The final episode and testing of a shop built hydraulic toe jack. In this series we convert a standard two ton economy hydraulic jack into a useful machinery moving toe jack.
Hi Tom, First time viewer here, and you are not going to believe me when I say that I was lying in bed this morning thinking I need to make something like this for work for times when someone bogs an elevated work platform somewhere around the school grounds or if some machinery needs moving in a plant room. I will definitely be making one, I cant promise it will be as neat as yours, but it will work and no doubt be well used rescuing the twocan ewp. Mark
Hi Mark, Thanks for the comment. You never can tell where these idea's will hit us. Glad you found it useful. Harbor Fright has a better jack than the one I used. Be sure to check it out if you decide to build one. Regards, Tom
Thank you Tom, I appreciate your making these movies for those of us who don't have someone to get tips & tricks from. Totally Awesome. Learning a lot. Thanks Again & Best Regards, Jon
Hi Tom. Sorry about leaving the comment about the gloves I will read your article. I love your videos and the way you present. You clearly have a wealth of knowledge and skill. Looking forward to watching all your videos. Thanks Tom for taking the time and effort to make them. Very much appreciated, again sorry for the silly comment :-) Allan
Hi Shedfull, Thanks for the comment. Yes my shop is at my home or vise versa. We have an apartment above the shop. Its an old military warehouse/bunker. Regards, Tom Lipton
Hi Tom, That jack is a fine piece of work! My theory on the retraction bind is that you have a very tiny bit of weld distortion that happened up at the guide roller when you attached the tension members and the gussets on the top. Thanks for the awesome video! Alex
Hi desmes, The jack is one I already had. I may do another one since this one works so well. Two jacks are better than one. On the dovetail you are right. It would have been more elegant and high mechanical art. I chose a more simple method based mainly on available materials. I tested the jack off camera before I stuck my head there. Confiance, mais vérifier. Trust but verify. Thanks for the comment.
wow sir, you are doing beautiful precise art right there ! I'm not related directly to this field but the amount of strength and precise work also with great design really amazes me
Hi Bill, Thanks for including your first name to your comment. The answer to your question is I don't know. Properly deposited weld metal is typically slightly stronger than the base material unless you are working with aluminum. The rod I used is 70Kpsi rod. Part of the trick is to get enough cross section of weld. The tip would fail by yielding and ductile bending with a properly done weld. It other words it will bend and not snap off if overloaded. The beauty of steel. Regards, Tom
Hi Mark, Good idea. I have been putting the handle between the rod supports and the jack body and it seems to stay there ok. A stud or peg as you suggest would be nicer. There is not a lot of room on the base. I'll take a look at it now that you mention it. Regards, Tom
Hi Allsorts, You helped make it better thanks. I might do something similar to the enerpac style but with a cheap jack. Did you put your cycloidal drive hoist back together? Best, Tom Lipton
Hi Tyler, The one on the blog was modified so I could use an inverted machine leveling foot. Since the single is the steering end it makes it easier to bar the thing in the direction you want to go. Normally they have a block of wood between the skate and the machine. Best, Tom Lipton
Interesting. I'm not even a machinist, but the concept intrigued me. Never heard of a toe jack. I'm mainly a woodworker, but anything connected to shops interest me. Nice work.
oxtoolco I've started watching all your videos. Always interested in learning new things. I occasionally work with metal, but nothing of machinist level work. But I've already learned some things from this video, like how you use an accelerometer.(I think that's what it's called, no?) btw, one question I have is how you do precision measurement work, like for drilling holes in plates...ie..the bowling pin layout. Is the vice indexed or something? Thanks a million.
Martin Walters btw, lots of things you do relate to woodworking, or general shop projects. That's why I watch these types of videos. CZcams is amazing.
Very nice, and thank you! You just went through and corrected all the mistakes I made with mine. I've got too many irons in the fire, but you may think about selling this as a kit like swagoffroad has for harborfreight gear. Considering the cost of a new toe jack even northern tool wants like 400, I would've paid for a tack and bolt kit. I think the design is unique enough not to infringe on any existing equipment.
As always Tom, a well thought out project and magnificent fabrication job. Mate, I know you dont have a plasma CNC but by heck I would love to see what you would turn out if you did. I loved how you cut the slot in the base plate to accomodate the lifting lug to go right to the floor, this is a great idea because I know on my Milling machine the clearance I have is 17mm and as I have to move it shortly I will be making this adjustment to mine so I can slide the whole unit under. Also Tom, thanks very much for your efforts/presentations/orations this year, you are a very respected contributor and your quality is something I think we would all aspire to. I'll hit the New Year a day ahead of you from over here in Australia but mate my very sincerest thanks for 2018 and I wisj you, your family and friends, richest blessings for a great 2019. Tom Lipton rocks yeah baby
Hi Bill, I might have to make a couple more of these. I've already used it a couple times and the light weight and small size are great. I found a better jack at Harbor Fright that would be easier to execute this design with. That lathe doesn't notice little pipsqueak out of balance situations like that jack. I may have looked like it was spinning faster in the video than it actually was. Regards, Tom
Nice project ! If you have occasion to take this to help someone else, secure it so the "toe assembly" can't vibrate during the transport. I built a larger lifting surface for a similar jack and the vibration of the larger mass on the ram, destroyed the seal . Got to the job and the jack would hardly even lift as oil was going all over. The restraining roller and guide appear to eliminate most of the possible movement, but it won't hurt to be sure. Thanks for the great video!
