a good idea for the open space at the steep roof angle ... why not put a folding escape ladder there for when power is out or if someone shuts off the breaker on you ... then you just drop the ladder climb down and pull a rope to lift the ladder back up or get a folding attic ladder that you can use for emergency stairs and use that beside the lift in the larger space ... it will fill the space add emergency ladder to your loft and close the loft in for a bit better safety from falls . also if you mount a support to the hoist and mount the fall arrestor to a lag bolt into the beam above and NOT on the channel with the hoist then your fall arrestor will be able to actually do its job ... and your hoist wont torque the channel it is mounted on taking out some the bounce in your lift
As a union elevator constructor, this was a super fun video to watch. You have great ideas and great execution. May I suggest not putting your wench and "safety" on the same piece of the strut? As well I would encourage you to find something stronger to mount these to as I have always been taught to make sure your safety line is attached to something that can take a 5,000 lb load/ force.
Awesome as always. One suggestion, probably nothing you haven’t thought of and decides against, but anyway, your fall arrester could be more useful if it were attached to that 2x12 or whatever it is holding the mini split so in the unlikely case the structure holding the winch fails, the fall arrester is not connected to that same structure making it useless.
Also, the chain securing the fall arrester should be rated at least twice the maximum weight of the arrester. If the arrester is rated for 500 pounds, you want the chain rated for a minimum of 1,000 pounds.
What he said... The basic concept is that any protection measure will not be undone by the same failure that you are protecting against. My challenge to you would be to look at other things in that setup for single points of failure and make sure that the protection is independent of that failure. This also includes actions that you mentioned doing as protection measures...like forgetting to turn the breaker off. The trick sometimes is knowing when is it enough or where you say no more needed.
@@wes_d but he doesn’t miss much so he may well have a good reason, he usually thinks things through very well. Most wouldn’t have done the fall arrester. I’m not even certain arrester is a word lol. Arrestor? Spelling is hard ha ha.
Also needs a second strap at the platform end. It is entirely possible the single strap could fail due repeated stress over a small area. You may want to use a piece of pipe or otherwise round over the corners where the stap wraps around the plywood. Although the most likely thing to fail is clutch in the hoist.
@@rick_. don’t think there is a clutch in the hoist, I have a couple different ones and mine are all direct coupled, shearing of the woodruff key would have a similar effect tho. But all this is covered by his DIY talk at the beginning, I think he did a great job as always.
Thanks for solving a problem that has been ruminating in my mind ever since we bought a new townhouse. My disabilities make stairs a nightmare at my age and I wasn't looking forward to trying to convince my son to come over everytime I needed to store things in the attic. Unistrut has got to be one of the most useful materials ever made 😊 After watching the video I only suggest that when you add the 2nd arrestor they should be attached on the trolleys on both sides 😊
@@xedasxedas ... a real safety inspector would have a problem with there not being enough capacity, especially with people riding on it. The platform, hardware, and a guy already take up 300 out of the possible 500 pound capacity. Then we have pinch points, no hand rails, and no UL listing for passengers.
@@davidbanaszak562 Guys, guys, guys, … he is not building this for anyone’s use, except himself, … It is not for the public, or for a business, with employees, or customers, … And it is a D I Y, … maybe permanent, but, maybe not!
I built an elevator for my dog to get in and out of our house. He was getting too old to climb the 12 steps. I used a similar electric winch for my build. Please make sure and check that the gears have lube. Mine did not when when I checked. There is a lube fitting at the base of the gear housing. When I removed it to check, it was empty. Great job on your build! I didn’t even think of using a fall stop on mine. If I were still using mine it would be a great addition but my boy passed almost 2 years ago.
That cheesy 80's soft jazz would go just great with some outtakes akin to ones provided by Captain Fisher! :-) I totally enjoy both of y'all (unless your schizophrenic, in which case I can say I love ALL Y'ALL).
That's definitely a must! I suggest "The girl from Ipanema" at the very least. Oh and nice build. I really like the "evil twin", double exposure effect thingy in the video too.
Jay, I have 25 yrs plus HVACR experience. As for the drain on the minisplit, if you can access the drain pan, pour one cap full of bleach into the drain pan once per year. This will prevent the algea from growing and clogging the drain.
Am 73 and built my house when I was 40. Have outside steps and landing down to garage. Been thinking of a lift for my shopping attached to the landing. The steel channel is brilliant. May opt for hand operated boat trailer winch as its outside. When I’m 93 I may opt for electrics.
