BUILDING THE WORKSHOP HOIST
A NECESSARY STEP IN THE REBUILD OF MY EXP2 BITSA.
I`VE TRIED FOR MANY MOONS TO RENT A WORKSHOP CLOSER TO HOME BUT WITH NO RESULT! THERE ARE PLENTY OF UNITS AVAILABLE OF AROUND 300 SQUARE METRES BUT NOTHING IN THE 50 SQ M SIZE.
MY EXISTING WORKSHOP IS ABOUT 70 Km SOUTH OF OSLO, ON A FARM IN A NICE LOCATION BUT THE FLOOR AREA IS DIVIDED INTO THREE SEPARATE LEVELS! AT THE MOMENT, THE BASE LEVEL IS JUST BIG ENOUGH TO CONTAIN THE BENTLEY WHEN I IMPORT IT LATER IN THE YEAR BUT IT IS FULL OF MACHINES AND THESE WILL HAVE TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE NEXT LEVEL WHICH IS ABOUT 300 mm HIGHER!
I DECIDED TO INSTALL A HOIST SO THAT NOT ONLY COULD THE HEAVY MACHINERY BE LIFTED INTO THE HIGHER LEVEL BUT ALSO THE 4.5 LITRE ENGINE THAT I WILL BUILD FROM PARTS CAN BE LIFTED AND DROPPED INTO THE CHASSIS ON THE LEVEL BELOW.
I`VE TRIED FOR MANY MOONS TO RENT A WORKSHOP CLOSER TO HOME BUT WITH NO RESULT! THERE ARE PLENTY OF UNITS AVAILABLE OF AROUND 300 SQUARE METRES BUT NOTHING IN THE 50 SQ M SIZE.
MY EXISTING WORKSHOP IS ABOUT 70 Km SOUTH OF OSLO, ON A FARM IN A NICE LOCATION BUT THE FLOOR AREA IS DIVIDED INTO THREE SEPARATE LEVELS! AT THE MOMENT, THE BASE LEVEL IS JUST BIG ENOUGH TO CONTAIN THE BENTLEY WHEN I IMPORT IT LATER IN THE YEAR BUT IT IS FULL OF MACHINES AND THESE WILL HAVE TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE NEXT LEVEL WHICH IS ABOUT 300 mm HIGHER!
I DECIDED TO INSTALL A HOIST SO THAT NOT ONLY COULD THE HEAVY MACHINERY BE LIFTED INTO THE HIGHER LEVEL BUT ALSO THE 4.5 LITRE ENGINE THAT I WILL BUILD FROM PARTS CAN BE LIFTED AND DROPPED INTO THE CHASSIS ON THE LEVEL BELOW.
ABOVE LEFT CAN BE SEEN THE FIRST OF THE SUPPORT BRACKETS MOUNTED IN POSITION, I DESIGNED THESE SO THAT I COULD CUT THE ANGLE IRON AND DRILL THE NECESSARY HOLES IN THE MEMBERS MYSELF AND SAVE A FORTUNE OVER HAVING THEM PROFESSIONALLY FABRICATED. NOTE THE LARGE REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAM RUNNING ACROSS THE ROUGH CAST CEILING! THE CEILINGS EITHER SIDE OF THE BEAM ARE UNEVEN SO THAT AFTER TRUING UP THE POSITIONS OF THE THREE BRACKETS WITH THE USUAL LENGTH OF STRING METHOD IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CENTRE BRACKET WAS 18 mm TOO HIGH.
ABOVE LEFT, THE ALMOST COMPLETED HOIST. THE BRACKETS ARE WEAK IN RESTRAINING LATERAL FORCES SO THAT I ANCHORED THE CENTRE BRACKET TO THE CONCRETE BEAM TO RESTRAIN ANY FORE AND AFT MOVEMENT OF THE STEEL BEAM. SOME SWAY AT THE NON ANCHORED ENDS IS PERMISSIBLE.
WITH NO HELP AT HAND, YOU CAN SEE THAT I USED THE BOLTS ON THE CENTRE BRACKET TO HANG SOME DEXION STYLE ANGLES WITH STUDDING LOCATED IN THE HOLES SO THAT I COULD LIFT THE END OF THE BEAM AND SLIDE IT THROUGH SO IT WOULD BALANCE IN THE RIGHT POSITION TO INSERT THE FIXING BOLTS. THIS HOIST IS JUST FOR LOADS OF UP TO 600 Kg. THE RHS PHOTO SHOWS THE FINISHED ITEM.
WITH NO HELP AT HAND, YOU CAN SEE THAT I USED THE BOLTS ON THE CENTRE BRACKET TO HANG SOME DEXION STYLE ANGLES WITH STUDDING LOCATED IN THE HOLES SO THAT I COULD LIFT THE END OF THE BEAM AND SLIDE IT THROUGH SO IT WOULD BALANCE IN THE RIGHT POSITION TO INSERT THE FIXING BOLTS. THIS HOIST IS JUST FOR LOADS OF UP TO 600 Kg. THE RHS PHOTO SHOWS THE FINISHED ITEM.
