Chris Pook Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 Can you guys post pics up of your overhead crane/lifting setups. I need to get something built in my shop. Since I moved home, I don't have the space for a forklift anymore and my jobs just keep getting heavier and heavier and working by myself its getting tiring on the back lifting gate leafs. I'm looking to be able to lift 500lbs max (possibly more if the material is affordable to make it beefy enough) I have a engine left but its not cutting it, to awkward for some jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I have a monorail running the length of the shop and centered in the door frame so I can pull/load stuff from trailers. A bridge crane is the best but of course, also the most expensive. I suppose a jib crane is better than nothing but they always seem to be in the wrong place. I think they are better suited to discrete and permanent pieces of equipment - like on the back of a big lathe to load the chuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Pook Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 How did you set up the monorail? I've been looking at portable gantry's and possibly setting one up on tracks that run the length of the shop, but that comes with its bunch of issues. I'm also thinking of a couple jib cranes, but the mid floor posts could get in the way. Wish I was rich I'd just phone an order a engineered and assembled overhead bridge crane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny99 Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 Chris, what kind of shop are you in? Garage, etc... One thing I've been meaning to do in my shop, is to anchor pulleys centered, and running front to back a foot or so down from the ceiling. Then anchor a winch to the floor under the rear pulley, and hang a weighted hook off of another pulley rolling back and forth on the cable between the pulleys at the front and back. So that when I unwind the winch, the weight will cause the cable to sag until I can hook what ever I want to lift. Then when you take up slack with the winch it will tighten the cable between the pulleys lifting the load. Once the cable is tight, you can roll the load front to back on the middle pulley rolling on the cable. Just like the monorail, without the headknocking problems in a shop with a low ceiling. Or the cost of the I beam. (Note to self) Be sure your walls are strong enough to withstand the lateral load that this will put on them If your going to try it. The wife would probably be pretty annoyed to come home and discover that I had pulled down the house on myself while she was gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Pook Posted June 23, 2007 Author Share Posted June 23, 2007 My shop is wood framed, big garage. 24x52 with 12' ceilings. Seems like an interesting idea, don't think my walls would like it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 Chris, I have 12" wide steel I-beams spanning 24 feet across the shop in a shed roof style. The shop is 36 feet long so the beams are on 12 foot centers. The monorail is a 24 foot long, 6 inch structural I-beam that is connected to three of the roof beams. A creeping trolley hangs from the beam and the hoist hangs from the trolley. My only problem is that my ceiling is 12 feet and max hook height is about 9-1/2 feet. I have to be creative when I pull things from trailers so I don't pinch the hoist. I have stalled my two ton electric hoist before on a big surface grinder so the beam will take a lot of grunt. I'll try to post a pic when my wife gets home with the camera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike-hr Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 I've been mulling this same issue in my shop for a long time. I have a 10 ft high overhead door that would get in the way of an overhead trolley. I'm currently thinking of fabricating a telescoping lift arm (gin pole?) for my Ferguson 35 tractor 3 point hitch with a chain hoist at the end. Has anybody tried this kind of set-up? I'm a little concerned about how much weight I'd need to put on the front end to keep the Fergie from doing wheelstands with a 1000 # load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Pook Posted June 23, 2007 Author Share Posted June 23, 2007 Chris, I have 12" wide steel I-beams spanning 24 feet across the shop in a shed roof style. The shop is 36 feet long so the beams are on 12 foot centers. The monorail is a 24 foot long, 6 inch structural I-beam that is connected to three of the roof beams. A creeping trolley hangs from the beam and the hoist hangs from the trolley. My only problem is that my ceiling is 12 feet and max hook height is about 9-1/2 feet. I have to be creative when I pull things from trailers so I don't pinch the hoist. I have stalled my two ton electric hoist before on a big surface grinder so the beam will take a lot of grunt. I'll try to post a pic when my wife gets home with the camera. Please do post pics. I have the same height issue, but anything is better than a sore back at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Chris, Here is a pic of the hoist hanging from the trolley on the beam. The c-channel seen above the beam is a roof purlin. The end of the structural beam is welded to a one of the beams that support the purlins (not visible in this picture). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J W Bennett Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 I have 2 matching rolling A-frames in my shop. I only have 10' ceiling so they just fit under the lighting. but they are handy especially for handling big sheets and trailer frames. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Pook Posted June 24, 2007 Author Share Posted June 24, 2007 I have 2 matching rolling A-frames in my shop. I only have 10' ceiling so they just fit under the lighting. but they are handy especially for handling big sheets and trailer frames. John Thats my original plan, my worry is having the space clear to be able to roll them around. I know they'd do they job in most cases. Where do you store them when not in use? Thats my other dilema with that style of hoist system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J W Bennett Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Chris, I park one over my blasting cabinet and the other over a work bench. Both are up against walls (on oppisite sides of the shop). 90% of the time I only need 1 so I try to keep the one by the blast cabinet accessable. I have setup my shop so that I can manuever around or move equipment easily if needed. I just wish I had 12' ceilings, but if I did then I'd want 14" LOL. JWB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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