Pretty cool! A little more reliance on wood glue than I'd ever be comfortable with though. If someone asked me to imagine how a cabinet maker would make an elevator, this would be it
I appreciate the amount of safety awareness. There are so many people on youtube who always point The Finger to safety. Loosing limbs or senses or your life is no fun. But i think a lot of people don't have enough intelligence to understand what an accident actually means, until it happens to them. Nice project 👍
Wow! I had invented this in my mind earlier today and then I came to youtube and here it is. So glad I found this because you did a much better job than I was planning. The superstruts are a game changer! I was going to use 4 pulleys but I like your design much better. Thanks so much for sharing
Very ingenious project. I’m a commercial electrician in Chicago. What you refer to as super-strut we call uni-strut. It’s basically our version of lego. We use to hang conduit, boxes, gear, build all sorts of supports and things. It does flex much more than you’d think. For us they do sell a doubled up version that’s a bit stronger if you find that to be an issue. There’s 7/8”, 1 5/8”, 3 1/4”, and 6 1/2” thicknesses. Take care.
Absolutely love it. I thought the idea of a DIY elevator is pretty sketchy, but with the added fall arrester, then it should be as safe as any other elevator. However, the fall arrester should be a redundant safety system, so mounting it to the main motor mount isn't really ideal. Is it long enough to be mounted to the roof structure above instead? EDIT: after having a second look at your video, then you should have a separate strap for the platform as well.
Wow! great idea well executed. Apologies if this was already mentioned but I would err on the side of over engineering and add a second superstrut above the hoist for add strength and secure the fall arrestor to the top strut and the hoist to the bottom strut. Just an added measure of safety to have them attached to separate struts. Thanks!!
What a video! I have been threatening to get a Harbor freight electric hoist to lift heavy items into my attic through the pull down stairway opening. You have inspired me, now I have to do it. Thanks for your channel.
@@StormBurnX your comment is the reason Matthias doesn’t like commenting on others videos. He has brought this up several times. He enjoys the intellectual conversations that could occur but not the “wow you watch this too!” Comments.
Great project, very well done. Only wish I had wherewithal to work at your level. Super looking shop, too! Otoh....Can't help but share several safety concerns: child access when mom/dad not looking or out of house, pinched fingers, and winch noise level. Kudos!
Great video as always, Jay. As a professional mechanical engineer, please connect the fall arrester to a support member other than where the hoist is connected. If the loaded member failed which supports the hoist, the fall protection would not go down with it.
I'm also a P.Eng. Came here to say the same thing. The super strut is a single point of failure. If the hoist wire snaps, and the platform starts to drop, the fall arrest will have a live load to catch, and I can imagine a cascading failure where the super strut buckles under the sudden load, and platform (with Jay on it) crashes all the way down. Instead, attach the fall arrest to some other structure so that it is independently supported. Also, the strap at the back of the platform is a single point of failure. Instead, chain the fall arrest to the platform's beam.
Do you think it would be a good idea to do duplicate tracks on the front corners and then rig the lift motor at the bottom and through a pully mounted to the top rafter and centered on the platform? That way the weight capacity of the lift motor is increased (thus not as strained). Also, if the point of lift is centered, then the guide rails and wheels aren't bearing weight perpendicular to the lifting force. Thoughts?
@@pawpawstew If I were Jay, I wouldn't want an additional pair of guide tracks at the front, since they would take up floor space. However, pulling from the center of the platform would reduce the forces (and friction) in the rear guide tracks, which could be beneficial. He could build a top section on the platform, and lift from the center of that top section, which would allow the tracks to just be guides.
Ideally the fall arrest system would be rigged to something separate from what the motor is rigged to, but doesn't look like there's anything practical that could work there. Very cool though.
Cool idea. I’ve seen a few people build on of these. A few words of advise. I work in the elevator/vertical transportation field and safety is a huge issue. Recalculate your load. You are probably pushing close to the limit. I believe max rating for the winch is when the pull cable is unwrapped all the way and then each layer reduces the actual capacity. Also someone else mentioned it would be a good idea to attach the fall arrester to a separate point. Just in case the support where the winch is attached to fails. Main thing is just watch your kids, would hate them to get pinched on something or the thing fall on them.
You should add a fireman's pole so you can get down faster instead of riding the elevator ;-) (Also in the rare chance the power goes out or the breaker trips while you are up there)
Great project Jay, you should bend a thin piece of sheet metal and mount it over the lift motor so any condensation will just run off and not get inside the motor.
great minds are a terrible thing to waste:::::: your initiative, your creativity and dedication proves nothing is impossible when you put your mind and energy to work on this project of yours.. a million thanks for sharing this to us all.... JB: more power to you.....
Excellent job. Whenever I have to hire out a job that I don't have time to do, I am often disappointed in the finish details. Your attention to detail is phenomenal. Congrats. One suggestion on getting your snowblower up and down. Take that spacer that connects the two platforms and attach it to the hanging shelf with a piano hinge. Then add a flange that will lay on top of the elevator platform. When the snowblower is back on its shelf, just raise up the connecting platform and you're done.
Great job! I recommend you fix the support for the top strut ... it will stress over time and could fail. Also they sell double struts and I would recommend ones without slots and just drill your own locations where needed for better stability.
