making an engine gantry, ideas for materials?

[michael1703]

Years ago, my dad made a gantry which was about 3 metres tall which were 2 A frames and a beam all made of wood

it was about 4 inch square and was amazingly strong and it folded down in to lengths

rather than a hydraulic crane i was thinking of making something similar out of steel

i was thinking of using 80x80 box, but a few i'd seen on internet searches were 50x50

so i'm thinking of make the A pieces out of 50x50 and then using 80x80 just for the beam

any ideas or input appreciated

this is a 1 tonne i saw on ebay and it looks to be 50x50

the one i want to build wont be as tall or as wide, so i'm hoping 80x80 about 7ft span would be sturdy enough

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/gantry-lift_W...66:2|39:1|72:1683|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50

 

[^neo^]

ideally you want a bit of beam for the top as in the pic the you can get a beam trolley for it. You'll get a fair bit of sag from 80mm box unless it's a stupidly high wall thickness.
Personally i'd beef it up a bit on the sides, sods law you'll want to lift something heavier in the future! Maybe some 100 x 50 for the main A frames, and some 50 x 50 to brace it.

 

[Tomlt]

I would totally agree with Neo, box section is fairly strong, but is not great in bending. I-beams are used because the web (vertical bit of the I) gives a high bending modulus, with the top and bottom plates adding stiffness.

I would get yourself an old piece of RSJ (try the local scrapyard) for the beam, then get a beam trolley as suggested for the hoist. I think you'll also want to go bit bigger than 50x50 for the frame if you want to lift much over 1ton.

I've been contemplating making one myself (just dont have the space at the moment) as they are far more useful than a normal engine crane (which I also have). One problem I have found is trying to locate castors rated >200Kg, ideally I would make mine around 2ton SWL.

Tom.

 

[michael1703]

i'm only intending to lift engines, not cars

 

[^neo^]

if you want castors, do a google for Baz-rol

 

[Hitch]

Id go for 50x50x3 box legs, small UB/RSJ if you want it to travel, if not a bit of 100x50x3 across the top.
Legs would need to be braced near the bottom.

 

[drivewasher]

The castors only need to carry the weight of the frame, as there are screw down legs to support it when lifting the load.

Edit:
Possibly wrong on that, as maybe wheels needed to move frame and engine away from vehicle

 

[zzr1200]

i was thinking of using 80x80 box, but a few i'd seen on internet searches were 50x50

so i'm thinking of make the A pieces out of 50x50 and then using 80x80 just for the beam

any ideas or input appreciated

the one i want to build wont be as tall or as wide, so i'm hoping 80x80 about 7ft span would be sturdy enough

I wouldn't use an I beam for one reason, unless you have a forklift or another high lift engine crane, assembling or standing the thing upright will be almost impossible, due to the weight of the crossbeam...


Years ago when removing an engine from car for rebuild was a common requirement the hire shops used to hire out light weight gantries for engine removal.



The crossbeam was 100 x 50 x 4 mm box section about 8 feet long with a 20 mm u shaped round bar welded in the middle (for a chain block to hang on). At each end of the crossbeam a 6 inch piece of the 100 x 50 x 4 mm box was welded on to form a socket for the legs to fit in too.

The legs were 2 pieces of 40 x 40 x 4 mm box, on each section 6 inches from one end there was a slight bend, so when these 6 inch sections were welded back to back the legs formed an 7/8 feet tall 'A' frame, with a short 6 inch vertical 80 x 40 mm locating spigot at the top. Another piece of 40 x 40 box is used to form the crossbar of the 'A' to stop the legs from spreading under load with small plate feet welded on to stop sink-age. Also you could weld a short piece of box on the legs to help transfer the load and make a rolling trolley for the block.

These frames could easily lift a Yank V8 engine and could be put together by one person at a push.



hth

zzr


PS I've attached some high tech plans by "Fag Packet Engineering Ltd" .

Note attached plans are not to scale...

 

[Howburn]

A number of years ago I borrowed an engine lift, and all it was, was 3 lengths of scaffold pipe 8-10' long. A central hub with three evenly spaced pegs for the pipe to fit onto. When stud up it looked like a wigwam. At the centre of the hub was an eyebolt that was free to turn an on to this you hung a block and tackle. Worked very well. Dead easy and cheap to make, and OK for occasional use.

 

[Wedg1e]

A number of years ago I borrowed an engine lift, and all it was, was 3 lengths of scaffold pipe 8-10' long. A central hub with three evenly spaced pegs for the pipe to fit onto. When stud up it looked like a wigwam. At the centre of the hub was an eyebolt that was free to turn an on to this you hung a block and tackle. Worked very well. Dead easy and cheap to make, and OK for occasional use.

A wigwam? You mean a teepee...?

That frame sounds a lot like the design of frame used for confined spaces access, with a cable winch hanging off it...

 

[Scorpion]

Somewhere in my garage I have an engine removal A frame type thing which I bought many years ago.
It has 4 legs each of which are in 2 sections which slot together - about 2" dia steel tube, the top section is flattened at one end with 2 holes in, so you take 2 legs and bolt them to the crossbeam with 2 nut sand bolts, one leg either side like a sandwich and then repeat on the other end of the crossbeam. Bolts are probably no more than M8 or more likely 5/16" as it is a bit old now.
Crossbeam is an L section piece of steel about 2ft 6" long, 3" deep and maybe 1" wide on the bend with a U shaped loop welded in the centre where you attach the winch. The winch supplied with the frame is rated at 500kg.

Reading other posts in this thread talking about 50x50 or 100x 50 box section and suddenly this lifting frame seems a bit weedy...but I've had loads of engines out with it - from a 1.6 CVH Mk3 Escort right up to a 2.8 Granada V6 with no problems.

This is exactly the same as the sort you used to get from the hire shop - I was needing it quite often so was cheaper and more convenient to buy one.

 

[michael1703]

thanks for the input guys

zzr, thats exactly the sort of thing i wanted, was'nt sure if i could get away with 80mm

I've placed an order for the 100x50, it ties in nicely with another project that needed 1900mm of 100x50

so 7.5 metres for under £30 should sort two projects out and leave a minimum of wastage

i wanted the A frame as it can be layed down flat when not in use, i dont have room for a crane and the fold up ones are expensive for the size i would need (jag xk lump), wheels are'nt an issue, erect A frame, roll car under neath, lift engine, push car back, take down A frame and store it flat

no need to move the A frame and no need for the beam to be rsj with a pulley on a track

thank you

 

[chrisg3103]

i built one out of old drain pipes/gas pipes?
handy thing to have for certain jobs but the hydraulic crane has mosty taken over
here it is tipping a mini shell

and last week helping shift a colchester student 1800, all 840kg of it

this was very dubiouse with everyone clear of the area and the unlucky sod on the chain keeping his distance lathe had already claimed a broken finger when it fell off the forklift and thought i could catch it
just like to add strengthening was added at the bottom to stop the legs doing the splits before the lathe was attempted, just cant see it in the photo