Hydraulics, 1 pump to 4 pistons?

[ironantlerforge]

I am interested in constructing a small table using 4 standard hand pump jacks as the legs only I want to connect them all together so that they all work off of only one hand pump. Any ideas of how or if I can do this?

Thanks,

IAF

[LDW]

This sounds like a fancy port-a-power. Your 4 jacks would no longer be jacks they would simply be cylinders. The relief vaves would be left open and when you let the fluid come back to the hand pump the cylinders would retract due to gravity. If you put a valve on each line at the hand pump you could control two valves at a time to make the table level or not as long as the top of each cylinder has some type ball joint where it attaches to the table.

[ertwdan]

Look up Enerpac on the internet. They build these systems for industry. They have a manifold splitter for these types of cylinders. Either that, or check with your friendly neighbourhood hydraulics company.

[Tom Coles]

I'm not sure of the weight you are hoping to support on your table but a trick I learned from some carvers was to use the hydraulic base of an old dentists chair with a table attached where the chair was. They raise to considerable height, will support a couple of hundred pounds, rotate 180 or 360 and have a break to lock them in position. Some are electrically equipped. I've had a few of them and have purchased them for a couple of hundred bucks. Phone around to dentisis or check dental supply shops.

[NateDJ]

You could also build a scissor jack arrangement where you need only one jack that would old the scissors lifting the table.