I love it! IDK if this is necessary, but how about adding a trap door to the top/loft area so that when the lift in on the ground level the door swings down, thus preventing anyone from falling through the lift shaft. When the lift goes up it would just push the trap door up as it penetrates the upper floor. Just a thought.
Great idea about the fall arrestor. I built a lift and always worry about a fall due to hoist failure. I’m going to add this to mine. Thanks mate, from Australia.
Jay, good call-out or the Tractor Supply Store. I get my hardware there whenever I can (as well as a ton of other homestead essentials.) I'm really lucky to have one only 4 miles away.
You read my mind Jay, I'd just decided I needed to add a lift to my shop for additional storage in the attic of my shop as part of its remodeled this summer. I think I'll have mine double as a lumber rack so I can load up racks on it to save trips raising and lowering the lift. Great build 👍
I was looking for a way to put a loft in my shop without having a staircase stick out 10 feet. This looks perfect. It will take up less room, it will make the staircase unnecessary, and it will carry things up to the loft. Thanks for this video.
Appreciate this video. I've been considering something similar in my house. We have a split-level house so everything heavy, groceries, laundry, tools, boxes, etc., has to go up and down stairs. I want something similar for my gallon of milk. Thank you!
Put sheet metal shroud over hoist to keep dry. I built hoist lift as well. I built a guard around floor hole will black pipe and fittings with a hinge gate. Definitely good idea since getting heavy things off and on and can forget your position.
Mind blown 🤯 impressive Jay! One thing I recently learned from a trim carpenter is that wood glue has no gap filling strength. It only holds under compression. The caulking you did won’t make it any weaker but it probably doesn’t add a lot of strength.
Although I haven't the physical space ever to need a shop lift, watching the installation and hearing your careful measurements and calculations was very informative. At some point, it would be nice to see your loft loaded.
The fall arrester is a great idea. Once the video started I was thinking you needed some sort of finger latch mechanism like a car lift, but this is a waaaay simpler solution!
I think this is an awesome video. This is a cool project and I think far too many full-time content creators don't have the cahones to show something like this. You executed the job well, and I think you may add some improvements over time. While I'm not sure if I'd ride it myself (I probably would after witnessing it in person), this is an excellent cargo elevator for attic or loft storage that I could definitely see myself building some day.
Wow, this is great. Very clever use of the fall arrester, but I'd love to see you attach it to something other than the same superstrut as the hoist. That would provide redundancy in case of a catastrophic structural failure.
Agree with many other posts that Jay does a great job of taking many variables into consideration and, based on my own painful experience, will not be using this as personnel transportation. I’m a fan of over-engineering solutions to the point that failure is nearly an impossibility based on typical usage. That being said, accidents happen and some safety measures make sense....along with knowing the limitation of the materials being used, which he explains in the video.
Yes! Perfect for so many applications. I would add a second strap for the fall arrester so you have true redundancy. One point of contact is not ideal ( at least in the rock climbing / rigging world). Thanks for sharing.
Nice!! I am building a tiny Garage/3 Story Tiny Lodge and I will be putting in a loft to the 3rd story. This is pretty much what I plan on building. Tracks / ATV lift and away we go! As a Remodeling Expert I will trim it out nice!!
Awesome work! Now all you have to do is dig a massive hole under it and build a lower level to the platform. That way, you can keep your equipment under the lift. When the elevator comes down, the equipment will glide down into the hole :)
This is incredible!!! I'm remodeling a very old Fire Station into my home. I can do the steps, but worry about guest. This would solve that problem. Thanks for sharing.
the security chain should be mounted on the wall and not on the pole. if the pole breaks then you will fall with your setup. safety should be secured in a second position :) just a tip
I am rebuilding my shop after the ice storm caved it in. I am making my walls 10 feet and a 4/12 roof. The last 6 feet of the shop is going to have 8 foot cross support and become storage. I love your dumbwaiter and will try to replicate it.
I love this idea. I am building a deck at our cabin that is off the ground about 8’. I’m going to attach the super strut to a 4x4. After seeing your problems with counter sinking the screws I think I will just weld flat stock to the strut so I can attach it to the posts. Carrying coolers of food and supplies up the stairs pushing 70 is getting old.
!!!! Jay!!! !!! You have no preload on that cross strut. Look into how metal fatigue works, and how over time repeated stress will cause that strut to become brittle and sheer. I'm not saying it will happen soon, but when it happens, that cross bar will snap in half, and that is what your safety device is attached to!!!! Move your fall arrester so that it is attached to something completely independent from the rest of the support structure (such as the roof for example).
I love this. I am looking at building an accessory dwelling unit for myself as I downsize. It will have an outside stairway, but I am considering building an elevator that will mesh with the deck and even the awning could mesh as well. My body is not doing great so this will allow me to have a 3 car garage as well below the unit.