you did all that beautiful kick ass work for a $10.00 jack.... i can't do suck beautiful world but as a weld on that bottom plate with the bowling pin holes to the vert plate that 90% i would have milled on both for a 4 point weld front and back would be a 8 point weld instead of a 4 point...great job wish i was that good..thanks for sharing
Well Tom that's not how I would have done it, which is exactly why I asked. I really enjoy seeing how other people design things, and the course of action they take to build stuff. As usual the skates look like they were made by a pro.
9:15 -- "My little pointer is not optimal for this. It's startin' to piss me off, to tell you the truth." Tom Lipton gets mad?! Hahaha, great video as always, Tom. Really interesting project! ...I was dying when I saw you popping that jack in the chuck, hahahaha. Outside the box stuff, that =)
if you put some anti slip cross hatching on the top of the bottle jack you can still use it as a bottle jack without taking it apart. I jacked combine's & semi's and earth movers for 26 1/2 years and I wish I had a low profile toe jack like this, I think my shortest jack was 8", I had a jack slip off a tractor frame and when it came down it trapped and broke my left arm. love your videos keep up the good work. the next jack should be 2 times heaver 6 ton, maybe one with Air/ hydraulic jack. Tractor Getting New Tires 30.5x32 part 1 Case IH 9380 1996 Ford F550 Super Duty Service Truck with IMT aluminum box and Hiab 035 Mini Boom Tri-Fold Crane
Hi Brad, You are right. I should have bit the bullet and went a bought a bigger jack. Part of me wanted a small compact version but in retrospect the larger jacks are not that much bulkier. I also should have built two at the same time. Regards, Tom
Hi Bill, You are correct. The preparation and total weld cross section determine the strength. As an example in a fillet weld its generally accepted that a fillet with a leg length equal to the material thickness is as strong as the base material. Obviously there are exceptions to this but its an illustration of a no prep joint that is strong and effective. MIG takes more skill to get a good hot strong joint than TIG welding. Underpowered machines and iffy techniques don't help. Regards, Tom
Hi Allan, No worries. Were all here to learn something from one another. If you don't ask a question or make a comment then we don't have a learning forum. I admit that gloves in the machine shop are a controversial subject. I've been yelled at by experts so my hide is reasonably durable. Regards, Tom Lipton
Tom that turned out great nice work. I'm glad that you did not weld the jack to the base I was thinking the same thing that the jack is probably the weak link in the machine and might need replacing. Looks like some of the other viewers agree. Having a large lathe seems really nice, it did not seem to concerning to you to put something out of balance in the machine and it seemed to spin nicely.
Hi DPAM, I was just over at Harbor fright. They have a nice looking 4 ton jack by Pittsburgh that has a better main tube to make one like this from. $15. Get out in the shop and get cracking. Regards, Tom Lipton
Hi, thank you for this very informative video series. Every time i try to weld common steel with my tig welder i get a lot of bubbles in the weld and it looks like a sponge. Stainless and Aluminium is no problem but just ordinary steel is my main problem. Do you have any suggestions why this happens? I use pure argon (about 10cfm), thoriated tungsten (2.4mm) and filler rod for steel.
Tom, I liked this little project. Nice work and a good presentation as usual. The jack should come in handy when there's not a lot of room around the machine you're lifting. But when possible, I like to use my big johnson... bar that is.
In watching your comments concerning the body of the bottle jack not being square to your machined surfaces I think the issue is with the body of the jack being cast iron. When any material is cast, all the surfaces of the piece has to have a slight taper on it in order to release the pattern from the sand mold. The machining you have done corrects the surfaces.
James Stanlake Hi James, Thanks for the comment. I don't think there was any draft on the bottom surface of the jack. Probably when the tube was inserted in the casting it was probably not quite square to the world. Cheers, Tom
Right now a StroboTec (sp) that is a calibrating strobe that the speed can match the rpm - so you see the entire foot stand still to see if the coverage is spot on. Normally used to calibrate gear trains and other spinning things. I use it on my wood lathe and metal lathe now and then.
Arno,Toms is artwork compared to what I'd do too but dont underestimate yourself.Chances are you can make something similar to get the job done.I built one years ago using threaded rod that gets the job done with the help of a impact gun......I dont know if you watch AvE's channel but my jack is like his press he named Little Screwy lol.But it works well and while ugly I've had no reason to replace it.
