overhead lifting question

Good one, Root. Good one.

And when he gets done with her, let me know and I'll pay to use her, here, too.

Respectfully, Fuhh

Currently I am using two JET chain falls on my gantry. My JET 1/2 ton is of the L-90 series and the 1 ton is a SMH series hoist. Both function flawlessly. I have never used a lever hoist on a gantry and would question the practicality of such. My gantry would put the lever eight feet or so in the air.

I loaded two 50 gallon hot water heater into the back of my truck last night by using a 24"X48" platform attached at each end to a chain fall. Tied a rope around the top of the water heaters and threw it up over the gantry to balance the top of the load as I raised them up.

Hope this helps Jesse L Zufall Silt, Co

--FWIW I just upgraded to a slightly better electric hoist; 1,000 lb lifting capacity (my old one can lift 500 lbs). They're really great as long as you don't crowd the limit. Reason I bought the new one is because I lifted a load that was probably 100% of the rated lift capacity of my old hoist and the load did, indeed, slip once my finger was off the "up" button. Aside from this little foible I do recommend electric. --I suspect that there are up-market hoists that have locking features so the slippage issue would't be a problem, but you pay for what you get. I was on a tight budget (still am, sigh...) and bought a relatively cheap one I knew of; holler if you'd like further info on that. --Oh, and here's another thing to watch out for if you decide to go electric: look *closely* at the controller pendant: make sure it's got a tapering top, where it joins with its cable. Turns out the one I've got (the cheapie, remember?) has a fairly boxy shape and the first thing I had to do was lift something out of my boat. This meant lifting the load, then pulling the boat out from under it. Even though there were two of us and we moved slowly I still managed to snag the controller pendant on something and sure enough I yanked the wires away from the PC board inside the motor housing! Good thing the load wasn't all that heavy or I'd have been in a right pickle. We got it down by using two ladders and grabbing it on either side. Now I'm trying to cobble together some sort of cone that will sheathe the square upper end of the controller so this won't happen again.

-- "Steamboat Ed" Haas : California: "The crap magnet Hacking the Trailing Edge! : in America's crankcase".

---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

What was it peter egan said, the definition of an hydraulic jack is 'a device to test the tensile strength of all those ground straps and brake lines you forgot to disconnect?'

Jim

================================================== please reply to: JRR(zero) at yktvmv (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com ==================================================

Being unable to hold the load and the brake slipping is what saves people from doing even more stupid things with overhead cranes. I have lifted 7.5 tons with a 3 ton electric hoist on orders from management. It eventually ruined the brakes and bearings. Randy

--FWIW I just upgraded to a slightly better electric hoist; 1,000 lb lifting capacity (my old one can lift 500 lbs). They're really great as long as you don't crowd the limit. Reason I bought the new one is because I lifted a load that was probably 100% of the rated lift capacity of my old hoist and the load did, indeed, slip once my finger was off the "up" button. Aside from this little foible I do recommend electric.

--I suspect that there are up-market hoists that have locking features so the slippage issue would't be a problem, but you pay for what you get. I was on a tight budget (still am, sigh...) and bought a relatively cheap one I knew of; holler if you'd like further info on that.

--Oh, and here's another thing to watch out for if you decide to go electric: look *closely* at the controller pendant: make sure it's got a tapering top, where it joins with its cable. Turns out the one I've got (the cheapie, remember?) has a fairly boxy shape and the first thing I had to do was lift something out of my boat. This meant lifting the load, then pulling the boat out from under it. Even though there were two of us and we moved slowly I still managed to snag the controller pendant on something and sure enough I yanked the wires away from the PC board inside the motor housing! Good thing the load wasn't all that heavy or I'd have been in a right pickle. We got it down by using two ladders and grabbing it on either side. Now I'm trying to cobble together some sort of cone that will sheathe the square upper end of the controller so this won't happen again.

-- "Steamboat Ed" Haas : California: "The crap magnet Hacking the Trailing Edge! : in America's crankcase".

