Engine crane

GeoffH, I bought the basic engine crane,and the build quality was crap. Also the cast iron wheels ripped up my concrete floor. Took it back and bought the CHC500DF... It's been great, if you can live with 500kg capacity, the nylon wheels are floor (friendlier), just watch your ground clearance. Mine bottoms out as the workshop has a slight incline coming in at the roller door.

Joules

Look carefuly at the specifications, as if lifting a machine you are likely to be working with the jib extended right out. The lifting capacities often drop very quickly as soon as the jib is extended. Also look at what height will be available at the end of the crane, it may well not be high enough to lift a milling machine. As someone has already mentioned look at the wheels as well, it may glide around the showroom but when it's got a ton of machine dangling off the end they might not turn so freely.

Regards Kevin

PS Until it's "mobile" on it's own wheels I'd be tempted to build a support trolley for the boiler mounted on castors -far easier to move about.

Joules, Kevin, Thanks for the heads up. Haven't been to inspect the cranes yet, but good to know what to look out for. Will try my local factor - they do all sorts of equipment, but more expensive. The old adage -' you get what you pay for' Regards Geoff

Hello Kevin,

This will be on of the first things I intend to make so the whole model can swivel about it's axis. An hydraulic lift platform is on the to-do list as well. Went to the Norwich club on Monday and saw and rode behind 7.1/4" gauge for the first time. I'm hooked. Thinking of a MJ Engineering Bagnall 0-4-0, but someone mentioned that they tend to 'nod' when pulling. Regards Geoff

I've got a 1-ton Harvey Frost crane here, much like the Epco, looking for a new home. It really does lift a ton, & probably a bit more, I unloaded my Bridgeport Series I CNC mill with it with the aid of some creative slinging. Warrington area, though, probably not much help if he's talking about Norwich.

Cheers Tim

Dutton Dry-Dock Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs Vintage diesel engine service

Funnily enough, I have a Harvey Frost Easiload vehicle mounted crane that I'm rennovating to replace a crappy Lucas electric Swinglift. Sorta like an engine giraffe, but with a turntable and mechanical slewing at the bottom instead of legs. Gave =A330 for it at a farm sale. Rarer than the Epco's, but fully as good... When buying lifting tackle, I try to stick to Epco, H.F, Morris, Felco or Bradbury (there are a couple more, but the names escape the memory). Bit pricier, but I know I can get them rebuilt & tested and rely on them safely for a lifetime.

Cheers, Scruff.

Never thought of this. Great idea.

Plenty of those in our local industrial estate. Used the wood for my shelving. Dare not think how much it would have cost from local supplier.

To do with construction/material of crane?

Now that's a weighty lump of metal

Never seen on, but prolly not looking in right place :-) Thanks for response Geoff

Will be visiting JS shortly with any luck. Geoff

Just done a search - plenty. Doh?

Are Sealy of better quaility? Geoff

Don't think so.

Cheshire. Warrington claims to be in Cheshire, it's still Lancashire in my mind. Where I am has always been Cheshire.

He's supposed to be coming here soon, might have room in his van? It's not the folding (or self-folding ) variety.

Cheers Tim

Dutton Dry-Dock Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs Vintage diesel engine service

Not so as you'd notice... If you look at a lot of the chiwanese cranes, the steel sections are not terribly thick. Hence not reccomending using the legs of one as a workshop trolley, they'd only bend (probably until they reached the floor given some of the things I tend to do). I've also noticed that they tend to have rather small wheels. Can't help when moving under load... HTH, Scruff.

On Sat, 02 Sep 2006 12:55:22 +0100, Tim Leech

Thanks Tim, but really need a folding one due to space. Looks as if I will have to give the BP a miss due to space as well. Did not realise they are sooo big. Geoff

That's one of the things I'd noticed in the pictures. Suppose it wouldn't be too big a job to fit bigger/better wheels? Plenty available. Geoff

Be very careful about fitting different wheels. If it can't handle the load or a wheel collapses side ways, it could be enough to swing the load out of CG.... I'd stick with the wheels you get (oil the shafts) and put down ply sheeting if the surface causes problems. Still happy with the machine I eventually got from Machine Mart, and that lives folded up against a wall with a chain round it to stop it toppling forward or side ways. Think safety

Joules

I had thought you'd said that you had 8' to the roof between the supports?

Mark Rand RTFM

That's not the problem. It's just the physical space it takes up. I need space for lathe, 4" traction engine, 7.1/4 loco, compucut mill and lathe, shot blaster et al. If I put the BP in it would just take up so much of the limited space available even with the extra gained from converting the up & over to swing. Pity, I really was hoping for one. Geoff

Before you box yourself into a corner... Have you got room (and domestic permission) to extend the garage or build a garden shed for overflow storage? Depending on access, you could have the shotblast cabinet plus heat treating/welding in a shed or the assembly/traction engine parking area could be in a shed if it were secure enough.

I'm speaking from experience to some extent. I had intended to move out of the garage when I built the workshop. I don't think that it'll ever happen though. The garage will just get used to store the stuff I don't need regularly.

Mark Rand RTFM