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I need some fresh eyes to look at my lifting set-up. Safe or Not?

John Conroy

John Conroy

member
Premium Member
I have to load the base this mill, I'm guessing close to 2000lbs. It has to lifted high enough for a 23 inch tall trailer to back under it. I have removed the head and ram and cut a piece of 2" X 3" tube (1/4" wall) that extends 1 inch under each side to the ram bore. I welded a 1/2" nut inside the tube and a 1/2" eye bolt is threaded into it. The tube is held securely in the ram bore by 2 fabricated clamps on 1/2" studs. The crane boom is extended to the 1 ton setting. A short length of 5/16" chain is held to the crane with a 3/8" grade 5 through bolt. I have lifted it a couple of inches off the floor and it tips forward quite a bit so that the bottom pivots rearward and kind of wedges into the V of the engine crane's horizontal legs so if I lift it high enough to clear the crane legs I won't be able to set it down on the floor again.
This is the heaviest thing I've ever lifted with this crane and it's making me very nervous. I would appreciate some input from those of you who move heavy stuff around.





 
With it tipping so much are you going to be able to hoist it high enough for the trailer to get under it?
 
John Conroy said:
I have to load the base this mill, I'm guessing close to 2000lbs. It has to lifted high enough for a 23 inch tall trailer to back under it. I have removed the head and ram and cut a piece of 2" X 3" tube (1/4" wall) that extends 1 inch under each side to the ram bore. I welded a 1/2" nut inside the tube and a 1/2" eye bolt is threaded into it. The tube is held securely in the ram bore by 2 fabricated clamps on 1/2" studs. The crane boom is extended to the 1 ton setting. A short length of 5/16" chain is held to the crane with a 3/8" grade 5 through bolt. I have lifted it a couple of inches off the floor and it tips forward quite a bit so that the bottom pivots rearward and kind of wedges into the V of the engine crane's horizontal legs so if I lift it high enough to clear the crane legs I won't be able to set it down on the floor again.
This is the heaviest thing I've ever lifted with this crane and it's making me very nervous. I would appreciate some input from those of you who move heavy stuff around.





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What if you put a rigid tube bracket from the top of your 2"x3" tube to the bottom of the crane boom would that not prevent the mill base from angling rearward and tangling with the cranes horizontal legs?
 
Try SunbeltRentals in Edmonton for one of their Lift Bed trailers. They work really well for heavy stuff as you can basically slide it on without having to lift very much. The trailer deck goes right onto the ground. Back into the shop/garage and lift the mill just high enough to get it over the lip and slide it up unto the deck using a come-along tied to your truck. Secure and away you go. Unloading is the reverse process.

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https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/equipment/detail/1413/0241717/12ft-lift-bed-tandem-axle-trailer-10k/
 
Can you secure a 2x4 frame between the base of the mill and the bottom of the ram mount? This would prevent the mill from tipping forward and will actually raise the front as you lift the mill.
Does your lifting eye thread completely thru the nut welded inside the tube? You want at least three threads showing past the nut with that kinda weight.
RobinHood - that is a neat trailer.
 
I'm no rigging/lifting expert. I don't know what might cause the little support pieces (red arrow) to shift or worse yet pop out, but it might be a chain reaction after that? Maybe a similar top bar (orange) with through bolts into lower bar out near the ends for max clamping force? That way you can still get your eye bolt positioned to (I assume CofG).
 

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In your case you could even go with the engine crane onto the trailer first and lift the back of the mill over the lip as you pull with the come-along as the mill wants to tilt forward anyway. Then just slide it the rest of the way with the tail just barely lifted off the deck. Unhook the crane once in position on the deck. The machine will never be more that 1/4” above a solid surface. So totally safe.
 
RobinHood said:
Try SunbeltRentals in Edmonton for one of their Lift Bed trailers. They work really well for heavy stuff as you can basically slide it on without having to lift very much. The trailer deck goes right onto the ground. Back into the shop/garage and lift the mill just high enough to get it over the lip and slide it up unto the deck using a come-along tied to your truck. Secure and away you go. Unloading is the reverse process.

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https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/equipment/detail/1413/0241717/12ft-lift-bed-tandem-axle-trailer-10k/
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That is similar to the level load trailer I referred to. Wrong location for this trip though. The mill is coming to Regina area.
 
I can get it to lift level if I add a second chain to an eye bolt in the t-slot. Regular t-slot nut and a 1/2" eye bolt. Two lift point now sharing the load. Comments?





 
I have done a lift like you John with an engine hoist way up in the air. Didn't have any problems but the mill was lighter than yours. Probably a bad idea I won't do it that way again.

Two alternatives both of which I've used moving mills.

Alternative 1
John C. (Dabbler) helped me move one mill outside just on simple metal bar rollers maybe 3 or 4 of them. Only had to lift the mill up 1.5" with a long pry bar and a bunch of wood blocking. Easy and safe. About 0.5" thick wood planking one layer at a time. Then roll it outside into the alley onto a level piece of plywood by blocking up the plywood. Then the picker truck I hired picked up the mill and transported it to the buyer. Very safe lift. and not expensive $250ish. This is simplest and quickest and safest I think.

I can't find the pictures :(

Alternative 2
We did this method when I sold a mill to Kevin Descelles. John C and JohnWa were there to help.
Get a car trailer (with a ramp!). Roll the mill out to the alley using the same Roman roller bar approach as above. Then using TWO come alongs winch the mill up on to the car trailer with the rollers as wheels. Two people on the come alongs to keep it even. The come alongs are anchored at the far corners of the trailer with the leads down to the mill. Slow and steady it's pretty safe but not as safe as the picker truck.
 
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John Conroy said:
I can get it to lift level if I add a second chain to an eye bolt in the t-slot. Regular t-slot nut and a 1/2" eye bolt. Two lift point now sharing the load. Comments?





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I WOULD NOT DO THIS JOHN!

I think this is risking damage to your table.

Looks like you sold your mill already!
 
Could you put an eyebolt in each corner, where the feet went? Then use a chain on each corner, lengthen or shorten the chain until it lifts level. Reason being you’re keeping the rigging points low, so you’re lifting straight up. Four points of contact spreads out lifting all that weight instead of lifting all in one or two spots
 
Yeah, I remember this day well

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In hindsight...... went well but I’d probably rent a picker or forklift next time

Offload was 10 minutes with a gantry

I echo Janger’s concern re: attaching to the table. Seen too many tables with blown out castings

When I bought my larger shaper we used tie jacks to build a pyre of wood beneath it to get to the 24” height. That worked because of the low center of gravity, I won’t do that again


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Chicken lights said:
Could you put an eyebolt in each corner, where the feet went? Then use a chain on each corner, lengthen or shorten the chain until it lifts level. Reason being you’re keeping the rigging points low, so you’re lifting straight up. Four points of contact spreads out lifting all that weight instead of lifting all in one or two spots
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I think that could mean it could tip really easily. The center of gravity would be above the lifting points. I would not do this.
 
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