Skyhook, I'm not a believer

[RB211]

Abom released another video. I can't help but feel I was watching an infomercial, that's one thing about Adam I don't particularly care for, it's very blurry if it's something he bought and likes, or if it is a sponsored video, AND something he likes. At least I believe if he didn't like the product, we wouldn't see a video about it.
Anyhow, you cannot tell me that this design does not stress the hell out of the toolpost, T slots, compound, etc. Math is math, that is a long arm, and 500 lbs is 500 lbs stretched out on a long arm! Makes me cringe!!

[CalM]

Stress within limits never hurt metal.

If the tool keeps you out of hospital, what is it worth?

[Doozer]

He got him a sky hook !
Looks phallic as hell.
The perfect tool to de-water a well.
Maybe the next time, he'll hawk a bottomless steam bucket.
Or praise an Eskimo ice chest, made near to Nantucket.
He could drive all those taps, bought by the pound.
Or seat lots a keys, both square and some round.
He's got him some shapers, best fit to fling chips
from back in the day, of iron men and wood ships.
His got a big tool, no one can deny.
But his tool only makes chips, that get in your eye.
He's got him a woman, she'll bake him a pie.
And I wrote this rhyme, it's all a big lie.

-D

[vectorwarbirds]

Stress within limits never hurt metal.

If the tool keeps you out of hospital, what is it worth?

How would you determine the stress limits of say the tool post or t-slots when, as RB211 says, you hang something heavy out on that arm? I don't think the lathe engineers planned on anything like that, so what you hope it don't break the post or slots and all is good? Does this item come with data that determines those forces for every machine? I agree with RB to an extent.

[754]

Is it on the topslide, at first glance I thought it was on the ways with a 10 inch or plus long base plate. I remember them in the old catalogs but don't rember how it was mounted. BUT It's ok if he does it on his lathe..

[CalM]

The "calculations" would be straight forward resolution of forces. Freshman M.E.
Cast iron is a Known material.

We have all seen broken compound slide tee slots. The forces generated during cutting can be large, but a crash beats all!

I try not to be stupid, even if things appear to be a good idea.

If the sky hook broke lathes when used as intended, how long would they stay in business?

If I were really concerned, I would ask the maker. Not the yuu tube guy.

Myself, I've looked at the tool, but they are heavy and hard to mount.

An overhead beam mounted chain hoist serves my needs. Those big chucks are getting TOO HEAVY. They must be putting on material while waiting under the work bench. ;-)

ETA

That chuck, nor any chuck that a HSM would typically encounter will weigh in at 500#.
Hyperbolic extrapolation on real events should be avoided.

[DennisCA]

Not sure about the skyhook. But the concept of a jib crane is something I have been thinking of. Parked between the lathe and mill, or bolted to the mill itself. My mill is quite modular, but was really designed with a crane in mind. So sorta the same thing as what Abom has got, but bit bigger and more versatile.


I also have to say that recently (last year or so) there's something about Aboms videos that puts me off. I think it got worse after he quit his day job. Before he was like a machinist who happened to youtube his work, felt like the real deal. Now he's a youtuber who happens to do machining. I've also noticed an Abom video will have multiple commercials in it. It's really excessive IMO, makes it feel like watching TV and I hate TV. There's just something about his videos nowadays, feels too commercial.

[Dan Dubeau]

I'd rather have one on a tooling cart that I could roll around. The toolpost mount looks good in theory, but I wouldn't do it on MY lathe. Besides it being a wee little myford, it just wouldn't pass the "gut check" despite what the numbers said.

Can't fault a guy for cashing in and trying to make a living though. He was one of the early pioneers in the youtube machining genre, and has certainly put the work in. Good on him if he can get it. I don't really watch his stuff anymore unless the project or title grabs my attention, Or I'm doing something and put one on for background viewing. But I still like his production style.

