Gantry I-Beam & More

[lovemesomemachines]

Fasttrack...Thank you for the response. I appreciate you taking time to do the simulation. Interesting indeed. If the local fabricator is able to build one out of steel, all TIG'd together, and it's cheaper than 80/20, I'll have them build it. Maybe even a little beefier.

J Tiers...That's a good point about a buddy using it. This is one of the reasons I don't lend any of my tools to anyone. In this case, the gantry wouldn't leave my garage unless I move somewhere else and then it would stay in that garage/shop.

[lovemesomemachines]

The local fabricator passed on making the gantry for me. It looks like I'll have to make it with 80/20 parts after all.

[SVS]

Curious what capability you have for drilling and sawing, and what you expect the 80/20 material to cost?

Idly brainstorming price comparison and what sort of flat iron and angle iron clips I’d use to bolt a gantry together if my welding hand caught gingivitis or something......

[J Tiers]

The beam rests on the posts, that's strong and no fasteners in shear.

Angle clips to hold the beam in place, from the post web (if it is I-beam) to the beam flange. Gusset braces from flange-to-flange between post and beam. Don't need to be plate, can be angle or t-pieces. Angle is easiest.

Angle clips are the best plan in general for bolting/riveting. Long history in ships, buildings, and bridges, work well, and can be made with a hacksaw and drill, starting with ordinary steel angle.

Size of the beam depends on span, and allowable sag.

[BCRider]

Re my sketch.. Now it's not there for me either. So let's try again. By now you've likely made up how you want to do it anyway but you or someone else might get something out of this.

Here we go ONE MORE TIME ! ! !

[JoeLee]

There are hundreds of different designs out there. Should be no problem copying and or modifying any of them to fit your space constraints.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=portable+gantry+cranes+for+home+shop&t=ffnt&atb=v224-1&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

If it's something that is going to spend more time in storage than in use then I would bolt it together so it can be easily disassembled and stored.



JL..............

[BCRider]

If it's something that is going to spend more time in storage than in use then I would bolt it together so it can be easily disassembled and stored.

JL..............

Yep. Unless our hobby is moving big heavy things around for fun then this is always the case.

One thing with a gantry as being discussed in this thread is that it can nestle into a spot with other items placed around it and within the arch of the gantry. And when stowed away like this it effectively disappears into the shop "background" until wheeled out to use.

[JoeLee]

Yep. Unless our hobby is moving big heavy things around for fun then this is always the case.

One thing with a gantry as being discussed in this thread is that it can nestle into a spot with other items placed around it and within the arch of the gantry. And when stowed away like this it effectively disappears into the shop "background" until wheeled out to use.

That's right. But what if someday you have to move it for what ever reason and you welded it together?

Suppose you find a nice machine somewhere and the only way to move it and load it on your truck or trailer is with small gantry crane.

JL................

[reggie_obe]

There are hundreds of different designs out there. Should be no problem copying and or modifying any of them to fit your space constraints.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=portable+gantry+cranes+for+home+shop&t=ffnt&atb=v224-1&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

If it's something that is going to spend more time in storage than in use then I would bolt it together so it can be easily disassembled and stored.



JL..............

Companies like Spanco, Wallace and others all make adjustable height/span gantry cranes that assemple with pins and quick release cotters.

[BCRider]

That's right. But what if someday you have to move it for what ever reason and you welded it together?

Suppose you find a nice machine somewhere and the only way to move it and load it on your truck or trailer is with small gantry crane.

JL................

And another agreement "yep". And that's where we come back to the idea of bolting the whole thing together instead of welding. Bolting gives us more options. Welding needs a different sort of .... er.... wrench...

[lovemesomemachines]

SVS...Thanks for the reply. I have a small DeWALT 12V hand drill; OK, you can laugh now. I know how much the 80/20 material costs as I created a spreadsheet BOM for it. It's definitely not cheap but cheaper than a gantry/crane professionally made. The bad part about a professionally made off the shelf gantry/crane is that it won't fit the spot in my garage. I can only imagine the price of one that a professional gantry maker would build for me.

BCRider...I can see your sketch now. Thanks.

JoeLee...Thank you for the reply. I really have been through the search engines looking at designs. I have a design in my head and a little on paper for my limited space. Luckily, at least in my case, I can push the gantry/crane up against the wall with my machine tool on the floor under it and it would be out of the way. At present, which of course is subject to change, I don't intend on taking that gantry/crane out of my garage unless I physically move to a new home.

The positive I guess using 80/20 material is that I could build it exactly how I want it.

[john b]

You should check out your local scrapyard aluminum pile. I found some 80 /20 at mine, great stuff and less expensive.

[jmarkwolf]

I hate to be "that guy" but 80/20 is insanely expensive and you can buy the HF 1 ton gantry for $600 right now as a member of the insider track club. This gantry can have its uprights cut down to fit under and 8' tall door.

I'm with Mike.

For the money the HF gantry is a good buy, although I wouldn't use it at rated capacity, change out the nuts and bolts to grade 8, and get better casters.

And if you don't need the telescoping uprights, you could probably remove them and adapt the I-beam directly to the fixed uprights.

[lovemesomemachines]

Ok...This is where I'm at. I've ordered 6, 1000 pound lockable casters from McMaster. I've ordered the aluminum extrusion from 80/20. I already had the 2000 pound Harbor Freight electric hoist. Other than waiting for my parts to come in, I'm wondering how I might attach the hoist to 2, 1-ton trolleys from Harbor Freight? I've taken some screenshots from those who have the same electric hoist that I have and their configurations. One screenshot shows a mounting plate on top of the hoist that attaches to the trolley swing rings, a couple of other screenshots show twisted shackles hanging on the trolley swing rings and I can't tell what the others are. The twisted shackles might work, however, I can't seem to find 2 that will accommodate the hoist's hanging brackets that are 1 and 15/16 inches wide. I'm not looking to do any fabricating here, just something easy to get the hoist attached as close to the trolleys as possible. Any ideas would be great.

I guess I could grind the hoist's hanging brackets back just enough to fit through the trolley swing rings.

[Dave C]

Since you don't want to do any fabricating, I don't have any suggestions. I could ask several questions though, but that would be pointless. I do have to ask about the 80/20 though. Who are you ordering it from, did I miss something?