09-08-2017, 08:51 AM
(09-08-2017, 06:35 AM)Pete O Wrote: To save the risk of outer races shattering when used as wheels, you could turn up some steel 'tyres' out of suitable round stock.
A couple of the larger ones might be a good starting point for a swinging gantry; a large tube with arm attached, rotating around a somewhat smaller diameter tube welded to one of your shed posts; swing it over your lathe and mill- good for changing lathe chucks, lifting that dividing head you know you're going to buy, etc...
Awesome - hadn't thought of making tyres for them. I'll see what size pipe I've got lying around and see if there are some bearings that would work with that rather than having to start with solid stock.
The swinging gantry is a great idea too, and I've got the perfect spot for it - next to where the mill is going to live, across from the lathe, and with the sliding door open it would swing into the new bit of shed where I have my main gantry. I was going to set up a fixed pipe gantry rail, but a swinging one would be a lot more flexible I think.
I nearly bought a compressed air powered 1/2T chain block I saw for sale the other weekend - would have been a perfect use for it :(
Steve