our company has just cut a hexagonal gazebo out of cypress.
rafters-6x10
plate-8x8

it would be incredibly awesome if we could assemble the roof system (rafters, plate, and boss pin)on the ground and T&G it on the ground and then find a way to rig and then fly it as a unit.

I was wondering if any one has used any sort of extremely heavy duty screw or eye hook for this type of application? Max weight of pick should be somewhere around but possibly below 9000lbs. by using several of these theoretical screws we could get the pick per screw weight to around 1500lbs.(at least that is the thought)

if this sort of thing has not been done before and is just a dream then we thought we could just leave off the bottom 7 or 8 courses of T&G and just rig to the plate and apply the bottom courses once flown. However, the structure is going to be sitting on a floating dock(I know..."wtf",right?) and we don't really know about the dock. will it be like raising a frame on the titanic? so the least amount of time on the dock the better.

let me know what you guys think and if it is just a pipe dream or not.

thanks
bloveland

Not being an engineer, the first thing that comes to my mind is, I wouldn't trust a screw type of eye hook to carry that kind of load. A through bolt with nut and washer arrangement, and even that you would want the proper size and strength stuff.

This past weekend we moved a 12x16 shed. This is how we handled the roof. Something like this would be my first choice, Maybe not the best but an option. Tim
[img]http://[IMG]http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q393/timber500/100_2111.jpg[/img][/img]

Hey Ben,

I would look at using needles, like Tim suggested.

Otherwise, there are certainly heavy duty eyebolts that will take 1500#, but you won't get them at the hardware store.

A quick google search yielded this site.

I still wouldn't feel comfortable using anything under 3/4".

let us know how ya'll make out.

thanks guys,
Steven had checked around as well and found the very same suggestion as timbeal suggested. So were are settled then.
Gabel I will try and send you guys some pics when we raise this thing. May be a while.
thanks again.
ben

Here is video of an impressive pick that was orchestrated flawlessly by Tom Bowles. The rigging for the roof was similar to TIMBEAL's. http://bigtimberworks.com/about/clocktower