Poor Mans Storage Lift

[IBenDcars]

Just thinking out loud, would the doubters feel better if they were pressurized. A steel airbag if you will.

Like how many psi you talking? Like 10 or so or are you going to pump them up until the drums start to deform?

 

[Ironcrow]

Well, you could fill them with concrete....

 

[Farmall450]

Neat lift, and nice CC Cyclops. I might investigate how strong the drums are, or fab up my own stands.

 

[JRC3]

Like how many psi you talking? Like 10 or so or are you going to pump them up until the drums start to deform?

Fill them on a hot day and seal them off...Then, the cold rolls in one night...

 

[The Cobbler]

Like how many psi you talking? Like 10 or so or are you going to pump them up until the drums start to deform?

10 psi would do major bulging I suspect .

I'm not sure I agree with he naysayers. by no means do I know engineering, but comparing the metal in a 2 ton jack stand vs the metal in a drum, not sure I see an issue .
and it takes quite a force to damage a drum.

 

[Farmall450]

To me, it's all about the weight distribution. If the forces are perfectly aligned, you're good. If not, you're not good. Without understanding all the forces, you're just guessing.

Ding ding ding. I doubt he'll have any problems.

 

[James-W]

Personally, I wouldn't do what he is doing, but I figure the opening poster can do whatever he wants.

 

[rburke65]

I have a 9,000# Mohawk and I still put two of these tall jack stands under my impala while I’m under it

 

[JRC3]

Two stands won't stop a car from falling. A table needs no less than 3 legs.

 

[kursplat]

Just thinking out loud, would the doubters feel better if they were pressurized. A steel airbag if you will.

i'd feel better if they were filled with concrete

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

We take drums to the local spray foam shop when we need floats for pumps. Even with sealant and very tight bungs it seemed they would eventually take on water, not to mention the inevitable lead poisoning they would suffer. Some are still in use as floats after 30 years even when the barrels have rusted clear through. Spray foam does make them resistant to crushing as well but still light enough to easily move around. Ed.

 

[Falcon67]

Two stands won't stop a car from falling. A table needs no less than 3 legs.

IMHO it's not so much about preventing a fall as it would be for buying time to escape. Kinda like the bear gets the slowest runner.

 

[glmron]

Neat lift, and nice CC Cyclops. I might investigate how strong the drums are, or fab up my own stands.

I already tested the drums by setting an 1800 lb block of steel on it at my shop, not worried about the drums.

I have two cc cyclops, one for mowing and one with a snowblower, they are great.

I also have a Cub, Super M and an F12.

 

[Farmall450]

I already tested the drums by setting an 1800 lb block of steel on it at my shop, not worried about the drums.

I have two cc cyclops, one for mowing and one with a snowblower, they are great.

I also have a Cub, Super M and an F12.

Good looking fleet. I have a C, M, and the 450 pictured.

My dad has an F12, they're neat tractors. No cyclops for me, tho I'd love to find a Super Cub Cadet Diesel one! I do have a 1282, though.

 

[bad_idea]

Nope. Not a chance I would get under that.

 

[4 Ever-Fish N]

OP, I think you're spending too much time and energy doing something that is not needed. You have a ton of room in that building. If nothing else, get a small portable building to put the 2 riding mowers in.

 

[bugnut]

Lets regress and review. Drums filled with a hard to compress material, air, foam, water, cement, etc. would hold a considerable amount of weight. Much more than the less than 2000 lbs sitting on each of the barrels.
Go out in your garage, put water or foam in a steel tube and see how much force it takes to compress. You most likely won't do it by hand and you might be able to do it with a vise. OR if you really want to have fun take a caulking tube or grease cartridge and try to compress it end to end.....

My .02 fill them with spray foam put a stop on each end and top and bottom of the boards that the tire sits on and leave it be.

Too much worry about nothing.

 

[Shiftless]

Hey this is GJ!
Where many consider massive overkill to be barely adequate.
Fill them with concrete like ironcrow previously suggested.

A 55 gallon drum is about 20 inches in diameter.
Ordinary concrete has a compressive strength of at least 2000 psi.
So the cross sectional area of the column is about 300 square inches.
That works out to a load bearing capacity of around 600,000 pounds or 30 tons for each barrel.

But of course at 1000 pounds each, then they would be a bit difficult to move out of the way when you wanted to put the truck back on the ground.

 

[JRC3]

What about using compressed air?

...Delivered by PVC airlines.

 

[JamesW84]

Hey this is GJ!
Where many consider massive overkill to be barely adequate.
Fill them with concrete like ironcrow previously suggested.

A 55 gallon drum is about 20 inches in diameter.
Ordinary concrete has a compressive strength of at least 2000 psi.
So the cross sectional area of the column is about 300 square inches.
That works out to a load bearing capacity of around 600,000 pounds or 30 tons for each barrel.

But of course at 1000 pounds each, then they would be a bit difficult to move out of the way when you wanted to put the truck back on the ground.

a 5 gallon bucket of concrete is about 90-100 lb. = about 1100 lb per barrel

Put them on pallets and use a pallet jack or rig a way to use the lift he has

 

[rust in the eye]

I don't think full or empty makes a difference unless they completely full, no air, of uncompressible liquid.


