Hoisting tools to the attic?
- Thread starter Brett K
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DanarchyCustoms
Well-known member
I saw a work shop in some magazine that the owner had a small garage with an attic. He used a boat winch and a pulley attached to the rafters to lift and lower plywood for storage above the garage. It was a pretty neat idea. I don't know about lifting a heavy table saw but its atleast an idea you can improve on to meet your needs.
I have a winch mounted to a piece of uni-strut. I plan to put it on a trolley so I can roll it to the side of the opening this spring. Its incredibly difficult to manage large items when the winch is in a fixed location. Im also hampered by my low ceiling clearance in the attic space.
I try to keep larger heavier items out of the attic however. My table saw is WAY too heavy to go in the attic but I do keep the kerosene heater up there in the summer, and the pushmowers up there in the winter.
I didnt build a platform because that just adds complexity to the situation. I just use a couple of lifting straps and chains. The way I figure it, if you can't harness it with a lifting strap or 2 it probably shouldn't be kept in a storage attic.
You can add a trolley system for the winch by using uni-strut or barn door tracks. I have also seen several lifting platforms made from barn door tracks mounted to the wall as a guide with a winch pulling the platform up. Lots of you tube videos of them.
I try to keep larger heavier items out of the attic however. My table saw is WAY too heavy to go in the attic but I do keep the kerosene heater up there in the summer, and the pushmowers up there in the winter.
I didnt build a platform because that just adds complexity to the situation. I just use a couple of lifting straps and chains. The way I figure it, if you can't harness it with a lifting strap or 2 it probably shouldn't be kept in a storage attic.
You can add a trolley system for the winch by using uni-strut or barn door tracks. I have also seen several lifting platforms made from barn door tracks mounted to the wall as a guide with a winch pulling the platform up. Lots of you tube videos of them.
RHD 4 LIFE
Well-known member
What about an electric winch with a steel framed box to make a sort of elevator like a mini miners lift!
machine_punk
Well-known member
I think it would be cool to use a 4-post lift which is tall enough to get to your second story...just make sure you plan for a hole that size.
bigdav160
Well-known member
I have a Harbor Freight electrical hoist mounted under my ridge.
It's great for bulkier items that are hard to handle.
It's great for bulkier items that are hard to handle.
Dustball
Well-known member
Truck bed hoist bolted to a secure base should do what you want.
Zeke
Well-known member
I cut a hole in the mezzanine deck in a former house and had a platform that would lower to the ground using a winch. If you have room overhead, it's the coolest thing you can do.
KenB
Well-known member
Some good ideas (including mine) in this thread: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26267&highlight=simple+hoist
Ken
Ken
gandalf23
New member
When my dad an I rebuilt his garage in the 90s we made the attic strong enough to hold tools. Until this past year it was just used for storage, but we recently moved most of the woodworking tools up there. The bandsaw and table saw are downstairs, but the sanders and lathes and the sand blast cabinet are all upstairs and useable up there. We've got a 4x8ish hole in the floor and above it an electric hoist mounted to the rafters. Before the electric hoist we used a chain hoist, but the electric one is tons easier.
I can't find a picture of the garage right now, but I have pictures of something similar we did on their house. When we remodeled their house we used doubled 2x12s for the ceiling joists so that we could store motors and stuff in the attic. The attic of the house extends out over the driveway to make a carport. We've got a 4x8 hole in the floor over the driveway and above that an electric hoist on a trolley. The trolley does not go down the whole length of the attic, just another 8 feet or so, enough room to get whatever it is into the attic. If it's heavy we put down a furniture dolly or something to wheel it around.
If the thing we are trying to lift is too heavy for the hoists, we can lift something up to 5,000 pounds on the steel beam we used to extend the attic out over the driveway. When we built it we welded a hook onto the beam and had a structural engineer check it out. We used it to unload dad's Monarch lathe, and it was about 4,000 pounds.
