hi, my father-in-law has a classic 66 corvette that he’d like to put on a revolving platform in the garage, kinda like at the autoshows. but, for him, he’d like to be able to drive forward into the garage, and then spin the car around to drive forward out.
he had some scheme in mind to build a platform out of steel and sit it on circular tracks filled with ballbearings, but is now wondering if anyone makes something like this? anyone have any experience with something like this?
thanks,
james
Replies
wouldnt it be easier just to add a garage door on the back side of the garage.
it's not really a question of "ease". i think this is one of those unique design elements to show off to your friends.:-)
There are several makers of such devices intended for residential use (the ones above are targeted at dealers, etc.). Both outdoors and indoors types, above and below-ground, fixed, movable, etc. Don't remember any names, it's been a while. Spend some time doing a little research and you will find them. Or, for the person who has everything, he can hire somebody to do the research for him :)
DG/Builder
Edited 2/20/2006 1:07 am ET by dgbldr
Seems to me the easiest thing would be to fix the reverse gear.
If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people
happy?
some people dont even park the car in the garage.. 2+3=7
What, you can park a car in the garage? Where do you put the boat, the motorcycle, the lawn mower, the snow blower, the garden tiller, and the 5000 board feet of scrap lumber you're saving in case you need it?
If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people
happy?
click on the pic View Image
"he...never charged nothing for his preaching, and it was worth it, too" - Mark Twain
Give this a looksee...
http://www.vehicledisplays.com/rotate.htm
click the pic
View Image
"he...never charged nothing for his preaching, and it was worth it, too" - Mark Twain
now I have seen everything...........
carpenter in transition
wunder if it comes w/. automatic butt wiper/nasel dryer?
thanks! i kept searching for "turnabout", "turnaround", etc., and couldn't come up with much. but, "turntable" does wonders on google!thanks all for the advice.
Does anyone have a rough installed cost on these things?
Thanks.
Advocate
On one of the listed sites (the one with the multicoloured wheel) it was listed at 10400
From The CarTurn website that Huck posted:
Pricing and Options
CarTurn (14' Diameter accommodates large SUV's)
$10,600
Radio control system in lieu of keyed switch
$200
Dual Hydraulic Hose allowing for remote sitting of Power Unit
$5/footMy milkshake brings all the boys to the yard
man i want one.....
a guy here who also is into corvetts... built one that is floor level I've never seen it but was told it's all plywood in a shallow recess in the concrete floor..and uses nothing but a shop vac blowing out like an airhockey table and that "floats it" and has wheels around the edge that keep it centered in the hole... i think his turns by hand... but don't see why you couldn't power the centering wheels...for a friction turn...
p
I was at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad museum yesterday & their roundabout holds a 50 ton locomotive and when balanced, can be turned by one man (with the locomotive on it!) There were no ball bearings, just a shaft in the middle.
Your fil could come up with something similar, or even something based on a lazy susan bb design.
It would look really cool if it were recesses into the floor & had a motor to revolve it slowly...
They use them in SanFrancisco for the cable cars.
Let's not confuse the issue with facts!
Rather than the track filled with BBs, I think it would be easier/better to have some wheels (like heavy duty caster wheeles) riding on the track. You could even use small automotive (eg, trailer) wheels, running on a concrete track.
happy?
Personally, if I had any idea that someone might try to grab my classic car and I wanted a turntable for it, I would make sure the assembly could sink into the floor a few feet. The way, it couldn't be driven, pushed, pulled or dragged out. Someone who worked with my dad was saying that he sank four big U shaped bars into the concrete floor of his garage and used a heavy chain and padlocks to secure it. He apparently never drank when he drove the 'Vette and when he went out to go for a drive, it was turned 180 degrees and locked down again.
A good fabricator can probably sit down with you and sketch out a plan to do what you've suggested.
At the most basic level you have a disk with rollers on the edges.
My guess is that a well equiped fabrication shop would have the equipment to roll some round tubing into a ring for a durable outter edge. The majority of the disk would probably be square tubing covered with 1/4" or thicker steel sheet.
Compact, heavy duty bearing-filled rollers on 6-8 sides of a big disk would easily support the weight and be quite stable. Some flat sheet steel, say 1/4" would provide a smooth surface for the rollers to, well...to roll on.
The center of the disk would need to be supported, probably with a tapered cone bearing that also keeps everything in place and keeps the disk from tipping when weight outside of the rollers is applied.
Making the thing rotate would be easy enough with a simple gear reduction motor and a belt drive.
A step up in price and performance is probably to go with more weight being supported by the center bearing so it's essentially like a record turntable. The structure of the disk will need to be much more substantial and will probably need a foot or so of space under the top of the disk for the depth of horizontal supports.
The less depth under the disk, the heavier the disk and bearing will need to be to handle the load, driving up costs.
Even with the majority of weight being supported via the centeral bearings, the edges will still need support while the car drives on and off, so the steel plate and outside rollers of the first design will still be needed, but they can be downsized considerably.
Ask a typical welding/fabricating shop and they will make something that won't turn smoothly, looks half finished, and generally is a waste of time. It may take some asking for the right shop.
Cheers,
Don
you know how you save something forever then as soon as you throw it away ,you need it! i just hauled a old service station lift to the scraper last week brought 90.00 for scrap metal. anyway if you would find a used or new service station lift that has the hydraulic ram in the floor it would work for you plus you have a lift. all you need to do is leave off the 2" pipe that goes up and down with the lift to keep it straight.i'm not sure where you are but i'm in ks. and they might still have the drive on head laying there still.let me know if you want me to check . thanks larry
hand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.