If you're concerned about a possible condensate issue flooding the hoist, use a CGFI circuit breaker or a CGFI outlet. They work and one possibly saved my life.
This is brilliant! Great creative mind Jay. I would have thought to use 4x4 post to have a self supported structure affixed to the wall. Light weight metal frame construct with 4 point anchor points at the top to centralize the winch, leaving it clear from potential water droplets. Then to create an elevator buffer, I'd use car suspension springs cut to reduce the height, then mounted to the floor so they are concealed when the elevator comes down. Sounds good in my head, just wish I had to space to try it and execute it. Your work is a great inspiration. Thank you!
Nice work Jay I like the fall arestor idea as the emergency brauke smart idea I agree on the electric hoists as I too researched them for another project
Super awesome build👍👍👍👍👍They make double unistrut for those high weight holding situations👍 if my life was on the lift it would be the double strut supporting the wench at the top😁
Wow, that's just utterly awesome! I wouldn't have come up with that in a million years! Great job, Master Jay. On the flexing winch mount, can't you simply attach to the wall a couple vertical lengths of 2x material underneath the bar to prevent it from flexing? Seems like a bit of support would prevent that from happening. Agree with the comments that the fall arrestor should probably be attached to a different mounting point.
@@jameskelly7767 Counterweights are used to reduce loads on the lifting motors, if you have a fixed weight it can be practical. However, I doubt you could add much weight to this due to most of the weight being cargo, ergo, not always consistently there.
Cool. I would add 2 pole on the corner front. When the elevator goes up it pushes "gates" out of the way. So if the elevator is not up gates prevent you from stepping out in the open if your not paying attention. Or some sort of lid that lowers when the elevator is downstairs. And some sort of power cut off build pressure plates on the under side incase of something under it on the way down.
Follow up video: th-cam.com/video/JfPa4EPwaRM/w-d-xo.html
a good idea for the open space at the steep roof angle ... why not put a folding escape ladder there for when power is out or if someone shuts off the breaker on you ... then you just drop the ladder climb down and pull a rope to lift the ladder back up or get a folding attic ladder that you can use for emergency stairs and use that beside the lift in the larger space ... it will fill the space add emergency ladder to your loft and close the loft in for a bit better safety from falls
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also if you mount a support to the hoist and mount the fall arrestor to a lag bolt into the beam above and NOT on the channel with the hoist then your fall arrestor will be able to actually do its job ... and your hoist wont torque the channel it is mounted on taking out some the bounce in your lift
P
As a union elevator constructor, this was a super fun video to watch. You have great ideas and great execution. May I suggest not putting your wench and "safety" on the same piece of the strut? As well I would encourage you to find something stronger to mount these to as I have always been taught to make sure your safety line is attached to something that can take a 5,000 lb load/ force.
His barn beams might not even take that load. No I beams or glue lambs.
Well said!
Union guy/gal is right. Separate safety anchor point NOT to unistrut. It needs 5000# capacity
Gotta love that BG stick huh? But yeah…that safety chain is uhhh suspended from same member that supports the wench motor. Oops!
Why would it ever come close to 5,000# in this application? While I am skeptical, this is still a real question assuming their is a legitimate answer.
Awesome as always. One suggestion, probably nothing you haven’t thought of and decides against, but anyway, your fall arrester could be more useful if it were attached to that 2x12 or whatever it is holding the mini split so in the unlikely case the structure holding the winch fails, the fall arrester is not connected to that same structure making it useless.
Also, the chain securing the fall arrester should be rated at least twice the maximum weight of the arrester. If the arrester is rated for 500 pounds, you want the chain rated for a minimum of 1,000 pounds.
What he said...
The basic concept is that any protection measure will not be undone by the same failure that you are protecting against. My challenge to you would be to look at other things in that setup for single points of failure and make sure that the protection is independent of that failure. This also includes actions that you mentioned doing as protection measures...like forgetting to turn the breaker off.
The trick sometimes is knowing when is it enough or where you say no more needed.
@@wes_d but he doesn’t miss much so he may well have a good reason, he usually thinks things through very well. Most wouldn’t have done the fall arrester. I’m not even certain arrester is a word lol. Arrestor? Spelling is hard ha ha.
Also needs a second strap at the platform end. It is entirely possible the single strap could fail due repeated stress over a small area. You may want to use a piece of pipe or otherwise round over the corners where the stap wraps around the plywood. Although the most likely thing to fail is clutch in the hoist.
@@rick_. don’t think there is a clutch in the hoist, I have a couple different ones and mine are all direct coupled, shearing of the woodruff key would have a similar effect tho. But all this is covered by his DIY talk at the beginning, I think he did a great job as always.