We built a wood box to haul stuff up, but really never used it. Usually we just hand carry small items up in boxes, and use straps to lift the equipment up. The one exception was when we moved a lot of the stuff we were storing in the garage attic to the house attic. We put wheels on the bottom of the box and would load it up in the garage attic, lower it down, wheel it down the driveway and lift it up into the house attic and unload it onto the shelves there. Not a fun couple of weeks. Although we did find a few things we'd been missing
I can't find a picture of the garage right now, but I have pictures of something similar we did on their house. When we remodeled their house we used doubled 2x12s for the ceiling joists so that we could store motors and stuff in the attic. The attic of the house extends out over the driveway to make a carport. We've got a 4x8 hole in the floor over the driveway and above that an electric hoist on a trolley. The trolley does not go down the whole length of the attic, just another 8 feet or so, enough room to get whatever it is into the attic. If it's heavy we put down a furniture dolly or something to wheel it around.
If the thing we are trying to lift is too heavy for the hoists, we can lift something up to 5,000 pounds on the steel beam we used to extend the attic out over the driveway. When we built it we welded a hook onto the beam and had a structural engineer check it out. We used it to unload dad's Monarch lathe, and it was about 4,000 pounds.
We built a wood box to haul stuff up, but really never used it. Usually we just hand carry small items up in boxes, and use straps to lift the equipment up. The one exception was when we moved a lot of the stuff we were storing in the garage attic to the house attic. We put wheels on the bottom of the box and would load it up in the garage attic, lower it down, wheel it down the driveway and lift it up into the house attic and unload it onto the shelves there. Not a fun couple of weeks. Although we did find a few things we'd been missing
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JasonTX
Well-known member
I have unistrut with a 4 wheeled trolley in the peak of my shed roof. Hanging from that is a 1/2 ton chain hoist. Hanging from that is a HF engine load leveller for load spreading and balance. Hanging from that, by 4 chains, is a Yakima roof basket, and that is where the stuff goes that need to go "upstairs."
What capacity hoist do you have? I have a mezzaine overhead (12' off the floor) that I want to build a hoist to pickup a 4'x6' platform to bring 4 wheelers, jet skis, whatever upstairs to work on them...thinking limiting to 2500 pounds, but need some cool ideas on how to do it. I would perfer to raise off the side edge of the mezzaine...
mdbeck1
Well-known member
I saw thread here a while back using unistrut...
....aha... here it is http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=164814
You might be able to do something like this...
OldracerJones
Well-known member
gm54210
Well-known member
I think Stinger has a great set-up - linked below (part of the thread KenB posted). I'm in the process of acquiring parts to do the same thing in my garage.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=698955&postcount=38
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=698955&postcount=38
Metal-Marc
Well-known member
I have a Harbor Freight electrical hoist mounted under my ridge.
It's great for bulkier items that are hard to handle.
I had a similar hoist mounted on an H-Beam so I could hoist motorcycles, ie 800 lbs FLH, upstairs for winter storage.
zappman
Well-known member
My current Garage / Shop has an upstairs that amongst a gazillion other things, I store tools I don't use all the time (pressure washer, sandblaster, etc.) Here is what I came up with.
I cut and re-framed a 4' X 4' opening in the floor, and mounted that same HF winch being posted in this thread, in the peak.
Then I built a cage to lift things in. (even large things are easier to lift in the cage (if they'll fit) than just hooking the cable to them (I'll tell you why in a moment)
The cage works well after solving it's major problem. (which is also the problem that lifting things without the cage causes).
You'll want to mount a pulley onto the cage that a guild wire (or rope) can run on to keep the cage from turning round and round and twisting the cable up while being lifted. (Which is also what just hooking the cable directly to the item tends to cause.
Now, the trashed out condition of the shop in these pics caused me to almost not just go out there and take them for you. (embarrassing) So please understand that I am in the process of building an entirely new shop building: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229132
So everything is thrown around and in total chaos in this shop as a result.
Also, because this system has worked out so well for keeping things I wouldn't be able to get up the pull down ladder stored up there out of the way, my new building is designed with a loft area and I am building a lift in it as well.
The new lift will be improved by being built against the back wall instead of it coming down in the middle of the shop (which wasn't an option in the old shop).
It will have pillars in it's 4 corners that casters mounted sideways on the cage will run against keeping it stable and straight in motion.
I hope this helps, and gives you some ideas.
I cut and re-framed a 4' X 4' opening in the floor, and mounted that same HF winch being posted in this thread, in the peak.