[RB211]

I'd rather have one on a tooling cart that I could roll around. The toolpost mount looks good in theory, but I wouldn't do it on MY lathe. Besides it being a wee little myford, it just wouldn't pass the "gut check" despite what the numbers said.

Can't fault a guy for cashing in and trying to make a living though. He was one of the early pioneers in the youtube machining genre, and has certainly put the work in. Good on him if he can get it. I don't really watch his stuff anymore unless the project or title grabs my attention, Or I'm doing something and put one on for background viewing. But I still like his production style.

Really, it's the Skyhook and the giant tapping arm he has that obviously had to be sponsored. I don't fault him for making a living with it, as he went full time doing it, just wish he would disclose some things for transparency. Bottom line is that I learn a lot from him and will continue to watch. Stephan G. is my favorite Youtuber.

[Mcgyver]

I've got one, one of the few things I spent a lot of money on buying new. Based on what you get, it feels like a huge rip off, but I overcame that by figuring my back was worth it. I'm unlikely to get stronger as time goes by and eventually lifting the 12" RT, well, it wouldn't end well.

It spends most of its time on the mill but I've used to lift headstocks. I too have the cringe factor, capacity it'd be like putting a 500 lb dude on the end of a crow bar on your T slot. What I did was make a really long T nut figuring the longer the T nut the bigger the area that would have to shear for the T slot to break.

That it can take 500 lbs doesn't exactly mean you must put 500 on it. You have a 500lb chuck or RT or workpeice? Time to get a forklift. It can handle the 500 supposedly, but what its anchored to is your responsibility.

I'd rather have one on a tooling cart that I could roll around.

that would be useful, but holds its own dangers - you'd need a big counter balance. Last thing you want when some 300lb thing is almost on the mill table is to have it all tip over

[CCWKen]

If you paid attention to the video, Adam states he asked the maker. He also states the chuck doesn't weight 500 lbs. and theorized him making 1/2" cuts in steel places more force on the carriage. For all you guys that "must keep up", it's a perfect way to spend $2k and feel good about yourself. Me? I put a HF truck boom on the back of my mill for lift assist. I'd post a picture but can't do that here any more.

[Mcgyver]

If you paid attention to the video, Adam states he asked the maker. He also states the chuck doesn't weight 500 lbs. and theorized him making 1/2" cuts in steel places more force on the carriage. For all you guys that "must keep up", it's a perfect way to spend $2k and feel good about yourself. Me? I put a HF truck boom on the back of my mill for lift assist. I'd post a picture but can't do that here any more.

where do you get 2000 from? Mine was in the hundreds

[JoeLee]

No way in hell I would ever put that kind of stress on my tool post / compound / cross slide.

When I remove my chuck I slide a 1 1/4" x 24" long alum. round through the chuck and into the spindle by about 6" put a piece of plywood under the chuck and slide it off the spindle. Then I can easily lift the chuck off the machine bu holding each end of the alum. round. It makes a nice carrying handle.

JL................

[Doozer]

It is all about force vectors.
When you are cutting in a lathe
the tool forces on the compound
are down, in compression and
back towards the operator,
through the nut and feedscrew.

Now with the Sky hook
it puts a BENDING MOMENT
on the tee slot and compound.
The force vectors are
forward and down.

The exact opposite situation that you have
when using a toolpost and a cutting tool.

This is why I also do NOT like
attaching a Sky hook to the compound
of a lathe.

--Doozer

[buffdan]

I bought one off of eBay years ago.. I have used it probably 10 time to change D1-4 chucks on my lathe, It works fine, but takes time to install, remove, etc. So I rigged a simple trolley gantry from uni-strut to move/store my chucks on a cart..Quicker
These sky-hooks can be used for other applications too.. I rigged it once to install a heavy toilet in a cramped spot.. Worked fine for that too

The YouTube trend is to monetize ones creations.. It does take the creators time and money to share their videos with us.. SO I am ok with that.. Otherwise, what is the incentive to keep pumping out time consuming videos that some folks will criticize anyway.