Electric ceiling hoist question

[Halfathumb]

Searching HF & internet for some ideas. Found numerous hoists but I want to mount it to the ceiling since floor space is a premium. But I want it travel along the shop. Any suggestions how any of you have pulled this off? Meaning what did you use for the rail? Pics would be a great help.

[ruffcutt]

[jteneyck]

You need an I-beam, a beam trolley, and a hoist. You can buy powered trolleys with integrated hoists like Ruffcutt showed, but I think the lowest cost option is a hand pulled trolley with a hoist hung under it.

John

[JGrout]

a gantry rail is the solution.

the size of the beam depends on the load your joists can carry and the hoist you intend to use. I/we did our own calculations for a 3 ton hoist and it works flawlessly

We used fabricated square U bolts to wrap the joists and drilled the top chord to bolt it up every 6 ft on the last one installed

[Bob10]

what Joe said but the load on the joists doesn't have to dictate load as you can use removable supports to support loads. I had a 4 x 8 hanging from the rafters with straps that was used to support a hoist for pulling engines that was supported with posts when in use.

[closed for business]

i've an I beam spanning my pole barn doorway, sitting on top of the 4x6 posts. then an electric hoist in the center. i could add a trolley to move the load around, but i just use mine by backing the loaded truck under, hooking up and lifting, and then driving out, and lowering the load.

[MKepke]

An I-beam trolley would be awesome, but I found it hard to find appropriate lengths cheaply enough.

Instead I made a trolley-beam using common heavy Unistrut from the local HD. You can also buy purpose-made Unistrut, but it is a specialty item.

http://www.unistrutohio.com/products/p1001/

The trolleys I used are inexpensive trolleys, rated 1K pounds WLL.

http://www.cesco.com/b2c/product/Superst...ley/238355

(Full disclosure: the wheel diameters of the "Superstrut" trolleys were slightly too large for the Unistrut, so I pressed the wheels off and shaved off a tiny bit on my metal lathe)

-Mark

[TDKPE]

MKepke said:

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An I-beam trolley would be awesome, but I found it hard to find appropriate lengths cheaply enough.

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Anyone looking for such a beam should call around to scrap and junk yards. When I worked in one, ours and other yards around us would stock straight lengths of various plates and shapes for resale, since it's worth more to the contractor and DIYer than the scrap value.

[ianab]

TDKPE said:

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[blockquote]MKepke said:

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An I-beam trolley would be awesome, but I found it hard to find appropriate lengths cheaply enough.

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Anyone looking for such a beam should call around to scrap and junk yards. When I worked in one, ours and other yards around us would stock straight lengths of various plates and shapes for resale, since it's worth more to the contractor and DIYer than the scrap value.

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[/blockquote]

Yup, a few years back I helped my buddy remove some support posts from his basement garage and move in a large steel I-Beam in their place. The steel posts where then bolted into the concrete walls at each end of the span, and to the I-beam and concrete floor.

He sourced the beam from his work when building alterations where being done, and it was going to be hauled away for scrap, so he was able to buy it for that price.

After that it was easy enough to put a little roller dolly assembly on it, with a hook for an "endless chain" type winch. Very handy for pulling engines from his kit car when they blew up.

So hunt around and see what you can find. Most scrap dealers are willing to re-sell useful scrap as long as they are making a profit on the deal.

[Steve N]

Freind only needed something from just behind his door when fully up, back a little ways into the shop. He would bring loads in the back of his truck, pull in, and lift them out with the electric hoist. He went to HF amf talked to the manager, and asked if they ever got returns on their Gantry unit and if so what did they do with them. He was told if there was a question about the strength (excuse it was returned under) he would clear it off his books, and sell it to a scrapper. My friend told him he would buy it for 20 bux more than the scrapper paid. He got called a couple of weeks later $75.00 all he used was the top rail, and ceiling mounted it, scrapped the legs for just under 30 bux.