Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions Trolley hoist or bridge crane

I'm considering a bridge crane or trolley hoists for my shop. Never used them myself but they look like the ticket for handling timbers in a modest shop.

If you have experience with this equipment let me know if a bridge crane works as good as it looks or if a couple of strategically placed trolley hoists will do just fine.

Specs and considerations...

Shop space: 24' x 40' (12' ceiling)
No forklift on site to load/unload

Thanks in advance.

Brook, I can't contribute information at this time as I do not have a bridge crane set up in my shop. It is on my wish list and will be the next major "tool" I add.

It has been discussed on the forum in the past. It took a bit of looking, but it was fun.
http://www.tfguild.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=18900&page=1

12' is not a lot of ceiling for overhead lifting, but it will do. A couple of beams with trolleys is easier, as long as you only need to position in one axis. For two axis lifting, you will need the travelling bridge.

Smooth floor?

Engine host works well too... assuming you can set up your shop with 1 sided access or aisles.

And you sweep up your chips.

12' seems pretty tight for a traditional overhead.
But homemade you might be able to do it.

I agree with Mike that 12' is going to be tough for an overhead. By time time you add the rails, the hoists, and the slings, your timber will be at 8 or 9'. But it could work. I made my own in my first shop. Definately not OSHA approved!
Picture is 10 years old, so sorry about the low quality. I know it doesn't show the bridge very well, but it's the best shot I have. The travelling bridge is made of two short I beams, and is suspended from the fixed long beams.



How about loading and uloading the truck? That turned out to be the bigger problem than moving timbers around in the shop.

Thanks gents.

As timber senseis Mike Y. and Clark B. said in the '09 thread on the same topic, basically it's all about material handling.

In that same vein, does anyone have a simple, archaic secret to unload a tilting flatbed full of timbers without a crane or forklift. Maybe a ramp or unloading dock at the same elevation of the flatbed. When I cannot unload by hand the timbers just get dumped.

I'm blessed with muscle, not equipment.

Clark,

What was the span of your bridge and dimensions of bridge beam? And how much did you figure you could load it mid span?

Brook

The part that rolled was 10x20. I designed it for 250 lbs.

My current one spans 40', and could probably hold 10 tons! I only have 2 tons of hoist right now, though.