Crane for a loft area?

[Matt Meiser]

When I built my finishing room last summer I created a loft area above for storage. I built a ladder to climb up but I have a couple reasonably heavy/awkward things I'd like to put up there. I'm talking about things probably under 250lb but not really things you can carry up a ladder--like a drill press I sold and agreed to store for "a while." The loader on my tractor won't reach. I've been thinking about some kind of hoist. The roof is standard 2x4 prefab trusses 24" on center and I'm told I really shouldn't hang anything from them by someone who would know. There's a 4x6 post at one corner that would provide for a rather substantial mount. I'm thinking maybe some kind of swinging crane mounted from that. Anyone do something like this?

[Thom Sturgill]

I have a Heavy beam that passes over my Lathe and what looks like a Harbor Freight winch (12v, but looks like the 112v current offering) connected to a battery charger. It would not be hard to mount that on a swing arm off of the 4x6. HF also sells a Pickup truck winch on a swing arm (mechanical not electric) for about $140. You would have to climb up in the loft to crank it and swing it over the loft, but should do what you want.

[mickey cassiba]

A block and tackle rig is a very nice thing to have. And extremely portable. I keep mine in a tool box(the rig) and a 100'X7/16" nylon climbing rope in a bucket.

[keith denbesten]

Can you set up a A frame at the top of the ladder opening? All the weight will then be on your ceiling / floor joists and a simple block and tackle or a lifting winch should do the trick.

[james hepp]

you need to build a frame for a box with an intermediate pocket for your loader bucket, that makes up the difference between your loader bucket/loft -and then a frame for a ramp to get a handtruck up on top of the box frame (this is presuming your tractor can lift and support (hold) each said item/handtruck ratchet strapped to said box & support your weight when positioned at max height)

[Jamie Buxton]

Usually standard roof trusses is are not designed to handle storage loads, where the load gets applied to the lower chord. Truss makers do build trusses with different construction that are spec'd to get a floor and to handle storage. If you have that kind of truss -- one which can accept the weight of that drill press -- you should be able to rest the weight of the hoist on that floor, and you shouldn't need to go over to that 4x6. Here's the thinking... The floor of the loft can take the weight of the drill press. Conceptually, stand a sawhorse over the opening in the loft floor, fasten a simple block and tackle to it, and start to pick the drill press up off the shop floor. When it gets off the ground, the loft floor is now handling the weight of the press plus the weight of the sawhorse and the block and tackle.

[Matt Meiser]

The weight of the stored items wouldn't be on the trusses. The finishing room is a room inside the building and the room of it is about 4.5' below the bottom of the trusses. My comment was with regard to hanging a hoist from the trusses.

Theres some pictures here: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?135059-Finishing-Room&p=1724685#post1724685

[Randy Henry]

Matt, with all the welding skills you have, I would mount a sleeve on the top of your bucket that would be capable of holding an outrigger boom. If you get a piece of 2 1/2" square tubing and weld it to your bucket, then get a 4-6 ft. piece of 2" square tubing (heavy- 1/4" thick) and put a hook on the end for a chain, it will lift anything you want up there, within reason. We have done this to set trusses using a 12" outrigger on a front end bucket. I would not think you would need a counter balance on the rear, as the outrigger is not that heavy and the load shouldn't be that much to warrant the counter weight. If you have a brush hog already attached and you can get in there with it on, then you have your counter weight anyway.

[Bernie May]

I built a storage area above my garage with a drop down staircase. I framed a hole the same size as the staircase in the next two floor joists over. I ran double 2x4s from the floor to the roof rafter and put a steel dowel between them. the weight is supported by the floor joists and not the rafters; the rafters only serve to stabilize the posts. Then I hung an electric winch off the steel dowel. I built a platform slightly smaller than the hole in the ceiling and ran a cord from each corner to the hook on the hoist. I can easily lift 250 lbs. The swinging really slows down once you have weight on the platform. I love it. I have tons of stuff up there. When I throw a party, I throw the coolers on the lift and down they go.

[Matt Meiser]

Matt, with all the welding skills you have, I would mount a sleeve on the top of your bucket that would be capable of holding an outrigger boom.

Perfect idea. Did some googling and this is what I'm going to do. The only materials I needed was the receiver sleeve and some pins which I picked up at Tractor Supply this morning and a hook I'll look for at my local ag supply place this week.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Do some searching of Alan in Little Washington post on another forum. He built a trolley and lift system for his second story workshop.