Steve. You could buy 2 steel U channels match drilled at least 8” wide. An engineer would have to spec out the necessary weight per foot of the steel. Bolt them to both sides and you should be good to go.
Wood beam
- Thread starter Steve welder
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Steve welder
Well-Known Member
If you mean the weight of the steel per foot I have the book. I could use almost anything, I suppose 3/8 by 6 flat bar the hard way on both sides drilled and bolted through would also work, sq tubing, 4 '' I beam
Problem is the garage door mounting hardware is in the way
What I should do as the car is done and running good is drive it the hundred miles to my daughters house and free up my garage to build a custom gantry, plus I can build a trailer for the machine, that would work well.
Another option i might do is make the gantry were the I beam is bolted to the legs so I can transport it from a shop I can use to my house
Steve welder
Well-Known Member
I wish I lived down your way, you'd never need worry about welding anything ever again and im sure between the two of us we could put together just about anything you'd need
lol. I'm sure. But I'll never be so fortunate. I can dream.
I know exactly what I have in mind. I want to build one that swivels on a pipe base. Up about 12' high, then about a 12' span of I beam and back down with pipe or I beam on the other side with a spindle and tire on that end to roll it in front of the shop for loading and unloading and then to be able roll around to the side of the shop for disassembly and cleaning. I even already have a really cool vintage chain hoist and a I beam trolley. I don't see it happening, though. lol
Sounds like a good plan. Well worth the time. I landed a 10’ wide 10’ high gantry this fall. And someone gave me a cool old chain hoist. All i have to find is my I beam trolley.
Ironracer
Gearhead
Ok, I started doing Structural Framing in 89... a 3/4" hole is not an issue. But a 4x6 is... for load and span. As stated above, you would be better off with 2 2x's, with plywood in the middle, glued and bolted. We use 1/2" through bolts for residential. Or, as , above, but a variation, you could get some 1/4" angle steel... if I knew exactly what you were trying to do, i could help Ya design edit: gonna start fromthe Top and reread
pishta
I know I'm right....
Steve welder
Well-Known Member
I have four pieces of 4x4 x 3/16 tubing 7' long in the backyard....its primed up and suppose to be used for the columns of a pavilion we want to build in the backyard.....My carpenter had a few things come up and couldn't start it this past fall
Now were seriously thinking do we want to spend the money to construct this as its going to be close to ten grand im sure, as moving may (or may not) be happening in a couple of years
I could use that tubing for the uprights and base. Id have to add a foot and half at least to the tubing I have but thats not a issue
Id probably uses a 3x3 x1/4 tubing for braces and than id need the I beam
Once I got everything together and then plates drilled im sure I could weld this up in a day
Im going to have seriously think about this and thanks for all the suggestions
Now were seriously thinking do we want to spend the money to construct this as its going to be close to ten grand im sure, as moving may (or may not) be happening in a couple of years
I could use that tubing for the uprights and base. Id have to add a foot and half at least to the tubing I have but thats not a issue
Id probably uses a 3x3 x1/4 tubing for braces and than id need the I beam
Once I got everything together and then plates drilled im sure I could weld this up in a day
Im going to have seriously think about this and thanks for all the suggestions
69FBCuda
Stand back 10' for your viewing pleasure & Safety
"Problem is the garage door mounting hardware is in the way"
Is this the garage door header? If yes I wouldn't use it for anything other than its intended purpose which is to hold up the Roof/Gable End and provide lateral support for the garage door. Less you want to pull the roof and wall down.
As far as the hole is concerned; when the lumber is graded at the mill the diameter and proximity of the knots determines the usable grade ie.. 2KD 1KD 2DKD ect.. The board or beam as you indicate is only as strong as the largest knot hole allows. If you see same size knots(3/4") check the distance between them and proximity to the edge, use that info as you guide in determining weather the hole is detrimental to the effectiveness of the beam.
Is this the garage door header? If yes I wouldn't use it for anything other than its intended purpose which is to hold up the Roof/Gable End and provide lateral support for the garage door. Less you want to pull the roof and wall down.
As far as the hole is concerned; when the lumber is graded at the mill the diameter and proximity of the knots determines the usable grade ie.. 2KD 1KD 2DKD ect.. The board or beam as you indicate is only as strong as the largest knot hole allows. If you see same size knots(3/4") check the distance between them and proximity to the edge, use that info as you guide in determining weather the hole is detrimental to the effectiveness of the beam.
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Steve welder
Well-Known Member
Its the header above the garage door that would be supporting roof, the door itself has a separate header
This header is held up by the same dimension wood in each conner of the garage. In addition there is studs and double studs were the garage door sits but as I said the actual span is eight foot
I pulled my small welding machine out of the back of my truck many times but that machine is 500/600 pounds, what I was thinking of lifting is double that and thinking about it, no good
I looked at the gantry crane in HF today, members price is $650
I dont care for the pipe supports it has, they are bolted on and look useless. The uprights welded to the base, the weld looks like its a 1/8 bead. The I beam is light and its supposedly rated for a ton
The steel and casters will cost me but what I make will be way stronger than that and I can custom make it for my garage.....So im going to price the materials and make one
Thanks for advise, always appreciated
Ironracer
Gearhead
I like the Steel Idea! If you ever did go wood, could you not add a 2nd beam, across the same span, add some bearing points, and make it outta micro Lam? Or just 2) 2x12 SYP, w 1/2" ply in the middle? Anyway, Metal IS STRONG!!!!! And YOU'RE THE METAL MAN!!!!!!! Have a Blessed New Year Steve! Peace,!
