Lifting heavy stuff in the shop

Hi Bert
I don’t have a set up like this but I would be careful what can of load I put on your rafters or joist if you have a upstairs. I agree having something to help lift heavy objects would be great but a 660-1300 load could be a problem.

-- https://www.artisticwoodstudio.com/videos

Hi Bert.
I haven’t done such a thing in my shop but I’ve worked in shops where such lifts exist. The slickest and strongest ones ( you want one rated for at least 1 ton and some older machines are much heavier) have a hoist mounted on a trolley running on an I-beam sitting on iron posts bolted to the floor. Usually the beam is clear span from wall to wall. The most versatile ones that cover most of the shop floor have two additional trollies. The lift beam is mounted to a trolley at each end which run on another set of I-beams running the full length of the shop, giving an X-Y movement, and the hoist gives the Z axis movement.

http://www.hoistsdirect.com/
This page seems to have every conceivable lift option. For a quick overview, mouse over the logo patch and each logo brings up a different kind of lift.

I’ve been reading about how muscles change with age. There can be plenty of muscle mass, but your nervous system gets wacked out so that 10 lbs feels like 20 or more. It takes a LOT more focus to lift the heavies. And the used up muscle takes longer to restore. Ibuprofen is my friend.

Good luck and be safe.
Dan

-- Dan Krager, Olney IL http://www.kragerwoodworking.weebly.com All my life I've wanted to be someone. I see now I should have been more specific.

Hey Bert 63 you’re just a kid lol
HF have them at a very good price.

Better be safe than sorry go for it Bert.

I built something similar and like A1Jim says…….be careful you dont put to much load of the trusses/rafters. I put a steel I Beam from one side to the other supported on posts (with a footing) and could slide the hoist back and forth.

-- "Good artists borrow, great artists steal”…..Picasso

Such a hoist would be good on a steel frame and track, or similar. But I would not fasten that to anything on the structure of a wood frame building. I use an engine hoist for lifting that stuff….to be sure it’s not nearly as handy as an overhead wench, but it still works fairly well (and it only cost $130).

-- Our village hasn't lost it's idiot, he was elected to congress.

Bert, I have and use a shop crane from HF. They also have one rated for 2 tons. I am not certain if it would meet your needs or not, but it is cost effective, somewhat portable and will not strain your rafters/joists. I especially appreciate the portability factor, in that, I can use it to unload an item from my truck, set it on a dolly, then move the crane and item to my shop then lift the item off the dolly and set it in place. HTH

-- Art

Art’s idea is the same one I had, except you would have to check the width on the cranes feet to make sure
it could straddle your shop machinery. I am also having a bit of problem with items getting heavier as I get
older, and the doctors keep getting younger.

-- As ever, Gus-the 80 yr young apprentice carpenter

I don’t recommend using one of those electric hoists for this.

I have a similar (smaller) electiric hoist and it lifts and lowers
much faster than I want when lifting cast iron machines…
it’s very tricky to control and moving something up or down
a half inch is not really possible. The hoist runs with a 1700 rpm
motor with a clutch to slow it down on one end and a gearbox
on the other. The gearbox is really not geared down a lot
though so the hoist reel turns quickly.

I bought a manual chain fall hoist and I get a lot more control
with it. Plus it can lift a lot more than the electric one I have
and was much less money to buy it.

If you intend to move machines a lot, I recommend you get an
engine hoist. Such a hoist can help you load and unload
machines to and from vehicles as well as be brought into
the shop.

I use an engine crane, cherry picker, for the things I can’t lift by hand. And when it’s not in use you can extend the boom fully and hang a hammock from it.
MIKE

-- See pictures on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/ And visit my Facebook page - facebook.com/MTEnterprises

I have the same shop crane as Art (AandCStyle) and have used it to lift every tool in my shop at least once. It even handled lifting my Hammer A3-31 off the pallet and held it in the air for me to add the mobile base to the bottom.

I don’t use the shop crane very often because most of my stuff is on wheels, but when I do need it I’m very glad I have it. It has a pretty small foot print, and you could keep it outside in a shed if you wanted it totally out of the way while not in use (if you don’t use it often).

Also as a safety precaution, whenever I lift anything major like that I just make sure someone else is in the garage with me, I just have this fear that something bad will happen and the machine will fall on me and pin me to the ground unable to call for help. A little fear is a good thing sometimes I think, prevents us from doing stupid things.

-jeremy

-- Easy to use end grain cutting board designer: http://www.1024studios.com/cuttingboard.html

I am not a fan of cherry pickers, I use one at work from time to time and IMO they suck.
I would rather use an electric hoist , if it is too fast for good control it is easy to rig it with four parts of line (I worked on cranes 15 years of my life). The problem is that I still have nothing to hang it.
I realize this morning that not only I have ceiling lights in the way but I also have the garage door in the way.
The other solution would be to have A frame or a gantry.
Where would I out it when I do not use it?

-- Bert

I may have the exact same unit. It’s been invaluable lifting my jointer/planer, bandsaw, and table saw onto their bases.

Highly recommended.

-- Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

The main issue with cherry pickers is that they lift on and lower on an arc, not straight up and down. A hoist goes straight and down , this is why I prefer a hoist.

-- Bert

If you double the cable on a hoist, it will slow the lifting to a more manageable speed. If you use a single cable, it is way too fast to be comfortable with. The double cable just about doubles the lifting weight too.

We use the engine lift others refer to. But the chain hoist is a great option, we used those all the time in the Navy.

-- .