How to lift heavy things by yourself

[Allen Bookout]

I see a lot of post different places where people are saying how am I going to lift it or advice saying get a couple of buddies to help especially when moving of modifying tools. I just got through lifting my small joiner onto a mobile base, by myself, and it was very easy. I just used a $160 tool that folds up to take up about as much space as my bandsaw. I seem to use it a lot for different things and here is a picture of it. You guessed it - a foldable engine hoist Takes me about a minute to unfold or fold it up.

[Tim Morton]

Sounds great, but is that hoist is more stable than it looks? fromt he picture it looks like it could kick out and cause someone to get hurt if they were in the way, Like picking up an 8" jointer bed to set out over a jointer stand for instance. How does it counterbalance the weight that it is lifting?

[Randy Meijer]

Maybe another picture with the lift in the working configuration would help answer the question??

[Allen Bookout]

The long legs that you see sticking up vertically that have wheels on them pivot down and lock in place with one large pin each so that the wheels rest on the surface. That provides the stability. Then if you need more length with the arm you take out one bolt and can extend it out for a fair distance. I will see if I can resize the photo of it in working position and include it here. With the lifting arm not extended at all it will handle two tons. With the arm in the fourth position out it will handle one half ton. With the other positons it will handle various weights.

[Dale Rodabaugh]

A very good idea.:) :) :) thats using the old noggin.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Tim ....that 1st picture shows the hoist in the "folded" position. I've used similar hoists that disassemble to lift high voltage tanks (transformers) that weigh over 2000 lbs. They work quite well.

Allen....Where did you get that for $160 if I might ask? For that kind of money I'd have one in my shop in a minute + delivery time.

Nice Gloat Allen! :)

[Allen Bookout]

Ken, I just looked it up at northerntool.com just before I posted the pictures to see what I paid for it and I see that is marked down to $160. I cannot believe that I use it for so many other things that what I bought it for. Thanks for the remarks!!! Allen

[Tim Morton]

That looks MUCH better now that I see the thing in action:D We used a similar lift once to lift a laminating machine (about 2000 lbs) onto a base and it lurched forward and almost killed someone....it was not nearly as stable as the one you are using. Or maybe we could not exten the legs all the way because of space issues, either way I like the looks of that alot. I will have to look for one at my rental center in the future is I need something like that.

[Per Swenson]

I love the folding hoist Idea. I have to admit
I have seen alot of the regular ones and never
considered one due to the space.
Thank you
But I really posted to comment on your floor.
That sir ,is a truly nice job.
Per

[Mike Parzych]

I try not to lift anything heavier than a doughnut.

[Allen Bookout]

Per Swenson,

I thank you so much for your comment about the floor. It makes the effort seem worthwhile.

Allen

[Tim Marks]

that is a nice bench that your DW735 and CMS are sitting on.

Doesn't it make it hard to use the DW735, though?:D

Oh, wait, that is what the engine hoist is for... to lift that beast to the center of the room where you can use it (just cause the DW735 has handles on the top does NOT make it a portable planer, IMHO).

Is the floor polished concrete?

[Allen Bookout]

You are right about the DW735 being a little heavy to move around very often and that is a good idea about the hoist, but actually I just got the DW735 last week and am waiting for my cabinet saw to arrive to build a mobile table for it. My old saw gave out on me.

The floor was just horrible. I had painted to vehicles, a canoe, a dingy and many projects on it so it was multicolored and dirty. I had also done some sandblasting on it so it had some holes and damage. I used a product called UCoatit and am just amazed at how it came out. It is a two part water based epoxy coating system. If anyone is going to try it out try to get the video before you order showing their products and how to use them. If I had looked at the video first I would have ordered their repair patch and their self leveling stuff and it would have made the job easier and also I would have ended up with a perfect finish. Their web site is: www.ucoatit.com

I will also say that I though that their price was very resonable.

[Effie Lever]

I'm with Per, the floor looks great, is this epoxy? how would you rate it?

[scott spencer]

So how much does the hoist weigh? ;) :D

[Allen Bookout]

Effie, Yes it is epoxy but it is a two part water based epoxy which was nice to work with and clean up. I do not know how it is going to hold up yet as I just finished it last week. I did see it on "Your Classic Car" tv show and the guy there said that he has had his coated for over a year and was real happy with it. I do not know if he was paid to say that or not but my initial impression is that it appears to be quite durable. Only time will tell. Actually Effie, the company (UCoatit) is in Royal Oak, MI - not too far from you. Their web site is: www.ucoatit.com
It comes in many colors but I picked light gray. They also include an antiskid additive but I did not use it as they said to be careful not to use too much as it would make it hard to clean. I think that I made the correct decision as the floor will only be wet when I wash it out.

