Shortening chain on chain hoist ?

Panza · Sep 5, 2014

I am going to get a low headroom chainhoist and I can get a great deal on New-Old-Stock. The problem is that the chains are about 14' too long for what I need.
I imagine the extra chainlength is going to be in the way quite a bit, especially over the lathe.
How would you shorten and rejoin the chains ? Cutting them is easy enough obviously, but welding them back together as strong as original is another matter.

Bill D · Sep 5, 2014

There is not that much stress on the operating chains. Not more then 200 pounds or so max. I think a link can be cut in one spot with an abrasive disk, bent, rebent, then welded. Or maybe one of those riveted chain links. As far as the load chain make the cuts on the non load side. so the only force is gravity on a inch of chain.
Bill D.

Forrest Addy · Sep 5, 2014

Cut the hand chain as Bill suggests. Hand effort alone will not open it but weld the cut link if you prefer. If you do weld, a bare TIG tack is all that's needed. Dress off burrs and buff smooth so your hands aren't punished from running the hand chain

Don't cut the load chain except to shorten the bitter end (the end pinned to the hoist frame) and re-connect it.

Make the hand and load chains so they hang about a foot short of the floor - so they dangle about like yore thang.

LKeithR · Sep 6, 2014

Forrest Addy said:
...so they hang about a foot short of the floor - so they dangle about like yore thang.

Somebody's been watching those movies again....

Mark Rand · Sep 6, 2014

I shortened the hand chain on my hoist as others have said. I was intending to weld the link back together again when I had the welder out, but haven't got around to it in 8 years. It's worked perfectly all that time.

Cole2534 · Sep 6, 2014

And then buy an extra hand chain wheel, weld it to a 1/2" shaft and chuck it in your electric drill. Boom, powered chain hoist. Not good for lifting much, but saves times when you need to make a large adjustment.

bob ward · Sep 6, 2014

If you examine your operating chain link by link you will find it has one unwelded link. Twist that link open, cut whatever off the chain, then twist that link back closed again.

The load chain of course you can only shorten at one end or the other.

magneticanomaly · Sep 6, 2014

DON"T CUT THE CHAIN! Youi will need the hoist somewhere else some day, and be sorry!

A lot of hoists have a basket that collects excess chain on the unloaded side, so it dos not hang down in the way.

Make a basket or hang a bucket there

Cole2534 · Sep 6, 2014

Is the load chain anything special? I figured it was gr 80/100 in what ever size was needed.

jakefreese · Sep 6, 2014

magneticanomaly said:
DON"T CUT THE CHAIN! Youi will need the hoist somewhere else some day, and be sorry!

A lot of hoists have a basket that collects excess chain on the unloaded side, so it dos not hang down in the way.

Make a basket or hang a bucket there

I have canvas buckets on mine to catch the extra chain, I shortened the chain on my 2ton and regret it.

Panza · Sep 6, 2014

Thank you !
I will definitely cut the hand chain, as that can be easily put back together since there is so little load.
Will consider the canvas bag for the load chain, because I will surely need it high up somewhere sometime...

adama · Sep 6, 2014

FYI hanging it high up, old trick but a good, one, the chain fall hoist does not have to be on the beam runner, have a sling between the two and you never need worry about too short a chain unless you really need the full lifting hight, Which IMHO is rare, most of the lifts i have ever done with a chain fall setup 4-6 feet was plenty of actual lift height.

Cuda · Sep 6, 2014

Forrest Addy said:
Make the hand and load chains so they hang about a foot short of the floor - so they dangle about like yore thang.

Sometimes shorter is better! The operating chain will usually have a "master link" that isn't welded, I used a hoist for years that the operating chain hung about 1' from the floor then a couple months ago I was hoisting a part into the lathe and let the operating chain get to close to a chip pile and one big razor sharp chip jumped on the chain for a ride and my little finger on my left hand needed 7 stitches. That chain got shortened to 3 ft' from the floor as soon as I got back from the doctor!!!

bruceg · Sep 6, 2014

We just use a 5 gallon bucket.

Panza · Sep 7, 2014

While we are on the topic: How annoying is it to haul chain on a 3ton hoist compared to a 1ton (2.6 times as much chain to pull on the ones I am looking at)? Will you constantly wish you had a smaller hoist ? Up until the day you need 3 tons of course..

For the moment the issue are low ceiling height rather than high. Barely got enough room above the lathe. Next time I am building there will be 12' ceilings every room, and no load-carrying walls inside the building.

adama · Sep 7, 2014

Think the worst i have used is a 5 ton. Truly a thing of beauty, but frigging hell your pulling forever, all be it its near effortless! Biggest issue was actually hanging the chain fall. It was a temporary set-up and to put it simply, 3 strong men aint holding up a 5 ton chain fall above head height and putting the shackle together!

I would not go too over board tonnage wise unless you really need it? Equally do you have something you can hang it from to get that 3 ton capacity? Far better to run out of lift, before you run out of beam capacity, one leaves the load safe on the floor, other may deposit it back there too quickly!

Panza · Sep 7, 2014

Funny ! I will have an also-engineer at my old work check the crane structure with their software so it's safe.
I think I'll get a 3 ton hoist with the trolley and then get a 1 ton hoist since they're pretty cheap. That way I can just change out the hoist itself when the need for more than 1 ton arises. But from what you write putting that 3-ton hoist up there alone might be more than I am man for..

adama said:
Think the worst i have used is a 5 ton. Truly a thing of beauty, but frigging hell your pulling forever, all be it its near effortless! Biggest issue was actually hanging the chain fall. It was a temporary set-up and to put it simply, 3 strong men aint holding up a 5 ton chain fall above head height and putting the shackle together!

I would not go too over board tonnage wise unless you really need it? Equally do you have something you can hang it from to get that 3 ton capacity? Far better to run out of lift, before you run out of beam capacity, one leaves the load safe on the floor, other may deposit it back there too quickly!

Mark Rand · Sep 7, 2014

I have a 2 ton chain hoist in my little workshop. The beam is only 3 metres above the floor. I can hang that on the shackle of the trolley, but I wouldn't want to hang a larger one. I use a ladder and fix the top of the ladder to the beam with a short, spliced loop of rope held with a G-clamp so it can't fall or slide when I'm fitting the hoist. A major part of the weight is the lift chain. If the beam has an open top, it can be worth putting the chains over the top of the beam before taking the hoist up or removing the lift chain, to reduce the weight you're working with at high level.

It could also be worth having two trolleys and using the 1 ton hoist to assist when mounting the three ton hoist.

Have fun, play safe!

adama · Sep 7, 2014

Yeah, just get a secound trolly, 2 hoists open up some real possibilities, one of my customers has a big "big" 2 ton and a small every day 1T on the same beam. Its great being able to level things at times.

Panza · Dec 20, 2014

I bought a 2-ton Harrington NTH geared chainhoist.
Geared made sense to me as pulling it along the beam with 2 tons hanging there did seem difficult. Not received it yet.

But here is the crane I made. All painted and ready for the hoist.
I beam: 2,55meter E140A.
Struts: 90x90mm 4mm thick square tubing.
Casters: Hamilton 6" workhorse with steel wheels.
Color: Reseda green - RAL6011.

Capacity: 3tons (3000kg).

Shortening chain on chain hoist ?

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