MAKING THE LIFTING FRAME
i STILL HAVE NO TIME TO CONTINUE WITH THE COLUMN CONTROLS BUT THIS WILL HAPPEN ONCE THE WORKSHOP HAS BEEN REORGANIZED. I NEEDED TO MAKE THIS FRAME SO THAT THE HEAVY MACHINES COULD BE LIFTED ONTO THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE WORKSHOP.. THE HOIST THAT I`VE ALREADY INSTALLED DOES NOT HAVE THE HEADROOM TO BE ABLE TO LIFT THE LARGER MACHINES.
ABOVE, THE SKETCH THAT i MADE TO SEND TO THE FABRICATORS. THE IDEA BEHIND THIS IS THAT THE ENGINE HOIST CAN BE PLACED ON THE UPPER LEVEL WITH THE FRONT WHEELS ON THE RAIL TO ENABLE IT TO LIFT THE MACHINES TO THE UPPER LEVEL. THIS IS JUST TO BE USED FOR THIS TASK AND THESE RAILS WILL BE REMOVED ONCE THE JOB IS DONE.
THE FLY IN THE OINTMENT WAS THAT THE FABRICATORS THAT I APPROACHED EITHER GAVE ME A "I DON`T WANT TO DO IT" PRICE AND NO DELIVERY DATE OR A REASONABLE PRICE AND NO DELIVERY DATE! I FORGOT THAT IT WAS JULY AND MOST WORKING FOLK WOULD BE ON HOLIDAY, JUST LIKE FRANCE THAT CLOSES IN AUGUST!
THE FLY IN THE OINTMENT WAS THAT THE FABRICATORS THAT I APPROACHED EITHER GAVE ME A "I DON`T WANT TO DO IT" PRICE AND NO DELIVERY DATE OR A REASONABLE PRICE AND NO DELIVERY DATE! I FORGOT THAT IT WAS JULY AND MOST WORKING FOLK WOULD BE ON HOLIDAY, JUST LIKE FRANCE THAT CLOSES IN AUGUST!
NOT TO BE BEATEN BY THIS SETBACK, I REDESIGNED THE RAILS TO BE MADE FROM WOOD. IT WOULD REQUIRE CAREFUL ASSEMBLY TO GIVE THE FRAME THE STABILITY NECESSARY AND COST NOT MUCH LESS THAN THE BEST PRICE FOR THE FABRICATED RAILS. ON THE RHS PHOTO YOU CAN SEE THE "WARCO" SANDING MACHINE THAT I PURCHASED ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO AND HAS NOT BEEN USED SINCE. I NEEDED IT TO TRIM THE ENDS OF THE CUT WOOD AND REMOVED IT FROM THE BOX AND STARTED TO USE IT AND FOR THE FIRST HOUR IT WORKED AS IT SHOULD AND THEN IT LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT RUN PROPERLY. THAT`S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU BUY CHEAP CHINESE RUBBISH!!!
CONTINUING THE BUILD OVER A COUPLE OF DAYS, THE END IS ALMOST NIGH.
SUCCESS! YESTERDAY I FINISHED OFF THE WOOD LIFTING FRAME AND LOWERED THE RAGLAN MILLING MACHINE ONTO THE LOWER LEVEL READY TO BE PICKED UP BY TORSTEIN THE LUCKY NEW OWNER. THEN I LIFTED THE DECKEL MILL UP TO THE MIDDLE LEVEL, SEE RHS PHOTO. THE LIFTING FRAME IS BOTH BELT AND BRACES, OVER DESIGNED FOR SAFETY REASONS. ONE THING THAT I FORGOT TO DO WAS TO ROTATE THE FRONT CASTORS ON THE ENGINE LIFTING HOIST SO THAT THEY WOULD TRAIL THE MOVEMENT OF THE HOIST. WHAT HAPPENED AS I TUGGED THE HOIST, WAS THAT THE CASTORS TRIED TO TURN AS THEY NORMALLY DO, SO THE CASTOR WHEELS WERE RUBBING AGAINST THE METAL GUIDE RAILS CREATING A LOT OF DRAG!
I HAD PULLED THE HOIST AND DECKEL OFF THE FRAME BEFORE I HAD REALIZED THIS.
I ALSO USED THE CHAIN HOIST THAT I`D BUILT EARLIER TO LIFT THE DECKEL WHICH WEIGHS AROUND 600 Kg AND THE CONCRETE BOLTS IN THE CEILING WERE MAN ENOUGH FOR THE JOB, PLENTY GOOD ENOUGH TO LIFT THE 4.5 BENTLEY ENGINE THAT WEIGHS AROUND 300 Kg.
I HAD PULLED THE HOIST AND DECKEL OFF THE FRAME BEFORE I HAD REALIZED THIS.
I ALSO USED THE CHAIN HOIST THAT I`D BUILT EARLIER TO LIFT THE DECKEL WHICH WEIGHS AROUND 600 Kg AND THE CONCRETE BOLTS IN THE CEILING WERE MAN ENOUGH FOR THE JOB, PLENTY GOOD ENOUGH TO LIFT THE 4.5 BENTLEY ENGINE THAT WEIGHS AROUND 300 Kg.