My homemade cycle lift table

[tkent02]

The deck is stout as Hell, Chuck. No worries there.

[chuck hahn]

The base is just as solidly thought out and constructed too I think. I am gonna get a steel jacking plate at some point rather than the plywood one. I have access to some old real estate signs made of about .100 thick plate steel and then the decals laminated to them. Thing is I doubt they wouldn't also flex as the jack is trying to spread the 2 halves apart?? Maybe laminate a sheet of it over the plywood plate??? Drill holes and use lots of 3 inch deck screws and fasten it over the plywood jacking plate??

[rustybronco]

The only thing I would be concerned about is the table wobbling from side to side. You might want to consider using oak in place of the four pine uprights.

[tkent02]

The only thing I would be concerned about is the table wobbling from side to side. You might want to consider using oak in place of the four pine uprights.

This is what I was talking about. Put the struts inside the frame instead of outside, put a sheet of plywood over each pair of struts, then it can't shift or wobble at all.

[rustybronco]

This is what I was talking about. Put the struts inside the frame instead of outside, put a sheet of plywood over each pair of struts, then it can't shift or wobble at all.

That would require a complete revamp of his table, but an excellent suggestion for a 'MARK II' version of it.

[posplayr]

While your analysis is interesting, I doubt it is relevant here. This is Chuck we are talking about. I doubt he gives a sh#$ about whether you like the design of his motorcycle lift or not. If he is comfortable using it then more power to him.

To tell the truth, I'm not sure what the relevance of your comments are.

As self indulgent as my post might be, at least to some extent it is an attempt to be constructive and add food for though for anyone looking to build one of these contraptions out of wood (my self included).

[posplayr]

The only thing I would be concerned about is the table wobbling from side to side. You might want to consider using oak in place of the four pine uprights.

After looking at those other designs especially the wooden one, I'm realizing that the stability of Chucks design has little to do with the strength/stiffness of the struts. All the weight is sitting on basically 3 points, the jack (1 point) and the stop which is really like the two legs of a table.

I still don't see any benefit to the cantilever, as it is stressing the front strut in tension and providing a weakest link mechanism for the whole lift to collapse.

[chuck hahn]

But to put the struts inside the frame I would have had to notch a recess inside each crossmeber to allow the struts to fold all the way down so the top would rest on the base.

I purposely drilled and sleeved the struts and the frames with 1/2 galvanized pipe so as to take up some of that twist induced at the pivot points. I tightened the bolts and had a shim between the frames and the stru so to leave just some movement of the struts but not wobble around..follow me here? I use 1/2 inch bolts ( same diameter of the pipe ID so no slop there either. Its tightly done up..trust me when I say this.

Red Loctite on everything so nothing will come loose or move.

[rustybronco]

Jim, the wood fibers in pine are much softer than oak, plus oak makes a nice bearing surface for the bolts and has less crush to it than pine does.

It might be splitting hairs, but I personally think using oak as a bearing surface for the bolts, will add rigidity to the side struts as long as they are close to the wood they are being placed against and will twist less than pine as well. If the side struts are tightened against the long horizontal members and the wood has little ability to flex, the two legs of the table will only have to support the vertical load.

My non engineering degreed $.02

[ptexotik]

Your construction is great.
But a Cooley up there utilising the kick stand platform ? Does Joe Whelan know about this!?? HA
(send me some of that OKL crack, bro ... gotta be da kind! )

[Gorminrider]

yes, I'm interested too in the comments. It's much easier when there's a working model to bounce off and someone who can argue a real-life case for it.
I'm liking the root idea a lot but am not liking the missing diagonals width-wise on the merely-bolt-hinged legs to stop sideways shifting as has been noted by Tkent.These could be steel strapping. Though I do "hear" that the jack itself is controlling the "sideways" or that more 2x4s on the sides of the legs will stop this, I'm not happy.
I hear the anti-cantilever objection too and go further to say that while it works for a forklift, the pictured bench seems to "Want" a 6x6 beam with the jack located centrally. A steel beam of the same dimensions would maybe suit as the cantilever pictured...mostly because the FASTENING can hold better in steel
This unfortunately means lowered height is ~12" (ie:3.5+5.5+2.75+deck plywood) versus the 7" height when lowered (ie:3.5+3.5) it has now...?


So, I am nixing the 2x4s in my head and using the VERY rigid Beam itself...or rather,two beams with a deck between and small weak overlap of the deck suitable only for a few tools...=~8.5" height when lowered (ie:2.75+5.5+ply)

Next, one end is hinged on a fixed height and the jack itself centrally located can be used so that one end of the Tapered Beam is tipped down for loading the bike.....and jacked-up for the Event...of course, I need my jack elswhere, so that loose end needs blocking in place. hmmmmmmm...

[almarconi]

To tell the truth, I'm not sure what the relevance of your comments are.

As self indulgent as my post might be, at least to some extent it is an attempt to be constructive and add food for though for anyone looking to build one of these contraptions out of wood (my self included).

My comments are relevent considering where you decided to post your engineering analysis. Had you started a thread on how to properly engineer a motorcycle lift it would have been very educational reading. If you notice the OP of this thread has not paid much attention to your comments.

[allojohn]

If you notice the OP of this thread has not paid much attention to your comments.

That's not at all unusual.

[chuck hahn]

Whose comment am I not responding to? Post #. Many comments have been made. And what I know is it works and its solid and safe...good enough for me.


You guys pick it apart and build your own your own ways...Im satisfied with mine.

[rustybronco]

I really think we need to keep our comments constructive. This project of Chuck's has the potential to be a easily made D.I.Y lift table. What, if anything, can be done to improve on his design.

Personally I like Chuck's usage of pipe through the wood to provide a proper bearing surface, AND I did think Jim's engineering insight was relevant to this as well.