Freestanding Shop Loft and Homemade Elevator?

I like the pallet rack idea. Why reinvent the wheel?
I don't like the idea of the lift in the first video because I am worried about the offset load on the unistrut. (you could do the math on that and come up with some idea of capacity/safety margin.) Alternatively, could you make a cubic cage around the platform and lift from a center point at the top? Or maybe use cables and a spreader bar type setup?
Regarding liability, I think any of us are screwed if an outsider gets hurt of any or our equipment. That does not really apply to us getting injured on our own equipment as we have all signed up to play with this stuff!
 
My lathe has a 7.5-HP motor and NO guard. I have a 5-HP table saw built before Sawstop and riving knives. Grinders do horrible things to people. Drill presses maim people. I have machine manuals that could give nasty paper cuts.

You have to choose your battles in this world. I wear seat belts and I don't smoke, but I run a Powermatic 66.
 
Chips O'Toole said:
You have to choose your battles in this world. I wear seat belts and I don't smoke, but I run a Powermatic 66.
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AMEN
I am a smoker and no idea what the Powermatic 66 is. But I agree wholeheartedly. Pick your battles but stand your ground when you do.
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For me, by far the most dangerous piece of equipment I have is my angle grinders. You can do everything perfect and still have a bad outcome. It's the one tool I go a little overboard with PPE after having a grinding wheel come apart and taking some damage.

Everything else needs some operator error, either material wise, clamping, feeding, etc.

Been considering a material lift for a 2nd story storage area. When I watch some of the videos I see some that my gut tells me no way and others I like. Risk assessment varies by individual.
 
Bi11Hudson said:
AMEN
I am a smoker and no idea what the Powermatic 66 is. But I agree wholeheartedly. Pick your battles but stand your ground when you do.
.
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Table saws used to come with splitters, which are things affixed to the tables. They don't go up and down with a saw blade, and they don't tilt. A splitter holds the kerf open after the wood passes over the blade, in order to keep it from pinching the blade and making the wood kick back at high speed.

Newer saws have riving knives mounted to the same hardware as the blade. If the blade goes up or down or tilts, the riving knife goes right along with it. A riving knife is a fancy splitter that works better.

A Powermatic 66 is an old-fashioned saw that will accept a splitter but not a riving knife. The guy I bought my saw from had a 5-HP motor in it, which is a little ridiculous. There are similar saws that have motors small enough for 120V power.

Sawstop is a company that makes fancy saws that stop just about instantly if they sense contact with human flesh.
 
We have a stairway in our shop.

Had picked up a chair lift and installed it, but the track was bit short and wrong side.

Years later we find later model of same, a pair of them, opposite side and with a fold down track long enough to go past top of stairs.

So seat comes off the first one and a platform built that slides on where the seat went.

Added a switch to control motion.

Platform can carry 350 pounds up the stairs.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
 
Chips O'Toole said:
Are you suggesting building a loft from pallet racking?

I am looking at it online. It appears to be industrial shelving made from steel, with shelves that are mesh or just isolated slats. I see no way to walk around on it or roll heavy things on it. Is there a way to put a floor on it? I'm sure you're not suggesting I put my odds and ends on pallets, which I could never lift. How would pallet racks be used in a home shop?

I had a tenant who built a mezzanine from something similar. I think he added plywood flooring.
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I helped construct an entire building in the desert from pallet racking and plywood. It’s probably the cheapest option too.

If you have a tractor make your elevator attach to it, forklift PTO attachment?
 
The tractor is fine for moving big things around when I clear out the shop to redo it, but when my stuff is in the shop, there is no way a tractor can go in and turn. I can pick a loft up and put it where I want it, but I can't use the tractor to put things on shelves and take them down.

A forklift is for huge shops.
 
Whatever you do, look into elevator brakes. My understanding is that the mechanism hasn't change much since the first elevator. Basically, the cable pulls on a leaf spring that is sized to flex a bit. The weight of the cars pulls the tips in. If (when?) the cable breaks, the pressure is relieved on the spring and it pushes brake pads out against the track, stopping (or at least slowing) the fall.

The feature would be very easy to retrofit into the video you share. Two chunks of square tube welded to either side of the bar he has the cable attached to, run a single leaf spring through them both, and attach the cable to the spring.
 
One of the Youtube guys shows people how to install a device that stops a lift if it falls.
 
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