---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

I use a lever operated Yale 1½ ton hoist as well as a 3 ton chain hoist. The trick to using the lever hoist is mount it upside down. This leaves the lever at the load, not 10 feet in the air. If there is a danger of dropping something on my feet, then I use the chain hoist. I prefer the lever hoist, as there is no loose chain to get in the way. Also the lever hoist will hold the load. My chain hoist has to be held. I usually slip a chain hook over the pull chain and let it stop against the case. I often use more than one hoist to help control a load.

I use a chain fall on my gantry, and I like it much better than a comealong. The only problem I have is when the oily chain I am pulling on gets low enough to drag on the ground and gets sandy/dirty. I have tried making it all land in a bucket, but that doesn't work.

I forget if mine is 1 or 2 ton. I got it off eBay but have since seen it at HF for less. It would be nice to have one of those 440lb electric winches so I could hang a sling chair from it and run it up and down.

Dave Wilson

My comment about HF chain falls and come-a-longs and other lift/pull tools they make is plan on consistantly using only half the name plate rating. I've managed to wipe out two hydraulic jacks, a number of come-a-longs and several load straps and binders from HF, even though we were operating under the name plate limts. The 2000 pound capacity engine stand has a permanent tilt to it after having a partially built up 350 sit on it for a couple of years. I know that other people have had better luck with their stuff, but for me I just use half the listed capacity to be safe.

Craig C. snipped-for-privacy@ev1.net

Speaking of lifting tonnage... I had lunch in a Vegan restauarnt yesterday run by the Sri Chinmoy institute. On the wall was a series of color photos showing Chinmoy lifting proressively larger weights overhead with ONE ARM. He starts at about 200 lbs and in the final shot he is lifting 7063 and 3/4 lbs over his head with one arm and no apparent muscle strain. It's obviously some kind of trick or outright lie but sadly there is a whole quasireligion built around this guy and his praying prowess. Metal content.... Huge groups of metal plates extending 4 feet from each side of his hand. The food was just so-so.

That was pretty slick. I'll remember that; I have some LVL beam that would be useful as a cross beam.

I have an A frame I made out of steel tubing, with about a 1200 pound capacity (anything more and the cross tube bends). It will knock down to a pile of easily storable pieces. It's on casters to move around the garage and I have a 1 ton cheapie chainfall on it. That chainfall weighs maybe 20 pounds. I picked up a 2 ton chainfall at a rigger's auction that must weigh around 90 pounds; apparently they used to make them a little more robust.

Paul

There is an easy way to get more capacity from your A frame. Instead if lifting from the cross bar, Loop a chain from one peak to the other. Hang your hoist from this chain. Now your cross tube acts as a spreader and your frame is much more capable. Maybe it explains it better here:

But what kind of lever would you use to operate her?

When I was doing my trade training (about 20 years ago) they mentioned that they were no longer allowed to sell them. I think a possible concern was the chain getting jammed in the wrong pulley, and locking the load in an elevated position. From memory, it was a lot more physical work to use the differential type, as opposed to nearly any other kind of lifting device.

One of the killers for these is the fact that they're extremely inefficient. While it doesn't seem that way from first glace the fact is they don't need a brake because there's so much friction in use. According to a old Yale catalog I have the differential chain hoist is only something like 10% efficient with worm gear actually beating it with something on the order of 15%-20%. However a good spur gear hoist like a Yale is something like 80% efficient. But having used good Yales and Wright chain hoists I'd say that the modern version like you get at Harbor Freight isn't as good and probably falls about 50% efficient. Wayne Cook Shamrock, TX

On 12 Jul 2003 07:17:57 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@cableone.net (Douglas Baugher) wrote something ......and in reply I say!:

I thought the comealong was you used to _get_ the wench!

