Workshop Crane or Hoist

[JoelC]

Evening all,

Anyone use a workshop crane or hoist?

Need some ideas, I’ve had my garage extended to create a workshop area. The workshop floor is about 700mm lower than the garage floor, so I need some means of moving stuff from one level to the other. Mostly it will be light stuff, but occasionally it will be the odd engine - maybe up to 750kg. I’ve seen electric hoists that will take up to 1000kg (using a snatch block), but my trouble is how to mount it.

I thought about running two RSJ’s between the walls and then using a thick walled box section between, but I don’t know what load the single skin walls could take.

Else it would be looking at some kind of jib, either scaffold based, or steel post bolted to the concrete floor.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[500e]

You would really want the box on trolleys to move side to side of RSJ

Have a read for calc's
https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/box-section-strength-how-to-calculate.72450/
My brain goes to mush with that sort of thing

 

[500e]

On home workshop
For Sale: girder runner
to fit a 4 inch wide rsj 10 cwt capacity
Terms:
Price: £50.00

 

[Burdekin]

Seen these: https://metztools.com/product-category/lifting-equitment

 

[thinfourth]

Well

Going down the way should be easy so that is half of your issues sorted for free

 

[indy4x]

I've done something similar to move my lathe and mill

4 legs with feet and cross bracing lugs



Channel across the top



RSJ with wheels and girder trolley between for lifting

 

[JoelC]

I think using the walls is out - they are single skin and I doubt they would take the load.

I was looking at something like this:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/261931189177

If I could build a scaffold frame - but @indy4x - that might be an option.

 

[rourkek4]

Seen these: https://metztools.com/product-category/lifting-equitment

I've one of these, and although they are very handy, I would much rather one that was counter balanced from behind, the legs under the forks get in the way so often

 

[Stueeee]

If you have, or are thinking about having parallel beams, you can put up something like this:

The main rollers come from two identical girder trolleys sawn in half; they run on both sides of each static beam. As you can see, the travelling beam is cantilevered, there is a small bronze roller at each end (visible in the first photo) to allow the main beam to traverse when there is a cantilevered load, rather like an old fashioned beam balance the load is very small at the "long end" of the beam when there is an overhanging load at the short end. This the third of my garages/workshops I have installed this type of setup in. Not being as young as I was, mounting a 12" lathe chuck or large rotary table on the mill is a job that could do with some mechanical help these days.

 

[JoelC]

So the more I think about it, I don’t think I will have the space for a big frame or anything, and most of the options I can think of are awkward.

So what I was thinking was if I got a piece of 10mm plate welded to an RSJ to make a post with some gussets, then attach a jib to that. I have an electric hoist that I can attach to that - max weight will be no more than 500kg.

Would that be a feasible option?