[TheForge] Re: bridge crane

Sun Oct 2 10:05:49 EDT 2005

Greetings,

I've been following this thread with some interest since I'm laying out my 
shop.  A bridge crane is out of the question.  I was considering a jib crane 
near the overhead door that would reach a table and rack storage on one side 
and an air hammer on the other.  In another area of the shop, two beams, of 
at this point undetermined length, that would divide the width of the space 
into three areas.  Tables or machine tools etc running along each wall with 
a fab/welding table in the middle.  The beams would run above the ailes thus 
being in position to cradle anything over the table.  I'm going to try to 
reach one of the beams from the jib crane.  Fork lift is out of the question 
at this point.  I don't really have the room.  If I did I could probably 
eliminate the jib crane.  Ralph I would love to see the pictures of the 
crane you described.

Regards,
Bill Woolley

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ralph Sproul" <brhlbsmt at mcttelecom.com>
To: <mspencer at tallships.ca>; "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2005 9:16 AM
Subject: RE: [TheForge] Re: bridge crane

> Hi Mike, Gantry cranes always seem to be in the way for tripping on or
> hitting your shins on the legs parked against the wall.
>
> Jibs are a good option but of course cover a radius......passing from one 
> to
> another allows going from door to certain areas, positioning, welding etc.
>
> Bridge cranes are of course the best bet for total coverage, totally out 
> of
> the way, but also the most expensive to build or buy.  I've done a few 
> make
> shift cranes including helping a friend with the one you mention below. 
> He
> only had a 9 foot ceiling height so we were trying to figure out how to 
> hug
> the ceiling and get at least enough hook height to lift all his plows,
> mooring chains, and marine projects under it (figuring we needed to have 
> 6-7
> foot to work in.  It was a clever gadgit that ran off the wall on one side
> and had a bipod wheeled end that ran down the center of the shop (which 
> also
> allowed it to be used as a sliding rack for tools).  It would only handle
> 1,000-1200 lbs max and it had a 13 foot span (a 5" beam was used).
>
> To accomadate a 20-30 foot span and carry 2000-4000 lbs - the game changes
> considerably.  The dam crane weighs as much as your pickup truck and 
> doesn't
> really move well by hand especially with 4000 lbs added and hanging from 
> it
> so most are motorized for a reason. The design of your shop becomes
> mandatory to include the crane design into it.  You have to figure the 
> hook
> height you want to accomadate the work you'll be doing and the largest 
> items
> you wish to lift.  From there it determines what the wall height of the 
> shop
> has to be, the strength needed in beams to carry such loads, the wiring
> which will motorize the travel, and all lighting needs to be recessed into
> the ceiling (Or the walls need to be all that much higher).......and all
> machine wiring must be in place in the floor in conduit to the outlets
> needed as hanging drops to power machines is NOT an option any longer if
> this is what you used to do in an older shop.
>
> IF you buy a used one, you should have it on hand before building your new
> shop - as you'll have to work the entire design of footprint of your
> building, track assemblies, etc from the crane instead of trying to modify
> the crane to fit the span your creating as stripping a crane apart and
> getting all the dollies back square, and the drive shafts cut, rekeyed, 
> and
> set back again can be a decent enough project to try to stay away from
> it.......unless you do it in a shop where they have a ceiling crane :-)
> Anything is possible, but one can see why heavy weights, powered 
> travelers,
> and fitting it to a set of tracks, along with designing the tracks to 
> carry
> the weight (and not have it working off walls supporting snow loads on the
> roof: is why there are companies who do this as a specialty.
>
> I've found the option of doing a ceiling crane down the center of a bay 
> and
> letting the outside bays get fed by roll carts, or jib cranes to be the 
> real
> way to do the grass roots do it yourself kind of ceiling crane.  Trying to
> cover the entire shop is the option you should get help with from someone
> who knows what the loads will be and not be in the position to regret
> investing poorly in something that deflects, doesn't move well, or doesn't
> lift what you need to lift.
>
> One thing I will mention about Jib booms is they can have a stiff leg 
> placed
> at the end of the beam and double the lifting capacity of the 
> unit.......so
> 2 ton jib which is affordable, handy, and covers a decent 12 foot
> span.......can unload a power hammer with a still leg when needed (IF the
> area of jib coverage allows a vehicle to go under it (such as part of a
> drive in bay).
>
> I've built jibs, installed factory made jibs, made makeshift ceiling
> cranes(on mostly short spans) and have lots of black and blue memories of
> gantry legs slamming my shins. Both jobs I've been involved with where the
> customer has wanted full building width ceiling crane lifting of heavy 
> loads
> we have panned it out to outside specialty companies who have done an
> outstanding job, but one would expect that for $24,000 - 52,000 that each 
> of
> them cost.
>
> Sure is nice to bring a tractor trailer load of steel in and pick it off 
> and
> sort it into working piles on the floor in a matter of minutes........but
> you have to do a lot of work to afford a price tag like the one above.
>
> Yes, you can build your own, and no I'm afraid I don't know of any used
> bridge units at this time.  If I knew of any jibs at this time.......I'd 
> be
> owning it.  :-)
>
> Ralph
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Mike Spencer
> Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 2:19 AM
> To: theforge at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [TheForge] Re: bridge crane
>
>
>
>> Has anyone on the list ever built a bridge crane? is it a do it
>> yourself project or should I just plan to hire it done?
>
>
> Ralph Sproul sent me some pictures of a bridge crane that ran on a
> wall-track/trucks on one end and had a bipod on (15" car?) pneumatic tires
> on the other.  He said it was good up to 1000#.  Looks to me like it
> would be easy enough to jigger it up to take 3000# or so.
>
> I betcha he's the guy to ask when he gets back on line.
>
> I kinda wish I had planned one in.  I have my eye on an old one on
> wheels but I'm not sure I need it bad enough to move it.  My problem
> is that, altho I have a 30' wide shop, I have a center beam on (3)
> posts so I'd be limited to one 15' bay at best and it would screw up
> my lighting.
>
>
> - Mike
>
> --
> Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~.
>                                                           /V\
> mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
> http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^
>
> --
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Manage membership or unsubscribe at:
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
> theforge mail list group photo site is
> http://www.photoaccess.com
> Login:  blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
> password:  anvil
> ___________
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Manage membership or unsubscribe at:
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
> theforge mail list group photo site is
> http://www.photoaccess.com
> Login:  blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
> password:  anvil
> ___________
>
>
> 