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Looking for ideas to jack up a layout

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  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: US
  • 3 posts
Looking for ideas to jack up a layout
Posted by frank-w44 on Friday, September 4, 2009 1:53 PM

 I need to jack up my around the wall layout 4.5 inches to clear work being done on the floor of my basement. My current idea is to jack up the layout with hydraulic jacks, using as many of my buddies as possible. I think I can get by with six.  Then screw the layout to the wall through the studs.  I can put blocks under the legs away from the wall.  There are two sections, one is about 25 feet long and runs along a wall. the second section started out in a 10X10 walled area and then ran along another wall about 15 feet. Anyone with experience doing this?  Any suggestions?  Frank  White

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
  • 9,352 posts
Posted by BATMAN on Friday, September 4, 2009 3:41 PM

 I would put eye or J bolts into the ceiling joist and suspend the layout from the ceiling with cables or chain and remove the legs. When the work is finished put the legs back on and take down the hardware. If you are careful there will only be tiny holes to fill in the ceiling from the eye bolts.

 

                                                                        Brent

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • 2,751 posts
Posted by Allegheny2-6-6-6 on Saturday, September 5, 2009 10:47 PM

 Ok now I know there is someone out there as crazy as I am. I did exactly that with the last layout but the reason was it was too low and I did it completely alone with steel pipe and threaded rod.

I drilled holes through the layout cross braces from the bottom of the brace to the floor I put a piece of steel pipe resting on a block of wood the pipe is slightly larger then the threaded rod on the top of the threaded rod I laced a 2x4 with a blind hole in it so the threaded rod butted into the hole. I then turned the nuts on the threaded rod so the hit the steel pipe and as the nut goes down it forces the rod upward. It sounds complicated but it actually is very simple I had 8 of these contraptions around the layout. I removed the screws I had fastening it to the wall and started turning the nuts. I raised the layout to the height I wanted in about 45 minutes then secured it to the studs in the wall with drywall screws.  If I had someone helping me it would have gone a lot faster.

You could do the same thing with either a couple of floor jacks and or those house jacks they sell in Lowes and HD . The whole cost of my science experiment was less then $20

If your interested email me and I can send you pics.

Just my 2 cents worth, I spent the rest on trains. If you choked a Smurf what color would he turn?

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