On 6/6/2025 4:58 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news:101vgi6$2f05q$1@dont-email.me...
I might still want a jib crane in the shop...
Anyway, what diameter is the disc on a fifth wheel trailer? Not the horseshoe int he back of the truck. The disc that slides into it. The fifth wheel I'll need to move a few times yet is 60 miles away, so I
can't just walk outside and measure it.
Bob La Londe
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The welding and fab shop I use for jobs beyond my equipment's capacity
has their jib crane outdoors, beside the overhead door where it can load trucks.
If I had much heavy lifting and moving to do on a hard level surface I'd
pick a height-adjustable rolling gantry, low for indoors and high to
load trucks. The tripod-supported gantry I built for offroad can be
adapted to rolling on asphalt with temporary inverted T wood uprights
and diagonal braces. It can have wheeled trailer jacks mounted at their proper height up on the diagonals as retractable casters.
Tripod end supports have some advantages like being free standing so the
beam ends can be winched up. I don't think they would be stable enough
on wheels, unless braced to the beam which changes the leg loading from
axial to cantilevered and increases their necessary weight.
I have an electric hoist but prefer the fine height control of a manual chainfall. It can support enough of a 2000 Lb load to push it into
position by hand. An engine load leveler can be used as a sling spreader. https://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-capacity-load-leveler-60659.html?
As I understand it, this is erected by assembling it flat and then
pulling the feet in with the hoist to raise one end at a time. https://us.reidlifting.com/porta-gantry
When I had to set up my gantry in an awkward cramped space I lifted the
beam onto sawhorses with the platform stacker, then to stepladder height
on cribbing etc on the platform. Another way is to place a folding A
frame ladder crosswise at the beam center and set short planks across
the first rungs down, them slide and balance the beam onto the planks.
After connecting the ends, remove the planks and lift the ladder over
the beam. Since mine is made from back to back channels I have to lift
only 1/2 the weight for 8' or 1/4 for 16' beam length. A one-piece beam
would be better structurally if you can handle and store it. The
channels nest together and take up very little floor space standing on
end in a corner of a shed.
I've used many a 2x4 as a load spreader to keep from damaging an engine
lifting it with chains to the head bolts. My dad might have had a load spreader / engine leveler around somewhere, but I have not run across it
yet.
I still want a gantry crane, but they are either way more expensive than
I think they should be or don't fit my exact specifications. I'm going
to have to build one. Fortunately on a previous visit to my parents
commercial property to haul away an old vehicle and do some repairs I
found what looks like plenty of I beam to do the job.
A jig crane near the door (I was thinking just inside to protect the
hydraulics would be nice, but it comes after a gantry crane. Another
smaller one over the South Bend Mill and Precision Mathews lathe too.
I use whatever is easiest for lifting. I looked everywhere for my dad's
old chain fall, and after I bought one I finally found his in one of his
old trucks. I've got multiple cable pullers, a tractor with front
implement forks, & 2 chain falls now. LOL. Pulling a burned out
compressor out of an AC condensing unit works really well with a
straight pick across the rungs of a 12 foot step ladder and a cable
puller. Whatever works. I sold an old Cummins engine a while back and
loaded it with a tiny little cable puller, a giant cheater bar, and an
old steel A-frame that barely fit around the bed of the truck. It was
all I had at that location. Whatever works.
Well back to work. The last set of steel shelves finally arrived for my
40' container shelving. It's hot outside and there is no air flow in
the container, so I am in the office just finishing off an ice tea after hanging two of the four shelves int he existing frames. Like I said,
back to work, in a minute. Stop pushing. I'll go. Really.
--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
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