Gantry Crane

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Hey everyone,Here are my first pics posted to the site.   This is a gantry crane I built from spare 6-inch i-beam I had laying around (lucky, huh).  There are two pictures of the crane built and 2 pictures of my welds.  Hope you like.Thanks,JasonMillermatic 210 w/ SpoolgunMiller 375 ExtremeMiller Trailblazer 250GMiller AEAD 200-LEVictor Journeyman O/A
Reply:Looks very sturdy - what is the weight capacity? Along the same lines, nice new building, what is the size on that? I just built a 32x40 this year.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Hey Micro,Not real sure of the weight capacity.  I'm no engineer, just like to overbuild things.  I have a 1/2 ton hoist and I think that it is plenty stout for 1000 lbs (I guess I'll find out at the least opportune time)  .  My garage is not really that new, I am just slow about finishing.  It is two years old and is 28' x 40' attached to the house.  I am thinking about building an out building for my welding part.  I just hate thinking about the electrical for the dang thing.  I have about $2000 just in electrical in this garage.  Oh well, just money.Thanks,JasonMillermatic 210 w/ SpoolgunMiller 375 ExtremeMiller Trailblazer 250GMiller AEAD 200-LEVictor Journeyman O/A
Reply:An A36 W 6x9 beam with the uprights 10 feet apart should be good for about 2000 lbs, safely.  That will give a sag of about .15 inches mid-span with the load at mid-span.  Closer uprights give you less sag and a little higher weight rating, farther apart gives more sag and a little less weight rating.Probably the caster weight rating is going to be lower than the beam limits.  And remember that if you slew the load to one side then the casters on that side will be pretty much handling the whole load.The welds look decent.  Try not to start or stop on the corners.Now you need to paint it some bright 'safety' color.  Red, yellow, orange, day-glo blue, something like that.  How about yellow with red diagonal stripes -and- day-glo blue dots?Wait a minute, did you cut the flanges off of the upright beams so you could get the trolley closer to the uprights?  I'd suggest gussetting those webs.  Yes you have those angle braces out to the end of the beam but those webs just don't look -right- like that.
Reply:The uprights are only 8 feet apart.  The casters are rated for 800 lbs apiece.  So 1/2 ton should be sufficient I think.The flanges are not cut.  I rotated a 6-inch piece on top of the leg to get a good surface to mate the leg to the top i-beam.  I think it should have the same rating as the top i-beam.Thanks,JasonMillermatic 210 w/ SpoolgunMiller 375 ExtremeMiller Trailblazer 250GMiller AEAD 200-LEVictor Journeyman O/A
Reply:Looks great! If I built it myself, I think I would need help because those I beam look heavy!
Reply:Hey Mpower,I nearly killed myself trying to set this thing upright.  I needed a gantry crane to set my gantry crane.  I'm not sure what it weighs, but it was a bear to upright.  I set it with my tractor, but my bucket would not quite lift it high enough.  It was a sketchy moment, but no harm done.Thanks,JasonMillermatic 210 w/ SpoolgunMiller 375 ExtremeMiller Trailblazer 250GMiller AEAD 200-LEVictor Journeyman O/A
Reply:OK, now I see what you did on top of the posts and under the beam.  Now that you told me, that is.   You should be OK at a 1/2 ton load rating.  The trolley and the casters are probably the parts driving that weight rating.Now, about that paint job   Oh, and do NOT run the wheels over your welding cables.     Or any other wires either.  (check your first pic of the crane, lower left side of the pic with some wires/cables underneath the left crane base and near the caster)
Reply:Hey Moonrise,I didn't run over my cables, that cable you see is the ground clamp for AEAD.  It is thick enough I don't think I could get the caster over it if I wanted to.As for as paint, it probably won't happen.  Too much mill scale, and I'm lazy when it comes to aesthetics.  This thing will probably never leave the garage (since it won't fit out the door without laying down  ) so it will serve its purpose and just look ugly.Thanks,JasonMillermatic 210 w/ SpoolgunMiller 375 ExtremeMiller Trailblazer 250GMiller AEAD 200-LEVictor Journeyman O/A