[TheForge] Re: bridge crane

Woolley wjec at verizon.net
Sun Oct 2 10:15:07 EDT 2005 

Ralph,

Wall/bipod , but would appreciate seeing both.  My plan isn't etched in 
stone, I could move things around.  I'm currently preparing to pour the 
floor so I need to layout a spot for a footing for the jib crane.  Thanks.

Bill


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ralph Sproul" <brhlbsmt at mcttelecom.com>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2005 10:29 AM
Subject: RE: [TheForge] Re: bridge crane


> My home made from post row to post row? or my friends wall/bipod crane we
> designed and works for 1200 lbs?
>
> Ralph
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Woolley
> Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2005 10:06 AM
> To: Sponsored by ABANA
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Re: bridge crane
>
>
> 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/                        ^^-^^
>>
>> --
>>
>>
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