Working on a second-hand TV-Lift mechanism

[CoogarXR]

We had a TV lift mechanism come through the recycler I work for. I tested it out and it was working, so we sold it. It was damaged in the mail, and came back. I tested it again, and it wouldn't do anything. I ended up buying it off my boss for a little project, thinking I could fix it. I thought it would be sweet to have a plasma in my garage, that would lift up fro behind my workbench, then retreat when I am done. That way when I put the garage door up, nobody will see the TV , but I digress...

What a joke this thing is! First off, all that was wrong with the motor was an interlock jumper (for an optional external safety switch) had been knocked loose. I fixed that, so now it runs, but it just chatters up and down. Sometimes it will climb about 6" and drop like a guillotine. WHAM!

So I take it apart, to find that some of the track rollers are bent in, making the pressure on the climber gear insufficient. So I bend them back into their proper orientation, and it will climb now, but if I put much weight on it, it slips. I can't seem to figure out why it slips. But I decided I don't want to use it anyway.

My main beef is, this thing has a plastic track! The main climber gears are metal, and the motor seems very strong. But the gear track that it climbs is plastic. It's supposedly rated at 250lbs. I can probably put 20lbs of pressure on it before it slips.

Now, I know it's used. And I know it's been smashed around in the mail system. But I just wanted to express my disappointment in finding the plastic gears. I could never trust this thing to lift a 150lb plasma tv. The force of this thing dropping from full extension would crack a plasma for sure.

I guess my main point is, a lift seemed like a nifty idea. But the more I think about it, even a new one will wear out. It will get sloppy, and probably slip, crash to the bottom and break the TV.

[Username1]

""Now, I know it's used. And I know it's been smashed around in the mail system. But I just wanted to express my disappointment in finding the plastic gears. I could never trust this thing to lift a 150lb plasma tv. The force of this thing dropping from full extension would crack a plasma for sure.

I guess my main point is, a lift seemed like a nifty idea. But the more I think about it, even a new one will wear out. It will get sloppy, and probably slip, crash to the bottom and break the TV. ""


.......so did this thing come in with a broken tv too?

If you git it to work, mount the tv on yer wall, then attach a peg board to the tv lift. Mount it in front of the tv in yer garage, and when the garage door goes up have this stupid thing raise the peg board up in front of the tv.... almost the same effect, except for the next time the gears strip out. less high tec though.... more "get smart tv show" like.... you know sliding office wall leading to the good stuff like lazer gunz, international shoe phones..... speaking of shoe phones ain't Stevie commin' out wit shoe phone 5 toady??

[RobtWB]

hey squirrelly boy

buy a distionary

[CoogarXR]

Originally Posted by Username1

have this stupid thing raise the peg board up in front of the tv....

I actually considered doing this, except with OSB (since my walls are OSB, and it would blend in). But I was too mad at it, and scrapped the whole idea. I live near a industrial surplus store, and I bet I could get a couple of nice long steel screw drives and gear motors to lift this thing the right way.

[Username1]

: )