Seriously, my problem with chainfalls, if they are the ones where you have and endless chain and it operates the lifting chain, is that you have to stand under of near the load as you operate it, as if you do not get a fair run of the chain, it catches, especially as you approach a heavy load. I suppose you could set up a system to lead the chain away to the side, but I find the hoist always wants to twist under load and alwyas the wrong way

Unless they fail, they will hold the load for you. You do not get runaway. They are also fairly fast compared lever type ones.

I have not used a lever type one. Is the logic to attach the hoist to the load instead of the gantry, so you don't have to be "up there" to operate it? How do you deal with this then when the load is 10' in the air? Serious question that has always bothered me. Again I have a problem with being that close to the load all the time.

There is a "comealong" called a Tirfor, which is a level of quality above the usual hardware store variety. I got one at auction. I have set it up with pulleys, that take the wire rope out of the way of the load, and to the side. It will alllow raising and lowering under full control. But new they are $$$. The one I have is a bit impractical for most work, beiung rated at 5 tonne odd, and weighing about 50-60 lb. BUt there are smaller ones. Slowish, but the most comfortable and safe-feeling heavy pulling and lifting I have ever done.

****************************************************************************************** Huh! Old age!. You may hate it, but let me tell you, you can't get by for long without it!

Nick White --- HEAD:Hertz Music Please remove ns from my header address to reply via email !!

I made my own gantry as well, follow the link in the drop box.

There are other pics showing the progress as well. I thought about the chainfall vs. lever hoist myself. My gantry varies in height from a bit less than six feet to about nine feet tall. I rationalized the lever hoise. My gantry isn't tall enough that after include trolley and hooks, the hoist isn't too high to access for a lever hoist even at its highest. For a chain fall type, I would be dragging chain around the floor. Also have to be careful when lifting equipment not to batter it with the continuous chain loop. I thought it would be easier to manage when I work at lower heights not having an excess of chain flailing about in a spagetti type of mess and dragging on the floor. Your application and milage may vary.

So far the lever hoist has worked very well

On 12 Jul 2003 07:17:57 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@cableone.net (Douglas Baugher) wrote something ......and in reply I say!:

I thought the comealong was you used to _get_ the wench!

Seriously, my problem with chainfalls, if they are the ones where you have and endless chain and it operates the lifting chain, is that you have to stand under of near the load as you operate it, as if you do not get a fair run of the chain, it catches, especially as you approach a heavy load. I suppose you could set up a system to lead the chain away to the side, but I find the hoist always wants to twist under load and alwyas the wrong way

Unless they fail, they will hold the load for you. You do not get runaway. They are also fairly fast compared lever type ones.

I have not used a lever type one. Is the logic to attach the hoist to the load instead of the gantry, so you don't have to be "up there" to operate it? How do you deal with this then when the load is 10' in the air? Serious question that has always bothered me. Again I have a problem with being that close to the load all the time.

There is a "comealong" called a Tirfor, which is a level of quality above the usual hardware store variety. I got one at auction. I have set it up with pulleys, that take the wire rope out of the way of the load, and to the side. It will alllow raising and lowering under full control. But new they are $$$. The one I have is a bit impractical for most work, beiung rated at 5 tonne odd, and weighing about 50-60 lb. BUt there are smaller ones. Slowish, but the most comfortable and safe-feeling heavy pulling and lifting I have ever done.

****************************************************************************************** Huh! Old age!. You may hate it, but let me tell you, you can't get by for long without it!

Nick White --- HEAD:Hertz Music Please remove ns from my header address to reply via email !!

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 13:22:12 -0500, "Ron Thompson" wrote something ......and in reply I say!:

The only comment I have here is that you must damn strong chain. The tension on the chain is (I think) proportional to the Tan of the angle between the chain and vertical, and the weight being lifted. In other words, the smaller the angle between the chain and the cross bar, the larger the tension on the chain. You can use this to move some very heavy weights in other situations.

****************************************************************************************** Huh! Old age!. You may hate it, but let me tell you, you can't get by for long without it!

Nick White --- HEAD:Hertz Music Please remove ns from my header address to reply via email !!

Yep, it is a good chain!