Man that was a lot of work! I stopped the vid and tried to figure out how you would remedy each problem. You came up with great solutions. I have a few Harbor Freight bottle jacks. I purchased one about 13 years ago, I think that it is a 6 or 12 ton. They do not sell this particular one any more. Anyways, it is a great jack: it doesn't leak, it is compact, the pump linkage isn't sloppy, it feels positive/secure when pumping, and of course....I think I only paid $16 for it. They compliment my other floor jacks. Anyways, thanks for entertaining video.
Hi Wave, I've used the jack a few times now. I went to HF to get another jack to make a second toe jack. These things are like rabbits you cant just have one. So I'm stuck if I build another I really need to build two more. Two more is not twice the work. You see my problem? Check out James Kilroy. He posted a toe jack from Enerpac that I would try to make a scaled down version of. Thanks for the comment. Best, Tom
All good stuff Tom, good to see the set ups you use for example the sacrificial block to machine the horseshoe shaped clamps, once you see it you think, well of course, that's the way to do it. but you gotta see it first. BTW what is the building you are in ? did you mention this is your shop at home? I'm in 11' x 26' and that's big (ish) in the UK but not big when you fill it with machines. Thanks again. Lee
HI Tom, i've followed the series of this project now all the way thru, and i must say i really like your method of power tapping. i have an old J-head bridgeport vintage 1964 and was wondering if the thing would hold up to the quick reverse like what you're doing in your tapping operations? the mill you're using, it has an R8 spindle, is it a brdgeport or a bridgeport clone? your motor stops on a dime whereas mine takes a few seconds to run out
Hi Mikey, The switch is the weak link in the system. Most machines can handle quite a bit of instant reverse with no adverse reaction. My mill is a clone made by Acra. I generally hit the brake as soon as I switch power off. Add up all those motor wind downs over a year and you are talking real time. Old production habit I guess. Thanks for the comment. Cheers, Tom
If you drill and tap your heal plate you could attatch a chain or rod to make a puller, there will be many other uses if you make a way to attatch them
That metal cutting band saw really went through that metal like butter. I own a Grizzly metal cutting band saw (vertical) and I can't seem to get mine to cut like that. I know there must be some formula around someplace that specifies what TPI you should use and what RPM you should use for the metal you're cutting. To give you an example, I was cutting a 1" think hot rolled steel sheet while using a 10-14 TPI blade. I don't remember what RPM I used, but I do remember it took me forever to get through it. I didn't want to push on the steel too hard for fear that I would break something or ruin the blade teeth. Do you have any suggestions or tips on TPI and RPM's for certain metals?
Hi Proto, The rule of thumb is to use as coarse a blade pitch as possible and still maintain at least three teeth in contact with the cross section you are cutting. It translates into Thick stuff less teeth but bigger, thin stuff more smaller teeth. Your 10-14 tooth per inch is for something in the 1/4 inch thick range. The blade I was using is a 6 tpi bimetal running at 150 FPM. There are reams of data on the web for band saw blade cutting. Cheers, Tom
Thanks for the info, Tom. I did some research after posting and should have done so BEFORE posting. I apologize for wasting your time like that. It looks as if I need to pick up a couple new blades. For what I'll be cutting in the future, I'll need an 18TPI and 6TPI blade. Thanks again.
Hi Tom! Ever thought of mounting the hydraulic cylinder to the baseplate with 4 screws? That way you don't risk the cylinder by welding and the squareness of the cylinder itself would also be less of a problem by adding some shims...
+Wolfgang Skabrond Hi Wolfgang. I looked at doing it that way. The foot casting on this jack is rather thin and not favorable for mounting screws. Thanks for the comment. Cheers, Tom
Totally cool project. I did not think about moving machines around when I started out buying machines. Missed one like this then, and I will make one for sure. Since this vid is old; have you used it much since you made it? Thanks for a quality video and quality work.
Hi Arnljot, Yes I have used the jack a few times. I should have made two of them at the same time! Two is better than one. Thanks for the comment. Cheers, Tom
Great project. I've used a few over the years and the toe assembly was always allowed to "float" a bit, you have the jack and frame/toe all rigidly connected, it may be why it doesn't return fully without help. Just an idea. I know, there's a hundred ways to execute an idea.
Tom, What's the name of the surface gauge like thing you were using to measure the squareness of the toe? I think at one point you call it a "comparator". Drew
your roller retainer offsets the jack, thereby increasing the torsion....a countersunk bolt,tapped into the back, ,to hold the sliding plates together ,would get you back that important distance..best wishes Bill
I've noticed that the pump linkage on most of "those" jacks is really sloppy. All of that slop adds to extra arm strokes, every time the jack is used. I've "tuned-up" the linkage on a jack or two of mine and fixed one or two of my friend's that were damaged (somehow?). Anyways, you'll notice the improvement. And it adds a little bit of "Bad-Ass" to it. Lastly, I just purchased two of those 4 ton bottle jacks from Harbor Freight, last month. I needed some extra displacement, while shoring a wall. The HF jacks work fine, but have the linkage slop issue. And they leak a little. Oh well, nothing to complain about at $9 each!!!
