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Shop expansion .... was chain fall and trolley

mitchntx

Follower of Rev. Doug
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Location
Whitney
First Name
Mitch
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Warren
I had an electric hoist on a trolley using an I-beam at my old shop and found it indispensable when working without a helper.
It was only rated to 800lbs, but that was plenty to do 99% of what I needed.

The only horizontal member I have in my new shop is a 4" piece of square tube that spans the width of my shop ... about 26'.
I can't seem to find a trolley made for a square tube ... just an I-Beam.

In looking at this ...

71sE5mPnp5L._SL1500_.jpg


The pic is upside down, BTW ... or bottom-side upwards.

... I think all I need to do is add about 3" or so of a tail onto the bottom so that the shackle clears the square tube.

I'm also thinking I need to add a bolt and spacer above the trolley wheels to stabilize the rig.
It won't have to be much ... 1/4-20 all-thread and a piece of tubing cut to length should be plenty for lateral support.

Again, I'll be limiting the weight to hundreds of pounds, not thousands ... gas cylinders, welding rigs, tool boxes, generators in and out of pick up beds kind of things.

Consequently, installing a 75-100lb winch (eating up precious weight capacity) and the headache of running power makes me think I'll use a chain fall instead.

As for the beam itself, neighbors claim the the previous owner used a chain fall and strap to hoist a rolling tool box with tools out of a PU bed and it was stout enough.
I'm think about adding some support members at a 60* angle for added support in the center, just in case.

Thoughts?
 
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Use a recycled chain style garage door opener and you'll be able to transit the hoist by remote.


Also, never stand under it. :lol2:


As for the beam itself, neighbors claim the the previous owner used a chain fall and strap to hoist a rolling tool box with tools out of a PU bed and it was stout enough.
I'm think about adding some support members at a 60* angle for added support in the center, just in case.
Most beam construction will carry a reasonable amount of weight, but the issue is racking the square built frame. Since it's a pretty simple box it has little resistance to racking. Maybe some 45 degree members in the corners if you have the room. Any where you can add triangles would be good.
 
How much clearance do you have under the 4" square? If a lot, you could weld a small I beam to the under side of it.

It would strengthen the 4" tube a lot and allow you to use a regular trolley.

If you don't have the height, don't want to spend the money on the I-beam, or don't think you need the strength. The carrier you pictured with the modification you stated should work for a few hundred pounds.
 
Yes ... triangles good. I quoted 60* because of space considerations. But was thinking more about collapse, than racking.
Maybe a cross brace above it? Or gussets above and below the square tube?


I have about 10' and considered replacing the tube with an I-beam.
But the beam long enough to make that span is pricey, much, much heavier and wouldn't fit long term plans.

I plan on enclosing the space, maybe as early as the spring. And where this 4" tube sits will be an exterior wall and a header for a roll up door.
So leaving it unmolested is a plus

Like most of you in the fab world, I tend to over-build stuff.
 
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If it's 4" square tubing with 1/8" wall thickness, garden variety steel, a quick cypher indicates it should hold around 500 pounds in the middle without even bending very much. if you're lifting something substantial, you could acquire some more square or round structural tubing cut to fit under the beam as a vertical post or two just to reduce that unsupported span, then knock them out of the way when not needed. Even wooden 4x4s would work, 2x4 might be too spindly.

Sorry I threw away my AISC manual when i retired...else I could give you better numbers. But I seem to recall that beam is supposed to hold up around 6000pounds per foot of span. We used miles of it at The Peak.

Can you say 'load test" ??? put some weight on it, run a tight string across the top of the beam and see how much it bends, you might be surprised. Don't forget, the vertical components of that piece of steel are what support the weight. You have two pieces 1/8" thick.
An I-beam for similar capacity would need a web thickness of 1/4"...

just my thoughts, I killed all those important brain cells long ago...
 
A 26' 4x4 sq tube will deflect quite a bit just under its own weight, let alone loading it. If you rework the trolley for the 4x4, you may want to do all your modifications on the shackle side and leave the top open. This will allow the addition is a stiff back to the top of the 4x4.
 
You know it is only money, Mitch, buy the I-Beam, mout it in the current doorway and Bob's your uncle.
 
There is this pesky wall in the way ...



Well, well, well ... how things can change in the blink of an eye ...

A contractor showed up I had previously got a bid for shop expansion.
Seems as though his short-term work projects are drying up and offered to do my shop expansion for 1/2 the price and begin tomorrow.

So once I get the existing front wall moved out 15', this will expose a structural I-beam that I can use.
 
If I were going to lift anything heavy enough to hurt me there would be a I beam probly in the 8 inch medium to light weight welded to the bottom of the square tube might cost a couple hundred bucks but it could mean life or death
 
No luck involved ... all clean living and having respect for the earth all the creatures that inhabit it.

Said the guy with five gas guzzling machines and a carbon footprint slightly smaller than Montana!!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Adding on ....

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Purlins set at 4', 8' and 10' ... makes it easy to install plywood
 
I notice the beer "fridge-ette" is not only low capacity but clearly not in use. Hard to call it a shop without an in service beer fridge. Don't forget to add some foam insulation as well.
 
Iā€™m still waiting to hear about the a/c system. My suggestion of a big ceiling fan was nixed...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You guys must think this is Gas Monkey garage or something ...

I'm just a poor retired laborer living on a fixed income.
 
You guys must think this is Gas Monkey garage or something ...

I'm just a poor retired laborer living on a fixed income.


really, it looks awesome.. and your making it better for sure it's much better than what i have at the moment !



(except for the beer fridge, I got ya beat there :D )
 
Nope ... kool-aid and oreos

I remember when I was a kid in VBS they would always give us kool-aid and cookies. I always thought it was some kind of punishment, the two did not seem to go together at all. šŸ˜
 
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