Scott, the hoist weighs 278 lbs but is not hard to move around.

[Bill Lewis]

Enough of the floor! (Looks good btw) I'm surprised no one notice the mid-60's 'Vette sitting there. How 'bout a picture of that. Looks like it's a work in progress, and another good reason for having that engine hoist.

[Kent Parker]

Allen,

The floor has my attention. After visiting the U Coatit site I was wondering if you used the "U Coat" and then "U Gloss" or did you chose the harder "U GLoss AF" ?

Thanks

KP

[Allen Bookout]

Bill, I am amazed that you were able to determine what kind of car it is by just seeing a little bit of the front fender. You are abosutely correct - it is a 1966 Corvette with a 350hp 327 four speed. The frame and engine have both been restored and the body is sitting on a dolly in the garage and the paint is really bad so a picture would not be very appealing. I just really do not have a place to finish it up so I am thinking about what I am going to do about it.

Kent, I just used the basic U Coat. I was just flabergasted at the nice gloss that it had when I finished. If you used the gloss finish it must look like a mirror. Let me know if you try it with the gloss. Thanks! Allen

[Jim Barrett]

I used an engine hoist to lift my 12" General Intl jointer (1000lbs) onto the HTC mobile base. Piece of cake...

Jim

[Effie Lever]

Thanks Allen, this is definitely going on my next garage floor (I'm planning to move in a year or two)

[Allen Bookout]

It is amazing how easy it is with the engine hoist isn't it Jim. I am selling a few large tools that I have, but the hoist stays until the Fat Lady sings.

[Allen Bookout]

Hey Effie, Good to hear. I do not think that you will be dissapointed. Allen

[mike malone]

I see a lot of post different places where people are saying how am I going to lift it or advice saying get a couple of buddies to help especially when moving of modifying tools. I just got through lifting my small joiner onto a mobile base, by myself, and it was very easy. I just used a $160 tool that folds up to take up about as much space as my bandsaw. I seem to use it a lot for different things and here is a picture of it. You guessed it - a foldable engine hoist Takes me about a minute to unfold or fold it up.

allen
i have been using a hoist for years...many time i'll come home with a 600 lathe or saw on the truck....hoist the lathe 2 inches off the bed and drive the truck forward then lower the lathe/saw to the ground.
regards
mike

[Kelly C. Hanna]

They weigh a ton, but they are very useful. I have one and it's come in handy several times. You can get the one HF has on sale for $99 IIRC.

[Bill Fields]

Allen:

I'm ordering one of these from Northern Tool ASAP.

I have to call the local Fire Department to lift machinery onto bases that weigh 300# and up. My back is a joke--so this device is an enabler for me.

Great tip--and I'm looking into the floor finish as well.

My work-in-progess shop is a 3-car garage with a good plain corete floor.

Thanks for the tip!

Bill Fields

[Tom Jones III]

So I've always wondered, what about rigging a block and tackle system hooked to several ceiling joists? Does anyone know how much weight those can take? Surely there is a web site somewhere that lists load for different joist lengths and sizes.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Most garages aren't built for that much weight. I thought about doing that myself once...you'd have to completely reframe the area where you wanted to put it. You'd be better off buying the hoist.

[Allen Bookout]

Well - Since you ask I also have a chain hoist rigged to the garage ceiling. I do not use it nearly as much as the engine hoist however. I knew that the ceiling joist would not take much weight so I went to a local machine shop and bought a 4x4 piece of metal the length that I needed and I bought two 4" plates long enough to go up through the ceiling and be able to bolt to the joist and long enough to extend below the cross beam enough to be able to bolt a 4x4.
The 4x4s are long enough to reach the floor to support the load. I had them drill holes through them also. I do not remember how much it cost but it was not very much. I came home and welded the flat plates to the cross beam and bolted them in place leaving some space between the cross beam and the ceiling. I use one 4x4 on each end to support the load. If the load is really heavy I clamp another 4x4 to each end. Here are some pictures that will show it better than I can explain. Allen

PS I found that I did not really need the holes below the crossbar on the flat metal pieces because, being temporary, I just use a c clamp to clamp the 4x4s into place.