Then I built a cage to lift things in. (even large things are easier to lift in the cage (if they'll fit) than just hooking the cable to them (I'll tell you why in a moment)
The cage works well after solving it's major problem. (which is also the problem that lifting things without the cage causes).
You'll want to mount a pulley onto the cage that a guild wire (or rope) can run on to keep the cage from turning round and round and twisting the cable up while being lifted. (Which is also what just hooking the cable directly to the item tends to cause.
Now, the trashed out condition of the shop in these pics caused me to almost not just go out there and take them for you. (embarrassing) So please understand that I am in the process of building an entirely new shop building: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229132
So everything is thrown around and in total chaos in this shop as a result.
Also, because this system has worked out so well for keeping things I wouldn't be able to get up the pull down ladder stored up there out of the way, my new building is designed with a loft area and I am building a lift in it as well.
The new lift will be improved by being built against the back wall instead of it coming down in the middle of the shop (which wasn't an option in the old shop).
It will have pillars in it's 4 corners that casters mounted sideways on the cage will run against keeping it stable and straight in motion.
I hope this helps, and gives you some ideas.
Thank you for this post.
Just trying to understand the cable/rope to keep the twisting from happening.
1. The rope look like it goes all the way to the floor past the cage. What keeps it in position
2. When you raise the cage up. What happens to the rope? Does it just stay in that position or does it pull back up into the attic?
Thank you
I want to do something like this only mine is smaller..just to get 55 galloon holiday tubes up to attic. I live in Fl too. Just moved down.
Just trying to understand the cable/rope to keep the twisting from happening.
1. The rope look like it goes all the way to the floor past the cage. What keeps it in position
2. When you raise the cage up. What happens to the rope? Does it just stay in that position or does it pull back up into the attic?
Thank you
I want to do something like this only mine is smaller..just to get 55 galloon holiday tubes up to attic. I live in Fl too. Just moved down.
joes99
Active member
Truck bed hoist bolted to a secure base should do what you want.
I have a setup similar to this with a strap boat hoist, needs fine tuning. It's bolted to the lvl and swings out through the doorway to the open floor space. lifted fenders and doors easily
I have attic trusses for LIGHT storage. I cut a 4’x 22 1/2” ( span of rafters) opening. I put a pulley up top and run the winch off a receiver mounted hitch on the PU or tractor. I didn’t want to dedicate the winch to only the attic. It works well for what I want to lift.
DeucesAllin
New member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2018
- Messages
- 4
I anchored a HF UTV winch to my rental garage floor to pull rollers up my driveway.
Ive serioisly thhought of suspending a ****** block from the attic tressels and pulling my axles up out of the way...
Sent from my SM-J700P using Tapatalk
Ive serioisly thhought of suspending a ****** block from the attic tressels and pulling my axles up out of the way...
Sent from my SM-J700P using Tapatalk
dfiler2
Well-known member
RWorth
Well-known member
Brett, I bought this on Craigslist. It'll lift 1000 lbs and it's big enough to ride up with your tools or parts, eliminated the need for a ladder in my shop. Best thing I ever bought for storage. Makes it easy to store anything that used to be on the floor in my way.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=736014&stc=1&d=1518433887
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=736014&stc=1&d=1518433887
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How high will that go?
My Old Tools
Well-known member
nolimits76
Well-known member
I've seen a few of these. Some are made & sold commercially. There's always disclosures not to ride them as an elevator because there is no secondary catch safe in the event of a failure.
lakeroadster
Well-known member
Slick...
Seems like it would be easy enough to build a ratcheting safety stop, similar to the ones used on a 2-post / 4 post lift.
_________________________________________
I built a stairway...
Initially I used a tall Werner 300# rated step ladder to access the loft, after about a year of that it was proven to not be very safe and it was a pain dragging the ladder out every time I wanted something.
What I learned was the stairway really isn't taking up any more space.. I placed my welder, welding table, engine stand, and engine hoist under the stairway, items that were already in the space anyway.
The easier it is to access a space, the more the space will be used.
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Barnabas
Well-known member
The rope is taut and permanently attached to the floor, and you can see where it attaches next to the winch. The rope does not move. The rope and the pulley keeps the platform pointing in the same direction throughout the journey. Think of the rope as the railroad track. Instead of the rope and pulley, you could use a steel cable and a hole in the edge of the platform.