Hi Ar3, We call them vise stops. I made the one in the video. Its a fun little project to do. Sorry but I don't have a video of making one. All the best, Tom
Hi mate. That toe jack looks very nice, I wish that I could do something like that. I'm not close to your preciseness, in doing things. I was wondering why you did not go with a dovetail slider. I think it would have resolved most of your problems, I think. However, please keep in mind that I can only write about one, not make one; a backseat driver, if you will. Kind regards, Marcel.
Marcel Timmers Hi Marcel, My first thought was I really didn't need any kind of secure slider for the vertical part. It turned out that it did need something. I wanted to make it as simple as possible so folks without much machining capability could follow along if they wanted. Dovetail would have been nice. Thanks for the comment. Cheers, Tom
Hi Tyler, Yes I did build a set of machinery skates. There are some pictures on the oxtool blog site. The article is called Yam farming adventure. ***oxtool.blogspot.com/2012/11/yam-farming-adventure.html*** You can see the skates and the cradle on the heavy end of the lathe. Regards, Tom Lipton
I hare seen several of your videos and you always seem to be TIG Welding? Is this your preference or easier to do? My welding sucks but I get better results with TIG .
+Robert Beattie Hi Robert, I don't know if I would say easier. Its certainly more pleasant and clean that some other options. For me the choice of welding is related to precision and weld volume. Thanks for the comment. Cheers, Tom
tig is nice can you can take your time for me it dose not fill my little shop with smoke. also you don't have sparks flying around that could start a fire some where plus it's quite and for me more enjoyable.
A silly question i guess what is better for welding most steel ( Stronger ). A Tig or Mig welder. It always seems a better looking weld with a Tig but i know you need the gas as well witch is a down side to being mobile.
Hi Andy, Both welding processes produce good welds. Skill of the operator is the major factor. Solid wire MIG also requires a cover gas. For field work with wire feed take a look at small diameter flux core. FCAW. But to answer your question directly its probably easier for many welders to get a perfect weld in most situations with TIG. Hope this helps. Thanks for the comment. Cheers, Tom
in my opinion tig takes more skill but is a stronger weld. the problem with novice mig welders is they dont burn hot enough the weld may look good on mig but there is not enough strucktual penetration.
Since cast iron is so un-malleable I worried if it might crack from the set screws, but since is machinable, it should not, LOL. How in the world do those seemingly irreconcilable properties reconcile???
If you run that slider up to the top of its travel you are going to get considerably more than 1:1 mechanical advantage over the roller attachment. Will the roller straps stand 10 x the weight of the machine you are raising? You made this video years ago so I guess my comments are moot! ;) I have no intent to troll you, just trying to learn by considering the angles.
Hi Tom, First time viewer here, and you are not going to believe me when I say that I was lying in bed this morning thinking I need to make something like this for work for times when someone bogs an elevated work platform somewhere around the school grounds or if some machinery needs moving in a plant room. I will definitely be making one, I cant promise it will be as neat as yours, but it will work and no doubt be well used rescuing the twocan ewp. Mark
I love the welding shots where you can see the part move in the sped up video!
Great series! thanks for taking the time to share with us.
A very informative series; great camera views, and plenty of food for thought. Thanks!
Nice job Tom
Glad to see a new project build.
This design looks cool I hope it works good too.
Thanks for sharing
Manny
Awesome series, really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharring!
Worldofgarbage Hi Garbage,
Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the comment. You never can tell where these idea's will hit us. Glad you found it useful. Harbor Fright has a better jack than the one I used. Be sure to check it out if you decide to build one.
Regards,
Tom
great work, like the way you approach problems keep coming is a pleasure to watch you work thanks for doing this
The finest toe jack i've seen by far
Love watching your work John thanks
Thank you Tom, I appreciate your making these movies for those of us who don't have someone to get tips & tricks from. Totally Awesome. Learning a lot.
Thanks Again & Best Regards,
Jon
Hi Jon,
Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Tom. Sorry about leaving the comment about the gloves I will read your article. I love your videos and the way you present. You clearly have a wealth of knowledge and skill. Looking forward to watching all your videos. Thanks Tom for taking the time and effort to make them. Very much appreciated, again sorry for the silly comment :-)
Allan
Hi Shedfull,
Thanks for the comment. Yes my shop is at my home or vise versa. We have an apartment above the shop. Its an old military warehouse/bunker.
Regards,
Tom Lipton
Hi Tom,
That jack is a fine piece of work! My theory on the retraction bind is that you have a very tiny bit of weld distortion that happened up at the guide roller when you attached the tension members and the gussets on the top.
Thanks for the awesome video!
Alex
Hi desmes,
The jack is one I already had. I may do another one since this one works so well. Two jacks are better than one. On the dovetail you are right. It would have been more elegant and high mechanical art. I chose a more simple method based mainly on available materials. I tested the jack off camera before I stuck my head there. Confiance, mais vérifier. Trust but verify.
