Ceiling Hoists

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Tony
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Ceiling Hoists

Post by Tony »

Tim,
With all this talk of moving masts, etc in your barn, I am reminded of a very simple hoist setup we had at a machine shop I used to work in. What we had, as I remember, was a track made of small, relatively lightweight I beams, that went around the shop. 2 or 3 chainhoists were hung from "cars," which were just a set of wheels that rode on either top edge of the I beam and had an attachment point hanging between them. It seems it would be relatively easy to install a simpler version of this in the barn, which would make moving masts, engines, deck assemblies, you name it a whole lot easier, perhaps a simple beam placed across the barn, around the cockpit area of where a boat would be parked? Just a thought from a liveaboard who dearly wishes he had a shop to work in here in the rainy state of Oregon :-)
Tony
Dave, 397

Post by Dave, 397 »

In our old race shop, we had a cruder version of this made up that gave us a straight-line traverse (curves would have been do-able, but it wasn't needed) which I made up with a 6x6 beam hung at each end off some angle iron brackets...the trolley part was made up of some 3/16 mild steel flat stock (2 vertical parts and one horizontal "spreader"), a couple of stop collars from the bearing shop, a pair of grade 8 1/2" bolts and nuts and a whole bunch of used alternator bearings used to make up a "roller" of sorts. Worked great...something similar could sure be just the thing for lifting heavy or awkward items from the floor to the deck or the cockpit of the boat, if nothing else.

Dave
Tony
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Post by Tony »

We didn't really have "curves" persay, it was a mostly square corner, with the tip of the corner cut off. I'm not sure how this worked exactly, I never pulled a hoist around the corner.
Tony
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Tim
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Post by Tim »

Thanks, guys.

These ideas are along the same vein of what I was thinking of. It's just a matter of doing it...we'll see. One question is whether to make a mobile-type (floor-based) system, or to hang something from the walls. I can't hang anything directly from the ceiling since the trusses aren't engineered for carrying loads. A longitudinal beam on each side, with transverse cross members that could move back and forth (and with a hoist that could move side to side) would be ideal, but this may be too complex.

Right now, I'm way too busy doing boatwork to think about shop accessories, but perhaps later on this winter I'll feel like tackling it. Some sort of movable hoist(s) would be nice--something that can easily be positioned in a variety of locations for engines, masts, and other lifting work.

Something I'd really love is a means of moving boats around inside the shop somehow. A sort of small Travelift sort of thing, with which I could move boats closer to the walls and/or more out of the way than is possible with the hydraulic trailer. (My own hydraulic trailer would be nice to...dream on, Tim!)

Anyway. There's always something more to dream about!
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Figment
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Post by Figment »

Used forklifts are cheap, and there's no end to their utility.
Dave, 397

Post by Dave, 397 »

Of course, a guy could, if there was enough overhead clearance, build a traverse-type hoist from I-beam stock with one beam running longitudinally down each side of the shop, and a travelling beam spanning the width of the shop from which you hung a movable, large chain hoist.

Then you could pick up and move anything from a yanmar to a tablesaw to a complete boat to nearly any point in the shop by slinging it. I've seen similar setups for materials handling before, and it really doesn't take that big an electric chain hoist to pick up 12,000 pounds. The longitudinal running beams could be supported by vertical columns from the floor which are right up against and/or also tied into the walls, taking the load off the building structure.

What about putting the boats on bunk cradles? While the bunk can be a pain to work around, it does make it much easier to move the boat , especially with a forklift--providing the forklift is big enough. Forklifts are indeed terrific, and something like a baby Clark or a Hyster 50 would be really neat...but I don't think there is enough room in the shop for a big Hyster to pick the boats up with. On a bunk, you can jack up one whole end of the thing at a time if you want...it would not be too hard to build a set of roller skates with some heavy angle and some large surplus casters which could be placed under the bunk pads and make it mobile. The fact that you already have a bunch of jacks would just make it perfect, since you could then drop as many bunk pads as wanted/needed in order to do the work...it would be even cooler if you built the bunks so that the vertical members and their braces were completely removable!

Just thinking out loud...I like making work for other people!<G>
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Tim
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Post by Tim »

You guys...sheesh, you'll get me in all kinds of trouble! hehe

Lessee...that'll be one forklift, one hydraulic trailer, a couple 5 ton electric hoists, I-beams, jacks...

BTW, all donations of shop equipment and machinery are cheerfully accepted! Tax-exempt status pending... ;<)

Meanwhile, picking up metal-working and welding skills (and equipment) is HIGH on my list--one area in which I am sadly lacking. I see welding and cutting equipment being added to the shop in the relatively near future. Maybe after the Daysailor is complete, whenever that is.
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Post by Figment »

Tim, there is nothing, NOTHING on earth that gets one's testosterone flowing quite like an oxy-acetylene torch.
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Post by Tim »

Cutting metal with fire...you gotta love it! hehe
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