Making a HEAVY DUTY Lever Dolly 

Thanks Rustinox. You're definitely right. Cheers, Craig

Yes - that was one place I departed from the designs I saw online. Those designs I think used a small puck of round bar. That keeps the wheels from pressing against the item you're lifting. I decided to do away with that, and extend the handle downwards. By using rectangular tube (or RHS) on edge, you get maximum beam strength and can do away with the puck/bumper. Also makes for one big hefty seam weld where it counts :) Thanks for commenting Paul. Cheers, Craig

Exactly what I thought!

Thanks and good luck ! :)

Thank you Andrew! I appreciate the kind comment.

Cheers Everett! Agreed.

Thanks Ed. Heavily inspired by one of the commonly available ones that I could see for sale in America (I am in Australia), I just made some changes to suit my materials and to make it simpler and stronger. 👍

Thanks for watching 👍

Thanks, very kind of you! Cheers, Craig

It's designed so that the beam that makes up the handle actually protrudes forward of the bearings by about 10mm or so and creates a small bumper. Some of the commercial ones I saw have a separate steel bumper added, but I wanted to try an all in one design.

Thanks 👍

You are welcome 👍

Cheers Tony, thanks for the nice comments!

Thanks Mark, certainly hope so. I'm just very pleased to be able to put the mill where I want it. :) Just need to give it a protective coat of paint now. Cheers, Craig

Thanks! Yeah, good eye! I quickly realised my mistake and put a heatsink under my work. Making things is approximately 4 times harder when you have to video it too. Does it get easier over time? (Love it anyway) :-)

Yeah - it's a great thing. It has been used many times since I made it.

Thanks

Thanks for stopping by Steve! And thanks for the sub. Yes this dolly will save a lot of otherwise backbreaking work. Cheers, Craig

Hey Max. Just make the lever arm longer :) cheers, Craig

Thanks Kevin. Yes - I'll treasure this tool, it'll save my back any time I move anything in future. Since a year or two ago I've taken lifting and handling gear a bit more seriously - I made a really stout 2T gantry crane at the end of 2018, to go with a commercial 2T chain hoist. That's how I unloaded this machine from the trailer. I should make a video on that in the future. Probably demands better weather though, it's a bit crap outdoors in Tassie right now. Cheers, Craig

Oh yes - he's done more than one too. I like his toe jack (bottle jack with a slide and a step so you can pick up from only 1/2" off the ground). He has some good lathe/machinery dollies too which connect with threaded rod underneath the item to be moved. Also the folding jointed pry bar is pretty cool. He has obviously done it all a few times more than me and makes it all look easier than it is :-) I made a 2T gantry crane the year before last, it's able to be bolted together and stood up, then unbolted and put away. A 2T chain hoist hangs from it. Unfortunately this was before I was making videos, so I only have photos. Let me know if you're interested in seeing the pics, and I'll include them in a future video. Cheers, Craig

Hey the_eddies, Thanks! Yes - the bar works a treat. Northern Tool sells a lever dolly that has the bearings as wheels, so that part isn't a new idea, but the box handle and fitted joint is my own twist on the idea. Cheers, Craig

@@CraigsWorkshop What type of steel did you use for the blade?

It's some recycled hot rolled steel, probably A36 - but really any will do. I milled the edges square because I like the clean edges, but it wouldn't be strictly necessary.

@@CraigsWorkshop Cool. The squared edges definitely look cleaner.

@@theeddies I had to do something to distract from the weld beads :-)

Hey I know you! Yeah, that's a lever! Sing out if you ever need to borrow it to move house (or move your house...) :-)

Thanks John. I had made a really crappy one out of a pallet breaker which worked ok, but this one is great. I can give you some loose dimensions if it's helpful.

@@CraigsWorkshop When the time comes I just might ask for those dimensions. (Thanks). You really nailed the fit between the handle and the business end. Turned out perfect. My mill is tiny (until I upgrade at some point.. hopefully), but it still kind of sucked moving it across the room recently with a little 60cm crow bar lol. It would be absolutely nothing to move with a bar like yours.

@@johnstrange6799 Cheers John - kind words. The welding helps close up some of the gaps! PS: I wouldn't use a holesaw next time, they move around too much on the arbor, squeal a lot, and are hard work for the little mill to turn - I'd probably use a boring bar if I did another one. Cheers.

:)

@@CraigsWorkshop Craig, I saw that you left a comment on my video, but it's not showing up for some reason, so I can neither read all of it, nor respond. But still, thank you for popping over. I appreciate it :)

Yes. I'd read about J bars, or more fully: Johnson bars. They tend to be made with a wide hardwood plank (e.g. 6" X 1" red oak) as the lever. Otherwise very similar at the business end. Thanks for the comment David. Cheers, CraIg