Thanks for the comment.
wow sir, you are doing beautiful precise art right there ! I'm not related directly to this field but the amount of strength and precise work also with great design really amazes me
Hi wrljet,
Thanks for the nice compliment and comment.
Regards,
Tom
For sure you have made the luxury model, sure looks good and fits nicely. i dont think mine will come out so nice.
That's a very nice project very do'able this I just might make myself one, thanks for sharing.
Hi Bill,
Thanks for including your first name to your comment. The answer to your question is I don't know. Properly deposited weld metal is typically slightly stronger than the base material unless you are working with aluminum. The rod I used is 70Kpsi rod. Part of the trick is to get enough cross section of weld. The tip would fail by yielding and ductile bending with a properly done weld. It other words it will bend and not snap off if overloaded. The beauty of steel.
Regards,
Tom
Beautiful job!
Great ideas and craftsmanship
Hi Mark,
Good idea. I have been putting the handle between the rod supports and the jack body and it seems to stay there ok. A stud or peg as you suggest would be nicer. There is not a lot of room on the base. I'll take a look at it now that you mention it.
Regards,
Tom
GREAT JOB,,,,,,REALLY LIKE UR WORK!!!!!!!!!!
Facing the bottom of your jack is a strong argument against buying a micro-lathe.
Just build a micro jack.
Tom that was a very good project I hope you put some dimensions and or drawings on your blog.
Thanks for sharing
Manny
Hi Allsorts,
You helped make it better thanks. I might do something similar to the enerpac style but with a cheap jack.
Did you put your cycloidal drive hoist back together?
Best,
Tom Lipton
Hi Tyler,
The one on the blog was modified so I could use an inverted machine leveling foot. Since the single is the steering end it makes it easier to bar the thing in the direction you want to go. Normally they have a block of wood between the skate and the machine.
Best,
Tom Lipton
Hey genius, with your videos I am learning to work, thanks friend
Hey Cristian,
Thanks for the comment and compliment.
All the best,
Tom
My next winter projekt thanks for sharing
Beautiful fit on those sliding parts.
Wow, you did it!!! Now look at the multiple sized emergency collects and how many different sizes you can grab with that!
Nice job Tom, came out real nice !
Interesting. I'm not even a machinist, but the concept intrigued me. Never heard of a toe jack. I'm mainly a woodworker, but anything connected to shops interest me. Nice work.
Hi Martin,
Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
oxtoolco
I've started watching all your videos. Always interested in learning new things. I occasionally work with metal, but nothing of machinist level work. But I've already learned some things from this video, like how you use an accelerometer.(I think that's what it's called, no?) btw, one question I have is how you do precision measurement work, like for drilling holes in plates...ie..the bowling pin layout. Is the vice indexed or something? Thanks a million.
Martin Walters btw, lots of things you do relate to woodworking, or general shop projects. That's why I watch these types of videos. CZcams is amazing.
Nice work there!
Very nice, and thank you! You just went through and corrected all the mistakes I made with mine. I've got too many irons in the fire, but you may think about selling this as a kit like swagoffroad has for harborfreight gear. Considering the cost of a new toe jack even northern tool wants like 400, I would've paid for a tack and bolt kit. I think the design is unique enough not to infringe on any existing equipment.
As always Tom, a well thought out project and magnificent fabrication job. Mate, I know you dont have a plasma CNC but by heck I would love to see what you would turn out if you did. I loved how you cut the slot in the base plate to accomodate the lifting lug to go right to the floor, this is a great idea because I know on my Milling machine the clearance I have is 17mm and as I have to move it shortly I will be making this adjustment to mine so I can slide the whole unit under. Also Tom, thanks very much for your efforts/presentations/orations this year, you are a very respected contributor and your quality is something I think we would all aspire to. I'll hit the New Year a day ahead of you from over here in Australia but mate my very sincerest thanks for 2018 and I wisj you, your family and friends, richest blessings for a great 2019. Tom Lipton rocks yeah baby
Hi Bill,
I might have to make a couple more of these. I've already used it a couple times and the light weight and small size are great. I found a better jack at Harbor Fright that would be easier to execute this design with. That lathe doesn't notice little pipsqueak out of balance situations like that jack. I may have looked like it was spinning faster in the video than it actually was.
Regards,
Tom
i like the fact that i can learn from your machining skills and excellent teaching skills while i listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan in the back ground.
travnturner Hi Travis,
Well CZcams put an end to the radio playing in the background. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Nice project ! If you have occasion to take this to help someone else, secure it so the "toe assembly" can't vibrate during the transport. I built a larger lifting surface for a similar jack and the vibration of the larger mass on the ram, destroyed the seal . Got to the job and the jack would hardly even lift as oil was going all over. The restraining roller and guide appear to eliminate most of the possible movement, but it won't hurt to be sure. Thanks for the great video!
very nice tool you have built there and added to you collection, nice work.
thanks for the video..
