Elevator.

[493 Mike]

Hi fellas,
Has anyone considered building a two story shop and using a 4 post lift as a car elevator?
The lift would have to be modified to gain more height but, it's cheaper to build up than out.
Mike

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Brilliant idea as long as the bottom half of the building is built to hold the extra weight on the 2nd floor (+ cars, etc.)

 

[moparwacko]

@Richard Cranium
Vertical transportation guru
I lit the bat signal, but no response so far
RC is the next best hope

 

[snakeyes]

yes had every thing to do that in my pole barn but the city decided that they were not going to let me have my permit

 

[Richard Cranium]

Hi fellas,
Has anyone considered building a two story shop and using a 4 post lift as a car elevator?
The lift would have to be modified to gain more height but, it's cheaper to build up than out.
Mike

@Richard Cranium
Vertical transportation guru
I lit the bat signal, but no response so far
RC is the next best hope

4 post lifts are designed to travel about 6 feet. You want a car elevator, however, they are mainly designed to go subterranean, not up to the 2nd floor.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/morgan...-in-luxury-just-ask-mitt-romney/#14ae2c3935b3

Unless you cobble together some kind of unsafe Frankenstein lift yourself, you're going to have to come up with big bucks. Either that or give up the idea.

 

[metaldad]

going down...............

 

[Cranky]

Go up 6 foot and then use ramps to drive up the rest of the way? When I built my shop, I loaded up the attic with heavy stuff and even though the roof was trussed, the off center part sagged with all the weight of transmissions and rear end housings and more.

 

[skicker]

I have a plan...scratch that...a few ideas of how to make one for the 3' by 3' opening I have between my two slabs...slab to slab height is 9' 4"...
It would give me an easier way to store engines and components in my basement and not have to haul them around outside...
Its not the size of a 4 post lift but I don't have near the square footage of garage to do what you are suggesting...
There are companies out there who can do something similar to what you want to do but they are not based on a 4 post lift design...Not to mention uber expensive...
A local here in town has one in his 1930's era garage that goes from the 1st floor to the 2nd and then has a set of doors on the roof that would allow you to store multiple cars up on the flat roof...
Place is probably 100x200 and very primitive but the technology was around then...

 

[493 Mike]

4 post lifts are designed to travel about 6 feet. You want a car elevator, however, they are mainly designed to go subterranean, not up to the 2nd floor.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/morgan...-in-luxury-just-ask-mitt-romney/#14ae2c3935b3

Unless you cobble together some kind of unsafe Frankenstein lift yourself, you're going to have to come up with big bucks. Either that or give up the idea.

I have no doubts about my fabrication abilities and this looks simple to me.
Mike

 

[Richard Cranium]

I have no doubts about my fabrication abilities and this looks simple to me.
Mike

Then what are you bothering everyone here for?

Of course someone with a little bit of knowledge and fabrication skills can build something. But being in the elevator business for 40 years, I've seen what handy people can cobble together with no thought of safety at all.

 

[mopar 3 B]

If a lift will go subterranean why will it not go second floor? It should be just the matter of location. It still goes up and down.

 

[steve from staten island]

Then what are you bothering everyone here for?

Of course someone with a little bit of knowledge and fabrication skills can build something. But being in the elevator business for 40 years, I've seen what handy people can cobble together with no thought of safety at all.


View attachment 693633

There is little doubt some of the guys here are very talented, however and maybe RC can give us more information. Something like whats be described would involve a architect, engineering plans filed with and in compliance with local/state building codes.
Installers need to be licensed and any welding, a inspector might want to see the welding certifications, licensed electricians.

 

[YY1]

My plan is to build a well supported mezzanine and use a 4 post (when I finally find a decent one with the features I want and can afford it) as an elevator to get parts up to it.

A couple of my units have sturdy mezzanines but no way to lift parts.

 

[FitzyB5]

Then what are you bothering everyone here for?

Of course someone with a little bit of knowledge and fabrication skills can build something. But being in the elevator business for 40 years, I've seen what handy people can cobble together with no thought of safety at all.


View attachment 693633

Small world RC. I too am in the elevator business for 37 years in Boston area.