Thanks for solving a problem that has been ruminating in my mind ever since we bought a new townhouse. My disabilities make stairs a nightmare at my age and I wasn't looking forward to trying to convince my son to come over everytime I needed to store things in the attic. Unistrut has got to be one of the most useful materials ever made 😊 After watching the video I only suggest that when you add the 2nd arrestor they should be attached on the trolleys on both sides 😊
The fall arrester should be affixed to a different point. You still have a single point of failure for both the hoist and the arrester.
That really well observed. Things a safety inspector would verify rogt out of the gate.
@@xedasxedas ... a real safety inspector would have a problem with there not being enough capacity, especially with people riding on it. The platform, hardware, and a guy already take up 300 out of the possible 500 pound capacity. Then we have pinch points, no hand rails, and no UL listing for passengers.
@@rupe53 no osha railing was my fist thought too as a trained safety guy. I think that the 29 and 40 cfr need to be consulted for this lift.
@@davidbanaszak562 Guys, guys, guys, … he is not building this for anyone’s use, except himself, … It is not for the public, or for a business, with employees, or customers, …
And it is a D I Y, … maybe permanent, but, maybe not!
@@johnosman8971 thank you for saying this. Holy crap the people on the internet.
Excellent project, one thing though - get a key lock control for the lift, kids are brighter than you think 😀
Any tips for me? I want to adapt a lift system like this but for a bed in a tiny home... so I can amd will have 4 rails, 2 on both ends of the bed.
He I think he said he leaves the breaker off which is a pretty good key itself.
@@matt_s1995 I came to this video for exactly the very same purpose of yours. Were you able to get some ideas?
I need to add a second story to my shop just to have one of these! Cool project, Jay :)
Heck, you could build one into your house to make accessing the basement easier... 😉
Go for three.
If you do use a worm gear not a winch, when that f's up and it will, there will be much pain involved.
I built an elevator for my dog to get in and out of our house. He was getting too old to climb the 12 steps. I used a similar electric winch for my build. Please make sure and check that the gears have lube. Mine did not when when I checked. There is a lube fitting at the base of the gear housing. When I removed it to check, it was empty. Great job on your build! I didn’t even think of using a fall stop on mine. If I were still using mine it would be a great addition but my boy passed almost 2 years ago.
Sorry about your boy.
Super cool! Any plans to add some cheesy 80s soft jazz for elevator music?
That cheesy 80's soft jazz would go just great with some outtakes akin to ones provided by Captain Fisher! :-) I totally enjoy both of y'all (unless your schizophrenic, in which case I can say I love ALL Y'ALL).
That's definitely a must! I suggest "The girl from Ipanema" at the very least. Oh and nice build. I really like the "evil twin", double exposure effect thingy in the video too.
@@finster101 You took the tune right outta my head! Lol.
That's more a Wesley Treat thing I think ;)
...and some flat head screws
Jay, I have 25 yrs plus HVACR experience. As for the drain on the minisplit, if you can access the drain pan, pour one cap full of bleach into the drain pan once per year. This will prevent the algea from growing and clogging the drain.
What an uplifting post. I feel elevated!
Am 73 and built my house when I was 40. Have outside steps and landing down to garage. Been thinking of a lift for my shopping attached to the landing. The steel channel is brilliant. May opt for hand operated boat trailer winch as its outside. When I’m 93 I may opt for electrics.
I am looking at building one of these for the same reason.
Pretty cool! A little more reliance on wood glue than I'd ever be comfortable with though. If someone asked me to imagine how a cabinet maker would make an elevator, this would be it
I agree. I personally would have went with a metal frame for the trolley
I appreciate the amount of safety awareness. There are so many people on youtube who always point The Finger to safety. Loosing limbs or senses or your life is no fun. But i think a lot of people don't have enough intelligence to understand what an accident actually means, until it happens to them. Nice project 👍
Dude this is the kind of stuff I want to see on TH-cam. Love it man, so original. Please keep it up
Wow! I had invented this in my mind earlier today and then I came to youtube and here it is. So glad I found this because you did a much better job than I was planning. The superstruts are a game changer! I was going to use 4 pulleys but I like your design much better. Thanks so much for sharing
Very ingenious project. I’m a commercial electrician in Chicago. What you refer to as super-strut we call uni-strut. It’s basically our version of lego. We use to hang conduit, boxes, gear, build all sorts of supports and things. It does flex much more than you’d think. For us they do sell a doubled up version that’s a bit stronger if you find that to be an issue. There’s 7/8”, 1 5/8”, 3 1/4”, and 6 1/2” thicknesses. Take care.
Absolutely love it. I thought the idea of a DIY elevator is pretty sketchy, but with the added fall arrester, then it should be as safe as any other elevator.
However, the fall arrester should be a redundant safety system, so mounting it to the main motor mount isn't really ideal. Is it long enough to be mounted to the roof structure above instead?
EDIT: after having a second look at your video, then you should have a separate strap for the platform as well.