Another artist on youtube, you guys are getting hard to keep up with :)) Beautiful work sir.
Hi Oshin,
Thanks for the nice comment.
Cheers,
Tom
you did all that beautiful kick ass work for a $10.00 jack.... i can't do suck beautiful world but as a weld on that bottom plate with the bowling pin holes to the vert plate that 90% i would have milled on both for a 4 point weld front and back would be a 8 point weld instead of a 4 point...great job wish i was that good..thanks for sharing
Awesome design and useful. I wonder if a dove tail between the plates would control separation as well as the roller?
Well Tom that's not how I would have done it, which is exactly why I asked. I really enjoy seeing how other people design things, and the course of action they take to build stuff. As usual the skates look like they were made by a pro.
9:15 -- "My little pointer is not optimal for this. It's startin' to piss me off, to tell you the truth." Tom Lipton gets mad?! Hahaha, great video as always, Tom. Really interesting project!
...I was dying when I saw you popping that jack in the chuck, hahahaha. Outside the box stuff, that =)
if you put some anti slip cross hatching on the top of the bottle jack you can still use it as a bottle jack without taking it apart. I jacked combine's & semi's and earth movers for 26 1/2 years and I wish I had a low profile toe jack like this, I think my shortest jack was 8", I had a jack slip off a tractor frame and when it came down it trapped and broke my left arm. love your videos keep up the good work. the next jack should be 2 times heaver 6 ton, maybe one with Air/ hydraulic jack. Tractor Getting New Tires 30.5x32 part 1 Case IH 9380 1996 Ford F550 Super Duty Service Truck with IMT aluminum box and Hiab 035 Mini Boom Tri-Fold Crane
Hi Brad,
You are right. I should have bit the bullet and went a bought a bigger jack. Part of me wanted a small compact version but in retrospect the larger jacks are not that much bulkier. I also should have built two at the same time.
Regards,
Tom
Gracias jack por su aportacion por supuesto que sera util en mobimientos de maquinas
Hi Bill,
You are correct. The preparation and total weld cross section determine the strength. As an example in a fillet weld its generally accepted that a fillet with a leg length equal to the material thickness is as strong as the base material. Obviously there are exceptions to this but its an illustration of a no prep joint that is strong and effective. MIG takes more skill to get a good hot strong joint than TIG welding. Underpowered machines and iffy techniques don't help.
Regards,
Tom
very nice work tom.
Hey Ziggy,
Thanks for the comment and compliment.
Cheers,
Tom
Well done nice job.
Hi Colin,
Thanks for the comment. Be sure to check out Chuck's toe jack build over at outsidescrewball.
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Allan,
No worries. Were all here to learn something from one another. If you don't ask a question or make a comment then we don't have a learning forum. I admit that gloves in the machine shop are a controversial subject. I've been yelled at by experts so my hide is reasonably durable.
Regards,
Tom Lipton
Tom that turned out great nice work. I'm glad that you did not weld the jack to the base I was thinking the same thing that the jack is probably the weak link in the machine and might need replacing. Looks like some of the other viewers agree.
Having a large lathe seems really nice, it did not seem to concerning to you to put something out of balance in the machine and it seemed to spin nicely.
Hi DPAM,
I was just over at Harbor fright. They have a nice looking 4 ton jack by Pittsburgh that has a better main tube to make one like this from. $15. Get out in the shop and get cracking.
Regards,
Tom Lipton
Hi,
thank you for this very informative video series.
Every time i try to weld common steel with my tig welder i get a lot of bubbles in the weld and it looks like a sponge. Stainless and Aluminium is no problem but just ordinary steel is my main problem. Do you have any suggestions why this happens? I use pure argon (about 10cfm), thoriated tungsten (2.4mm) and filler rod for steel.
Tom, I liked this little project. Nice work and a good presentation as usual. The jack should come in handy when there's not a lot of room around the machine you're lifting. But when possible, I like to use my big johnson... bar that is.
Hey Ujeb,
Every shop should have a big johnson with a roller on the bottom to keep it from dragging. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
In watching your comments concerning the body of the bottle jack not being square to your machined surfaces I think the issue is with the body of the jack being cast iron. When any material is cast, all the surfaces of the piece has to have a slight taper on it in order to release the pattern from the sand mold. The machining you have done corrects the surfaces.
James Stanlake Hi James,
Thanks for the comment. I don't think there was any draft on the bottom surface of the jack. Probably when the tube was inserted in the casting it was probably not quite square to the world.
Cheers,
Tom
Right now a StroboTec (sp) that is a calibrating strobe that the speed can match the rpm - so you see the entire foot stand still to see if the coverage is spot on. Normally used to calibrate gear trains and other spinning things. I use it on my wood lathe and metal lathe now and then.
Not sure I'd be able to make that with the tools I have. As always really enjoyed watching.
