How Do You Lift A Gorilla???

[Tim Morton]

Looking at Frank's pictures, it seems to me that you could take the motor off and then mount the frame to the wood brackets and then using a french cleat system lift it up and on to the cleat. THEN, once you secure the housing to the wall properly you could bring the motor up on a ladder and re-install the motor.

[Bill Lewis]

I just checked the Northern Tool site and that lift table is only $129 plus shipping. Shipping can be pricey, but if you sign up to the web site, or get on the catalog list, they often have free shipping offers. Or better still if you have a local store.

[Mark Duksta]

Derek,

Where are you located? I'm sure a SMC member would be willing to drop by and give you a hand.

Mark

[Chris Lee]

Derek,

If you do this by wourself make sure that you have some mechanical help as others have suggested. But you should try and find someone anyone. Don't you have any high school kids in your neighborhood on the football team??? I just got mine up on the wall this past weekend and that blower with the motor attached is heavy and akward to say the least. I mounted mine about a foot higher than normal to clear an obstruction that sits right next to the gorilla, so we set up 2 ladders and we each grabbed a side and walked up. The way the motor sits makes it very unstable when carried so be careful. I would hate to see you hurt or drop the blower. Not sure where you are, but if you are near Fredericksburg, VA I would be happy to help.

Chris

[Joe Mioux]

Two people are better than one!

With that said, I lifted mine by myself. I moved my work bench under the brackets, set the motor and fan on the bench, I then got up on the bench and lifted the unit in place.

Do not try lifting it over your head, it is too unstable that way. With me on the bench, all I had to do was lift it about chest high

Joe

[Sam Blasco]

I did it with my Woodsucker II, a tiny bit heavier, but basically the same, by myself and I almost regretted trying, but ultimately it wasn't that bad. I set up a couple of small block and tackles, with a 3-1 purchase, on either side of the whole shebang and was able to slowly get it close enough to reference the reference bolts and get a few nuts in place. Then a car jack under a quickly made base pushed it into place where I could bolt it securely. A good time was had by all.

[Bill Grumbine]

Well I am a little different than a lot of you guys. I have a step stair ladder sort of thing that has a load rating of 1500 lbs. All by myself I take up 27% of that load rating. When I installed my 1 1/2 HP Oneida, I just picked it up, walked up the steps, and set it on its brackets. I have a Gorilla on the way, and will do the same with that I suppose. So does it take a gorilla to lift a gorilla? No comments now!

Bill

[Sam Blasco]

I just picked it up, walked up the steps, and set it on its brackets.... No comments now!

Bill

Well that settles it. Next time I have to install mine, I'll have Bill come down and do just that.

[Dev Emch]

Assemble it on the ground where your comfortable.

Then, using cement blocks, 2x6 cribbing, 4x4 cribbing, etc., begin lifting it into position with a jack. You can use bottle jacks, car jacks, etc.

Lift one side up and crib it. Then lift the other side up and crib it. Dont move one end up more than a couple of inches at a time. You dont want to tip it over.

Slowly work around a circle at four points and keep adding cribbing. Pay attention to the base. Use 4x4 timbers about 4 feet long. Two parallels in one direction followed by two parallels in the other direction.

This will take some time but eventually you will have it in position and can secure it.

Then remove the cribbing.

You can use a hoist but many of you guys who have workshops in basements, etc. with low ceilling heights may have trouble with a hoist.

From a safty point of view, I would prefer to assemble on the ground and make sure everything is good to go and then lift it into position with the cribbing method.

[Jim Becker]

But, Dev....the instructions have you assemble it once the blower is mounted. One of the reasons for this is that it allows you to make minute adjustments to the directions of both the inlet and the outlets before you tighten things down as well as apply the sealent under the bands while you make those adjustments. There are three major components to this system and the blower is the heavy, awkward part. The other two pieces are...umm...pieces of cake to deal with once the blower is hung.

[Bill Erskine]

I was faced with the same challenge.. to raise my cyclone onto the wall mounted brackets. What I did was purchase 2 threaded rods and a number of matching nuts.
I clamped 1 of the nuts in a vice-grip and then duct-taped it to the top of the bracket (so that it won't spin during the next step). Next, pass the threaded rod up through the mounting hole on the cyclone bracket and into the nut. Did the same on the other side.
Now I assembled the cyclone on a rolling bench and rolled it under the bracket. Passed the threaded rods through the mounting holes on the cyclone and then placed several flat washers on the rod and 2 nuts locking the nuts to the threaded rod.
Next, I put a large nut driver on the electric drill and began spinning the rods from the sides of the cyclone. Working from side to side to keep it balanced, the drill lifted the cyclone on those rods to the underside of the mounting bracket. (Note that I had the clearance above the bracket, but others might have to hack saw the rod above the bracket as it starts to poke into the ceiling.)

Now I was able to use several large C clamps to hold the cyclone against the bracket as I undid the nuts on the threaded rod and remove it. Replacing it with a graded 1" bolt/nut. Did the same on the other side and I was done.
Was pretty darned proud of myself.

[Derek Arita]

Bill, in place of finding a few good men or at least strong ones, this screw idea seems like a good one. Wish I came up with it first. I may have to reverse the screw travel because i have such a low ceiling, but I think I can make it work. When I get the cyclone up to the bracket, i'm going to try and get the housing lip on top of the bracket, rather than letting it hang under it.
Again, thanks for all the great ideas. By the way, I'm in tustin, CA. That's in Orange County.

[Jim Becker]

Derek, the blower housing should be on top of the brackets and as close to the wall as practical without touching it. It should not hang via the bolts...the weight needs to be on top of the brackets. This will require you to drill new holes in either the brackets or blower rim or both to position the system, but will result in a secure assembly with minimal "drooping" since the Gorilla comes with the older style brackets.

[Dev Emch]

Jim...

This was just a suggestion. I am building my own dust collection system totally from scratch and my cyclone stage is 21 inches in diameter with a 5 HP baldor motor. It is made from 12 and 14 gage steel so it weighs a bit. Because of its height, there is no room for a hoist or other top side lifting device. My plan was to inch it into position by jacking and cribbing it into position.

[Bill Lewis]

The other two pieces are...umm...pieces of cake to deal with once the blower is hung.

Um, yea sure, easy as Marble cake, made with real Marble, imported from italy.

I used a couple of ratchet straps to help support, lift, and pull the pieces together.