Anyone made a sliding rail to hang a hoist from? I have two 6' 4x4 oak beams across my rafters and hang the hoist from them. However I'm covering the ceiling and trying to see if there is an affordable way to hand a rail from these two beams that would allow me to move the hoist up and down the length of the garage. Plus then I could sheet straight over the ceiling and not frame around the beams.

Anyone got anything?

Search on "bridge crane" -- that's what you're looking for...

Randii

ok thanks, do people make their own or do you buy a system? I only need something in a 1 ton load cap. max.

I've seen monorail type systems before but iirc they were sorta pricey.

How big of garage are you talking about . It would make a lot of difference how big an area you want to span

You would need to support your I beam on the sides as well as front to back .

Check Harbour Frieght the have beam trolleys and just buy and appriate size beam. The only problem is I would not trust 2 4x4 wood posts to withstand 2000 lbs.

well the hoist stalls at 1100lbs. I pulled up my old 4.0/tranny/t-case from one beam and the center section wasn't touching the rafters.

Run a three beam system. That way you can move in the x and y direction which will help with almost everything you are doing (ie pulling an engine or what ever). Don't trust the wood, if you are going to do it right, go red iron. Nothing like dropping something heavy AND your roof coming down on top of you.

Build a gantry/A frame hoist and put it on tracks(square tube sunk into the concrete)

What exactly are you doing, and how often are you doing it that you feel the need for a industrial crane system in a garage? For me if it was once a week I would build a gantry, once a day I would get a small forklift. If It was 24/7-365 then I would think a bridge crane might be a reasonable idea

You can always build an "H" frame hoist with wheels to roll around in your garage. This thing with wheels takes away the need for a 3 beam.

I built this one a few years back for picking up car bodies off of chassis. But in this picture I used it to help me assemble a 4 post lift. I have two winches on rollers and one extension cord for power. Both winch controls are extra long so I can run them both in one hand

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c369/Curtis-J/DSC00485.jpg

It's a 16' aluminum "I" beam with two steel 4 x 4 uprights and lowers. Don't remember how tall I made it.

I realize you probably dont' have this much room, but something on a smaller scale will save a lot of lifting. I assembled the entire 4 post lift alone with nothing but this H Frame. And I have pulled and set my rigs bodys on alone. When I built all my shit in a two car garage I had something very simular but on a smaller scale. With it and my engine hoist almost nothing was impossible.

Being portable has come in real handy.

Check out this thread on garagejournal.com (http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8563). I'm hoping to get mine up in the next couple of weeks, though I may use barn door trolley, instead.

Mark

Being portable has come in real handy.

I've thought about doing something like that, how handy is it to be able to move it? I'm been thinking it would be more of a pain trying to move it around then anything. That and the parking area of my garage slopes toward the door with a 1" or so lip to get over to the "work" area.

Check out this thread on garagejournal.com (http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8563). I'm hoping to get mine up in the next couple of weeks, though I may use barn door trolley, instead.

Mark

Link doesn't work. :confused:

I'm not really looking to rip up the concrete right now.

What exactly are you doing, and how often are you doing it that you feel the need for a industrial crane system in a garage? For me if it was once a week I would build a gantry, once a day I would get a small forklift. If It was 24/7-365 then I would think a bridge crane might be a reasonable idea

Lift a drive train out of a truck, lift axles, stuff like that. And maybe 1-2 times every 4 months. So not something I'd be using a ton at this point.

Link doesn't work. :confused:

Yeah, their site died last night just as I was posting here, and is still down this morning. Check back, though, it's a good link and a cool setup.

Mark

I've thought about doing something like that, how handy is it to be able to move it? I'm been thinking it would be more of a pain trying to move it around then anything. That and the parking area of my garage slopes toward the door with a 1" or so lip to get over to the "work" area.

It's not that bad by myself. All four corners have swivel casters, so it will turn on a dime. I welded a bunch of chain loops on it in several places. This way I can move it with a load on it using some motorcycle tie down straps. If I have a truck body hanging on it and I need to move it, I run straps to the body on all four corners and cinch it up. (This keeps the load from swinging and damaging the body work or paint.) Then run a strap off the winch on my 4 wheeler and pull it over if I can't move it by myself. Course I've got room for that in this shop most of the time. The 4 wheeler winch gets a workout all the time.

I've done it this way a bunch of times. Where there's a will there's a way.

I live out in the Country so calling a buddy to drop in to help takes a lot of begging. I've learned to work around having help.

My shop is 16' high and the doors are 12' tall. This hoist will roll under the roll up door even if it's up. The only thing I didn't plan in it is my electric boxes are on top of the beam and they will hit the door rails with the plug. I keep telling myself I'm going to lay the outlet boxes over on their side so the cords are not sticking up.

Before I moved out here I had a smaller version in my 16' x 24' shop that spread the width of the shop and the beam went length wise. Kinda worked like a 3 beam only I used 1 beam and 2 posts like this one. The only down side was my work benches couldn't have anything hanging off them for the crane to roll past. But it came in real handy for rebuilding rear axels and such. One of my tool carts was made to hold axle housings on it for rebuilds. So anything too heavy to pick up without the overhead winch didn't get set on the stationary work benches. They all went on heavy duty tool carts. Even my motorcycle lift had wheels on it.

Sorry for the long explanation, but maybe it will give some of you some ideas.