+Arno Dyck Hi Arno,
Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Arno,Toms is artwork compared to what I'd do too but dont underestimate yourself.Chances are you can make something similar to get the job done.I built one years ago using threaded rod that gets the job done with the help of a impact gun......I dont know if you watch AvE's channel but my jack is like his press he named Little Screwy lol.But it works well and while ugly I've had no reason to replace it.
Nice Job
Man that was a lot of work! I stopped the vid and tried to figure out how you would remedy each problem. You came up with great solutions. I have a few Harbor Freight bottle jacks. I purchased one about 13 years ago, I think that it is a 6 or 12 ton. They do not sell this particular one any more. Anyways, it is a great jack: it doesn't leak, it is compact, the pump linkage isn't sloppy, it feels positive/secure when pumping, and of course....I think I only paid $16 for it. They compliment my other floor jacks. Anyways, thanks for entertaining video.
Hi Wave,
I've used the jack a few times now. I went to HF to get another jack to make a second toe jack. These things are like rabbits you cant just have one. So I'm stuck if I build another I really need to build two more. Two more is not twice the work. You see my problem? Check out James Kilroy. He posted a toe jack from Enerpac that I would try to make a scaled down version of.
Thanks for the comment.
Best,
Tom
All good stuff Tom, good to see the set ups you use for example the sacrificial block to machine the horseshoe shaped clamps, once you see it you think, well of course, that's the way to do it. but you gotta see it first.
BTW what is the building you are in ? did you mention this is your shop at home?
I'm in 11' x 26' and that's big (ish) in the UK but not big when you fill it with machines.
Thanks again.
Lee
Have you built a set of machine skates? I'd be very interested to see how you would build them.
i john hill i like your jack to make mate keep it up i will make one out of bottle jack for my low ve ute thank's
Hi John,
Glad you like the toe jack. Its really a useful piece of kit. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
nice tool
In the early design stages were you ever tempted to machine the L shaped piece from solid Tom ?
Out of curiosity, your work table, did you make it? How thick is it and did you have it ground?
HI Tom, i've followed the series of this project now all the way thru, and i must say i really like your method of power tapping. i have an old J-head bridgeport vintage 1964 and was wondering if the thing would hold up to the quick reverse like what you're doing in your tapping operations?
the mill you're using, it has an R8 spindle, is it a brdgeport or a bridgeport clone? your motor stops on a dime whereas mine takes a few seconds to run out
Hi Mikey,
The switch is the weak link in the system. Most machines can handle quite a bit of instant reverse with no adverse reaction. My mill is a clone made by Acra. I generally hit the brake as soon as I switch power off. Add up all those motor wind downs over a year and you are talking real time. Old production habit I guess. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
what kind of mill is that?
If you drill and tap your heal plate you could attatch a chain or rod to make a puller, there will be many other uses if you make a way to attatch them
Great
That metal cutting band saw really went through that metal like butter. I own a Grizzly metal cutting band saw (vertical) and I can't seem to get mine to cut like that. I know there must be some formula around someplace that specifies what TPI you should use and what RPM you should use for the metal you're cutting.
To give you an example, I was cutting a 1" think hot rolled steel sheet while using a 10-14 TPI blade. I don't remember what RPM I used, but I do remember it took me forever to get through it. I didn't want to push on the steel too hard for fear that I would break something or ruin the blade teeth.
Do you have any suggestions or tips on TPI and RPM's for certain metals?
Hi Proto,
The rule of thumb is to use as coarse a blade pitch as possible and still maintain at least three teeth in contact with the cross section you are cutting. It translates into Thick stuff less teeth but bigger, thin stuff more smaller teeth. Your 10-14 tooth per inch is for something in the 1/4 inch thick range. The blade I was using is a 6 tpi bimetal running at 150 FPM. There are reams of data on the web for band saw blade cutting.
Cheers,
Tom
Thanks for the info, Tom. I did some research after posting and should have done so BEFORE posting. I apologize for wasting your time like that.
It looks as if I need to pick up a couple new blades. For what I'll be cutting in the future, I'll need an 18TPI and 6TPI blade. Thanks again.
First on the diameter?
Don't you love that for a buck ninety nine jack from Hunan province!!!!
Hi Tom!
Ever thought of mounting the hydraulic cylinder to the baseplate with 4 screws? That way you don't risk the cylinder by welding and the squareness of the cylinder itself would also be less of a problem by adding some shims...
+Wolfgang Skabrond Hi Wolfgang. I looked at doing it that way. The foot casting on this jack is rather thin and not favorable for mounting screws. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
How about a couple of short turned pegs either side to store the 2 part handle neatly?
Totally cool project. I did not think about moving machines around when I started out buying machines. Missed one like this then, and I will make one for sure. Since this vid is old; have you used it much since you made it?
Thanks for a quality video and quality work.
Hi Arnljot,
Yes I have used the jack a few times. I should have made two of them at the same time! Two is better than one. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Great project. I've used a few over the years and the toe assembly was always allowed to "float" a bit, you have the jack and frame/toe all rigidly connected, it may be why it doesn't return fully without help. Just an idea. I know, there's a hundred ways to execute an idea.