Wow! great idea well executed. Apologies if this was already mentioned but I would err on the side of over engineering and add a second superstrut above the hoist for add strength and secure the fall arrestor to the top strut and the hoist to the bottom strut. Just an added measure of safety to have them attached to separate struts.
Thanks!!
I like your version better than all the other versions on TH-cam
Keep a ladder in the attic incase of winch overload tripping the breaker.
Or power outage!
Put a UPS should solve the problem
Nah, just cut the strap!
What a video! I have been threatening to get a Harbor freight electric hoist to lift heavy items into my attic through the pull down stairway opening. You have inspired me, now I have to do it. Thanks for your channel.
A GFCI circuit breaker would also take care of your water concern, without having to flip the breaker all the time.
Yes. I went this route because I had everything on hand to do this and its an added safety of preventing unwanted use.
Might as well spend the $20 and GFCI that outlet anyways.
I think I'd make it a switched outlet to save wear on the breaker.
and a locked switch to the outlet in the shop
GFCI for the NEC Code win ;-)
cool build. I see now why the lift cable is attached at the bottom of a big cutout on the back
@@StormBurnX your comment is the reason Matthias doesn’t like commenting on others videos. He has brought this up several times. He enjoys the intellectual conversations that could occur but not the “wow you watch this too!” Comments.
Great project, very well done. Only wish I had wherewithal to work at your level. Super looking shop, too! Otoh....Can't help but share several safety concerns: child access when mom/dad not looking or out of house, pinched fingers, and winch noise level. Kudos!
use a worm gear not a winch.
wow you watch this too!
@@dennispope8160 You sound a little bit like a Matthias Wandel simp. Time to man up and have your own opinion instead of following others.
Sitting around board and then I found this. Gotta say, that's one of the most coolest creations I've seen.
Flip the top strut, much less flex. Or slam a peace of wood in the strut, and put some screws in.
Agreed.
I'm 73 now. I need one of these to get me up to my bedroom. ;-)
ive been watching your videos for 8 years now, you came alone ways, good for you, and keep them videos comeing.
one of the smarter diy projects i have seen in a while ! thank you
Great video as always, Jay. As a professional mechanical engineer, please connect the fall arrester to a support member other than where the hoist is connected. If the loaded member failed which supports the hoist, the fall protection would not go down with it.
I'm also a P.Eng. Came here to say the same thing. The super strut is a single point of failure. If the hoist wire snaps, and the platform starts to drop, the fall arrest will have a live load to catch, and I can imagine a cascading failure where the super strut buckles under the sudden load, and platform (with Jay on it) crashes all the way down. Instead, attach the fall arrest to some other structure so that it is independently supported. Also, the strap at the back of the platform is a single point of failure. Instead, chain the fall arrest to the platform's beam.
Do you think it would be a good idea to do duplicate tracks on the front corners and then rig the lift motor at the bottom and through a pully mounted to the top rafter and centered on the platform? That way the weight capacity of the lift motor is increased (thus not as strained). Also, if the point of lift is centered, then the guide rails and wheels aren't bearing weight perpendicular to the lifting force. Thoughts?
@@pawpawstew If I were Jay, I wouldn't want an additional pair of guide tracks at the front, since they would take up floor space. However, pulling from the center of the platform would reduce the forces (and friction) in the rear guide tracks, which could be beneficial. He could build a top section on the platform, and lift from the center of that top section, which would allow the tracks to just be guides.
Ideally the fall arrest system would be rigged to something separate from what the motor is rigged to, but doesn't look like there's anything practical that could work there. Very cool though.
Cool idea. I’ve seen a few people build on of these. A few words of advise.
I work in the elevator/vertical transportation field and safety is a huge issue. Recalculate your load. You are probably pushing close to the limit. I believe max rating for the winch is when the pull cable is unwrapped all the way and then each layer reduces the actual capacity. Also someone else mentioned it would be a good idea to attach the fall arrester to a separate point. Just in case the support where the winch is attached to fails. Main thing is just watch your kids, would hate them to get pinched on something or the thing fall on them.
Love the design jay. For anybody that wants to build one you can get 20 foot sections from Electric supply store
You should add a fireman's pole so you can get down faster instead of riding the elevator ;-)
(Also in the rare chance the power goes out or the breaker trips while you are up there)
hahaha, I'm actually remodeling an old Fire Station into my home. I want to build this elevator, and use the poles to go down too
Great project Jay, you should bend a thin piece of sheet metal and mount it over the lift motor so any condensation will just run off and not get inside the motor.
great minds are a terrible thing to waste:::::: your initiative, your creativity and dedication proves nothing is impossible when you put your mind and energy to work on this project of yours.. a million thanks for sharing this to us all.... JB: more power to you.....
