Took the first step towards building my shop

**Frank S** · Feb 3, 2020, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by metric_taper

I didn't think of a rotisserie to rotate a huge trailer. But that makes too much sense to get to places without straining yourself.

I have a thread here somewhere with a trailer turned up on its side. there really isn't much need to lay a conventional flatbed semi trailer on its side or turn it upside down but it can be handy
For specialty trailer like low bed or those that have axles which slide far enough forward to lower the tail end of the trailer to the ground it is most helpful to get them up on their side or completely turtle .
The problem is it takes a massively strong assembly to accomplish this safely. being able to handle big and heavy stuff has never been a problem for me until now. Before I used to have a 25 ton forklift and a 35 ton crane with the 2 machines I could pick up and carry a fully loaded semi trailer.
So now I am going to construct a device in 1 end of my shop to be able to lift one end of a trailer and will use my big A frame gantry to handle the other end.
But first this all boils down to constructing the column to handle 10 to 15 tons of weight without bringing down the building in the process.

**Crusty** · Feb 4, 2020, 08:08 AM

I've been watching Matt Cremona on Youtube build a heavy retrieval trailer for his urban logging and sawmill operations (he's come home with some huge hardwood tree trunks before) and he used a similar spit to easily spin the trailer as he tacked and then welded it all together. It looked handy and like a good idea idea to me.

**Frank S** · Feb 4, 2020, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Crusty

I've been watching Matt Cremona on Youtube build a heavy retrieval trailer for his urban logging and sawmill operations (he's come home with some huge hardwood tree trunks before) and he used a similar spit to easily spin the trailer as he tacked and then welded it all together. It looked handy and like a good idea idea to me.

That's what I am hoping for, if nothing else I am thinking of installing a service pit in line with it and when not in use both could serve a duel purpose as a BBQ for cooking a Brontosaurus should I ever get a chance to kill one

**Crusty** · Feb 4, 2020, 09:23 AM

I'll make the drive up there for some Fred Flintstone brontosaurus ribs.

**metric_taper** · Feb 6, 2020, 10:02 PM

Frank, I assume the project is on hold with the snow and weather that I think the weather maps had over your location.

**Frank S** · Feb 6, 2020, 11:33 PM

Originally Posted by metric_taper

Frank, I assume the project is on hold with the snow and weather that I think the weather maps had over your location.

I don't know what would you say

Took the first step towards building my shop-wp_20200205_08_02_31_prowth.jpg

Took the first step towards building my shop-wp_20200205_10_38_58_prosno.jpg

Took the first step towards building my shop-wp_20200205_10_39_58_prosno.jpg

It was 4°f here at 4 Am

**metric_taper** · Feb 6, 2020, 11:34 PM

I see, your doing a snow load test on the new building!

**Frank S** · Feb 7, 2020, 01:00 AM

Originally Posted by metric_taper

I see, your doing a snow load test on the new building!

better to do it now with the building in a vulnerable state and know it can take it than to have it happen after everything is in place and have to worry if I should have done it differently LOL
Seriously it is not something that concerns me in the least from anchorage stabilization to column slenderness ratio to the load capacity of the truss spans purlin spans and spacing. We have already had 45 MPH wind gusts hit the building with a half completed roof and minimal bracing.
Something that at this time I do not plan on doing is when I was fabricating the trusses by doubling the 2nd hand trusses I did so because at one time these 68 ft long trusses had beams hanging from them running the length of the old 120 ft long building and 2 bridge cranes trolleyed under them with 3 ton hoists on them The company had hung the beams 20 ft apart and a pair or 25 ft long beams on trolleys under those as the bridges for their overhead cranes. Placing all of that additional loading just 10 feet to either side of the center of the building hanging from those slender trusses.
The up side may have been the rail beams added strength and stability to the trusses when the company sold the building to my friend they removed the cranes and rails, then he experienced a 12" snow followed by 1/2" ice causing the roof to collapse.
When I did the examination and calculations of the roof structure the numbers just didn't jive with the damage that had been done, until I was able to do an up close inspection that was when I found out there had been cranes in the building which had been removed. Eventually I found where during the removal the bottom of several of the trusses had been cut through by a torch the structure had no chance for survival under that amount of snow.
If at a latter date I decide that I want an overhead crane I will add columns and have the rails on them not hanging from the trusses alone

**metric_taper** · Feb 7, 2020, 08:41 PM

That was an incredible amount of snow you had. I expect you had some melt today. But now your in a mud mess for a bit.

**Frank S** · Feb 14, 2020, 12:02 AM

Most of the snow was gone in 3 days and on the 4th all of it was gone in the 76° temp. we had that day.
had 2 clear days to get some work done then on Monday back down in the low 30s and rain most of the day rained off and on all day Tuesday and Wednesday morning then dropped to the low 20s before warming to the low 40s in the afternoon although a little windy.
This is what I am trying to get finished fabricating to go in the large hole I have dug
In the construction industry it could be called a HERO or HERCULES or Master column which is usually the strongest column in an building and may or may not have more than a single specific purpose.
Which this one will be and will have.
More that just being a column to support the near center of the end truss and to help prevent racking or twisting of the building in high winds. this column when calculated in conjunction of the to corner columns on the opposite end of the building form a triangle of support but this one will be employed to serve as the basis of a rotisserie or power end of a spit for turning trailer or other large items on their side or upside down this will also serve as a rotary positioner for fabrication of large weldments as well.
Given the nature of the future intended use and strength I wanted to build into the column I figured it would also be prudent to include a hard mount for future jib cranes to be swung from the column. Once the column is in place and later the corresponding tabernacle bracing which will run the length of the building connecting the trusses together and radiative bracing leading from the attachment point of the master column to the next truss I will be more than able to secure a pair of 20' long jib cranes from the hard mount I have fabricated, which will allow me to hang 2 ton hoists or larger from them. If I were to limit the length of the jib cranes to 12 feet or less I could safely install 4 ton hoists from them once every thing is tied together as I anticipate eventually doing.
Part of the reason for the elaborate pipe work on this column was due to the 12" beam I had planned to use turned out to be about 8 feet too short so I had to use my 10" beam which was only 19 lbs to the foot and only has a 4 inch flange making unsuitable as a standalone beam for the column without a lot of build up. Of course the face which will have the elevating power head would eventually have more structure added to it anyway but that would not ad sufficient section to the column to resist twisting forces and bending moments of jib cranes so other that the power head it would be little more than a glorified door stop
Now as it is with over 80 feet of 3 inch pipe welded to it I think all will agree I have accomplished 80% of what I was seeking with a safety factor of 2.5 or better