I always wondered what that little hole in the Bridgeport was for.

[davidwdyer]

Not sure what the angle on top of the pipe is for. V wheels run on round pipe just fine. 300 machines I built will testify to that. If you want to build a copy find an electrician with a greenlee bender and have him bend the pipe 90 degrees for you. It will be stronger and nice looking too.

I'm sure it would run along a round pipe, but it would also possibly rotate from side to side with no load.

This is because the top wheel without the chain hoist is heavier than the bottom.

I need it to run straight with no load. If I want to build a copy I'll have a really bad time finding an electrician with a greenlee bender around here.

You can do that when you build yours.

[boslab]

Interesting info regarding dynamo eye bolts, thank you, I can see the logic, however in a steel plant they didn’t appear, just the shoulder ones, often in tandem or quartet, sounds musical.
I’ve never had an eyebolt failure fortunately, all slings, chains etc got inspected by the cranes and lifting department at various scheduled frequency, some weekly, some monthly beams and things got bombed, or ultrasound inspection ( bombed = radiography in case any didn’t know, I don’t know if it’s a term used in the USA, )
I have witnessed a rope failure on a 500t bridge crane, it dropped a full ladle of liquid sunshine about 40 feet onto a transfer car, that lit up the building in every sense the contents was 340 tons at 1540 degrees centigrade bloody terrifying, the radiation blew every window within 200 feet, poor old crane driver got burnt badly 150 feet up, face like a steak but he recovered,
marrk

[JRouche]

( bombed = radiography in case any didn’t know, I don’t know if it’s a term used in the USA, )
marrk

Neat job you had. I think we call is NDT (Non destructive testing). Knew some welders that got to go to that school. Difficult to pass but very lucrative back then. JR

[RSG]

Awesome job! I made one off to the side with an electric hoist. My ro-tab weighs as much as me so it's a necessity 😀

[RSG]

Not kidding.. This is from my bridgeport mill manual. I suspect they know what they are talking about, as crazy as that lift sounds. I still like method #2, the sling. JR

Same here! I'll never do this again!

[Doozer]

Oh my god ! It's a crane ! Those are NOT allowed in a residential area.
Check the HOA documents. Call the lawyers. What will the neighbors think?
What of the children ? A dirty nasty machine ! You can not make things.
Things need to come from China. Call the president ! ! ! Send the CIA.

-D

[davidwdyer]

Awesome job! I made one off to the side with an electric hoist. My ro-tab weighs as much as me so it's a necessity 😀

NICE! I wish I had made mine years ago.

[JoeLee]

Not to rain on your parade, but grab your umbrella. Can you say "SNAP"! Say it real loud.

That looks like an awful stress riser point on the bottom of that CI bracket. I would add a counterweight to the back end of the boom. Today, not tomorrow.

But it does look like a nice accessory. I need something like that too. I am thinking about a storage table with an elevator top and a small crane at one corner.

My thoughts exactly. That's a lot of leverage working against that mount on the ram.

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

[The Metal Butcher]

Not to rain on your parade, but grab your umbrella. Can you say "SNAP"! Say it real loud.

That looks like an awful stress riser point on the bottom of that CI bracket. I would add a counterweight to the back end of the boom. Today, not tomorrow.

But it does look like a nice accessory. I need something like that too. I am thinking about a storage table with an elevator top and a small crane at one corner.

DrMike,

Want to dispel any fear mongering?

Thanks kindly,
TMB

[sarge41]

Why is it that most home shop guys
seem not to be able to weld
even a wet booger to a frozen mailbox?
Asking for a friend.

Nice crane build.
--Doozer

When you ask them about weld prep and they look at you like a crosseyed billygoat., there's your sign.

Yeah it is a nice, simple design.

Speaking of the little hole on the back end of the ram, I wasn't aware of anything besides that little slotter.

Sarge41

[JRouche]

Speaking of the little hole on the back end of the ram, I wasn't aware of anything besides that little slotter.
Sarge41

According to the manuals I have they only write about the cherrying head attachment going there. That rotary table lift the OP made is a nice attachment. JR

[The Metal Butcher]

There is a guy local to me with a cherrying attachment in good shape for like $380. If interested I'll put in touch.

[DrMike]

DrMike,

Want to dispel any fear mongering?

Thanks kindly,
TMB

Maybe not, I'm having a good time reading the comments.

I went back and looked... we don't know how heavy the rotary table is, the diameter or wall thickness of the round tube, the dimensions of the boss on the back of the Bridgeport. In fact, all we really know is that the goopy-looking welds are "substantial." However, eyeballing it I don't have a problem with this solution at all. The boss is meant for cutting operations, it was built t take far more abuse than this crane is likely to put on it.

We know that davidwdyer is highly satisfied with his solution of getting his rotary table on and off his milling machine.
And to that I say - good for you, davidwdyer. I also like your clever little crane.

Could it be better? Sure, everything can be.
Does it have to be altered to be safer? I don't think so.

[The Metal Butcher]

Maybe not, I'm having a good time reading the comments.

I went back and looked... we don't know how heavy the rotary table is, the diameter or wall thickness of the round tube, the dimensions of the boss on the back of the Bridgeport. In fact, all we really know is that the goopy-looking welds are "substantial." However, eyeballing it I don't have a problem with this solution at all. The boss is meant for cutting operations, it was built t take far more abuse than this crane is likely to put on it.

We know that davidwdyer is highly satisfied with his solution of getting his rotary table on and off his milling machine.
And to that I say - good for you, davidwdyer. I also like your clever little crane.

Could it be better? Sure, everything can be.
Does it have to be altered to be safer? I don't think so.

I only meant for the cast iron. I'll send the step if you can put some forces on it.

I can try myself, not too experienced with solid edge fea.

[JRouche]

There is a guy local to me with a cherrying attachment in good shape for like $380. If interested I'll put in touch.

I would like to hang one off the end of my ram.. Id only give 150 if local,

They do profile cuts. and very well. JR