Excellent job. Whenever I have to hire out a job that I don't have time to do, I am often disappointed in the finish details. Your attention to detail is phenomenal. Congrats. One suggestion on getting your snowblower up and down. Take that spacer that connects the two platforms and attach it to the hanging shelf with a piano hinge. Then add a flange that will lay on top of the elevator platform. When the snowblower is back on its shelf, just raise up the connecting platform and you're done.
simply amazing that a person can design and build something like this!
Great job! I recommend you fix the support for the top strut ... it will stress over time and could fail. Also they sell double struts and I would recommend ones without slots and just drill your own locations where needed for better stability.
I love it! IDK if this is necessary, but how about adding a trap door to the top/loft area so that when the lift in on the ground level the door swings down, thus preventing anyone from falling through the lift shaft. When the lift goes up it would just push the trap door up as it penetrates the upper floor. Just a thought.
Great idea about the fall arrestor. I built a lift and always worry about a fall due to hoist failure. I’m going to add this to mine. Thanks mate, from Australia.
Very cool. I suggest you build a railing around all of the open spaces in the second story. Your child will grow and become more independent.
Jay, good call-out or the Tractor Supply Store. I get my hardware there whenever I can (as well as a ton of other homestead essentials.) I'm really lucky to have one only 4 miles away.
The worst thing about moving to the south was losing Farm and Fleet
That’s awesome Jay. It gives that area of your shop a cleaner look to I think. Incredible build.
I’m actually going to do this for a 3-story house I’m building, and want to mention I love your large filter modifications for your mini splits
Absolutely the best video on many levels and really appreciate all the information
I want this for my house attic in the garage. Ugh, such a pain to use an attic ladder and get stuff up there! Great build Jay!
I want this for my house!!!
Inside my house, just used as an elevator!!!!
Excellent video!
5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This just gave me an idea for a super long custom sit-down/stand-up desk!
You read my mind Jay, I'd just decided I needed to add a lift to my shop for additional storage in the attic of my shop as part of its remodeled this summer. I think I'll have mine double as a lumber rack so I can load up racks on it to save trips raising and lowering the lift. Great build 👍
I was looking for a way to put a loft in my shop without having a staircase stick out 10 feet. This looks perfect. It will take up less room, it will make the staircase unnecessary, and it will carry things up to the loft. Thanks for this video.
If I may make a recommendation, a small parabolic mirror positioned on the ceiling to view the ground floor while descending would improve safety .
Appreciate this video. I've been considering something similar in my house. We have a split-level house so everything heavy, groceries, laundry, tools, boxes, etc., has to go up and down stairs. I want something similar for my gallon of milk. Thank you!
Put sheet metal shroud over hoist to keep dry. I built hoist lift as well. I built a guard around floor hole will black pipe and fittings with a hinge gate. Definitely good idea since getting heavy things off and on and can forget your position.
Mind blown 🤯 impressive Jay! One thing I recently learned from a trim carpenter is that wood glue has no gap filling strength. It only holds under compression. The caulking you did won’t make it any weaker but it probably doesn’t add a lot of strength.
Although I haven't the physical space ever to need a shop lift, watching the installation and hearing your careful measurements and calculations was very informative. At some point, it would be nice to see your loft loaded.
The fall arrester is a great idea. Once the video started I was thinking you needed some sort of finger latch mechanism like a car lift, but this is a waaaay simpler solution!
I think this is an awesome video. This is a cool project and I think far too many full-time content creators don't have the cahones to show something like this. You executed the job well, and I think you may add some improvements over time. While I'm not sure if I'd ride it myself (I probably would after witnessing it in person), this is an excellent cargo elevator for attic or loft storage that I could definitely see myself building some day.
Wow ! you knocked this one out of the park.
Wow, this is great. Very clever use of the fall arrester, but I'd love to see you attach it to something other than the same superstrut as the hoist. That would provide redundancy in case of a catastrophic structural failure.
Agree with many other posts that Jay does a great job of taking many variables into consideration and, based on my own painful experience, will not be using this as personnel transportation. I’m a fan of over-engineering solutions to the point that failure is nearly an impossibility based on typical usage. That being said, accidents happen and some safety measures make sense....along with knowing the limitation of the materials being used, which he explains in the video.
Awesome build! This deserves more views❤
Jay, you are one sharp wood worker. I have learned a lot watching you.
This just looks so well thought out from so many angles.
Yes! Perfect for so many applications. I would add a second strap for the fall arrester so you have true redundancy. One point of contact is not ideal ( at least in the rock climbing / rigging world). Thanks for sharing.
Genius,I was looking for this very thing, it's even simpler than I hoped for THANKS
Nice!! I am building a tiny Garage/3 Story Tiny Lodge and I will be putting in a loft to the 3rd story. This is pretty much what I plan on building. Tracks / ATV lift and away we go! As a Remodeling Expert I will trim it out nice!!
Awesome work! Now all you have to do is dig a massive hole under it and build a lower level to the platform. That way, you can keep your equipment under the lift. When the elevator comes down, the equipment will glide down into the hole :)
I knew before clicking on this video that I would never do something like this. But this was a fun video to watch. Thanks Jay.
