OT, Somewhat

[D Lewis]

I have one of those careports you see all over the place that I put my 8n under. It is taller than most, 8 foot legs, 11 foot to the peak. I have a piece of conduit down the peak that I have a rope hoist that I haul deer up on to clean (keeps me out of the rain). I have also used it it hoist up the hood off the tractor.

Ok, here is the question. How much do you think one of those thin wall 3 inch square tubes will bear? It is a 18 foot span, and my conduit (could thicken) is between 2 of them so weight is distributed between two of them. I figure a good size deer is about the limit, but am I being too conservative?

Dave

 

[Peter, Covington, LA]

That's a hard question - too many variables. But you can be sure, if it's the reason you asked, that it CAN NOT lift an engine.

The tough part about it, is that if the tubing bends to the point of kinking, it suddenly loses all strength, and it will collapse on top of you. Then, short of spending a lot of time straightening bent metal and then crippling additional plates alongside the kinked tubes, you've essentially lost your carport.

My suggestion would be to erect a lifting A-frame inside and independent of the carport, if you want to lift something you aren't sure it will hold. It'll be cheaper in the long run.

 

[D Lewis]

No way I would lift a motor, had two deer down and was worried about that. However, I was thinking of sinking a pipe in concrete with a swinging arm, or a rolling gantry (real small) in case of motor work. Not sure what a lifting A frame looks like.

I will just stick to putting the second deer up in the tree.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I walk on top of mine stepping from tube to tube and at 230 lbs, they barely flex. Otherwise why don't you just hang them farther apart. Pete

 

[Hobo,NC]

(quoted from post at 04:35:55 11/22/08) I have one of those careports you see all over the place that I put my 8n under. It is taller than most, 8 foot legs, 11 foot to the peak. I have a piece of conduit down the peak that I have a rope hoist that I haul deer up on to clean (keeps me out of the rain). I have also used it it hoist up the hood off the tractor.

Ok, here is the question. How much do you think one of those thin wall 3 inch square tubes will bear? It is a 18 foot span, and my conduit (could thicken) is between 2 of them so weight is distributed between two of them. I figure a good size deer is about the limit, but am I being too conservative?

Dave

3" square tube'n is way stronger than 1" conduit . I have a 8" pine lay'n acoss one of mine rite now,,, tin's bent but none of the bows. You could brace it by run'n conduit are angle iron in line with the bow. They sell the brace and call'em snow braces, Mine have had more than a 1ft of snow on'em and I don't have snow braces