If this don' kill me, LOL

[67Dart273]

Even though I'm a displaced farm boy (no farm) I keep the little Farmall 100 around. I decided to take some scrap, this is giGANtic I beam that came inside a storage van I bought. ...........Weld two scrap sections together and use a trolley I've got, hung from inside the shed. This will make it "easy" to move engines around in there.

That is, if the project itself doesn't kill me, first LOL

The long piece on the bottom is to have a flat, straight place to align and weld the other two...............

 

[RustyRatRod]

Only 1/2 ton? Hell, if I was goin to all the trouble, I would at least want it to be able to pick up a whole vehicle.

 

[67Dart273]

Well I can always buy / make another carriage, LOL. This one came on a swivel gantry setup which I was gonna glue onto one of my 2 post hoist arms and so.........."it's just" another iron in the fire.

This is scrap. I would never have used anything this fareekin' heavy otherwise

 

[Oklacarcollecto]

I have the trollies and the I beams to make one of those that will travel in a square. 3 pieces of I beam and three trollies. Now if I just knew how to weld....

 

[67Dart273]

I can't weld either, LOL. That's why I use a MIG.

Actually I used to spark and burn around with a stick, but I would never insult a real welder. I'll tell ya..........a gas equipped MIG could make a welder out of a 7 year old girl.

 

[Oklacarcollecto]

What are you going to attach it to? My trusses are made out if 2 7/8" upset tubing so I want to hang mine directly to the trusses.

 

[67Dart273]

This is a case where it's "weak in it's own strength" or however that old saying goes. Again, this is scrap. My little shed is typical 2x6 lean to rafters on 18" centers. All I want this for is to be able to shuffle engines, and the shed has a dirt floor. That means wheeling an engine around on a dolly / engine stand is not gonna work. Plus if I ever DO get a real shop, that's the makings for a "REAL" hoist, LOL

I'll weld strap steel to the top of the I beam, and run through bolts through the rafters.

 

[RedFish]

Material handling is a huge part of running a sample mill so I've had more than my share of experience in this. I can't say thanks for those memories.
You probably know this but I'll say it anyway,, Where there is a wheeled trolley, The most important part is a beam that stays level under load.
Have fun

 

[roadrunnerh]

I remember the physical problems/pain you mentioned in other posts. Be careful.

 

[67Dart273]

Well, after all the hard work...........I spent about three days splicing and cleaning up that dammed I beam......I just thought things over and decided it was wayyyyyy toooo heavy, for what I need

I was originally going to use some channel I have, so that's what I did. This channel was part of some warehouse shelving, and is what I built the carports out of.

Top photo is the basic makin's of the trolley, all scrap steel. Only cut I made was some hob-gob on the brown piece, everything else was as is, other than welding and drilling holes

Second photo shows how the bearings fit, a "Chinese puzzle." Once in the track, they can't get out. Simply short sections of rod, and cheap hardware store wheel bearings

Third photo shows how the trolley fits into the channel, which goes full length of the shed. I still have to level it up

Last photo shows the THRIFT STORE come-a-long. The fitting with the new hook at the bottom used to double back and hook to the winch. I put an anchor shackle into the (enlarged) hole on the winch so I can now use it either single or double line for other purposes

So, in use, the engine / other load will hook up to the bottom hook as layed out here

Main trolley is 1/2" plate, brown piece is 5/16 X 2" or so angle, and the extension is 5/16" strap. The track itself is nominally 2" square

I "think" LOL it will be plenty strong for a Mopar smallblock. "I ain't goin" into the Cat / Cummins business, LOL