My Gantry

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Just finished building my gantry crane.  Used all metal from our local junk yard.The 2X3 square tubing looked like new, but the H beam was used.  At 20 cents a pound I wasn't going to complain.  Would liked to have made it higher, but I wanted to be able to roll it out my nine foot door.  Also remove eight bolts on each end, and I can sell it in the future.  The one inch cold roll on the truss was the most money, as I couldn't find that in the junk yard.  If I ever build another one I will make it expandable.  Not happy with the 1350 lb Harbor Freight Hoist, but it was onsale for $109.00  The only way I could keep it from tilting toward the load was to put a metal castor back to the beam.  If I do it over I will extend the bar stock to the length of the hoist, and then attach the castor.  I think there would be less pressure on the castor.  I figure the old ranchking to be somewhere between 900 and 1000lbs.At that I could trolley it back and forth farily easy.  Thirteen feet long with a working area of eleven feet.  About $350.00 with the primer and paint.  Castors are rated at 1000lbs each.  I have since put a beam clamp on one end with a 1 ton chain fall so I can pick up difficult pieces with both hoist. Attached ImagesBeing "over the hill" is much better than being under it!
Reply:looks nice   good jobIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:NICE!!  I'm going to make one as well only I'm thinking of using ATV tires on it somehow.  Reason being is this will be used at the Ranch which has sandy soil.  So I would have to move it in towable form.  Use the ATV to move it around. Great looking product you created there.   I like it.
Reply:That's nice looking.  It looks pretty wide.  How much weight do you think it can handle if you had a more powerful winch?Neil
Reply:I gave the measurements to an engineer on another forum, and He said 1550lbs with a safety factor of 1.67  But with the 1" cold roll truss it should be quite a bit more.  How much more I have no idea.  Maybe someone on this forum has an educated guess.  Take care Snitz.Being "over the hill" is much better than being under it!
Reply:good work using scrap..i like the gusset on the top   what do you plan on using this for?engines? no problem.....zap!Last edited by zapster; 04-29-2006 at 09:05 PM.I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Id just put some wieght on and see what happens lolIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Originally Posted by SnitzI gave the measurements to an engineer on another forum, and He said 1550lbs with a safety factor of 1.67  But with the 1" cold roll truss it should be quite a bit more.  How much more I have no idea.  Maybe someone on this forum has an educated guess.  Take care Snitz.
Reply:I will use it mainly to pick the front of my lawn tractors up to clean the decks, and sharpen blades etc.  Also to load in and out of the F250 when things get to heavy.Being "over the hill" is much better than being under it!
Reply:Hmm Id be surprised if the legs gave out before the I beam. Its a hard call.  Personally I think the beam will bend before anything breaks...provided welds are goodIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Those look more like garden tractors in the 800 - 1000 lb. range.  Why not just use the engine hoist that you have there?  It looks pretty hefty.Neil
Reply:Very nice gantry. Love to have something like that.Not to take away but I'm kinda like RubenZ, be neat to have a small one on rubber. Towable.
Reply:Originally Posted by fallon416Those look more like garden tractors in the 800 - 1000 lb. range.  Why not just use the engine hoist that you have there?  It looks pretty hefty.Neil
Reply:Its a great job.  Think youll be real happy   Thanks for sharingIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Excellent work.  I especially like the addition of the truss.What are the specs on the I-beam (dimensions and wall thickness)?-Heath
Reply:Originally Posted by halbrittExcellent work.  I especially like the addition of the truss.What are the specs on the I-beam (dimensions and wall thickness)?
Reply:I always hate when "smart *****" post comments criticizing someone else's work, but I thought I would add a comment and hope someone would just tell me I am wrong and to mind my own business.The cross beam on the gantry has mostly simple bending forces applied to it when it gets loaded.  When a beam bends, one side goes into compression, the opposite into tension.  This is why when you chainsaw a log which is resting up on something, you have to cut up from the bottom to avoid having the saw get pinched in the cut.  On the gantry beam, the tension side is the bottom.  The truss bar that is added here, while it looks great, as does the whole gantry, should really be on the bottom to be of any significant value.  Small rods can take a LOT more tension than compression.I know that on the bottom it would be in the way of the hoist trolley.Either way it looks great, and sorry if I am out of line.Bob
Reply:Originally Posted by roberthaightI always hate when "smart *****" post comments criticizing someone else's work......
Reply:that was my point, I was commenting about myself being critical not anyone else.  I think the gantry is very well done, especially the aesthetics and willingness to "go the extra mile" to add the trussing at the top.You are totally correct that no one else said anything critical, I was hoping to add a constructive comment for others to follow and hoped I was adding some understanding of how a beam works.
Reply:I think robert is right and his comments are constructive.  The weight on the beam is in the downward direction and the supports are at both ends, not just one.  So, it's the bottom side that is getting stretched and top is being compressed under load.  On a boom hoist the weight is at the end , so the top is being stretched and the bottom is compressed...that's why engine hoists (see one of the pictures) have the extra trusses on the top.  However, there might be some added compression benefits of adding the truss on top.  Besides, putting a truss on the bottem would have probably interfered with the rollers.  Most gantries I have seen have no trusses at all...just big a$$ I-beams.  But, that's just a little thing.  I don't think the trusses hurt anything, though, and if he ever decides to make a boom out of it, he is ready.  I like it...and now I need one just like it.Last edited by smithboy; 05-01-2006 at 10:34 AM.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:Now you guys have me wondering about how much compression a 1" rod will take in a short distance before buckling.  I only hope that it gives some extra support.  I don't think that I will ever put more then a ton on it, as the hoist I have will only reach that amount.  At my age I worry about someone else though, that might inherit this guy.Being "over the hill" is much better than being under it!
Reply:I will add this, Im not an engineer, just a simple creator of things.  In my experience,  I understand the theory of using the rod for things like a boom crane.  I have never seen it in this particular application.  Never.  Not to say its bad or whatever.  I also dont think its hurting anything, but again I dont know.  I just figured it dint hurt so I left it alone, but I do agree I dont see it helping.  Bob, I personally appreciate both your respect and concern for the individual.  While often critism is taken roughly, and in many cases I think it is handed out roughly, there are times critism is acceptable and appropriate, even helpful or necessary.  You do make some interesting points.  Again I rest with the figure I dont think its goign to hurt anything, but I aint an engineer.  Would be interested in more info on the subject.   I still think the beam will hold an awful lot of weight and I agree there really is no way to go under the beam witjhout causing restriction.IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Personally, I would do someting ike Stencil out on the Crane in atleast one good Place   1TON...maybe a coupleit looks more like a professionally engineered and built product anyway IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:If they put more weight on that a ton its their riskIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:When I said "that's just a little thing" I wasn't talking about the beam size or the gantry size, I was refering to the critique...in other words, adding the truss on top was a "little" issue, or not a big deal.I don't know what the capacity is of the beam, but that's something that's easy enough to find out.  Looks to me like you could hang a ton in there...Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.I agree,  I wasnt directing my comments to smith,  The comments of the strength of beam, neither do I know abut the stregnth of it, but I think 1 ton is safe.  More, well use some common sense and it prolly can be done safelyIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:I too think that beam will easily handle 1-ton.  I wouldnt strongly recommend it, but it would handle it.
Reply:Ive been in shops with overhead cranes.  Ive seen them wideflange beams deflecting...bowing something fierce, yet they handled the load.  Not a desirable situation, but its doable.  This occurs when youre adding considerably more weight than was rated at, yet it was done.  IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:With steel, a certain amount of deflection is fine as long as the yield strength isn't exceeded.  Once the yield strength is exceeded, metal fatigue begins to occur.-Heath
Reply:I also wanted to add, that the beam appears to be a W4x13 wide-flange steel beam, most likely made of A36.  The flanges should be 3/8" in thickness and the web should be 1/4" in thickness.  I'll see if I can figure out what the maximum load should be.-Heath
Reply:Might try a little stare and compare with some of the designs on this site. I didn't do any research as it might apply to the crane in this post. Being real lazy tonight for some reason. Did work up enough brain power to remember the site tho.   A lot of good info here (and free) so they deserve an atta boy.http://www.wallacecranes.com/triste3.htm
Reply:Originally Posted by halbrittI also wanted to add, that the beam appears to be a W4x13 wide-flange steel beam, most likely made of A36.  The flanges should be 3/8" in thickness and the web should be 1/4" in thickness.  I'll see if I can figure out what the maximum load should be.
Reply:Originally Posted by halbrittI also wanted to add, that the beam appears to be a W4x13 wide-flange steel beam, most likely made of A36.  The flanges should be 3/8" in thickness and the web should be 1/4" in thickness.  I'll see if I can figure out what the maximum load should be.
Reply:I feel confident that as long as the welds are strong It will hold up wellI have never had a problem with getting under stuff I built.....Seen somethings in my time, And Ive welded some stuff I dint think would hold, but the boss insisted.  And by golly she held.  Not to say its safe to do the min.  But It has worked.  Working on the farm, doing repairs and fab in forestry industry you really see your creativeity and your welding abilities shineIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Looks great Snitz, great finish on it too! Kinda off topic, where did you buy your pole barn and how much? I'm looking into a 30x40x10 right now. Best place I found was $6399 in kit form.
Reply:my gantry        http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...dsstuff015.jpg
Reply:Good lord...did you buy an old steel warehouse for a shop?
Reply:it  was  an old rail car  unloading station...it  used to have  a  hand  winch on  it  for unloading the old  rail  cars...it  just  straddled one  track..we  widened it out and put  a  5 ton  hoist on it teh two  yellow  things  you  see are, on the left... home  made  shear..10 feet  by  3/16 and  the  right is  a  break of  the  same size
Reply:Sorry to reserect such an old thread. I use cranes similar to this one at work and just looking at the pictures I personaly feel that the crane itself is more than strong enough for 1Ton, however I feel that the hoist may be the limiting factor in this case. I think that the cable may not be able to carry more than 2000lbs.
Reply:This is built into my shop, I don't have any idea how much it will hold, but to tell you the truth we've never paid any attention to a possible capacity. Some day if it won't hold something we'll probably find out the really really hard way.