Midwest Tool & Engineering Co. Hydraulic Lift Table - hydraulic pump question

[tscheuzger]

I've been a lurker here for a while but haven't posted much at all.



I just got this table at auction. I was in touch with the company that bought out Midwest Tool & Eng. Co and they no longer make these nor provide any kind of support.

https://trifectagroupmfg.com/midwest-tool



In my research, I found the original design patent from 1936; apparently these were most popular around 1945 and were made up until around 2020 from what I can tell.





There is an older thread here about the lighter duty 1000 lb. version from the same company but it doesn't have much info either. Mine is the 2000 lb. capacity one and weighs 485 lbs. The hydraulic pump is built into the base and is not easily accessible. There's a 1/2" steel plate on the bottom held with eight bolts and sealed with a gasket.




From what I can tell, there's a set screw/plug on the rear that MAY be for adding oil, but I'm unsure without taking it all apart. Since it's working I'm hesitant to do that right now - just wondering if anyone else has one of these that may give some insight?

I can pull the table and upper column off with my hoist to expose the pump ram inside, and I can see a pool of rusty liquid in the base. I haven't yet measured the depth or determined whether it is oil or water in there, but to me it seems unlikely that it's hydraulic oil.



Since it's so heavy it would be difficult to tip this thing over, and it occurred to me that it may just be water infiltration that leaked in through the slot in the lower column. I started a thread on this table over on owwm.org but am not getting too many responses from people that may have seen one of these before.

https://owwm.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=253569

I've attached a bunch of other pics here but there are far more in the OWWM thread.



My biggest question is whether or not anyone has seen one like this or has any knowledge about the pump. Is there a reservoir in the base, or do you have to pull the bottom plate to service the pump? Should I dump/clean out the liquid in the base?

Thanks.

Tom

 

[GeoBruin]

Cool table. I've never seen one, and this is purely a guess, but I assume the hydraulic cylinder is self-contained and is just housed within the base. No external reservoir to speak of. I'll bet you're right about having some water trapped in there. Heavy as it is, I would pull the bottom off, drain it, dry it, clean it, and reassemble. It's a nice piece. Worth taking care of.

Edit: I just reread your post and it sounds like there is some evidence that the pump/reservoir is integrated into the base. It still seems strange that the whole column would just be full of hydraulic fluid but I'm clearly just guessing now. Good luck!

 

[1982fxr]

Very cool

 

[RoninB4]

I've seen a couple like this in shops I've worked in, they were usually well used but still functional. Most mold/die shops tend to shy away from hydraulic tables as a safety issue when loads are several hundred pounds. If yours still seems to hold, test it overnight with a heavy load, then I'd service it as you're able to. Drain the rusty liquid, check for oil capacity, and just use it. It's heavy and a lot more work to do this but I'd be inclined to disassemble it enough to examine the hydraulic cylinder, the linkage, and whether the cylinder can be refurbished or has to be replaced. It's a nice table worthy of servicing to ensure it's capable and keeps you safe in use. What do you intend load it with?

 

[tscheuzger]

Thanks, Ronin. I'm beginning to realize that I'm going to have to disassemble it to really access the situation - I was just hoping someone might have recognized it and been there before me. Right now I have the table, upper column and casters/brake removed so it's down to about 350 lbs. Everything on this thing is heavy. Just the foot brake was 8 lbs...

The shop it came out of had a diesel ****** on it when I went to pick it up, and it had been there awhile. I have another lift table by Lexco with the same capacity that I use all the time, mostly for transferring heavy items out of my truck bed (when I'm too lazy to haul out the gantry), but also the odd uses where you need lift height and mobility, such as when I was reattaching the legs to my four gang drill press table (that machine is about 1500 lbs.).

I liked this one due to the rotating table, which I thought would come in handy when painting or photographing heavier items. The table locks with a 5/8" bolt so I'm not too worried about it slipping. I doubt I'll have anything on it for too much time as I intend to use it as a transfer cart/table, but you know how that goes with horizontal surfaces...

 

[RoninB4]

Thanks, Ronin. I'm beginning to realize that I'm going to have to disassemble it to really access the situation - I was just hoping someone might have recognized it and been there before me.

-That's how it is with some of the old(er) items, very well built (heavy) but now needs inspection/servicing after 50 years of use/abuse.

Right now I have the table, upper column and casters/brake removed so it's down to about 350 lbs. Everything on this thing is heavy. Just the foot brake was 8 lbs...

-That part itself is an indication of why it's lasted all these decades. Overbuilt designs are my favorite until I have to service them.

The shop it came out of had a diesel ****** on it when I went to pick it up, and it had been there awhile. I have another lift table by Lexco with the same capacity that I use all the time, mostly for transferring heavy items out of my truck bed (when I'm too lazy to haul out the gantry),

-I built a gantry that saw frequent use for two years....and hasn't moved for 5. You're lazy? I'm just as guilty.

but also the odd uses where you need lift height and mobility, such as when I was reattaching the legs to my four gang drill press table (that machine is about 1500 lbs.).

-Nice gang drill table, haven't had one in decades. What does your shop service/build?

I liked this one due to the rotating table, which I thought would come in handy when painting or photographing heavier items.

-Nice feature to have for many situations

The table locks with a 5/8" bolt so I'm not too worried about it slipping.

-Didn't know your background and didn't mean to lecture. The lock-in-position is a huge thing for me.

you know how that goes with horizontal surfaces...

-All horizontal surfaces here (home or shop) are currently occupied with something in process of being repaired, assembled, or are scheduled to be moved to a different horizontal surface. Nope, no idea what you're talking about...

 

[tscheuzger]

-Nice gang drill table, haven't had one in decades. What does your shop service/build?

The past 15 years or so I've been collecting and restoring old woodworking machinery, which is why I'm much more active over on owwm.org. That particular gang press was a fairly cheap auction purchase that I got to aid in my restorations. My machine acquisitions have slowed down quite a bit since I've retired, but when I saw this table at auction I though it would be a worthwhile addition, especially for the $100 and change that I paid. I still enjoy finding old machines but these days I'm more about getting them running and thinning the herd.

 

[tscheuzger]

While I continue my thread on this over on owwm (https://owwm.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=253569), I thought I would post some more photos of the disassembly as well as some observations I made - just in case someone with another one of these turns up.

I pulled the pump out which is bolted to that plate on the base. I haven't measured yet, but about 1.5 gallons of oil came out.




I suspended the base from my gantry and used a die cart with a tub to slowly lower the pump out - you need about 24" of clearance to get it out.




A shot of the underside of the base showing the pump sump/resevoir:




There was about a half inch of sludge in the base.



After a little bit of sludge removal:



Continued, next post.

Tom

 

[tscheuzger]

Before I emptied the oil from the pump, I used a piece of wood as a dip stick to measure the oil level. There was about 6" in there. The whole pump/base plate assembly weighs about 36 lbs.; I was glad I blocked it up over my oil tub rather than try to hold it while I lowered it down.




Parts of the foot pump assembly:





That plunger goes into this tube:




Continued, next post.

Tom

 

[tscheuzger]

The release valve is actuated with a button you press with your foot. A plunger/valve is threaded into a tube on the opposite side of the pump.





At the bottom of that tube is a sealing washer.

More to come...

Tom

 

[hobie18]

Trying to think of the best use for this table.


BTW: a Rolls-Royce Merlin weighs 1640 lbs.

 

[RoninB4]

-Nicely made table. It was a lot of work but all that rusty sludge would have shortened the life of the table. Looks like it's good for another 30 years of service.