Has anyone made a small shop crain?

[Nelson]

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

Phil,

I saw that one in my search when considering how to work in my small shop area.

He doesn't say what the capacity is.
He says it is for moving lathe equipment or the lathe, but, being a sceptic, and worrying about load capacity and safety,
I have my doubts.

Joist hangers with 1/4" bolts supporting 2x6's, I'm just not sure how much that could support.
I need to lift 500 pounds straight up= the column of the VN Mill.

If you build this, I would beef it up a little, use 3/8" bolts, maybe doublehead the 2x8 joists like I did so the bolts go through double wood.
My worry is the bolts coming through after some use moving things around.
I'm probably overdoing it, but better too much support than too little.


:tiphat:Nelson

 

[pdentrem]

There are lots of posting here. Just search for gib crane or crane and I got 59 posts to look at. Some are missing the pictures due to site crash and others link to outside sites but lots of ideas.

 

[Frank Ford]

I may have posted it before, but here's my tiny chain hoist - it works quite well for chucks, 10" rotary table, vises, and other things that my arthritis complains about:



The "track" is just 1" galvanized water pipe, and it's way strong enough for the small loads I hoist.

Here's the full writeup:

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Projects/MiniHoist/minihoist.html

 

[george wilson]

I made a very heavy angle iron cart with a Sky Hook perched on it,about in the center. This is the 4th such cart Jon and I made. We made 2 for work,and 1 each for home shop. At work we had a lathe with very heavy chucks. The chucks were kept on the cart. The cart would be pushed over to the lathe. Then,the Sky Hook would be mounted to the lathe's big compound. Chucks were lifted off the cart,and mounted to the D-8 spindle. It was easy to maneuver the chucks into position using the carriage and cross slide.

 

[llarson]

I made one some time back with a 5ft. piece of 1 1/2" x 4" rect. tubing and a triangulating rod from about 3ft. above out to the end of the tubing. This was all mounted on two pivot brackets attached to a support pole of a pole building. Made a trolley similar to Frank Ford's. This could also be mounted on a 4x6 or 6x6 attached at top and bottom. Used mine for lifting up to v-4 Wisconsin engines to a bench.