Wood elevator

[chuck172]

I'd like to build a plateform operated by an electric winch to raise loads of firewood and/or groceries up my deck.
The deck is 6' high. My wife wants a button not a crank, so no genie lift.
Anyone have any plans for this?

 

[Craig Clayton]

Sir
Always go with the wifes idea, electric button. A 120 volt winch could supply the power to lift a homemade frame, as long as it is not used to transport a human. Then it is a human elevator and you do not want to go there. The only problem with a winch could be cable snags. Electric chain hoist will stand up much better, electric actuator could work if you can multiply the stroke. The frame should be capable of holding 500 LBS. Check wheel chair lift platforms and go from there.
Craig Clayton

 

[spurlocktool]

Hi Chuck,

I built just such a thing last year for a buddy who was recuperating from an accident and needed a way to get up into his house without climbing stairs. Below are three pictures. but they don't show much detail. As it happens I was planning to take more detailed pics soon, so I'll try to do that this weekend and post more.

Basically it is a diamond plate platform with triangular frames on each side. Pairs of roller bearing dolly wheels are mounted top and bottom on both sides. These ride in tracks made of two pieces of 1x2 channel welded together to make an "H" shaped track. This way the platform is captive and precisely located on the tracks. An electric winch does the lifting, with the cable running up to a block visible on the left top of the second picture, then back down to an anchor near the winch. This gives a 2:1 reduction. A cable leads from an eye bolt at the top of each triangle frame, then up and over pulleys mounted in the top frame, where they connect together at the 2:1 block.

There are several other nifty details that I need pictures to explain. Everything was spec'd for about 1800 lb. capacity. It has worked great from the start - my friend never carries anything heavy up stairs anymore.

 

[chuck172]

Very nice spurlocktool. Gives me lots of ideas.

 

[MikeD74T]

Check with forklift dealers. You can sometimes get masts from light duty forklifts & electric hydraulic pump & controls for pretty cheap money. Many battery powered & will work for quite a while during power outages. Something like Ebay #320574010639 with bad traction motor etc. An engineered product like this has less catastrophic failure modes than a jury rigged lift. MikeD74T

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Check with forklift dealers. You can sometimes get masts from light duty forklifts & electric hydraulic pump & controls for pretty cheap money. Many battery powered & will work for quite a while during power outages. Something like Ebay #320574010639 with bad traction motor etc. An engineered product like this has less catastrophic failure modes than a jury rigged lift. MikeD74T

Now that's thinking outside of the Box Mike! Great idea:thumbsup:

 

[J_J]

spurlocktool,

Nice work on the lift. I would like to build something similar to lift Zero turn mowers up to working height. The base would have to be wider than shown. Do you have any basic plans, and detail descriptions?

 

[spurlocktool]

Thanks JJ,

I'm heading over to take detailed photos this afternoon, and will write up a post this weekend.

Bill

 

[MikeD74T]

Spurlocktool, Does your lift have any brakes? The reason I ask is that I was a juror on a case where a person was injured on a similar but larger scale lift. A few years later I worked briefly for Giant Lift Company welding lifts. On their chain operated lifts were hardened serrated cams that were held open by chain tension that would grip the giuide rails if the chain failed or even just accumulated slack. In the civil suit above the car was suspended from an electric chainfall, the car got stuck in the floor opening then suddenly fell free with about 5' of slack in the chair. The occupant was half out of the doorway at the time. The top of the car broke his back & would have cut him in half if there'd been more slack. Car had no brakes.
I do admire the quality & ingenuity of your work. MikeD74T

 

[MikeD74T]

I would like to build something similar to lift Zero turn mowers up to working height. The base would have to be wider than shown. Do you have any basic plans, and detail descriptions?

JJ Here's something you could probably modify to your needs. Motorcycle Table Lift Plans & More MikeD74T

 

[J_J]

I looked at those in HF, but the lift I need has to be wider, to lift the mower wheels on a Dixie Chopper, and be open in the center to change out blades, and belts. My other option was to lift the mower, and slide a 4 legged frame under it.

 

[BHD]

go to Northern and look at lift tables,

Lift Tables | Material Handling | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[smiley]

There was a very simple lift near my house in Fla. that was built with a (measurements are all approximate ), 3" pipe on each side and a 3 ft cage between them that looked like a closed manbasket used with cranes, with larger rings around the pipe welded to the cage as guides. It was raised with an electric winch from the ground floor to a second floor deck. They used it for several years but I noticed it was gone last year. It was probably billed as a materials lift but I have seen people in it and would rather suspect codes might have had something to do with it's demise, as it was easily see from the road

 

[CurlyDave]

On a vein similar to BHD, look at the HF lift tables also. There are two capacities available, 500 lb and 1000 lb. $150 and $200. Use a coupon to get 20% off.

The lower capacity table lifts more quickly, and has a few inches less height.

Pump it up with a foot pedal.

I have one of each capacity and they are great for loading heavy things into the bed of a pickup. And, the older I get, the lighter something has to be to be called "heavy".

 

[spurlocktool]

spurlocktool,
I would like to build something similar to lift Zero turn mowers up to working height. The base would have to be wider than shown. Do you have any basic plans, and detail descriptions?

JJ, I've just posted lots of pictures with descriptions here: Photo Sharing by MyPhotoAlbum :: billspurlock's MyPhotoAlbum Gallery :: Home built electric lift

Click on slideshow, and select a slower speed if you like. Or from the main album view if you click on individual thumbnails they will display full size with descriptions at the bottom. Not sure if this could be adapted for your use but maybe there is some idea here that might be useful. Have fun,

Bill

 

[spurlocktool]

Spurlocktool, Does your lift have any brakes? The reason I ask is that I was a juror on a case where a person was injured on a similar but larger scale lift. MikeD74T

Hi Mike,

No, no brakes on this one. I understand safety concerns (especially liability where commercial products are concerned). In this case I made the lift as a gift to help out a long time friend in need. We both use much more dangerous machinery than this all the time and understand the need for common sense, maintenance and awareness. So, I would just say that if anyone doesn't feel comfortable using something like this just don't build it or else don't ride on it. Personally, I feel much safer on this any day than zooming along on the freeway at high speed surrounded by tailgaters and distracted drivers. But would I want to take my chances selling one commercially in our litigious society? Heck no.

 

[Willl]

Nice job Bill, very impressive.

 

[smiley]

JJ, I've just posted lots of pictures with descriptions here: Photo Sharing by MyPhotoAlbum :: billspurlock's MyPhotoAlbum Gallery :: Home built electric lift
Bill

Bill,
Nice looking job and I'll bet your friend is very happy and grateful for it. It's looks like a smaller scale of the 2 story one I mentioned near my house in Fla, except that one was fully enclosed with a door and only had a single attachment point in the center of a yoke for the cable.
Smiley

 

[RoyBrooks]

check out:
Woodwaiters, Conveying Systems, Residential Elevators and more...

I'm pretty sure they use threaded rod for the lifting mechanism, I would think that would be a little safer as there is less chance of the thing free falling if a cable were to break.

 

[J_J]

spurlocktool,

Thanks for the pictures. Nice job on the lift. I am sure your buddy appreciated it.