[TheForge] Re: bridge crane

Sun Oct 2 11:31:04 EDT 2005

Another alternative to a bridge crane is an overhead monorail hoist. 
These are much easier and cheaper to build, but still provide a big help 
in material handling. A monorail hoist won't be able to cover every spot 
in the shop, but it will allow an unencumbered movement of a load from 
one end of the run to the other. The monorail track can be as simple as 
a pipe or square tubing for very light loads or an I beam for heavier 
capacity. Even a flat bar on edge or fabricated tee bar could we used 
depending on load requirements. I have even seen monorails that had 
curved tracks and even switches to allow loads to be moved from one 
track to another. The main requirements are that the track be heavy 
enough and that it is properly supported for the required loads.

Another cheap option for handling moderately heavy loads is a hydraulic 
lift cart. I found a 600# capacity four wheel lift cart at a Homier tent 
sale for $100.  It is great for moving heavy stuff around the shop. The 
cart will lift the load from about eight inches off the floor to bench 
height by pumping the foot operated hydraulic jack. I use it all the 
time for moving 20 ft I beams, large  weldments, and fence panels. I 
even use it to load 4 x 8 sheets of 3/8 plate onto my burning table. It 
has been a real back saver.

Jay

  wrote:

> 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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