Vertical Mill hoist

[j p smith]

I have a Vertical Mill, (Bridgeport knock off) The vise and rotary table seem to have somehow gained weigh so I would like to come up with a simple hoist I could mount on the side to swing to the side where I set them and then rotate to set on the mill table. Has anyone been down this road?

 

[larry_g]

I have a tall wheeled table that I roll up to the mill and crank the knee to be the same height as the table and just slide it off.

lg

 

[no704]

I use a HF lift cart.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I did used this method.

Back saver rotary table hoist

I bought a Bridgeport 12” rotary table for $100 about 4 years ago, and as I had time I refurbished it a bit at a time. I knew it would be too heavy to manually wrestle onto the mill table, so I came up with a way to handle it when needed. There was already a cabinet in the corner by the mill so...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[rsanter]

This is the first time I have seen this type, the other ones I have seen were bolted to the side of the mill (so required drilling holes in the mill)

adapting to bolt to the top of a rotary table would be easy.

the other thing I have seen but am sure the guy made it himself, was that he had two shelves, one on each side of the mill base that were pieces of rolling conveyer.
you simply lower the table and move it all the way back and you can slide the vise or index head (what he had) off the mill table and onto the storage shelf.
would be fast and easy if you have a power Z feed

 

[larry_g]

Another option that is out there....I've never used one so I make no recommendations or condemnations.

 

[whateg01]

Another option that is out there....I've never used one so I make no recommendations or condemnations.

I drew up plans to build something similar. Every time I have to move the vise, rotab, super spacer, or one of the big chucks, I revive the plans. Can't see spending real money on it but it does look handy.

 

[rsanter]

Here is the other one I mentioned

either way I think these would be easy for someone with a mill to make

 

[tool_scrounge]

For lifting stuff, I used the heck out of a manual Hoyer patient lift. 400 lb capacity, light weight, leg spacing is lever adjustable, and very easy to maneuver. It also greats down into two pieces for storage or easy fitting in the pickup truck bed. I like the original version with the straight lifting arm as they seem to lift higher. Can be cheap on the used market. Electric versions are also available but they weigh/cost more. I sold my engine hoist after getting the Hoyer lift. The Hoyer took up a lost less space and was high enough to lift stuff out of a truck bed

 

[Lwel9226]

For lifting stuff, I used the heck out of a manual Hoyer patient lift. 400 lb capacity, light weight, leg spacing is lever adjustable, and very easy to maneuver. It also greats down into two pieces for storage or easy fitting in the pickup truck bed. I like the original version with the straight lifting arm as they seem to lift higher. Can be cheap on the used market. Electric versions are also available but they weigh/cost more. I sold my engine hoist after getting the Hoyer lift. The Hoyer took up a lost less space and was high enough to lift stuff out of a truck bed

I have one also that I use a lot, but I kept my engine hoist because the Hoyer will not go high enough to change an engine or to lift some things into my truck.....

LynnW

 

[Aaron_W]

I bet something skyhook like could be made from one of these HF cranes, and they are fairly cheap.

Pickup bed crane

Smaller pickup bed crane

 

[MushCreek]

I've seen the type rsanter posted, but it was bolted on the back hole where a shaper head would go (as long as you don't have a shaper). That reminds me; I need to make one.

 

[Punkinhead]

I keep my rotary table, angle plate, and vise on a rolling cart. Just roll it up to the mill, lower the table to the right height, and slide it on. It doesn't work for changing lathe chucks but my chucks are light enough that I don't have any problem lifting them. Maybe as I get older I'll have to come up with something for the lathe.

 

[AEAdam]

Just a note about mills and engine hoists. The smaller capacity 1 ton HF engine hoist’s legs aren’t wide enough to straddle a mill base. Not sure about the 2 ton, tho I know they are wider.

Doesn’t mean you can’t move your table to a spot where the smaller engine crane will work.

 

[txvwnut]

I made a simple cabinet to hold my vises and some other tooling. The heaviest vise sits on top and all I have to do is slide it off the cab onto the table.

 

[dr_clyde]

I just use my bridge crane.

I keep all my vises, chucks, indexers, etc in a Vidmar cabinet and just hook them with a sling when they are needed.

