Garage Bridge Crane

[Sodo]

xfaxman it looks like those legs telescope out too? Good thing!

A swing jib crane with a track on it might be feasible too, and cover a wide enough area. If you box in your bldg corner with plywood and shearnail it, the building itself may be able to support a lot of the cantilevered weight.



Search google images for "swing crane" and "swivel crane" you will see lots of ideas.

 

[TomSeller]

I'm picking up a property that has 900 sq ft shop perfectly rectangular and a nice concrete floor. I've always had a corner here and a corner there, but not 900 sq ft in one spot. So I thought I'd install a bridge crane. I have two engine hoists, but a bridge crane sure would be nice.

 

[LD1]

I have been collecting all the parts, got 2 37' long beams from an interstate highway bridge (around 35" tall), a serious electric hoist on a trolly, killer footings for the 4 post locations under the shop slab.
Just no "roundtuit's" in sight!
I'll prolly wait until I ruin my back or drop something on my head and die to get to it.:laughing:

Holy smokes! 35" beams? I don't have my book in front of me, but that beam in that span you are probably looking at 10 ton capacity or more!

I'd sell those beams and be looking for something smaller. Especially if you dont plan on making it motorized.

Beamboy program dont list any 35" beams, only 33 and 36. Using the lightest 33" beam they list, which is a W33 x 118, you would have no issues with a 50 ton load right in the middle. Would only cause 1" of deflection, and stress of 31ksi, which is under the 36ksi that most beams made of A36 steel are good for.

And thats assuming you got a lighter one. If you by chance have a heavier W36x300 beams, 150-ton would be no sweat.

But even on the lighter end, you are looking at a 4500# beam. Thats gonna be a pain to set.

I and currently keeping an eye out for good beams as I also am planning a gantry of sorts. Ideal beam would be a W18x50. (span is also ~37'). Sould handle 5-ton with a good margin of safety. And keeps the beam weight under 2000#

 

[Mysfyt]

Holy smokes! 35" beams? I don't have my book in front of me, but that beam in that span you are probably looking at 10 ton capacity or more!

I was a little off. Its closer to 100 tons!

 

[Sodo]

Uh-oh,,,,. 900sf isn't gonna hold any of this.:laughing:
Need a bigger building. And a bigger truck, and some bigger projects too.:thumbsup:

 

[Spudd]

This is a topic I love as I have built 1 bridge in my shop and I'm in the process of another. This should be something left to a professional but overkill is paramount if you try to tackle it yourself, that goes for footings too!

xfaxman - you're nuts! That engine hoist modification is just asking to be crushed. Speaking as a Mechanical engineer, nothing from the original crane you used is up to the task of the weight you can hang from that far away. Please be extra carful when it's just standing there without weight on it.

Sodo, I like jib cranes as well because they CAN have a small foot print but they need the proper anchoring for the weight and with any kind of load the pole needs to be very substantial, I wouldn't trust plywood with much more than a hundred pounds at a couple feet out.

The crane I built in my shop I've tested (FEA) to 4,000 lbs with a deflection of only 1/4" at a span of 21' and a track width of 60". I chose a narrow track because I have a gantry in the loft above the bridge to lift things out of my truck and into the loft trap door (the gantry I tested to 2,000 - way more than the floor would handle). I used S8 - 18.4 for the 22' runners and S10 - 25.4 for the 5' track.

The new crane is for loading my plasma table with 3/8" to 5/8" plate steel. It's going to be made of 36' long - 4" channel for the runners anchored every 12' on one side and 8' on the other. the center track will be 10' long made of S6 I beam. I will be modifying the HF trollies to push the track up higher within the runners and use one side of the trolley in the C-channel with a reach-around hand to keep the trolley in the track (safety first!).

I will be posting pictures of the cranes in the next day or so but if you need close-ups, just let me know.

 

[Xfaxman]

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xfaxman - you're nuts! That engine hoist modification is just asking to be crushed. Speaking as a Mechanical engineer, nothing from the original crane you used is up to the task of the weight you can hang from that far away. Please be extra carful when it's just standing there without weight on it.

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:welcome: to TractorByNet! :thumbsup:

Thanks for your concern, but I know its limitations. I have only been using it for over thirty years.

Had to replace the jack in July of 2016:

 

[bcp]

Looks like it was designed to reach up, not out.

Bruce

 

[BLSXJ]

I'm about to add a single rail hoist in my shop. I only have 8.5' ceilings and also own a engine hoist and tractor. So with that in mind I'm only going to use Uni-Strut connected to my roof truss'. Sure it wont lift more then 500lbs, but it will help with tons of small stuff. I mostly want it for hanging venison, lifting small stuff on to my welding table, and hanging stuff for paint. I'll post some pics up in a week or two once its all done

 

[Spudd]

Good to hear, is it used more for "up" it looks like it could fall over just sitting there otherwise.