How do one man wood shops move large/heavy pieces?

[Roger Feeley]

My father in law and brother in law actually did build a boat in the basement. I’m told it was beautiful mahogany. They measured several times and missed it by an inch. They had to remove the door frame to get it out. The wives never let let them live it down.

[Will Blick]

the shop cranes are great, but have limited lift, but sometimes that is all you need.
My big problem is many things I want to lift are wider than the legs of the crane...but for a thin jointer, its a great option.
An overhead crane is ideal for lifting. ONce you can lift something, there is a lot you do with it, put wheels under it, block it up, etc.
But for small shops, sometimes hard to rig up an overhead hoist, as it might bring down the house. A gantry is a good option, but they are costly ($800+), big and you have to store them.
A cheap ($80 each) lifting solution I have had good luck with two safety stands.... you need a strong metal cross member, such as an I Beam. Large footprint to store.

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