Hello all

[MPMO]

I just found your group via a Pinterest photo of a home built crane, but cannot find it here in a search of all crane posts. I have been looking for a simple way to hoist groceries and furniture up to my new first floor level when my home is finished being rebuilt (due to Hurricane Sandy). With it 10' up from grade and my knees shot it is going to be a lot of trouble without a lift of some sort. I will have a deck at the side door where I want to mount a jib or something, maybe just a pulley or chain hoist on a pole 7-8 feet above the deck.
I am open to any suggestions, and really appreciate any help.
Here is the front of the new house, under construction.

So, who am I?
Well, I never made it to Jack of all trades, but tried a few times. I was a salesman several times, a theater stage hand, a movie theater projectionist many times and places, a manager at many of those movie theaters, a cad drafter for a few civil engineering companies and other odd jobs over the years.
Married, kids grown and gone, mostly, and now 'laid off' for lack of work, but replaced by engineering grads for 1/2 my pay rate / benefits. Funny how no one wants to hire you after you get old & experienced enough to be competent!

If I can help anyone here with suggestions, questions or something I can do, I will. I look forward to reading through your posts, and will endeavor to post some of my own. I am usually a lurker not a talker.

What I have read so far seems like you guys are all great people with good minds, and I look forward to joining in. I hope you will enjoy whatever I can offer!

[Jon]

Hi MPMO - welcome to HomemadeTools.net

I wonder if something along the lines of a shingle lift might be helpful: Homemade Tools Search: shingle

[Toolmaker51]

Hello MPMO
In agreement with Jon about shingle lift; though my choice runs to a vertical material lift. The incline of shingle lift uses a lot of space. Rather like a forklift inside a pair of wheeled outriggers. Less balance and footing worries and you'll have something useful later on. Should you find one used, it could run less than a few weeks of renting. I bought one, $375 that elevates 500lbs from 4'' to 16'. There are sections that add to the column, 4' and 1' in length, that telescope via a cable winch to raise or lower. Plus it is transportable, break it down, fits through a doorway. Hard to beat. I'll use it first to drywall the overhead. Being way sturdier than average sheet lift; it will be my 'freight elevator' to a storage mezzanine later. Found on craigslist, many on ebay too. Two well known are Genie and Sumner.

[C-Bag]

Greetings MPMO. Welcome aboard.

This place can be a little daunting at first because there are so many nooks and crannies/sub forums. And I agree with you it can be kind of hard to do a search and come up with something relevant when you don't know the exact terminology. I've found more stuff by wandering than by searching. You just have to be aware of the stuff that comes up around the edges of the screen as you wander.

Here the more info you can supply about your project the more likely you are to get help. Probably 99% are lurkers but like my buddy Toolmaker51 there are those of us who would love to help if we feel we can. The one relevant piece of info left out of your inquiry is budget, what do you want to spend? Without that we don't know what to suggest. I know we all want to spend the least amount but the next big piece of info we need is what kind of equipment do you have? Are you a wood guy or a metalman? You can get by cheap if you have materials and and tools. But if not you have to go more off the shelf.

With that said TM51's suggestion of a material lift is a dandy. Never really seen one of those around here and don't have a need but IMHO I think that's the way I'd go too. Whether it was a used one or one I fabbed up out of channel iron, skateboard wheels and and a Harbor Freight cheapo electric wench. It would just be finding that sweet spot between skill, equipment and $$$.

[Toolmaker51]

C-Bag said...Greetings MPMO. Welcome aboard. I've found more stuff by wandering than by searching.

C-Bag's comment struck an immediate chord with me. So much so, dropping my current sign-off for that instead. QM1 USN whoopi-doo; maybe that was trying to impress you guys. I'd prefer to INSPIRE!

When I began machining, made a point of finding as much printed materials as possible, and that continues. Duplication isn't the goal, broad subject matter is. Wound up with something like a library. There is so much 'engineering' 'design' and 'creative solutions' in the older material they are well worth space allotted.
Submitting to internet in mid-90's didn't change that, but the web certainly holds more than any of us could absorb. HMT.net is a network; oldies communicating with newbies, sharing in both directions.
'Newbie' and 'lurker' aren't putdowns - it shows desire to learn - each of us are new to something that expands our knowledge base. Certainly, we enjoy the community of like-minded personalities.
And there's not been a 'poser' or 'wannabe' in sight.

Sincerely