How to build a small elevator
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- čas přidán 31. 08. 2020
- My wife's grandfather needed a bit of help getting up the stairs, so we built him an elevator. It works great and was a fun build
most of the parts for this build some need to be sourced at local metals suppliers.
Unistrut trolleys amzn.to/2EOpDlw
Hoist amzn.to/2GhSz6c
Unistrut rails amzn.to/3saI07u
1.5"x1.5"x.125" square tube for frame
1"x.125" strap for frame cross ties
1.5"x1.5"x.125" angel iron
aluminum diamond plate for platform.
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Just for everybody's reference, most home center stores like Home Depot and Lowe's sell case hardened "Elevator bolts" that have strong 2mm thick heads like a thin washer for a head, that is cast or welded to a 7/16" bolt or larger sizes and lengths that will give you almost zero clearance for your rollers in the tracks or other applications. I Worked for elevator companies for a couple of years. What you want to look for is high grade bolts and plate stock for added strength to handle the stress of offset weight distribution. And try to stick weld or better and avoid MIG welding to make sure your welds have at least 80% penetration to each mating surface for good sound strength.
I am going to put one in a house I plan to build here in the next few years. I am going to go the simple route. Which is four 2x2x1/4 angle ( when you make 2 L shapes with your hand the thumbs is where the guides will go. ) The frame will be 1 inch box steel welded up in to a C shape and the platform will be box steel with a pit below the bottom floor for levelness with the lower level. Pretty much it will sit inside a frame with 12 v pulleys which will keep it stable. I have not decided exactly if I am going to go single strand or do a double or triple pulley system. I also want to avoid the snapping of the line. My size will be 4x4 with a 5x5 hole. This way there is enough room and the lift will be enclosed in except the entrance. Since it will be pretty much a closet it will have a door on it and then a retractable safety gate. Should not cost more than 1k which includes labor and parts. Its simple enough and strong enough to rate it at about 2k load with a 5k winch. To be used by both cargo/pallets and human cargo.
Easier way to measure center to center between two identical sized holes is to measure left side of the left hole to left side of the right hole. That is the same as center to center and no calculator needed.
One of my fav elevator/lift builds. Nice job.
Great job. Thank you for sharing it.
Smart elevator for 10% cost, and easy to fix..Great job.
You had me at "42 seemed like the answer" :)
Lol
isnt 42 always the answer :-) Giggling
Well done, thanks!
Nice job....just needs an inertia reel for a fail safe in case your cable breaks.
Thanks for sharing. It gave me some good ideas
Excellent job
Great Job. Thanks
Excelente, grandioso proyecto. felicitaciones
Loved it!!
Great Video, well done!
Awesome video ! 👍
Nice job !
Nice! A wider top landing might have been a plus. You've just built a strait through wheel chair lift. So cool
You did such a nice weld and paint job. It would look nicer if you clamped the control, instead of tape. Nice project!
SAFETY LESSON:
9:18 To anyone watching! Don't EVER leave a cut item on the table saw blades like that while not being handled. The wood or metal can vibrate and get sideways while in between the blades causing a kickback. Cut piece can be thrown and cause serious injury. ALWAYS power down the saw if you need to leave the area mid cut. Nice project BTW!
You are correct here, this piece of aluminum was heavy enough that there wasn't much threat of that happening. On smaller pieces it becomes more of an issue. But you may have noticed all the safety gear I was wearing. Thanks for the tip.
@j88 I use to be a bouncer and prison guard so I'm very observant.
@@rotaryperfection You dont have to be that observant watching a video and i am sure he was being very sarcastic. Because I was thinking on the lines he is, while kickbacks do occur i am sure that piece considering the size of it and weight and from my keen observant skillz considering the previous 2 points about size and weight i am pretty sure the motor would have bogged down before it could throw something that size and weight. I am a woodworker / furniture builder and a avid watcher of strippers and porn so I also am very observant. Ty!
@@reality150tv This isn't a laughing matter for me. Why would you try to tell someone they don't need to be that observant when that same person you're trying to tell ACTUALLY had an accident? I made the dumb mistake of doing something similar my senior year in high school. I had a brain fart moment, left a piece of wood in between the blade and fence and was about to reach down and turn off the machine and had a kickback 1" from my nut sack. The corner of the wood ripped through my jeans and left a scar that reminds me everyday from what happened. That could have also been my temple had I put my head inline with the flying back debris why trying to turn off the machine. You see I had TRAINING in shop class since 7th grade and every year we are taught to NOT do this. So tell me again why I shouldn't try to WARN anyone else since you're the analyzing expert here of weight, power of the machine, and momentum? I failed my training and I paid the price. That's the lesson here and I don't want anyone else to get hurt.
Great job!!!
