Has anyone made a small shop crain?

[Joe Romas]

I have a very crowded shop so there's no room for a engine hoist.
I have a 8" rotary HV table with a 6" chuck mounted on it. Lifiting it 6 inches to the lowest position of the table on my Clausing 8525 mill is a major project and a real pain in the back!
Today after lifting it onto the mill I thought about a overhead track and track and block and tackle. Then it came to me if I had a SMALL crain using maybe a boat trailer winch that I have it could be portable it would have other uses. I two basement windows that is at garage floor level aqnd driveway level that I use to bring heavy/large items into my shop. The distance from the basement floor to the bottom of the windows are 46 and 49 inches.
Has anyone made a SMALL crain tyhat world work for this?


Thanks
Joe

 

[CharlieW]

My son rigged this up. It is mobile but you could make a boom that you mount on the wall. This is a Harbor Freight boom and costs about $140. These come with a crank winch but it is well worth getting a cheap 12V winch. You need a car battery but ours seems to only need charging about once a year.



Charlie

 

[8ntsane]

Hi Joe
Lots of good Ideas
I have a small crane, is 500 lb cap. Its from a company called Sky Hook, if you google it , you will find it. Boat winch is commonly used, so is electric winch. Some times hydraulic cylinder too.

The sky hook isnt cheap, and totally differant, but at 23 lbs, it does well. Mine will mount on the lathe for changing chucks, and mounts on the mill table for changing R/T vices, work pieces.

If your doing this type of thing? A few things to concider. Boat winch can be a 2-handed deal to operate, and if you screw up, the load will come crashing down on your machine. Block and tackle is better, but the hanging chains can be a pain. The electric winches are way to fast on decent, even with a snatch block. Hydraulic is a one handed deal to operate, slow easy up, and down. The risk of a run away load is min.

If your using over head beam, then that could narrow your choices down a fair bit.
Just to give you a few idea.s

Paul

I just checked
Google up skyhook lifting device, click on images
Lots of pics

 

[AR1911]

Lots of solutions to this common problem
google "Jib crane" and also "skyhook"

Alternatives:

A pivoting arm mounted to the column at table height, with a tee-nut and bolt hanging down.
Raise table to correct height with the knee, swing the arm over so the tee-nut slides in, tighten bolt, lower table, swing arm w/Rotab back to the "parked" position beside and behind the column.

Quick alternative to the above: Buy one of those articulating wall-mounts for TVs and mount it to the column, or even the wall (beside or behind) if it's close enough. Mine is rated for 200 lbs. Sub a teenut setup for the part that screws to the back of the TV.

Another method is a rolling cart. Roll it up to the table, raise of lower the mill table to the cart heith. Slide table over onto the cart. Park the cart.

 

[Joe Romas]

Great ideas. The Sky hook looks nice. It would not need to be that heavy to move just the RT. A arm mounted to the wall would be a single purpose device but could be really simple to design and build.

Thanks all.

Joe

 

[HSS]

The winches I use look like a boat winch but are not because they have a brake built into the mechanism. If you use a boat winch and lose your grip on the handle, you might be looking at a smashed foot, a broken wrist, or a broken RT or vice, depending on what it is you are lifting with it. Then again, that one might never jump up and bite you. IMO

Pat

 

[Rbeckett]

A small jib crane is a great thing. I was planning to add one over my Torchmate machine to swing in full sized sheets with out the struggle and strain. I already have the controller suspended from the ceiling (rafters) and that allows me to store it over the machine out of the way when not in use. I welded a 14 Ga 2X4 box and hung it on a farm barn door track from TSC. Works great and I can push the controller over the table to make room for other projects when I need the room. A side note to this discussion is to make sure you use a chain or other device that is rated for lifting. Most common chain is rated for tie-down and restraint but not lifting. Don't want a link to fail with a load overhead. Have a great day and please post some pics of the crain as you go and in use too.
Bob

 

[Nelson]

The Sky Hook website is here:

http://www.skyhook.cc/index.html

It handles up to 500 pounds. They don't even list the cost.
From what I understand, the cost is prohibitive for a home shop.

Enco sells them for $500-$600 here:

http://www.use-enco.com/1/1/88050-sky-hook-cranes.html

There were old vintage lift cranes- you rarely see them for sale anymore.
I forget the company that made them. The problem is that they never wear out,
and some are still in operation 80 years later!

I have checked Ebay and Craig's for used- NO luck!

I am still going to build the "joist hoist" that we discussed on here.
That involves doubling the joists in the area with additional 2x8s, hanging a steel pipe between the new joists to suspend the chain hoist or come-along.
The idea is not to damage the original joists holding up the house!
That should hold up to 500 pounds easily.

:tiphat:Nelson

 

[Nelson]

I have a very crowded shop so there's no room for a engine hoist.
I have a 8" rotary HV table with a 6" chuck mounted on it. Lifiting it 6 inches to the lowest position of the table on my Clausing 8525 mill is a major project and a real pain in the back!
Today after lifting it onto the mill I thought about a overhead track and track and block and tackle. Then it came to me if I had a SMALL crain using maybe a boat trailer winch that I have it could be portable it would have other uses. I two basement windows that is at garage floor level aqnd driveway level that I use to bring heavy/large items into my shop. The distance from the basement floor to the bottom of the windows are 46 and 49 inches.
Has anyone made a SMALL crain tyhat world work for this?


Thanks
Joe

Joe:

I'm in the same boat.

Take a look at these two threads I started:

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/show...evice-to-basement-beams?highlight=joist+hoist

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/show...ith-very-tight-headroom?highlight=joist+hoist

I need to build a hoist supported by the upstairs floor joists to reconstruct a tall mill.

The way I am going to do it is a PITA, but safe and won't damage the house.

:tiphat:Nelson

 

[12bolts]

Joe,
I found this thread a little while ago, and whilst I havent built it myself I have downloaded it in anticipation of doing so, as it will suit my shop perfectly.
http://www.homemetalshopclub.org/projects/crane/crane.html
I have no claim to this article but I hope the author doesnt mind it being shown like this.

Cheers Phil