First project with my own welder

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See a lot of "first project" when guys get into welding. Since Ive been doing this for some years now, thought I'd share the first project as a welder owner, not a borrower. POS trailer that came with it had no lights, or wiring, and I was highly suspect of the "welds" holding this modified HF trailer together. So how to get the 500 pound welder off the trailer and onto my floor? Safely at that.I was going to rent an engine hoist today, but got the day off yesterday and couldnt wait. An engine hoist will not fit in my little hatchback. So I built this thing using a 12 ton jack as the lift. Worked like a dream, and has inspired me to build one and mount it in the garage, so that I can get this welder off the trailer for other uses, get the welder in the abck of the wife's truck, or lift projects. But anyway, putting it back on the trailer today, one of the pieces of angle started to bend, so I replaced it with a larger piece, that didn have holes in it, and added some little stiffeners. Making stuff is fun. Having to tools to do all of this quickly is nice. Attached ImagesWeldanpower 225 G7Ironworkers Local #24
Reply:i cant really tell from the pics but is there any type of bracing done under the bottle jack?  looks like the plate it is mounted to is bending a little bit with the load of the welder on it....maybe its just me though.other than that looks good!
Reply:It worked but is a little scary.AWS certified welding inspectorAWS certified welder
Reply:its a piece of angle. The vert leg is 4 inches welded to that main post with beefy verts on both sides. I guess that horizontal is flexing somewhat. Not something I noticed while doing the pick. On Mark II, the jack platform will be gusseted. looking at these pics again, hell yes. Can see the jack base in #1 is more level. #2, not so much. Good lookin out.Weldanpower 225 G7Ironworkers Local #24
Reply:Looks like it works, but I'd take a closer look at how real ones are made bfore you build one for the garage. The design you used looks very flawed from a design standpoint.First the top arm looks like it's bent in the picts. It could just be an illusion, but thats not a good sign. Usually they run a strap over the top with a vertical brace to form a truss to help support the weight. Remember 500 lbs at the end of a 3' arm will act like 1500 pounds of force, not 500! Also the tube looks a bit small that arm is made from. Second, thats a very tall thin, unbraced "column" that the arm is set on top of. Add to that the jack will add a side rotational force that will attempt to buckle the colum. You want to add some diagonal braces in the back to help counter act that force. Columns in compression can withstand a lot of weight for a very small size, but those thin columns will buckle very quickly and with no warning with only a small side force applied. That colun already looks bent above the side braces you installed. Those braces BTW add almost no front to back strength. If they were set back farther, they could add some front to back strength, but they are still too short for that dia/height combo. Third the "legs" at the floor look too thin. That 1500 pounds of force that wants to rotate will be supported by those legs. Actually theres probably even more than 1500 pounds, since that 500 pounds  is being applied at a longer moment arm as far as this is concerned. You need them to be stiff enough to resist the forces applied with almost no bracing, since that will limit what and how you can lift. Those back braces will help to lower the forces on the legs as well as brace the column as mentioned above.Be VERY careful with this. When things like this fail, they usually fail almost instantly with no  or very little advanced warning. It won't start to bend and you get to think about letting the weight down. It will be raising just fine when all of a sudden there is a bang, something buckles and the machine has crashed to the floor, hopefully without you under it at the time..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Good feedback, esp on the jib and the rotational forces. The post is 3x3x3/8 - if it looks bent in the pic, I can offer assurance - and having just checked it with a 6 foot level - that it is still good. The jib looks bent in the first pic because it is, kinda. I had it attached to some back to back angle. That T-ed angle is on the top of the angle attached to the posts via A490 3/4 inch bolts. So the horizontal legs of the T-ed angle started to deform. It was only 3/16 thick. When I started to pick it again yesterday, I noticed that it was bending right off so I made replaced that little stuff with 3/8 angle. also those legs are rather on the gingerbread side. They do go out from the base because I wanted  the largest footprint possible. Directly in front of the post, that is 4 inch by 3/8 thick channel with a kicker on it. Those little braces were to take out a little wobble. None of us like when our rig moves during a pick.I work with cranes and loads everyday and stuff. On the job we frequently make, I dont know how to put it..creative? rigging and picking solutions. In the range of jobs in my trade, Im a welder/detail iron kind of guy first, hook on/rigger second. I take it very seriously, and I appreciate the concern voiced. I actually was wearing safety glasses and my welding hood in case something failed. Also was using a 40' sleever bar to work the jack so I could be as far away from it as I could be.The one I have envisioned for the garage will be more well planned, and much beefier. Like 5:1 ratio at least.Weldanpower 225 G7Ironworkers Local #24
Reply:now it should be easy to change that chip board out and put some plywood or decking down
Reply:I would shop around for a used engine hoist. I see lots of them on craigslist.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny