Gantry Crane?

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HeX0rz

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Hey guys, figure I would post here. Not sure whether or not anyone has made one, but was hoping to see and if so, bounce off some ideas of it. I don't really socialize with anyone else on the forum except you guys. I was hoping to use one of these for many things, such as hoisting my elk for hunting in and out of my truck and lifting other things as well. Maybe even see if I can hoist out firewood logs from the pickup bed...

Anyways, I really was thinking about doing this all in pressure treated wood instead of metal. I'm not sure if anyone knows their stuff about lumber or if they have built one with lumber. I'm trying to figure out how I can design it using lumber. As I would think making one from steel is not only going to be significantly heavier, but also spendier...

My plans are to make it 12 ft tall, 12 ft long, and 10 ft wide. I'd like to use some fairly large wheels to help it navigate through dirt and grass. Will be using a chain hoist instead of winch...

Anyways, anyone got anything they can offer?
 
A wood gantry will limit you significantly for lifting capability. I had an all steel one when I still had my fab shop.

Yes it was heavy, but it had big, all steel casters, so you could navigate around packed gravel and some grass areas. On pavement or concrete, I could roll it around by myself, with 950 pound steel awnings hanging from it.

With wood, I think you would be surprised at how heavy you would have to make it in order to lift 500-1000 pounds.

Also, with a wood beam instead of a steel I or H beam, your carriage would have to be special made to run along the top of the beam.

I guess it boils down to how much you want to lift, and what materials you want to use.
 
Well, I know for one, that I plan on lifting 550lb barrels often. If I get an elk, I hope to be lifting around 1000lbs. Logs, well... much more.

I do not plan on having a rolling piece along the head. Just a chain hoist on the head. I was thinking of trying to use 2-3 or so 2x12's or some 4x's of some sort joined together on their sides.

I learned so far that straight grain parallel to the wood and knot free is strongest...
 
hoist etc.

Hey guys, figure I would post here. Not sure whether or not anyone has made one, but was hoping to see and if so, bounce off some ideas of it. I don't really socialize with anyone else on the forum except you guys. I was hoping to use one of these for many things, such as hoisting my elk for hunting in and out of my truck and lifting other things as well. Maybe even see if I can hoist out firewood logs from the pickup bed...

Anyways, I really was thinking about doing this all in pressure treated wood instead of metal. I'm not sure if anyone knows their stuff about lumber or if they have built one with lumber. I'm trying to figure out how I can design it using lumber. As I would think making one from steel is not only going to be significantly heavier, but also spendier...

My plans are to make it 12 ft tall, 12 ft long, and 10 ft wide. I'd like to use some fairly large wheels to help it navigate through dirt and grass. Will be using a chain hoist instead of winch...

Anyways, anyone got anything they can offer?

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Dont even consider doing it with lumber!!, A half ton
jib crane from Global or McmasterCarr is money better spent
because the jib crane is rated with a safety factor built in the
construction of the jib crane.

All you need to do is dig the proper hole size for the foundation
for the jib crane mounting pad using anchor rebar to secure the
base of the jib crane.:bang:
 
Pound for pound wood is nowhere near as strong as steel....so to get the equivalent strength, the wood frame might have to be 4-5x's heavier than a steel one. if it's made out of steel you could use rear hubs from a front wheel drive car for moving it around. Just weld em on. If you're really handy, leave the brakes intact so you can lock it in place or lock one wheel to facilitate turning.
 
Pound for pound wood is nowhere near as strong as steel....so to get the equivalent strength, the wood frame might have to be 4-5x's heavier than a steel one. if it's made out of steel you could use rear hubs from a front wheel drive car for moving it around. Just weld em on. If you're really handy, leave the brakes intact so you can lock it in place or lock one wheel to facilitate turning.

It's funny you posted this, as I was going to post something similar.

And you're right on, pound-for-pound lifting capability. . . A wood one would weigh a #### ton!

On the treated wood thing; anyone who has spent any time building homes, knows that treated lumber is brittle, weak, crap. It can take some compression, but as soon as you ask it to do any lateral work, it just won't.

