ecoslik
Silver Member
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2010
- Messages
- 132
- Location
- Texas on (hobby) horse ranch
- Tractor
- Kubota L5740 HST with LA854 loader and QA, top and tilt, 1 front and 3 rear remotes, foamed rear tires
Tomorrow, we should finish adding 26' and 30' shed roofs to the 60' length of our shop building. We are using 26' and 30' I-beams.
The challenge we had was to set and align the I-beams on top of the columns at approximately 14'-17' (max) above grade with our Kubota FEL that has 11' max lift height. These beams are too heavy to lift and carrry up a ladder, and stacking pallets on the forks for extra height and then lifting would not allow enough maneuverability of the beam during placement to perfectly align and then weld the I-beams to the columns.
We fabricated an attachment (calling it my "crane") for the pallet forks that gives us close to 18' lift height and a work platform. First we put a pallet on the forks for a work platform, and then we slotted the attachment onto the tips of the pallet forks. Since we suspended the I-beams with a single chain, we could easily fine tune alignment as we guided it onto the tops of the columns.
This was too cool! I had to share with the TBN group. Pictures are attached.
It was funny when one of the men helping me asked if I wanted him to cut the attachment apart and put the materials back on my scrap pile. Heck no ... no chance!! I'm going to find something else to build. :thumbsup:
The challenge we had was to set and align the I-beams on top of the columns at approximately 14'-17' (max) above grade with our Kubota FEL that has 11' max lift height. These beams are too heavy to lift and carrry up a ladder, and stacking pallets on the forks for extra height and then lifting would not allow enough maneuverability of the beam during placement to perfectly align and then weld the I-beams to the columns.
We fabricated an attachment (calling it my "crane") for the pallet forks that gives us close to 18' lift height and a work platform. First we put a pallet on the forks for a work platform, and then we slotted the attachment onto the tips of the pallet forks. Since we suspended the I-beams with a single chain, we could easily fine tune alignment as we guided it onto the tops of the columns.
This was too cool! I had to share with the TBN group. Pictures are attached.
It was funny when one of the men helping me asked if I wanted him to cut the attachment apart and put the materials back on my scrap pile. Heck no ... no chance!! I'm going to find something else to build. :thumbsup:
