|
|
All, I am looking at different designs of "furniture dollies" - the kind that uses a bottle jack to lift each side up. See pictures below for general reference. Has anyone used such devices? I have not and I don't have access to any. If you have used these - what have been some "not so good" or "could work better" ideas?One thought that comes to mind after seeing the styles with the steerable wheels (not casters, manually steerable with the handles) is that under load caster wheels may be extremely difficult to get where you want them. With the leverage of steerable wheels you could get the wheels to better positions. However, that would make getting furniture up against a wall harder - you can't push, say, a cabinet laterally up against the wall - the rolling would be in-line with the cabinet, not perpendicularly if the wheels were steerable (I don't think you could get the steering mechanism to go to a full 90deg - but maybe not too far off?). An idea I have is to use a more conventional high lift bottle jack - something with around 20" of travel like you see on dump carts or engine hoists. Another idea I have is to make cross bar frame members. Most of these types of units rely on straps to hold tension on the bottom. That may put excess pressure on more delicate things. With cross bracing - the braces take the load and keep things rigid.Those cross braces can also be used for rigging slings underneath to lift other things that are either not able to fit on the forks/plates for what ever reason - odd shaped things - or delicate things that need a different method of support. Versatility is what I am trying to go after. Once I got past the basic platform dolly idea things really opened up as far as what the possibilities are. My thought is if I am going to make something - make it as versatile as possible. But I don't want to shoot myself in the foot, either on a design that is more challenging to operate in one way or another if I can avoid it. A couple of pictures for general ideas and a quick visual reference to what I am talking about:Red set looks like it uses swivel casters. Yellow set has steerable wheels from the handles up top.
Reply:Do you have to put a ratchet strap all the way around what you're lifting so it can't slide off the lifting lip while moving it?Ol' Stonebreaker "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:Most of these Ive seen studying options, probably all of them, use straps. As best as I can tell they dont wrap around the furniture, per se. They are used to join the 2x "halves" of the dolly - with what you are moving as the middle support/structure. Almost like the big wind turbine blades and bridge girters that you see on semi trucks - the item being moved is the "trailer frame" with a dolly in the back to support that end and the truck in the front to support the front end.So the straps just go between the 2 dolly halves along the sides of what is being moved, not "all the way around" like you would do to lock, say, a cabinet to a conventional 2 wheel hand truck. Think 1 "hand truck" on each end - just ones that have steerable/caster wheels and a jack to lift the item. I had never seen these before until a coworker pointed them out in discussing what I was thinking about. The hydraulic jacks to lift make a world of sense and they would save an enormous amount of effort and risk. Yea it might be a complicated build - but the end result will save any of us that use it an enormous amout of work - less back yanks and pulled muscles. That will be a blessing. Not to mention safer moving of what ever - cabinets, pianos inside to who knows what in the garage.
Reply:I'd rather see them made with a trailer crank type jack.Swivels should lock straight and be able to rotate when needed.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:
Originally Posted by MinnesotaDave
I'd rather see them made with a trailer crank type jack.Swivels should lock straight and be able to rotate when needed.
Reply:Question #1 is,,,, "How much weight are you trying to move??"
My son-in-law and I have moved 400#+ appliances with a sling that wraps over your shoulders.I would imagine the minimum use for something like a dolly with a built-in jack is a LARGE eight burner stainless commercial kitchen stove,, etc??Two guys can walk anywhere with a typical 300 pound sofa, chest of drawers, or kitchen appliance,,In other words,,, "Joes Moving Company" would never own a moving dolly that weighs more than the item being moved.
Reply:The more I look at it, that red dolly is used to move something like a milling machine,, where the weight is measured in tons,,,
Reply:
Originally Posted by SweetMK
Question #1 is,,,, "How much weight are you trying to move??"
My son-in-law and I have moved 400#+ appliances with a sling that wraps over your shoulders.I would imagine the minimum use for something like a dolly with a built-in jack is a LARGE eight burner stainless commercial kitchen stove,, etc??Two guys can walk anywhere with a typical 300 pound sofa, chest of drawers, or kitchen appliance,,In other words,,, "Joes Moving Company" would never own a moving dolly that weighs more than the item being moved.
Reply:
Originally Posted by SweetMK
Question #1 is,,,, "How much weight are you trying to move??"
Reply:
Originally Posted by M J D
Originally Posted by MinnesotaDave
I'd rather see them made with a trailer crank type jack.Swivels should lock straight and be able to rotate when needed.
Reply:
Originally Posted by FlyFishn
We got a piano a few weeks ago - it cost the price of the elbow grease to move it. I knew it was going to be heavy, I didn't know it was going to be as heavy as it was. I didn't have a number, and I actually still don't, but I am guessing it is between 700-900lbs - and 80% of the weight is on the rear. It is an upright style with the soundboard vertical so it can sit flush against a wall. That weight all on the back makes it extremely challenging to move. It will be moving (as will we) hopefully in the near future - part of the main reason for the project, but the larger picture of the project is versatility to make moving tasks (furniture/appliance moving, or otherwise - machines, transmissions, what have you) easier.
Reply:
Originally Posted by FlyFishn
I don't like the hand crank idea on the surface. Are you talking like a boat trailer winch and cable? I have a brake winch I bought about 10 years ago that isn't doing anything that works pretty slick - but I can't see using it in this type of application. The other style "trailer jack" I can think of is a trailer tongue jack. I don't like that style for this application, either.I would be curious to hear what your reasoning is for what ever "trailer jack" you are referring to. I won't cross it off my list just yet. As to the swivel casters locking - yes. The ones I am getting have 4 position locking casters, as well as wheel brakes. That doesn't mean I have to use the casters as casters... I could borrow the wheels from them if I make my own frame/rig (such as a steerable set like the yellow furniture dollies shown above)....
Reply:
Originally Posted by SweetMK
The more I look at it, that red dolly is used to move something like a milling machine,, where the weight is measured in tons,,,
Reply:
Originally Posted by FlyFishn
Looks like the red one is 6,000lbs to 10,000lbs (2700kg to 4500kg) capacity, depending on the specific model. https://www.customtrolleys.com.au/pr...rniture-mover/
Reply:I have a pair of the red ones, but not as heavy as those. I think mine are rated 1000 or 2000 lbs. They are called equipment movers, and are not intended for furniture (or at least not any furniture you care about). Roll-lift is the brand I have and appear to be common. I got them cheap off CL from a person who didn't realize how expensive they are and was only asking like $100 or 200 for them (was a looong time ago - I forget but they were cheap). Yes you hook them together with either ratchet straps or just the cam lock type straps, one on each side to the hooks on the lower part of the frame so they will fit just about anything. They are ONLY for use on smooth level concrete. You don't want to know what happens with heavy equipment on casters on a slope...If you want to move furniture, these are NOT what you want!-DaveXMT304 with: 22A Feeder, or HF251 Hi Freq DC TIG air cooled
Reply:More ideas... I came across this picture in my research - moving a pallet on this style of "furniture moving dolly" system. This is exactly one of the applications I had in my mind - instead of a pallet jack (which I don't have and if I can do this I won't ever need one, for the times I may have stuff on pallets to move - which I use pallets from time to time, but don't move them with stuff on them as I don't have a way to). As to how to link the two halves of the dolly - I think a cross bar frame would work best with the only contact with the pallet being down low. The only time cross bars wouldn't be needed is in the specific application pictured - where the load on the pallet is the dimension of the pallet so the dolly halves are supported above. On odd shaped, smaller, heavier loads strapped to a pallet there is no upper support for the dolly halves - hence the need to supplement that structure that isn't there with a cross bar system.
Reply:
Originally Posted by davec
You don't want to know what happens with heavy equipment on casters on a slope...
Reply:the red ones are called roller lift, the riggers used them to move medical equipment. I installed C.A.T. scanners and that is what they used from the loading dock to the rooms in the Hospital. And they did strap them from end to end of the equipment.DIY CNC Plasma table USB BOB Price THCHypertherm 65Everlast PowerTig 255 EXTMiler 180 Mig13" metal latheMill/ DrillECT, ECT,
Reply:Got this piano for free from a business neighbor- it is from late 1800's
anyhoo- best $250 ever spent when I hired Piano movers.
two guys and a Furni Dolly.
Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:
Originally Posted by FlyFishn
More ideas... I came across this picture in my research - moving a pallet on this style of "furniture moving dolly" system. This is exactly one of the applications I had in my mind - instead of a pallet jack (which I don't have and if I can do this I won't ever need one, for the times I may have stuff on pallets to move - which I use pallets from time to time, but don't move them with stuff on them as I don't have a way to). As to how to link the two halves of the dolly - I think a cross bar frame would work best with the only contact with the pallet being down low. The only time cross bars wouldn't be needed is in the specific application pictured - where the load on the pallet is the dimension of the pallet so the dolly halves are supported above. On odd shaped, smaller, heavier loads strapped to a pallet there is no upper support for the dolly halves - hence the need to supplement that structure that isn't there with a cross bar system.
Reply:
Originally Posted by FlyFishn
That specific style, or maybe that specific type of lifting plates/forks? How heavy they are? How they move/roll (or don't move/roll)? Just trying to better detail your point - since you have some experience I appreciate your input.
Reply:
Originally Posted by davec
They are not padded at all and are not gentle on things. Mine has a couple of steel rods sticking up 1/4" or so from the forks with a very coarse waffle pattern on them for grip. You will trash anything that is wood or has a nice finish with these unless you pad them out a lot. My recommendation would be to get something that is suited to handling furniture if that is your goal.I have used mine to move my compressor on it's pallet and it works, but is not the best way. It also takes a lot more time to set these up than it does to pull out a pallet jack, lift and move your pallet. For example, the compressor is an odd shape (not the nice pallet sized gaylord box in your photo) so you need to do something to block out the tops of the lifts so they remain basically vertical. Otherwise there is nothing but air up there and they will not be stable or work. The benefits to them are that they are infinitely flexible in what they can do but that flexibility comes with the cost of taking more time to set up for odd configurations like the compressor. Even new, a pallet jack was only about $200 at Menards or Northern Tool here. I have both now and use them where appropriate. |
|
发表于 2022-5-19 11:02:46