Mods to a shop/engine crane

[DaveH]

(07-26-2015, 06:50 PM)f350ca Wrote: You could go with an overhead crane attached to the ceiling. With the clutter in my shop a gantry crane would be worthless. 

I have much the same problem (Far too much ........(good) stuff on the floor

I don't have a ceiling in the workshop fixing it inside may not be a good solution for me, as I tend to do the 'heavy stuff' out side (under the car port).

When I built that materials holding rack I could have done with something to help me lift and move it.
Lifting my 3 ton arbor press (130lbs) on and off the table is getting too much for my 'poor old back'

I have been and looked at these engine cranes to day specifically a 1 ton one quite small but poorly made I wasn't too impressed with the quality. 
Then there were 2 models of the 2 ton ones which I thought odd, one is marked "heavy duty" to me 2 tons is 2 tons . It is only when one looks carefully that the difference can be seen. The overall quality of the 'heavy duty' is far superior even the welding looked very good and it looked a bit beefier.

That's only part the story   whilst I was looking I met a guy who owns a garage and he seemed to know a bit about these engine cranes. He also uses them to lift and carry items to and from the work benches (well his mechanics do). What he has done is modified the long legs so that are only 700 mm long which is about half the original length  the gib is extended out to 1/2 ton and then it allows access to the benches. Items can be lifted on and off the benches.

What I thought rather than cut my brand spanking new legs I would get some more tubing and if I want to use this engine crane to move heavy stuff like my lathe or mill ....... (not my Sherline ones I can carry them ) I can put the originals long legs back on

That's the plan

DaveH

[DaveH]

The first part of the plan has gone wrong   I have measured the tube size of the long legs and it is approx 72.4mm (2.85"), this seems a bit of an odd size. I can get tubing 70mm or 76mm but not 72mm, I'm wondering if it is some sort of inch size - anyone know?
 
DaveH

[EdK]

Get the 70mm tubes and shim them.

Ed

[DaveH]

Think you are right there Ed  
Can't see why they would use such a strange size, unless it is a standard size gone wrong  
 
DaveH

[vtsteam]

(07-27-2015, 03:25 PM)DaveH Wrote: The first part of the plan has gone wrong   I have measured the tube size of the long legs and it is approx 72.4mm (2.85"), this seems a bit of an odd size. I can get tubing 70mm or 76mm but not 72mm, I'm wondering if it is some sort of inch size - anyone know?
 
DaveH

Dave it's most likely U.S 2-1/2" steel pipe size (NPS).

[Mayhem]

I strongly doubt that it is a precision fit Dave.

[DaveH]

A couple of photos, after the first photo I moved it into the sun for a better photo.

       

DaveH

[Pete O]

That looks exactly like my floor crane but mine is painted red. I've had mine about 6 years and it has seen a fair bit of use, no leaks or problems with it at all. I would prefer the base to be wider and the legs to be parallel, they are too close together at the near end to approach anything on a pallet for instance, also would have been able to use it for changing chucks but the narrow space between the legs prevents it from reaching over the headstock. Very handy bit of kit nonetheless.
Do you not have space under your benches for the legs to go under? I'd be reticent to have a load slung forward of the front of the legs. I guess a counterweight could be mounted on the back end, certainly would be handy sometimes to have the reach.

[DaveH]

Pete,
I think they are all much of a 'muchness' the place I bought this one from also sells red and blue ones.
There is room under the benches (headroom) just that I have tended to use the underneath as storage space  
Bearing in mind it will mostly be used for light lifting 100-300lbs max I shall change the casters from the cast iron to something "nicer"   and of course replace the front legs with shorter ones. Just to give it more mobility in a small space.

I shall keep the cast iron casters and the long front legs in case I decide some time in the future to move my lathe and mill.

I borrowed an engine cane many years ago and I remember it had a sort of mechanical safety operated by a ratchet this new one just relies on the cylinder no safety mechanism (perhaps it is just my old age )

DaveH

[vtsteam]

Oh, I've got one of those, exactly the same. I thought you were talking about round tubing. Obviously it's square tube.