Extreme Max 5001.5083 Hydraulic Motorcycle Lift Table
on Odin
Motivation
I don’t have a nice workshop. I am building this computer from inside my tiny home office.
When I was building the case itself, I had put it on top of my desk to build it; which took up almost the entire desk.
When I started working on the watercooling, that was no longer feasible. Between the project board and the heatgun setup, the entire desk was taken up. I tried to put the desk on top of another item to raise it to a more usable level, but that was very akward in this tiny space - especially for such a heavy computer.
How heavy? I am actually not sure. I don’t think it would be safe to put on my glass home weight scale. I’ll have to think of another approach.
As I neared the end of the (first pass) of the tubing (another post), it occurred to me that a water leak test will require that the drain be above the bucket. Right now, the drain is just 5” above ground level. Not many buckets will fit under that.
I needed to come up with a way to lift the computer up/down more easily when working on it. Sure, it’s pretty late in the game to do that – but besides the water test, I still have to do all the wiring as well. And any future modifications.
Solution
I decided to go with the Extreme Max 5001.5083 Hydraulic Motorcycle Lift Table.
Yes, it’s a motorcycle jack. Not one I can use on my motorcycle, due to the weight limitation, but still.
It’s small, convenient and wasn’t very expensive. It can lift the computer up 34.5”, though I found that was higher than I needed.
When it arrived, I had to attach the foot pedal and the U-bolts, but otherwise it was pre-assembled. The shipping container was ripped to shreds and disintegrated even further when I tried to carry it in the house.
I have not yet found a way to attach the J-hooks to the computer for stabalization… but I am pondering that.
When it is fully lowered, you still have to raise the computer about 13.5” and get it centered on the stand.
Once you have raised it to the desired position, you need to put the pin though it to keep it from falling.
I did notice that I was unable to stop it where i wanted, because the pin would not go through until I raised it a little higher.
Also, while it came down very gently without a load; with the computer on it, it was a bit jerky. Again, I don’t know how much the computer weighs.
In the end, I was very grateful for the purchase. I didn’t have to sit on the floor to work on the computer; it brought the computer up to eye level; and most importantly – when I go to do the water leak test, I can now put a bucket under the drain.