This is incredible!!! I'm remodeling a very old Fire Station into my home. I can do the steps, but worry about guest. This would solve that problem. Thanks for sharing.
First time and new subscriber. Anyone that thinks this is unsafe has never climbed a ladder with a arm full of Holiday supplies and boxes. Great job.
I liked the light switch attachment (bubble level) you used to turn the light off. Thanks really enjoyed the vid. May have to do this to my shop.
the security chain should be mounted on the wall and not on the pole. if the pole breaks then you will fall with your setup. safety should be secured in a second position :) just a tip
Super cool, I suggest a monitor and camera below the elevator to make sure no one is below before going down.
I am rebuilding my shop after the ice storm caved it in. I am making my walls 10 feet and a 4/12 roof. The last 6 feet of the shop is going to have 8 foot cross support and become storage. I love your dumbwaiter and will try to replicate it.
This is one of the coolest builds I have seen on TH-cam.. Awesome, simply awesome
This is the first video by you I have watched. I am subscribing.
I love this idea. I am building a deck at our cabin that is off the ground about 8’. I’m going to attach the super strut to a 4x4. After seeing your problems with counter sinking the screws I think I will just weld flat stock to the strut so I can attach it to the posts. Carrying coolers of food and supplies up the stairs pushing 70 is getting old.
First time channel viewer and now a subscriber. Rad shop, sweet elevator, excellent video editing.
!!!! Jay!!! !!!
You have no preload on that cross strut. Look into how metal fatigue works, and how over time repeated stress will cause that strut to become brittle and sheer. I'm not saying it will happen soon, but when it happens, that cross bar will snap in half, and that is what your safety device is attached to!!!!
Move your fall arrester so that it is attached to something completely independent from the rest of the support structure (such as the roof for example).
Other than that, sweet design! Bet you're well happy!
I love this. I am looking at building an accessory dwelling unit for myself as I downsize. It will have an outside stairway, but I am considering building an elevator that will mesh with the deck and even the awning could mesh as well. My body is not doing great so this will allow me to have a 3 car garage as well below the unit.
Very nice and simple build ! Thank you
Your video helped me a lot while setting an affordable lift in my home
Great out of the box thinking and great execution.
Brilliant idea! 👍
This is clever Jay. Never in a million years would I have thought to build my elevator.
Wow Jay this is totally awesome!
If you're concerned about a possible condensate issue flooding the hoist, use a CGFI circuit breaker or a CGFI outlet. They work and one possibly saved my life.
Avoid a single-fault failure. The Fall Arrestor should be installed on a seperate set of struts, in case the motor supports fail.
One of the coolest projects really
Holy crap, that is totally AWESOME! Going to Home Depot tonight! Thanks for the idea
This is brilliant! Great creative mind Jay. I would have thought to use 4x4 post to have a self supported structure affixed to the wall. Light weight metal frame construct with 4 point anchor points at the top to centralize the winch, leaving it clear from potential water droplets. Then to create an elevator buffer, I'd use car suspension springs cut to reduce the height, then mounted to the floor so they are concealed when the elevator comes down. Sounds good in my head, just wish I had to space to try it and execute it. Your work is a great inspiration. Thank you!
Nice work Jay I like the fall arestor idea as the emergency brauke smart idea I agree on the electric hoists as I too researched them for another project
Super awesome build👍👍👍👍👍They make double unistrut for those high weight holding situations👍 if my life was on the lift it would be the double strut supporting the wench at the top😁
Pretty cool Jay. I would suggest one more wall bracket positioned near the center between the hoist and fall arrestor.
Nice work. Straightforward explanation. Very cute dsaughter, caught at last second. :)
Nice job. I think a lot of people can use this. Thanks for sharing
Wow, that's just utterly awesome! I wouldn't have come up with that in a million years! Great job, Master Jay.
On the flexing winch mount, can't you simply attach to the wall a couple vertical lengths of 2x material underneath the bar to prevent it from flexing? Seems like a bit of support would prevent that from happening. Agree with the comments that the fall arrestor should probably be attached to a different mounting point.
Great job Wish we had that kind of storage space for Christmas items etc.
Any thoughts about adding a counter weight to take up the weight of the platform?
Why would you need a counterweight?
@@jameskelly7767 Counterweights are used to reduce loads on the lifting motors, if you have a fixed weight it can be practical. However, I doubt you could add much weight to this due to most of the weight being cargo, ergo, not always consistently there.
Cool. I would add 2 pole on the corner front. When the elevator goes up it pushes "gates" out of the way. So if the elevator is not up gates prevent you from stepping out in the open if your not paying attention. Or some sort of lid that lowers when the elevator is downstairs. And some sort of power cut off build pressure plates on the under side incase of something under it on the way down.