Hi James,
You are probably right. When left to their own devices machinists make things too tight. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Tom, What's the name of the surface gauge like thing you were using to measure the squareness of the toe? I think at one point you call it a "comparator".
Drew
Drew Rogge Hi Drew,
I call it a squareness comparator. You realize this video is the older toe jack series I did. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
your roller retainer offsets the jack, thereby increasing the torsion....a countersunk bolt,tapped into the back, ,to hold the sliding plates together ,would get you back that important distance..best wishes Bill
I've noticed that the pump linkage on most of "those" jacks is really sloppy. All of that slop adds to extra arm strokes, every time the jack is used. I've "tuned-up" the linkage on a jack or two of mine and fixed one or two of my friend's that were damaged (somehow?). Anyways, you'll notice the improvement. And it adds a little bit of "Bad-Ass" to it. Lastly, I just purchased two of those 4 ton bottle jacks from Harbor Freight, last month. I needed some extra displacement, while shoring a wall. The HF jacks work fine, but have the linkage slop issue. And they leak a little. Oh well, nothing to complain about at $9 each!!!
Very nice fabrication. Are you a secret lover of the metric system? ☺
Next time you should try a roughing end mill to put some traction on that toe. :D
Bradley Weingartner You always have the best ideas. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
I would taper the edge and run small stainless beads across to grip or V shapes
Did you made the (uhm little piece wich hold the Workpiece @ the same Zeropoint) yourself?
Maybe you have a video,
Greetings From germany
Hi Ar3,
We call them vise stops. I made the one in the video. Its a fun little project to do. Sorry but I don't have a video of making one.
All the best,
Tom
Hi mate.
That toe jack looks very nice, I wish that I could do something like that. I'm not close to your preciseness, in doing things. I was wondering why you did not go with a dovetail slider. I think it would have resolved most of your problems, I think. However, please keep in mind that I can only write about one, not make one; a backseat driver, if you will.
Kind regards,
Marcel.
Marcel Timmers Hi Marcel,
My first thought was I really didn't need any kind of secure slider for the vertical part. It turned out that it did need something. I wanted to make it as simple as possible so folks without much machining capability could follow along if they wanted. Dovetail would have been nice. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Tyler,
Yes I did build a set of machinery skates. There are some pictures on the oxtool blog site. The article is called Yam farming adventure. ***oxtool.blogspot.com/2012/11/yam-farming-adventure.html***
You can see the skates and the cradle on the heavy end of the lathe.
Regards,
Tom Lipton
I hare seen several of your videos and you always seem to be TIG Welding? Is this your preference or easier to do? My welding sucks but I get better results with TIG .
+Robert Beattie Hi Robert,
I don't know if I would say easier. Its certainly more pleasant and clean that some other options. For me the choice of welding is related to precision and weld volume. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
tig is nice can you can take your time for me it dose not fill my little shop with smoke. also you don't have sparks flying around that could start a fire some where plus it's quite and for me more enjoyable.
46:37 -46:39 you can see it flex forward with the heat and return when it cools
Never noticed that on video. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
You could have marketed this still 2016!
Dodgey!!!!! English expression!!
Tom Lipton knows his stuff! You don't see that poser over at Abom79 putting bottle jacks in his lathe. ;-)
A silly question i guess what is better for welding most steel ( Stronger ). A Tig or Mig welder. It always seems a better looking weld with a Tig but i know you need the gas as well witch is a down side to being mobile.
Hi Andy,
Both welding processes produce good welds. Skill of the operator is the major factor. Solid wire MIG also requires a cover gas. For field work with wire feed take a look at small diameter flux core. FCAW. But to answer your question directly its probably easier for many welders to get a perfect weld in most situations with TIG. Hope this helps. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Tom
Thank you
Andy Neal to be honest if you want the strongest welds you will want a stick welder
in my opinion tig takes more skill but is a stronger weld. the problem with novice mig welders is they dont burn hot enough the weld may look good on mig but there is not enough strucktual penetration.
i agree im from the old school i mig tig but good ol stick never lets you down.
Nice you put the international units on your videos! It's very hard to follow fractions.
Since cast iron is so un-malleable I worried if it might crack from the set screws, but since is machinable, it should not, LOL. How in the world do those seemingly irreconcilable properties reconcile???
If you run that slider up to the top of its travel you are going to get considerably more than 1:1 mechanical advantage over the roller attachment. Will the roller straps stand 10 x the weight of the machine you are raising? You made this video years ago so I guess my comments are moot! ;) I have no intent to troll you, just trying to learn by considering the angles.
or a radius gage ???
:))
Ahhh you did mill the back of the toe.....
Got tricked on this one ...thought is was part 3 for your current toe jack
$👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 MUY ENTELIJENTE PONGALO A LA VENTA Y YO CONPRO EL PRIMERO
Always wear gloves while arc welding.