Bottle jack handle

[thehickdaddy]

Just sharing a trick that I was showed years ago

A great way to keep track of bottle jack handle by welding bolt to the base.

Works great when you store jack on shelf or shop floor and handle gets lost in the mess.

Also great when stored in truck or vehicle. The bumps and bounces seem to walk the handle far away from the jack.

 

[Russ from MN]

You need to be careful welding on the jack, too hot and the seal around the base is ruined, or it catches on fire!

 

[markct]

Just seems like a bad idea all around, either weaken the cast base or melt the seal in the base. However I know the frustration of jack handles being missing. I finally gave up and simply every couple years take a 10ft length of 1/2 pipe and make a half dozen new jack handles, eventually they all go missing and never reappear but in the meantime I can just grab a new one and jack away

 

[JustIn Case]

Hey man, if this works for you Im all for! I know heat from welding could damage the jack, and welding steel handle to a casting or forging probably isnt the best weld. But if it works for you Im with you.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I only have one bottle jack on 20 ton press. I use a magnet to keep handle from getting lost.

 

[fixerupper]

Looks like a good idea to me.

 

[the tractor vet]

Now where is the fun in that , good grief not running around the shop or looking in the truck then stopping to think where you last used it at , then getting mad and cutting a new piece of 1/2 inch pipe to get the job done . Ya loose the handle enough and keep on cutting pieces of pipe before long your tripping over your stock of jack handles .

 

[cjunrau]

For the worried about welding, drill a hole and tap it Works as well. Just use lots of lock tight or ultra silicone and it will stay put.

 

[old]

I've found that a pair of vise grips work well for a handle and you can clamp them on the jack so n problem with not being able to find them. Plus safety wise welding can cause a big problem in many ways

 

[showcrop]

I understand that the handles are made of a special metal that disintegrates after two years.

 

[Ultradog MN]

You guys who are naysaying this are either Way over cautious or don't understand basic mechanics..
I see a couple of spot welds there that aren't going to transfer enough heat to the guts of that jack to hurt Anything.
And I will bet any and all of you that the base of that hack is cast steel and not cast iron. Unlike cast iron, cast steel welds easily and well.
Cast iron would break the corners off the base Way too easy to be used in that application.
Thehickdaddy, that is a good idea.
Keep on keeping on!

 

[funky_g00]

While that is not a bad idea and wouldn't hurt to be designed into every jack. I find using the tire iron or breaker bar you brought along to change the lug nuts kills two birds with one stone.