Need help designing a Swivel

[Kent Adams]

Hi everyone. I've been away for awhile, life changes and such . I'm settled into my new place in Little Switzerland now and I want to add an outdoor TV in my pavilion. I've purchased an electronic ceiling mount for the TV. The idea I have in mind is to install a ceiling mount on a swivel that I can turn 180 degrees depending on where people are sitting. The mount and the TV weigh approximately 70lbs. I've found a few raw ideas on the internet on how to make a wooden swivel, but I know there is a lot of knowledge here and great woodworkers that might have a better plan to make a swivel. I'm open to all suggestions. Thanks in advance.

 

[ScottM]

What about just using lazy Susan hardware. Per Rockler specs their smallest one 3" is rated for 200 lbs and their largest one 12" for 1,000 pounds.

 

[Kent Adams]

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm not sure the Rockler lazy susan was designed to hold much weight in an inverted position.

 

[Gofor]

Not sure if a chair seat swivel anchored on the corners to a ceiling joist would hold that weight hanging instead of on top, but would be stronger than a lazy susan set-up. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FTZESK8?tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

First, make sure the electrical box in the ceiling is rated for the weight (they make fan boxes rated for 200 lbs) if you are going to suspend it from that.

Without seeing the the electronic ceiling mount, can't make any recommendations. If you use "lazy susan" type design, you would need to bore a hole in the center to transfer the weigh to above the base plate with a rod or post.

 

[Kent Adams]

Mark, here is the mount I'm using: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083G7B5YX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Here is the swivel I'm thinking of using: Rwm T65-42RT $70.16 1500 lb. Capacity Steel Turntable Swivel Section 4-1/2" x 6-1/2" Plate | Zoro.com
Mounting location would be on a 6x12 beam.

 

[bowman]

How about a ceiling fan mounting kit? This one does not provide a maximum allowable weight.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kichler-Fa...ount-Ceiling-Fan-Mounting-Hardware/1000724076

 

[Brian Patterson]

Think I'd build my own mount for a 70 lb. object in mid air - just my sense of insecurity kicking in. Once you have it in position, does it need to be movable? Anything manufactured would be pricey...

 

[RickR]

I'd be asking a lot of questions before using the turntable swivel you identified. Same for any 'lazy suzan' type of unit. My guess is that the advertised load rating is for a compression load. Your application will place the unit in tension. How the unit will handle tension depends on the details of the internal bearing which is not specified. Also unclear is the ability of the bearing to handle the off-center load that you will place on it due to the weight of the TV. A small diameter unit will be more limited relative to load offset.

 

[Kent Adams]

I'd be asking a lot of questions before using the turntable swivel you identified. Same for any 'lazy suzan' type of unit. My guess is that the advertised load rating is for a compression load. Your application will place the unit in tension. How the unit will handle tension depends on the details of the internal bearing which is not specified. Also unclear is the ability of the bearing to handle the off-center load that you will place on it due to the weight of the TV. A small diameter unit will be more limited relative to load offset.

Exactly. I purchased it, but don't enough yet. I'm looking for ideas for an alternative swivel either made out of wood or one someone has used in a similar application.

 

[Kent Adams]

Think I'd build my own mount for a 70 lb. object in mid air - just my sense of insecurity kicking in. Once you have it in position, does it need to be movable? Anything manufactured would be pricey...

I'm confident that the electric mount will be fine. Yes, it does need to move. I'm looking to create a swivel.

 

[Wiley's Woodworks]

If all else fails search for exactly what you're looking for--a 360 degree pivoting ceiling mount for TV that weighs 70 pounds. Here's what I found: https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Adjust...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

 

[Kent Adams]

If all else fails search for exactly what you're looking for--a 360 degree pivoting ceiling mount for TV that weighs 70 pounds.

What I've found, other than the one I posted earlier, lacks something.

 

[junquecol]

Do you do welding? If so fabricating swivel should b too hard. Remember the weight of the TV needs to be directly under the pivot point. This means the mounting bracket for TV will need to be off set from the pivot point. The swivel part is easy, just a couple steel plates, with a bolt , that has nut fastened so it can't come loose (cotter key, hair clip, etc.)

 

[Kent Adams]

Do you do welding? If so fabricating swivel should b too hard. Remember the weight of the TV needs to be directly under the pivot point. This means the mounting bracket for TV will need to be off set from the pivot point. The swivel part is easy, just a couple steel plates, with a bolt , that has nut fastened so it can't come loose (cotter key, hair clip, etc.)

No, not skilled in welding and the pivot point on this particular application is not centered

 

[nn4jw]

I'd use a thrust bearing for this application. I cannot give a link to what I'm talking about just now because the Amazon web site appears to be down. Of course there are many other places to buy thrust bearings. Use google.

 

[nn4jw]

A lazy susan bearing would work if you made the top surface the load bearing portion. Use the type of lazy susan bearing with an open center. That way you can suspend a pipe (or such) from the upper surface through the bearing and a hole in the lower surface. Use a pipe flange on the underside of the upper wood plate, a pipe of whatever length you need connected to a solid wood lower surface by another pipe flange. Then you can mount the tv mount to the underside of the lower surface just like it was designed to do.

Hope that was clear enough without a drawing.

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

Some pieces of steel angle, 4' of 3/4" steel pipe (threaded at one end), a threaded steel flange, some washers, a clevis pin or two or a bolt and some long wood screws, and some ingenuity. All for less than $30. (no fancy bearings or mounts needed)

 

[Brian Patterson]

Howzis? For $116 it does exactly what you want...I think.

Vaulted Ceiling TV Mount | Heavy Duty Setting System for Large Screen

This vaulted ceiling TV mount will tilt, rotate and features an extension rod for extra height! Shop flat panel reinforcements on Displays2go today!

www.displays2go.com

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

The drawing is pretty crude- I haven't used SketchUp in a few years!

All this simple design needs is a stop to prevent down-rod from rotating too far- a pin/screw in the down-rod near the flange and a stop attached to the flange would give you almost +/- 360° of rotation. It could also be done with some braided wire. The spacers are needed to prevent over-tightening of the long bolt/threaded rod which could damage TV bracket holes.

 

[Oka]

No matter what the ceiling mount is you need to make sure you use correct hardware and make sure you are not going into a 2x4, it will need to be a 4x 4,6,12. Regardless of what the company sends you in the ceiling mount, I would look at longer and larger hardware for the attachment. Remember, if a screw or lag hold 60 lbs and you have 4 ...yipee, but that shear loading they calc for rarely considers if the adjustments occur often or if there banging/stressing into the unit. Those kind of things will cause the factory screws (usually too small in my opinion) to resist those reactions. Changing the hardware to more robust hardware is cheap insurance.