Hello, first time posting so here goes..............
I have a 6x8 table and my plan is to raise and lower it in the garage from the ceiling. I have attached eye bolts in the corners and secured them with washers and nuts on the bottom. I have four eye bolts in the ceiling that are attached with a nut and washer to 2x6's that are nailed into between two trusses for each corner. I have two pulley's per corner, one on the table and one from the ceiling. I have attached four pieces of rope for each corner to the pulleys and they go to a gathering point over the table that has four more pulleys to assist in the change of direction. From the gathering point, the four ropes are looped and they attach to a carabiner that collects the loops. That rope goes across the ceiling, through a pulley and down to a tie off on the wall using a boat cleat that is secured to the wall.
So, it does not work. At the gathering point in the center of table the rope binds too much as the pulleys do not really help with the change of direction. I am 60+ days behind schedule and I need serious help. Can this be saved or should I go get a winch and use that? I will provide pictures to those that would like to give me a hand.
I am concerned about how to safely mount a winch to the ceiling and if it is meant to hold a load of 250+lbs for days on end.
Thank you in advance.....
How about a Murphy Bed type of thing. But on the safety thing for the raising layout. Try installing some kind of cam lock that the layout locks into once its up in the ceiling. And I would not use ropes. Steel cables only. With this rig holding up your layout, I would not take ANY chances!
Johnnny_reb Once a word is spoken it can not be unspoken!
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I have a 6' x 8' N scale layout suspended from a 10' high garage ceiling, using a boat winch and steel cables. DON'T use rope or nylon rope. See my pictures on Photobucket.com/bob76casey, look for "lift mechanism"
Bob Casey
For anyone not able to find the page heres a link to the sub-album
http://s459.photobucket.com/albums/qq311/BobCasey/Lift%20Mechanism/
Btw Bob, is that a manual winch from a boat trailer? Never mind just reread the post. And do you use the lock on the winch to hold the layout in place once up to the ceiling?
Yes, the lock holds the layout up. When I raise the leg that the winch is mounted on, the layout lowers about an inch. That is why I have the double eye bolts at the hinge for. It is a double cable around the drum (which I enlarged to give me more movement ), each line going to one side of the layout. That way each cable only has to support half the weight of the layout. There are two sets of folding legs attached to support it on the floor, each leg has leveling "t" nuts with carriage bolts.
Looks great Bob. Thank you so much for sharing those pictures. I think I can salvage what I have by looking at your photos. What brand and rating (pounds) are your pulleys?
I bought all the parts at the local Lowes. Home Depot also carries the same or similar. The winch came from a local marine supply store. The winch is the lowest cost and will pull about 1500 lbs, the cable is 1/8" and will hold over 800 lbs. The last time i weighed the layout (without scenery), it was about 100 lbs. If you need more info or costs, send me a pm
Hi Bob, I sent you a PM