[AT] Latest shop toy

[Spencer Yost]

Awesome set-up!   It’s very clear you did a very nice job.  That load leveler looks shop made too.   Did you make that as well?

Spencer

Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 10, 2021, at 9:49 PM, John Hall <jtchall at nc.rr.com> wrote:
> 
>  Back in the summer I mentioned somewhere along the way about needing a shop hoist/gantry crane. It needed to be 12' high and span 20'. As usual there was a little discussion on the list followed by (I believe) Spencer issuing the challenge "pics or it didn't happen". So here it is---its hard to photograph something that big. You'll see also why I needed it.
> 
>  Long story short I bought a cheap gantry crane. Then I bought a 6" I-beam 20 ft long. Now before I go any further, I have a engineer on speed dial (honest). Showed/told him what I was up to and he "built" it on his computer so he could run stress analysis--yes that's a real, modern engineering process that can take several hours. It passed at holding a 1/2 ton so I commenced to welding. I used 1 inch plate to mount the vertical legs to the I-beam. I added angle iron gussets (2 on each end) to stiffen things up. I promptly tossed all the China hardware in the scrap bin and used real bolts. Now the crane comes with a cheap winch on each upright (for adjusting the height only, not picking up a load) which promptly stripped out. I need to buy some cheap trailer winches to use so I can lower the crane should I ever want to. Right now its maxed out at roughly 12'---I had about 2" clearance to get the combine under it. The crane is on wheels so it can be positioned over the work area--you obviously can't move it with a load on it unless you have a death wish. Disclaimer--I'm not giving any kind of guarantee regarding the modifications, capacity, or safety of my crane.
> 
>  We've survived all these years with just muscle and an engine hoist for lifting things. Well engine hoists can be a real pain to reach things. With my son in college and my dad gone, I had to change my way of thinking when the engine on my combine went South. I don't have a backhoe and the last time I pulled a combine engine was on my 55 Deere--I got a guy to lift it with a smaller trackhoe, it was all he could do to get enough clearance. This combine was way more involved to pull the engine so I didn't want to attempt it outside. Anyway, as you can see it worked and the combine got put back together in time to literally go straight to the field.
> 
>  One thing that I found SHOCKING--piston and sleeve sets from Deere were American made, less than a year old, and were WAY cheaper than no-name imports. Thank God I got my parts before the strike, even though I had to pay $100 expedited shipping. Matter of fact, all the parts I used were genuine Deere--it was very nice to not have to deal with compromised quality aftermarket stuff for a change.
> 
>  I didn't post a picture of the "why" all this was necessary but one of the pistons had burnt completely through the top ring and destroyed it, also burnt down to the second ring. And for good measure the skirt was cracked in 3 places. I figured it was just a broke ring based on leak down test, but had no idea the damage was that bad.
> 
>  Anyway, I've pretty much quit working on the really old stuff I used to and just keep my aging fleet of farm equipment going. Thinking this gantry will help a lot with that. Did I mention birthdays tend to make you weaker and your joints hurt for no good reason? They also teach you to work smarter, as I am finding out.
> 
> Sorry for the long post, at least you know why I don't post like I used to--I'm either in the shop or in the field.
> 
> John Hall
> 
> 
> <IMG_5766-smaller.jpg>
> <IMG_5894-smaller.jpg>
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