Alternative Use for Toyota Bottle Jacks (1 Viewer)

[dmamj]

A father/son conversation yesterday...

"Dad, let's get a lathe."

"Son, don't be ridiculous. We don't have a shop and the garage is full of projects already - there's no more room."

"But we can make cool stuff Dad."

"Of course we can son, but let's wrap up our projects, then we'll talk about it."

A father/son conversation today…

Ring ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi Dad."

"Hey Son, what's happening?"

"I bought a lathe."

"Son, I thought I said let's hold off."

"Well, technically you didn't say to hold off Dad."

"I don't remember exactly what I said because I'm senile, but I'm sure it was something to the effect that we need to hold off."

"Sorry Dad."

<Sigh>. "Sheesh. Where is the lathe now Son?"

"On a trailer in our driveway Dad. And I just made room in the garage. What time are you getting home?"

"I'm just pulling up now. <Mild coronary> Oh wow, that's a pretty big lathe. How much does it weigh Son? And what did you do with all the stuff in the garage?"

"It's about 2700 pounds. And I just stacked stuff really high. See all the room for the lathe now?"

"The stacked stuff is kind of blocking my view, but I see the space now Son. How do you plan on getting it off the trailer and into the garage?"

"Well Dad, I figure we can use a combination of the gantry, the pallet jack, the floor jack, the engine hoist, and a furniture dolly."

"A furniture dolly, huh? That sounds encouraging. OK, let me get changed."

Four hours, a large lump on the head (my head), two scraped knuckles (my knuckles), 74 mosquito bites (my arms, my legs, my ear lobes), and a cold dinner later, the unit was nearly ready to be placed into its final resting position. Will spare the details, but trust in my words that based on configuration and location, neither the gantry, the hoist, the pallet jack, nor the good ol' furniture dolly would allow us to accomplish the second to last critical step - raise the lathe just high enough to remove the floor jack, and rest it until it could be lowered with the hoist.

Thank God for Toyota bottle jacks.

 

[White Stripe]

Sounds like a good kid

 

[Living in the Past]

While I was still working I handled all the building operations for a few buildings. One was a history museum. It had a number of volunteers who's families were long time residents. I always found it interesting talking to about the history of the area. One elderly man mentioned he had a FJ40 years early. Said he kept the jack and was using for a leg on a shelving unit he had. At the time he was care taker for a very unique home the city had bought with plans to make into a museum. One day was checking the museum was told he had moved out of the home and move to his home in Las Vegas, NM. He said he left you this for you and handed the jack. It really surprised me since he only mentioned it once and I didn't ask buy it.

 

[island45]

The other day I noticed the title of this thread and I thought back to 1986. I had bought a bolt on receiver hitch for my FJ 55 from Spector off road. The directions called for six 1/2" holes to be drilled through the frame, two passing through the bumper as well as the frame. I had no shop at the time so got on my back in the sloping gravel driveway to formulate a plan. I was not able to get any leverage drilling uphill and not willing to jack the truck up high enough to get my shoulder below the drill. Never mind if something went wrong while in that position. Then it came to me to create an upside down drill press. I found a socket that would pound onto the jack's crank loop. This gave me excellent control in lowering the vehicle onto the spinning drill bit. A 2x4 through the D handle and tucked behind a tire to counteract the rotating force. This is the same drill, the same jack, the same ratchet (Christmas 1974) and the same vehicle with my well used Spector hitch. I had the truck in the shop this evening so thought it might be fun and easy to reenact the scene from 36 years ago. The ancient drill was hanging in an open leanto right outside. Oh and that IS an FJ 55 under those blue coveralls.

 

[dmamj]

@island45 ingenious, absolutely ingenious!

 

[island45]

Thank you for your kind words. I live for creating new things and solving problems. Any work that's too repetitious bores me to tears.

 

[bikersmurf]

In a pinch you can also break the bead of a tire for emergency repairs. I’ve thrown the wheel under the front bumper and then used the jack down on the tire.

I’ve done a trail fix on a bent rim. A few whacks and I was able to inflate the tire and drive out. Come to think of it, that was 30-40k miles ago.

 

[Grayscale]

Because it isn't hydraulic, it can work in any position. For example, a common pipe bender might have the work piece interfere with the floor, or work bench, if it is a long stretch. And, hydraulic stuff ages fast. I'd like to use it to bend 1.5" exhaust pipe - softtop bows for boring truck. Anyone make/modify a pipe bender before?

How about a home-brew, geared, shop press for servicing U-joints, etc?

 

[Grayscale]

View attachment 3138563View attachment 3138564

Use a gantry, then roll your machinery to final position on/using multiple sections of steel gas pipe for rollers. Use a leverage bar to get the minimal lift necessary for inserting or removing pipe from under the machinery. I've done it quite a few times.

The biggest problem, we had at work, is protecting electrical connection from chips and stuff if you are using otc electrical boxes. A formal/proper electrician was relieved of his duty, due to an electrical short, and I had a crash course in three-phase-220. Machine shops are horrible environments for little chips.