That's how I feel about the 318 mustang.
Steve welder
Well-Known Member
I cant control who replies but I will tell you I appreciate everyone I read and every guy who took the time to write
If I took a photo it would only show a garage door and finished sheet rock, which I believe I mentioned.
The question was and was repeated would be opinions on if a 3 1/2 x 6'' wood beam with a span of eight foot would support 1500lbs........That figure giving me some leeway, again that was stated more than once
I had my doubts and the others here reinforced that thought
While everyone means well, some of the guys here really know their stuff and are very experienced
Again everything posted if you were interested enough to read through all these posts you should have be able to comprehend that much
Steve welder
Well-Known Member
Thanks Ironracer!
Ive redid this garage a few times over the last 40 years
Never had the money or know how to do it right those first times but as I got older I learned
Originally when the walls were open I had a eye bolt through that beam and would hoist my welding machine in and out of the truck when need be, most times it was when I had a bigger job and was bring two machines but they were lighter machines and the beam was strong enough
The garage is all done over and that eyebolt is long gone
My problem is and always will be space, my car takes up the garage so everything is a major PIA to do
This gantry I would make would have to be done in a Truck garage were I work P/T and transported to my house
No, but the floor & Steve will care if that beam suffers a brash failure, gravity+distance=Big Ouchie!
jos51700
Green Bearing thread connoisseur
This is the first and only mention of a "6 inch diameter" in the entire thread. This forces a mental image of a round-section. Again, WTF are you talking about? First the load changes, now the shape is changing, and nobody else in this thread caught that or asked about it, so I'd caution you from accepting advice from a bunch of people that miss a critical detail like that. I've seen more engineering misinformation in this thread than I've seen in others in quite some time.
Nope, you never mentioned sheet rock anywhere, nor what you're ultimately trying to do, nor what space you're trying to do it in.
Although another person requested a photo, so I know I'm not the only one that's confused.
Are you trying to lift with the header in your garage?
You still have not said:
WHAT IS THE GOAL? Are you pulling a motor in your garage, but you don't have space? Please quote if you said what you're doing. Are you building a rotisserie? You said "weight dry/ no battery/ radiator empty" Are you picking up a car vertically, and it has no motor? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO? This could have MAJOR impacts on the answer to your question.
A piece of flat sheet steel can carry HUGE amounts of load on end without mechanical fail, no question. But the buckling gets you every time. Context is everything in an engineering question and the answers I'm seeing reflect that people don't understand the context.
Are you lifting your car over your motor/trans assembly? If so, are you trying to lift the whole car, or just the front? I can picture a million different things you're trying to do. Let's narrow it down to just one: The thing you're trying to do.
I've read this entire thread from end to end, twice. Don't get snarky. You asked an engineering question, I'm asking the engineering questions you should be answering in order to get a safe recommendation to help you out. Your ability to convey information isn't as great as you think it is, and other people asking the same questions in this thread (that you're also not answering) bears that out.
JFC, fire up MS Paint and draw something if you have to.
There, that's literally 3 minutes to draw if you don't have a camera phone. Edit: I forgot to include the sheet rock that's only mentioned once.
Steve welder
Well-Known Member
If your a mechanical engineer say so. What I do know is while I admit I might not be as efficient in conveying my thoughts, most seem to understand
The above post clearly states 3 1/2 x 6. Does that sound like anything round?
You seem to have a reading comprehension issue as it was posted over and over what I asked and thats opinions
Read it again
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jos51700
Green Bearing thread connoisseur
Ok
Your words, not mine.
I think you might have speaking comprehension issues.
Have a nice day.
Steve welder
Well-Known Member
I read it.. saw that and knew he meant to type height ! 
Phreakish
Well-Known Member
It sounds like you have a 4x6 'top plate' holding the roof, with a separate header over the garage door opening. I'm assuming the cavity between them includes cripples.
The 4x6"x8ft beam alone couldn't carry the weight, but the beam assembly which includes the cripples and door header are likely the reason it fared so well with lifting the welder in the past. It would take a lot more detail and knowledge to be able to say just how much weight the beam could 'actually' lift - plus we'd have to know more about the roof to figure out how much it's already bearing. You can see how this becomes a less-than-simple question.
An easier way would be to measure for deflection at the center of the door opening with a known load. Using that, you could extrapolate a conservative max load that you could hang from the beam before getting into iffy territory.
It sounds like you've already resolved not to use the beam for the 1200lbs lift, which is probably for the best anyway. It's bad enough to drop an engine or item, it's even worse when it takes the house with it!
The 4x6"x8ft beam alone couldn't carry the weight, but the beam assembly which includes the cripples and door header are likely the reason it fared so well with lifting the welder in the past. It would take a lot more detail and knowledge to be able to say just how much weight the beam could 'actually' lift - plus we'd have to know more about the roof to figure out how much it's already bearing. You can see how this becomes a less-than-simple question.
An easier way would be to measure for deflection at the center of the door opening with a known load. Using that, you could extrapolate a conservative max load that you could hang from the beam before getting into iffy territory.
It sounds like you've already resolved not to use the beam for the 1200lbs lift, which is probably for the best anyway. It's bad enough to drop an engine or item, it's even worse when it takes the house with it!
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