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A family friend gave me this jack and decided to use it to make a log lifter for the stove. Normally not a big deal as if I can pick it up, I'll burn it. This year I'm going to have shoulder surgery and be one armed through most of the heating season so I needed to come up with something before then. I had loaded the furnace house prior to all this and have 15 cord in there. Didn't want to bother family and friends to load so this is why I'm doing this. Don't want to modify the jack that it can't be put back and used normally so we'll see what we can come up with.
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Enlarge photo 1 Here is the jack. It is an older bumper jack style and has quite a bit of lift to it. It has safety locks in the siderails that will hold in case the jack gives way. Hand pump is on an eccentric and has a high release on the back side. Really a nicely build jack.
Enlarge photo 2 The rails with pads slide out and are adjustable, width wise. Jacks piston was froze and pin sheared off so I took it all apart and pressed the piston out. Cleaned the bore and piston and O ring was fine. Put it all back together and it works fine with no leaks. Kind of happy about that one!
Enlarge photo 3 Here is is at full up and it has more than enough reach to get into the boiler.I just have to come up with a holder for the rounds. I want to stand them on the end and then just push them over into the stove. One big round a load will be fine.
Enlarge photo 4 Just a little over 29 inches high as you can see.
Enlarge photo 5 The extendable arms have a pin that keeps them from over extending. One pin and a spring clip is what holds them in. that was easy.
Enlarge photo 6 I'll put these away to use them when I'm back to normal.
Enlarge photo 7 My plan is to extend another box beam out to the edge of the feet. That should be more than enough to keep them there. There are no wheels on the from of this so that will have to be addressed too. It was designed to roll in place and let it rest on the floor to jack. I want to roll the weight around.
Enlarge photo 8 2 thicknesses of 1 1/2" box gets me level. I'll do shorts on the ends so it clears the center bracket.
Enlarge photo 9 I needed really small, heavy duty casters so I decided to just make them. Easiest spot to mount them was space limited so I just used 3/16 x 1 strap. Drilled the holes and angled the corners.
Enlarge photo 10 Went to the junk drawer and got some thrust bearings for the swivel. Got some hardened stock for a spacer to go inside to neck it down and make them work nice. Made the spacer about .020 smaller in thickness than the bearing so it'll be smooth.
Enlarge photo 11 Wheels are hardened tool steel as well, Sometimes keeping junk pays off. i surface ground the ends and made them the same length.
Enlarge photo 12 I then TIG welded it all up.
Enlarge photo 13 Clamped it all in a bench vise for welding. Put the wheel in to keep the size and alignment right.
Enlarge photo 14 Repeated the same on the other one.
Enlarge photo 15 I then ground them flat with a 9 inch angle grinder. This is what the bearing washer rides on so it has to be flat to make it work nice.
Enlarge photo 16 Like I said, they are LOW profile. Doesn't need too much as not really that much weight but I though plastic  would give up quick as the jack itself  has some girth to it.
Enlarge photo 17 Back to the extension. I started by cutting out all the pieces. I'm going to use box tubing as well for the supports to go back to the original tube. Hopefully my idea will work.
Enlarge photo 18 I started by MIG welding the front feet on.
Enlarge photo 19 MIG welded the inside corners as well. This is 1/8" tubing.
Enlarge photo 20 All welded up and ready to try out.
Enlarge photo 21 To attach it, I'm using 3/16" 1 1/2" strap. Plan is to bolt through the original box beam and the downward force will bind it on the lower part of the beam. Basically trapping it in place. I drilled holes in the strap to tap size for the taper headed machine screws.
Enlarge photo 22 I want everything to slide easy so I filled in the lows with more strap. I  then ground the welds smooth to. Here is a before and after.
Enlarge photo 23 With those in place I clamped it to the jack. I now use the drill press drilled hoes as a guide. Keeps the drill straight, vertically and placement is right so things will line up.
Enlarge photo 24 Once they were drilled. I redrilled to size and chamfered the hole. Screw will be basically flush this way.
Enlarge photo 25 Added more pieces to the back as well so riding surface will be the same. Clamped and welded those in too. These will just lay there so the whole assembly will require just 2  screws to be taken off to remove it.
Enlarge photo 26 Everything is looking good so far.
Enlarge photo 27 For the caster mounts I'm just putting them in the inside corners at the front of the jack. Got a piece of 3/8" plate and cut it diagonally on the surface grinder. Makes super clean cuts.
Enlarge photo 28 Mounting spot is a angled so I'll address that know with another cut.
Enlarge photo 29 Trusty piece of cardboard works fine. A bevel T square is just as good.
Enlarge photo 30 Marked the line and ready to cut.
Enlarge photo 31 Cut them on the surface grinder as well and then drilled a hole for the caster. Trial fit and welded them home.
Enlarge photo 32 For some odd reason, I don't think it's going to fit! If it'll move this around, the normal stuff will be no problem. This one is 26" x 30" Beech
Enlarge photo 33 Trial run and it picked a round up fine.
Enlarge photo 34 I put my jack stand back with it's mate.
Enlarge photo 35 This is the normal size. Some of you probably think it is a waste of time but trying to wrestle this one armed would be a chore. Most wood burners and an independent type and I am one of those. Some times you gotta do what you gotta do.