Subject: Re: reporting success with home shop hoist

From: [email-masked] (Edk4)
Date: 23 Apr 1996 13:21:39 -0400

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
writes:

>My shop is in the garage, with 2 x 10 floor joists overhead. What I did
>was to get a very husky, forged, C clamp which will clamp to any joist,
>as needed. A short sling goes from it to a cheap one-half-ton
>differential chain hoist, which will go in a drawer when not in use.
>Another, nylon, sling below that. 
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>You are lucky that you have the headroom for the sling/hoist/clamp
>combination.  Does anyone know what the appropriate load would
>be for a 2X10 in this case?  

>Also, the C-clamp setup sort of gives me a *gulp* sort of feeling.
>I don't think the manufacturer even considered giving it an  
>overhead lifting rating.  If it is going to slip, it might do so all
>at once.  When I had to rig up something similar to position a
>Hardinge horizintal mill (in pieces) into my basement, I actually
>drilled a 3/4 hole in the center of the 2X10 joist, and blocked 
>that joist with 4X4s on each side of the lift point.  A steel pin 
>went thru the hole, and I lifted against that.
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Say Amen, someone. 

Using a 'C' clamp on a 2x10 for hoisting machinery is NOT a good idea,
particularly if the 2x10 spans from wall to wall without any flooring
above and/or there is no 'x' bracing between joists to share the load
between several members. The pin and *especially* the bracing mentioned
above are better ideas. 

To be safe, don't count on a joist for your structural support, especially
across a long span. If the joists are not braced or if they are poorly
fastened or not well supported at the wall, or if they are cracked -
unpleasant things may happen if one of them is over stressed and fails.

How about making a simple frame of two 4x4 posts and a beam (a short
length of 2x10). Notch the 4x4's 1 1/2" x 9.25" at the tops,  to seat the
2x10, and bolt them together with a couple of  1/2" carraige bolts, 2"
>from  the top and bottom of the 2x10, at both ends with large, thick
washers and lock washers. 

Make the frame tall enough to just slide in between the joists overhead.
Hang the hoist sling around (over the TOP of) the 2x10 and then securely
clamp the 2x10 beam to one of the joists - using at least one heavy clamp
on *both* sides of the sling.

If the there is no cross bracing or nailed-to flooring above, fasten a 2x4
or a piece of  1/2" (or thicker) plywood across the underside of the joist
and attach it to a joist on *both* sides of the one you're using, to
spread the lateral load. If there's a possibility of the hoist sling
cutting into the 2x10, put a piece of metal between it and the beam. 

The  post and beam frame will support the vertical load and the joist(s)
provide the required horizontal bracing. A  4' length of  structural grade
2x10 on 4x4 posts, as described, should support about anything you'd be
lifting in your shop.

------------------
Ed Kingsley

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From: [email-masked] (Peter Brooks)
Date: 25 Apr 1996 17:42:38 GMT

I feel fortunate in that my garage has the room to let me keep an engine
hoist.  I bought the smaller one, rated at 3000 pounds.  That's enough for
most of the machinery that I'd be likely to take home in my pickup.  
Both my Enco 9" x 20" lathe and the Atlas 7" shaper got the cherry
picker treatment.  Compared to a 2.8 liter engine, such a load is
easy to handle.

If I get anything bigger, I'd call one of the machinery movers in the 
area.  Moving something into my garage wouldn't cost all that much
money (decent access, and a 7' ceiling at worst case), so IMHO, it would
be money well spent.

Pete Brooks

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From: [email-masked] (Greg Dermer)
Date: 24 Apr 96 20:16:15 GMT

[email-masked] writes:

>In <[email-masked]>, [email-masked](Wm. Congreve (Sr.) ) writes:
...
>>Another, nylon, sling below that. 

...
>at once.  When I had to rig up something similar to position a

Me too.  In fact most of the industrial C-clamp manufacturers (Wilton comes
to mind) specifically say don't use their clamps for lifting.  While I admit
I have done so in the past, I do get that "gulp" feeling, especially when
the load is trying to slide the clamp off the joist, rather than when the
clamp is hooked over the joist.

>went thru the hole, and I lifted against that.

I have done something similar, but I drilled holes in the center of
several of the joists, and a piece of bar went through the holes. This
way the bar has no tendancy to slip or twist, and the load is somewhat
distributed over a couple joists.  I don't know what the safe load is, 
but I successfully lifted the 1000 lb backbone of my surface grinder this
way.  Whatever, I would definitely find an alternative to the C clamp.

...
>One thing I would add (learned by watching proffesional riggers
>at work) is the cardinal rule:  Never, ever, place any part of
>your body under the load while it is being lifted.  I think the idea
>is that if anything goes *bang*, it is a shame, but at least
>nobody gets hurt.  All the riggers here have complete sets of 
>fingers/toes.
> 

Yeah, it's a fine rule.  On the other hand, when the riggers were lowering
my 1 ton milling machine down the outside basement stairwell with a lifting
sling, it had a tendancy to swing.  There was this 400 lb, 6'8" man/gorilla
that stood more or less under it and would periodically reach up and stop
it swinging.  Hard to watch....

Greg
[email-masked]