provide space on the property to turn around. Or in the case of a short driveway an alternative could be a turntable for a creative architect.

 

[ky-mike]

Jay Leno had one installed in his home garage. His show had a feature on his home garage a couple of years ago that showed the installation. Pretty nice thing to have if you have limited space to turn around.

 

[77Birdman]

I like the Bat Cave! First thing I thought when I read this was Jay Leno. I think I saw one of those makeover shows where they surprised him by putting one in his garage. I recall him commenting on how much wasted space it created and that he was not really thrilled with it. They def. have the cool factor, and if space and budget aren't a problem they look like a great idea.

 

[LX-Markham]

automobile turntable

 

[Capt Chrysler]

Seems every used car dealer around here has one. I think they were made by a local welding shop.

Capt. Chrysler

 

[coljar]

No help, but Henry Ford's home "Fairlane" has one in the garage/power station.

 

[ratdoggy]

Summit Speed in Tallmadge has 2 for displays...
Maybe a phone call might net some info on them

 

[Eric29]

Some years ago, I took a boat tour of Bar Harbor. The guide said that Henry Ford used one in his home in Bar Harbor because he couldn't drive a car backwards.

Pretty funny considering how Ford made his fortune.

Jay Leno had one installed in his home garage. His show had a feature on his home garage a couple of years ago that showed the installation. Pretty nice thing to have if you have limited space to turn around.

 

[matt_i]

I think they could be built without many exotic components. I've worked on quite a few incoming material turnarounds in a factory which hold parts transported in big steel racks (a hoist operator pulls from one side, and a forklift services the empty and full racks from the other side). A 6209 bearing is good for something around 5000 lbs static. Those could be arranged tangentially. Center post around 2" with a 2 bolt flange bearing. Can drive with roller chain sprockets and gear reducer to electric motor. Probably a 1/4 hp motor is enough with the right reduction.

More serious challenges include getting a ~20' steel disk flat enough so all of the rollers contact, forming the concrete so there's no big gaps, rigging the massive thing into place from 10 feet away, and designing everything so it can be leveled shimmed or tweaked into operating position.

if you did ever get one I'd highly recommend a hoist point good for ~5000 lbs be setup over the center point, that way one could pull the disk for servicing if ever needed.

As was pointed out above, if one looks at the BatMan turntable and visualizes another car it takes the space of 2 cars parked normally...

 

[1jjpop]

The town in central Iowa where I went to school at had a turntable in a residenial garage. The person who lived there didn't like to back up. It has been there for years [50+ years]

 

[Ironcrow]

... A 6209 bearing is good for something around 5000 lbs static. Those could be arranged tangentially. Center post around 2" with a 2 bolt flange bearing. Can drive with roller chain sprockets and gear reducer to electric motor. Probably a 1/4 hp motor is enough with the right reduction.

More serious challenges include getting a ~20' steel disk flat enough so all of the rollers contact, forming the concrete so there's no big gaps, rigging the massive thing into place from 10 feet away, and designing everything so it can be leveled shimmed or tweaked into operating position.

I'd avoid a heavy bearing and heavy monolithic steel disc. Make it like the turntable in your microwave with a separate carriage with numerous wheels. The microwave has 3 wheels, our car turntable could have 30 wheels on several different radii. To make the assembly I just place a curbed round pocket made of concrete, add wheel carriage, segmented steel turntable on top. The steel doesn't need to be one rigid piece as it is supported by 30 wheels.

 

[homebuilt burner]

Some rotary cow milking parlors use bowling balls for bearings. Cheap and available.

 

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Some rotary cow milking parlors use bowling balls for bearings. Cheap and available.

Now that's interesting.

 

[WhiffySpark]

Sounds more like a high end show garage than needing it. Which is completely fine.