Tool Toe jack

[Sailor]

Made a toe jack yesterday, quick and dirty. Worked amazingly well and saved me a lot of time repositioning the skates. The Tos mill is over 2,000kg and was moving it to a better spot in shop.

 

[Mike R]

nice - lots of machinery moving in my future...I want to make one like that, I haven't seen that design yet, just the type on Vevor where I'm not sure if the moving portion (black) is captured to the jack or just rests agaisnt it.

 

[KootzDragon]

I'd say it's captured, there's a round vertical part just left of the spring. I'd wager it acts like a handrail.
I think there's a heavy tack weld holding it to the barrel of the jack.
The moving portion looks like it's outer edge wraps around the handrail.

 

[Sailor]

LIke i admitted, I went quik and dirty. I needed it right now so I took a light gauge plate and welded the inner tube to it. I made it long enough that however high I went the outer tube would be supported. The outer tube I cut the height of the jack while resting on the weld below. I sliced a 4" square tube to make the toe and jack tabs. I put the tube together with jack and placed the two tabs in place then tacking them again allowing for base weld on inner tube. The toe I made slightly wider than the outer tube.
Sizes: lower plate 8"x12"x1/4"
Inner tube 2" od tube x19.5"
Outer tube 2.25 I'd x 10.5" but depends on jack height.
Tabs
Toe 3.25 x 3.25" x w2.75 x t 1/4"
Jack same except w 2.5"
I went bright so I could see it against machine going up.
Hope that helps, Randy

 

[Sailor]

Oh almost forgot, I put a 1/4" T angle on one side of jack tab for added rigidity. Couldn't do both side because of spring on my jack. It worked flawlessly and I'm about to use it again today to move a large lathe.

 

[Tom O]

Just remember it’s Toe Jack not Ko Jack

 

[Sailor]

Wow that's a blast from the past.

 

[Mcgyver]

well done, a super handy tool.

 

[Janger]

I see the vevor 2.5 ton hydraulic toe/machine jack is about $75. That seems pretty reasonable. Would a farm jack work or is the minimum height too high to slip under machines? PA has this for $99. Similar farm jack models at vevor too. Checking the specs it seems farm jacks have a pretty high minimum height 100mm or so - probably too high and won't work.

 

[Sailor]

I've used these before, don't. They love to slip, make the machine top heavy, I speak from experience I had a hydraulic jack so cost of some scraps or as my quilting wife says even the smallest scap still cost you the same. On the other hand if the vevor comes with the jack and you can wait, buy it.

 

[Janger]

I've used these before, don't. They love to slip, make the machine top heavy, I speak from experience I had a hydraulic jack so cost of some scraps or as my quilting wife says even the smallest scap still cost you the same. On the other hand if the vendor comes with the jack and you can wait, buy it.

Good to hear your first hand experience here Randy that a farm jack is a bad idea.

I had some time to work on a Fusion design, just for my amusement. It is over built & over designed. CAD says it weighs 10kg. A few screenshots. It does make we want a CNC laser or plasma cutter that can handle 1/4". A bottle jack model downloaded & scaled from mcmaster rounds it out.






View with side panel removed. Four bearings roll against the "I" beam. 1/2" bolts holding a 22mm OD bearing. Same on the other side. I think you could get by with only 2 bearings on each side - the top right and bottom left ones. The "I" beam & base is just some 1/4" plate welded together

 

[Sailor]

Wow, you're killing me, I've been on the farm too long. I usually needed it yesterday, still no time today so I look at my scrap piles and start measuring, cutting, then welding cause it has to be done before the next event arises. Having said that, very nice John.

 

[Mcgyver]

One idea (credit madmanmike lol) is to use the top screw to attach the piston to the top plate. Unscrew it, cut most of it off, make hacksaw screw driver slot in the remain stub so you can screw it in to the bottom.

 

[Sailor]

I had thought of doing something similar but my screw comes up about 2" and stops cold so it can't be taken out, at least not without disassembling the jack. Now that I've used it I'm glad I didn't. Like how many time a week or year are you using a toe jack and this leaves my jack free for other stuff. Then again maybe . . .a TOEJACK SERVICE. I could be on call 24/7 waiting by the phone in case any of you needed a TOEJACK SERVICE.

 

[Sailor]

After moving someone many machines this week I could probably be considered a TOEJACK SPECIALIST.

 

[Mcgyver]

what I described, you don't take it out, you cut it off - shot with the vise grips. Wouldn't work if you wanted to use the jack elsewhere, but i didn't so welded little tabs at the bottom so the the jack is locked in place. Seem like it a good idea, locking it in place top and bottom so nothing could slip, but maybe that was no necessary.

 

[Sailor]

what I described, you don't take it out, you cut it off - shot with the vise grips. Wouldn't work if you wanted to use the jack elsewhere, but i didn't so welded little tabs at the bottom so the the jack is locked in place. Seem like it a good idea, locking it in place top and bottom so nothing could slip, but maybe that was no necessary.

Hope you didn't take my jest out of the light hearted joking. Your idea of not slipping is very valid and I had to weigh that as I lifted 2500 kg.

 

[Mcgyver]

not at all, was just trying to explain what I did. If machines and all body part survived it is all good. 🙂