If I didn't have a crane, I'd probably use a hydraulic lift table to maneuver the tools between wherever they're stored and the machine. I have seen tables made for this express purpose that have a built in hoist (like the skyhook shown above) and a counterweight so they don't tip over.

 

[MushCreek]

The problem with a rolling table is giving up precious floor space that some of us can't spare.

 

[j p smith]

Lot of good suggestions, Thanks. The rolling tables make sense, but storage is the issue. I have a toolbox next to the mill, with the vise and rotary stored on top.

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

This is the first time I have seen this type, the other ones I have seen were bolted to the side of the mill (so required drilling holes in the mill)

adapting to bolt to the top of a rotary table would be easy.

the other thing I have seen but am sure the guy made it himself, was that he had two shelves, one on each side of the mill base that were pieces of rolling conveyer.
you simply lower the table and move it all the way back and you can slide the vise or index head (what he had) off the mill table and onto the storage shelf.
would be fast and easy if you have a power Z feed

Here is the other one I mentioned

either way I think these would be easy for someone with a mill to make

This set up was used at a shop where I used to work. One side for the vise, one side for a rotary table.

Garage Journal logic would dictate to have three mills. One with a vise, one with a rotary table, and one with nothing at all. If more set ups are needed, just add another mill!

 

[MushCreek]

I just had to put my vise on the swivel base. No way to slide it on; you have to lift it and lower it down over the center stud.

 

[dr_clyde]

This set up was used at a shop where I used to work. One side for the vise, one side for a rotary table.

Garage Journal logic would dictate to have three mills. One with a vise, one with a rotary table, and one with nothing at all. If more set ups are needed, just add another mill!

I mean, I kinda do this already...

I do have one mill dedicated to a Hartford indexer with a 6" column riser. It is enough of a pain to d regular vise work with the riser that it stays set up with the indexer. I use it daily with this setup.

The other bridgeport is used for generic vise work.

Rotary table work is almost exclusively done on the CNC mill, so no need to dedicate a bridgeport to that lol.

 

[LopezBart]

Another option is a hoist on a Unistruct trolley which allows you to scoot the heavy items to a nearby shelf. This works well for lathe chucks, which also seem to be gaining weight.

In my garage in CA I welded up a small set of shelves behind the mill that I could reach with the table all the way back.
This allowed me to slide the rotary table or Kurt vice into one of two shelves.

 

[cretedog]

I bet something skyhook like could be made from one of these HF cranes, and they are fairly cheap.

Pickup bed crane

Smaller pickup bed crane

I got bored last January and did as you suggested above. Looked at jib cranes, davit cranes, engine hoists etc. Saw the pickup cranes at HF and waited for a big coupon sale and got one. Already had the winch laying in a corner. Set the hydraulic jack, boom and boat winch aside. Welded up a new boom, mounted the winch, fastened it to the welding bench and I was set.

Swings 360 deg and reaches the bench, mill, shaper, slotter and everything in between.

Weak point appears to be the thin wall vertical column. I'll bet I could pick a half ton off the end pulley, but don't believe that tube would like it where the knee brace comes in... Also- it has no slewing bearing- just metal on grease on metal, but swings fine for me with or without a load.

Starting from scratch one could design and fab as wanted, but this got me going, done and works well.

And I do wish I had Dr. Clyde's bridge crane...

 

[GeoBruin]

Vertical mill hoist? Did I misunderstand the assignment?

 

[whateg01]

Vertical mill hoist? Did I misunderstand the assignment?

Well, tbf, if there was a vise on the table, it would also be moving.

 

[GeoBruin]

Well, tbf, if there was a vise on the table, it would also be moving.

Good point. I could also argue I was just taking the mill to the vise.

 

[j p smith]

Vertical mill hoist? Did I misunderstand the assignment?

Lol,

 

[txvwnut]

The problem with a rolling table is giving up precious floor space that some of us can't spare.

That is my issue but the cabinet I built served two purposes so it was a necessary evil.

 

[Aaron_W]

This set up was used at a shop where I used to work. One side for the vise, one side for a rotary table.

Garage Journal logic would dictate to have three mills. One with a vise, one with a rotary table, and one with nothing at all. If more set ups are needed, just add another mill!

Sounds legit.