Sound barrels out of harms way wouldn't concern me. One getting dented would.

 

[glmron]

Nope. Not a chance I would get under that.

I plan on removing the gas tanks, exhaust, transmission and doing other work under the truck while on the drums.

It is a very stable set up, the pictures make it look scary and that is why I posted them.

I enjoy the abuse on here.

 

[AMCguy]

If nothing else this thread has generated some good discussion, math equations, humor, advise, criticism, anecdotes and insults. Well done OP.

Glenn

 

[jtbinvalrico]

As they are, they clearly hold up the truck. The most likely mode of failure would be another machine, like one of the mowers, striking the side of a barrel and compromising its ability to bear the load.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[JRC3]

These may not be as cheap as some barrels, but way less than a lift if storage is your goal. And way safer than those big 55g beer cans. Well worth the 400 bucks I spent.

 

[rnixon]

Safety is just a relative term

 

[JRC3]

The longer you look, the worse it gets...

OMG, they're gonna load that engine and trans on that rusted out Toyota frame ?! *bites fingernails*

 

[Plastikosmd]

I would be very cautious about actually “working” on the truck vs simple storage.

I would not be climbing underneath and removing gas tank/transmission as you were indicating. The pushing/pulling/lifting/catching of heavy objects can shift the vehicle causing it to roll, tilt etc.

 

[bobj49f2]

I plan on removing the gas tanks, exhaust, transmission and doing other work under the truck while on the drums.

It is a very stable set up, the pictures make it look scary and that is why I posted them.

I enjoy the abuse on here.

I thought this was a dicey set up when I first saw the pictures but now that you add that you're planning on working under it and moving around major parts that's going to take a lot of hammering, moving major parts that's crazy IMO.

This isn't life and death to anybody but the OP, who is fully informed and making his own decision. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anybody, but it obviously falls within his risk level.

We used to use barrels on the farm to hold up things. One use I saw a lot of was to hold up a truck bed that was removed between seasons to change the use of the truck.

What I also remember seeing several times was a barrel that had failed, and dropped that truck bed to the ground.

A lot of things that seem to make sense, and that guys get away with, work 99% of the time. I think this is one of those things. Like using concrete blocks to hold up a car. I've seen it done hundreds of times. I recall seeing one fail once, and that was enough to convince me to not do it. Ever. I didn't try to figure out why it failed, so as to change the use. Maybe putting a 2x8 on top of it would have worked? Maybe making sure it was level and no gravel under it? The problem is that you don't know if that fixes it or not until it's been used tens of thousands of times without a problem. The failure doesn't occur often enough to give you reliable information, but can easily be fatal the small percentage of the time it happens.

Why would you use barrels to do something like this when there are other reliable and known solutions that would work to create similar storage space? Just because you are a "poor man" doesn't mean that you need to take chances that have a higher than normal probability of ending up with you dead or injured. In fact, being poor probably means that your family is least able to cope with a death or a permanent disability. Or even a damaged truck from falling off a makeshift stand.

You said it, couldn't have said it better.

I would be very cautious about actually “working” on the truck vs simple storage.

I would not be climbing underneath and removing gas tank/transmission as you were indicating. The pushing/pulling/lifting/catching of heavy objects can shift the vehicle causing it to roll, tilt etc.

 

[JR 42]

Are there even lids on those drums? I can't tell from the pictures.

I'm not anything close to an engineer... I'm sure they'll hold a static load just fine. I'd be really, really worried about any movement, though.

Ever balance one-footed on an empty beer can, then tap the side of the can with your other foot? You get nearly instantaneous results. Stand on a full sealed can, do the same thing, nothing happens.

I like taking risks but have an aversion to being crushed... so if it were me and I was dead- set on using empty drums I'd put lids on them after filling them completely with water.

 

[bobj49f2]

Filling the barrels with cement, sand or water would be a PIA and a mess and huge hassle to move around. I don't see anyone doing this.

 

[laser3kw]

this exercise demonstrates "column strength". When the load is applied straight down axially, column strength is all compressive. As long as compressive forces are not greater than yield strength and there is equilibrium and no deflection, you're good.. Columns fail when the equilibrium is disturbed and there is deflection / buckling
The concern I would have is, if someone were to run into one of the barrels and dent it, down it comes.

 

[ford33]

When the OP stops posting, then we will know when this failed.

 

[Cobra5150]

When the OP stops posting, then we will know when this failed.

Post of the day

 

[theundermount]

 

[Mr_fixit]

I got 4 more drums for you. Will you put them on top of the 4 you have. Doesn't that truck need an oil change?

 

[Old Man Roger]

This reminds me of a water bed display from back in the day. They had a full water bed set up on dixie cups, they did it to prove to people it wouldn't fall through the floor..lol

 

[Bogie1632]

Lol... Were the dixie cups at least filled with cement?

 

[Old Man Roger]

Lol... Were the dixie cups at least filled with cement?

Tiny little jack stands hidden under each cup..lol

 

[JRC3]

And I bet no one was allowed withing a few feet of it, one bump or shift and...