Go with steel, you'll thank yourself later.
 
It would seem to me that a steel crane in failure would Bend, I wood crane would bust into splinters and colapse..... I agree, Go Steel.
 
See, it was a good idea I had brought this up! Otherwise I might be sitting in the driveway someday with all this wood on top of me. Now, the question is, is it worth buying a gantry crane already made up, say from harbor freight, or build one? Hmm...

The amount of steel to build one and then finish it, well, I wonder if it would cost just as much to buy from a store...
 
Gantry Crane From Harbor Freight

I've been thinking about one of them myself. I checked Harbor Freight price this morning and it was $799.00 less a 20% discount = $640.00 plus sales tax of almost $64.00.

Steel prices are probably high just as most everything is now days.

Nosmo
 
crane etc.

I would not buy one from Harbor freight unless they can
provide you with documentation that the crane is tested to ASTM
standards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! your better off doing the sane
thing and buying from Mcmaster or Global or WWGrainger if they Grainger carries them.


Good cranes are welded and use only I beams or plate steel in all their weldments.
 
Beware Harbor Freight lifting equipment all together. The steel they use is extremely thin!!

I've wanted to build a gantry with pipe for the cross-beam. I'll call tomorrow and get some load numbers from my steel supplier. I think it would be easy to make the carriage too, and it might be cheaper than conventional setups?

Making one isn't hard, and if it's well planned, it can exceed any load limits that you could ever hope to lift with one.
 
:msp_biggrin: Gosh, this is all sure good info! Thanks for all the heads up, guys!

The thing is, I need one that is 12'x12'x10'. OR a little bigger. I only have a 110v welder as well. This is something I don't think the ol' welder can do.

I thought I had a good idea... So much for that one, lol.

Would round tube be stronger than square tube?
 
:msp_biggrin: Gosh, this is all sure good info! Thanks for all the heads up, guys!

The thing is, I need one that is 12'x12'x10'. OR a little bigger. I only have a 110v welder as well. This is something I don't think the ol' welder can do.

I thought I had a good idea... So much for that one, lol.

Would round tube be stronger than square tube?

Depends on your definition of "stronger". Most commercial booms and jibs are not drawn tubing, but two pieces of broke Hardox or Weldox (or similar) -- that are welded together.

You'd be surprised what a 110v welder can do. With proper preheat and prep, I can weld a 100% pen/RT quality weld on 3/4" plate. It'd just take a hell of a lot longer than with a bigger machine, and I'd use 71-11 flux core wire, and not a 70-6 hardwire and gas.

The gantry I had, I bought with my business, and it was welded together with a 110v MIG machine.

12' wide (between opposing legs) is plenty wide. It'll fit over trailers, trucks, and about anything else I can think of that you'd have to unload something off of.

If you want beam adjustment (vertically), I'd suggest tubing uprights and a boat winch to vary your hight.
 
By Gantry crane do you mean A frame?

I have a lift arm made to mount on a truck it will pick up 2000 lbs I have never mounted it on a trailer.

I have built and worked under several A frame hoists and can tell you DO NOT skimp on design.
I have folded up more than one that should have stayed together. Non I built ever broke these were manufactured units.
 
By Gantry crane do you mean A frame?

I have a lift arm made to mount on a truck it will pick up 2000 lbs I have never mounted it on a trailer.

I have built and worked under several A frame hoists and can tell you DO NOT skimp on design.
I have folded up more than one that should have stayed together. Non I built ever broke these were manufactured units.

Yeah, he means A-frame.

If it were mine, I'd figure my max load, and build it with at least a 60% safety factor. Pretty easy to do with some planning and thought.

Many, many have been made on the farm with "farmer-sense" over the years -- and they're still in use after 50+ years.
 
Someone gave me a so called 3 Ton chain hoist it says 3 Ton right on it, made in China probably same as HF. It looks like it is made with dog leash chain, I wouldn't trust it to lift 500 lbs let alone 3 ton.
 
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