Jack

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A small lab jack

A jack, screwjack, jackscrew or scissor jack is a mechanical device used as a lifting device to lift various items or heavy loads.

Description

The most common form of jack has a scissor mechanism between two flat metal plates. A screwed rod is used to move the device up and down. Jacks are often made of aluminium.

Availability

Lab jacks can be purchased from lab suppliers or online.

Car jacks can also be used, but not all have flat platforms to hold lab equipment. You can however change that, by welding or gluing one or two metal plates on each surface.

DIY jack

A simple jack can be made by bolting two wood or metal plates to a car screwjack.

Sciencemadness user aga made a jack from scratch, using pieces of wood and some screws. It could hold up to 45 kg before breaking.

References

Relevant Sciencemadness threads