[TheForge] Shop Cranes vs Floor Hoists

Sun Apr 13 16:47:00 2003

Hey Ian,
When I built my shop in 1996 I built  a jib crane first,
 and then built a 34' diam. yurt style building around it.
The crane upper mast is 3 1/2" ID drill stem welded to 8" ID well casing.
The well casing is cemented into 6' of reinforced concrete, centerline
in the shop, and the top of the mast is set in a 12 ID well casing ring that
locks it to the rafters.
The idea is that when a load is placed on the jib almost1/2 half the rafters
are under  tension and the other 1/2 are in compression, since th rafters
are also
attached to 3 1/2" ID wall  uprights every 10' in the wall.
The roof load is counterbalanced by a 50'000 lb WL steel cable locking the
uprights together.
 The jib "I" beam is 16" long and  welded to a section of 5"id schedule 80
tubing that covers and swivels around the  3 1/2"ID mast.
The crane works well. It can lift items and machines any where in my shop.
I just recently replaced the hand operated chain falls with an air powered
hoist.
The maximum load I have lifted so far is 2400 lbs.

I also recently completed my second all terrain engine hoist.
Up graded from a 2 ton model to a 3 ton model.
I've posted a few pics to http://www.photoaccess.com
Chuck

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ian" <[email protected]>
To: "TheForge" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2003 3:25 PM
Subject: [TheForge] Shop Cranes vs Floor Hoists

> Somewhere in the not so distant future I plan on building a large shop of
> approximate 30ft x 40ft dimentions and the thought of having a crane in
the
> shop has really twigged a nerve in the old brain. With all the heavy
> material/equipment that blacksmithing can sometimes involve, a way of
> lifting and moving that heavy stuff that could be an integral part of the
> shop deserves some special consideration.
>
> The most bang for the buck is what I would like to get. Wouldn't we all?
>
> I am thinking that with a shop crane that it would always be something
that
> in some way or other would always have to be worked around and often times
> be in the way - at least with a swing arm type that is setup in the middle
> of the shop like the one that David Mudge has displayed on his web site.
But
> an installation like that also appeals to me because it is always there
when
> you need to lift something - no assembly required. That is what leads me
to
> think that perhaps a fold up hydraulic shop crane (sometimes called
"engine
> hoists") of say a 2 ton capacity might be a better way to go. It could be
> folded up and rolled into a corner or up against a wall when not in use
and
> would never be in your way. A couple things that might not be so good with
a
> unit like this is that it would not be worth a hoot on a dirt floor, it
> would need a concrete floor to roll easily. Secondly, it would have some
> height reach and lift limitations.
>
> To those of you out there who are using ANY type of crane in your shop,
what
> has your experience been with functionality and YOUR "Best Bang for the
> Buck"?
>
> Ian....
>
>
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