Randy,
Remember that pic you sent me of the nifty forks you made for picking up pallets of steel plate?
The time has come for me to flatter you sincerely...
I need to improve the forks I made for my ginpole truck. This will be the third re-design. I have a compelling need to lift and load some pretty heavy stuff. I think 2,000 lbs. should cover me.
To refresh your memory, using 2 3/8" drill pipe, I built a gin pole for my old flat bed 1 ton Dodge diesel dually.
I built a "stinger" from a 6' piece of solid 2" bar and a 6' piece of heavy wall square tubing that fits over the square bar.
The stinger articulates up and down by means of a hole through the square tube that is pinned to a short piece of square bar. The short square bar goes into the hitch receiver.
On the far end of the square tubing I welded a heavy duty padeye which has a large shackle affixed thereto. Thus, by grabbing the shackle with the chain hoist hook, I'm able to lift considerable weight with the fork lift attachment, which attaches to the end of the stinger, and also articulates.
To adjust the angle of attack on the forks, I affixed a couple of tractor turnbuckles. Thus, I'm able to adjust the turnbuckles in or out and make the forks parallel to the ground from ground level up to about a 4 1/2" lift.
The contraption is crude but handy. The problem is that I did not properly design the forks. These have now deformed to the point that one points north while the other one points south.
I'm gonna try to get a picture of it within the next couple of days.
Anyway, your picture convinced me that rectangular tubing is just what I need. If you see this tonight would you please email me the dimensions and wall thickness of the tubing you used? I hope to buy a stick of it tomorrow before I go off to work in Houston.
Due to the fact that our "country house" has two beer joints as across the street and next door neighbors live there has become intensely un-fun. Therefore, I'm having to move hundreds of thousands of pounds of nifty old iron. My forklift contraption won't get it all. But it will get plenty of it.
I'd also like to hear your guesstimation of the lift capacity of the forks you built in your shop.
As always, thank you most sincerely.
Vernon