Over Head lifting Mounting Hooks

[DRJZ1974]

This was somewhat addressed in another post, but did not quite get the answers I was looking for. I would like to mount a few hooks in the ceiling of my garage to hook a chain hoist for lifting objects mostly between 100 to 200lbs. However there is one thing I would like to lift (my air compressor) that weighs 450lbs. Can I mount some eye hooks to joists as attachments points or will this be too little of support? My ceiling is already sheet rocked and the attic part is difficult to access. Any suggestion on if and how this would be possible? The I-beam rail system is not an option.

Thanks

 

[Red Green]

This is some stuff I have observed. If you do it you are taking responsibility for any and all damage to life, limb and shop.

I have seen guys take a 4x4 and lay it length ways across the top of several rafters (the more the better) and use a chain fall to lift motors in and out of cars. They cut a small hole in the drywall and dropped a short chain through the hole and wraped it around the 4x4 to hang the chain fall from.

 

[DRJZ1974]

Thanks Red Green, I am really trying to avoid going up into the attic and cutting holes down through the sheet rock if possible. I think the 100 to 200lbs loads should be fine with a heavy eye screw (have at least seen them rated for 250lbs). Just not sure about lifting the air compressor from one though... Fastenal sells these guys:

http://www.fastenal.com/web/products.ex?Ne=999601922&N=999601956+4294964267&Nty=0

but that doesn't say anything for what you mount it to. I have an email in to Fastenal's engineers for suggestions too.

 

[35mastr]

I would not try to lift 400-500 pounds off of one rafter and that small hook.

 

[DRJZ1974]

35mastr
I am thinking you are right. I will see if the Fastenal engineers have any ideas tomorrow. The 100 to 200lbs shouldn't be too much problem I would not think. Now that I think about it, we have hung deer (200+lbs) from similar lag style hooks for many years in my uncles garage with never a problem.

 

[DRJZ1974]

Any opinions this morning? Just looking for ideas of what others are doing in their garage.

 

[Holedgr]

You can't safely have your cake and eat it too.....what you must consider is the hook opening up (most screw-in are not closed loops) from the jerking motion from the load being raised. The guys that are referencing the deer hanging from the hook, get hung, then just HANG there...no movement, no jerking....
I just would not want to hear about you dropping the compressor and getting hurt or the compressor getting F'd up.
Get a piece of 3" x 3" x 1/4" angle with 1/4" holes drilled in at the spacing of 3 of your ceiling joists....get a 1/2" closed loop eye-bolt (not screw) and bolt through the angle, then lag bolt into the bottom of the ceiling joists...(at least 6) This replicates the screw eye hook concept, spreads the load and almost triples the capacity....450lbs, though....

I have done this method before....but measured the deflection of the ceiling joists as I lifted (~560 lbs) and saw no more than 3/4" of deflection(sagging) as I lifted. I went slow......and released the load slow as well....

Be safe....

-T

 

[DRJZ1974]

Thanks Holedgr,
This is the kind of advice I am looking for. The good thing is that the mounting point is near the wall, instead of in the middle of the garage where it has less support.

 

[sberry]

Buy a HF folding cherry picker, you will get a lot of use from it.

 

[Auzivision]

U channel found in electrical conduit or piping section of your local big box home center is great for this kind of work and reasonable priced. In the pictures below you can see about a 4 ft section I used to mount my hoist to the ceiling. What you can’t see is the 2 2X4 beam installed in the attic that distributes the load across 4 rafter joists.

I would think that 4 joists could easy suspend 450 even with lag bolts (decent sized like ½”). Here is my reasoning while it’s not an exact science; I regularly stand on one joist all the time. I weight over 220 LBS so I would say it’s fairly safe to assume they can easily handle 150 lbs each.

Then think about porch swings; they are connected with a couple lag bolts and hold up a couple people no problem… so lag bolts can probably hold 150 lbs each or more. I have a personally supported my weight with just one.

Using these conservative estimates, there is at least 600 lbs capacity holding 450lbs… all at a cost of about $25. I’m pretty sure you could get by with less, but why bother?

 

[StingRay]

Technically the bottom chord of a normal W roof truss could be replaced by a rope and is a tension member in the truss. It is in no way rated for anything more than 7 psf dead load for drywall and insulation. They are built strong enough for you to walk on the bottom chord when constructing the building or working in the attic. At that some manufacturers will caution you about that. Lifting 500lbs on a point load from one is not a good idea. Drilling holes in the bottom chord is not a good idea. Liken the holes to cutting strands of the rope. If you must lift from them spread the load across as many as you can. I'm not saying there aren't things that can be done to be able to support weight off of a truss or that I wouldn't consider it but you would definitely have to go into the attic and you'd be the one holding the bag if your building comes down around you.