Pull points in floor

[Jack Frederick]

Something to consider prior to a new pour for your shop floor. I inserted 5 truck receiver hitches, with the re-inforced collar, vertically into my floor when we did the pour. I welded some rebar across them prior to installation. I have 5. One is centered at the far end centered on the main overhead door. I figured that one would be for winching a dead vehicle in if necessary. The other four are arranged in a rectangle about 8x12'. I figured they would be useful for metal work mostly on the horizontal (I'm a pipe fitter by trade and remember the old timers working on the bending beds in shipyards using pull points on large pipe bends. It is something to see.), but have found that they allow me to have a knock down anchor point for a vertical rack. I picked up five pieces of Unistrut and few strut fittings for the actual rack. I have used it mostly for fabbing fences and gates and it has worked out really well. it takes me about 20 minutes to put ti up or take down. My ceiling is 10' and I installed a couple Unistrut angle clips in the ceiling bolted through cross bracing in the rafters. I didn't think far enough ahead when I put these in the slab and was fortunate to just miss one of my light fixtures in the ceiling. The actual inserts for the slab receivers are trailer hitch parts as well. I went with the 1/4" thick tubing and welded a cross piece that lays flat on the slab. That compensates for the lack of precision in placement in the slab. I had a crusty one legged finisher do the pour. He was like, "you want me to do WHAT?" Drill that cross piece for a 3/8 bolt and you have a floor anchor that lets you do things you haven't thought of yet.

[Keith Outten]

Good idea Jack,

I wish I had thought of this when the floor for my shop was poured. I am a big fan of having receiver hitches in as many places as I can. I replaced a wooden post in my shop with pipe so I could weld receivers on it for multiple connection points for a vise and several bending tools. Its also handy for temporary tables and a host of other tasks. I have receivers on most of my vehicles, machines and weld them to trailer rails. I have one of the tuck bed lifting cranes that the base has been modified to fit a receiver so it can be used in any receiver I have and it has been invaluable for many jobs. I recently had to lift a very heavy sign and move it for a customer so the hitch mounted crane was just the ticket.

[Mike Heidrick]

https://goo.gl/images/LGMKdz

Champ pulling pots are what i installed in my floor. Mine came from autobodytoolmart.com

[Jim Andrew]

One time I built a house for a guy who fixed up wrecked pickup trucks for a hobby. He had me pour 4 short pieces of pipe with rods going through the center to add strength to the floor. The pipes laid in the concrete with the open side up, and he would put a chain around the rod to hold the truck down while he jacked it up, straightening the frame.

[Wayne Lomman]

Jack, I wish I had these available yesterday. I was north of Sydney NSW removing an 8 tonne machine from a small room. No space for a forklift or crane. I ended up wedging a timber across a doorway and pulling on that for part of the move and propping timbers against another wall to jack it across the last bit. B....y hard work. I didn't even pull any walls over. I really could have used the pull points though. Cheers

[Ted Calver]

Great idea, Jack. I'd love to see some pics of your fence fab set up next time you use it.