Thank you!!
You could add a little bit of caucho to engine mount, to isolate and minimize vibration and noise. Nice project. Thanks for share.
Nice job.
Thanks for sharing need to be able to build a lift money is tight
Infact, I have been planning to build a lift to rise to 3 landings using the same principle. Yours have given me confidence and encourage to go ahead. Thanks a lot.
You may have to get a heavier lift and run direct. I used the pulley on mine to get double lift capacity and half speed. I dont know if the cable would be long enough to do this over 3 levels. Also definitely put in safety's you are running much higher. Good luck with your build.
Excellent.
Many thanks!
Good job
Usually, when I'm looking for a video for information about something I need/want to do, it takes a while to find one. I decided today to do exactly what you have done, did a search, and this video popped up. Perfect. I can't wait to get started.
I had planned on using a winch I had in another garage to assist in lifting heavy items. After watching this, I think I'll need to buy a heavier duty one to make sure it's safe.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Your Welcome, good luck with your build. be sure to watch the update video as well.
One thing id make one for hamsters
Cool dude
Thank you. This is what I need to build for my mum...
Bravo from Egypt
Thank you
Excellent explanation I benefited from it
Greetings to you
You are welcome!
Great video (didn't find it lengthy)
Very clear And informative i love the simplistic design couldn't wait to see what it was powered with.
Very nicely done Thnx..
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice execution on this project! The wife and I had a discussion about getting a home elevator for our future retirement home, and I said: "Wouldn't be that hard to build one!" (Just subbed) 😁
Agreed!
Very cool. I appreciate the craftsmanship.
My thought is to use the mast from an old forklift with a 120 hydraulic pump. You'd still need a cage of course.
That is a great idea too
That would certainly do the job. It would also auto break on the way down. Safer
Thanks Man 😀
@2:44 "One is overkill..." I wanna see this with no holes used! LOL Unistrut expects you to use track hangers when using trolleys which is an excuse to sell you more stuff. Their P1000HS strut has 9/16" holes, for use with 1/2" fasteners, instead of slots which might allow for using bolts or screws as-is, probably flush head since a 1/2" pan head would have a head diameter big enough to likely hit the trolley wheels. Big box stores don't carry the P1000HS, would need to get from electrical supplier. That said, likely easier to just get readily available slotted version and drill holes as you did.
Very much impressive
thanks
the fold up platform should have a safety rail so he doesn't fall down the stairs
If you want a smoother ride substitute a section of auto tow strap for the cable. It cushions the vibrations, and doesn't bunch up like the cable will do.
I replaced the cable with Poly tow rope later on. Strap would be good too.
So nice setup I’ve been wanting to do that for years in my basement. Correct me if I’m wrong but it looks as if the cable from winch goes up to a pulley then attaches to the elevator
thanks for sharing this. gonna look for updates re cable issues or noise dampening box. new sub
Thanks
Great simple design. I would try to add a safety if the cable should break.
Working on It. Thanks
@@DirtyShopDIY Thinking about an autostop, and coming from a sailing background, I imagined a counterweight so that the platform could be lifted with one hand, saving power and work on the motor The counter weight would be something heavy with a pulley, and some 1000lb test rope, commonly found on sailboats. Also on sailboats there are ratcheting blocks, which would work pretty nifty but probably not stop the weight of a falling person, although it'd slow them with the notches in the pulley. Otherwise, there are rope clutches that might be able to be operated with a solenoid/servo and Arduino to release when the down button is pushed, and lock when the down button is released. The clutches or the ratcheting block would allow up no problem. Might be possible to respool the winch with rope which would allow the use of the ratcheting blocks or the clutch without the use of the counterweight. All this sailing hardware would cost hundreds, "safety third" is a good motto. Rope clutch: www.mauriprosailing.com/us/product/LEW29101110BK.html Ratcheting block: www.velasailingsupply.com/harken-40mm-carbo-ratchet-block/?sku=HR2608
Estou fazendo uma mais ou menos parecida com essa parabéns amigo 🙂
Very cool project. Elevator design was great.. That cable problem would be , maybe off-set where the cable mounts, so it pulls a little off center. To help the cable pull in alone side each run...!!!
Good point we.do that with chicken house winches
Amigo me encanto tu video, felicitaciones desde Santiago de Galicia, Colombia, soy persona en situación de discapacidad, tengo como proyecto hacer un elevador, tu video me va ayudar mucho, y agradeceré mucho la asesoría que puedas brindarme. muchas felicitaciones por tu gran corazón al ayudar a tu suegro , Bendiciones.
Gracious
What can you do if you don't have the additional hight for the the roller system to make it land even with the above floor? Great video! Thanks!
Nice! Suggestion - The hinged board with the rope at the top, to provide elevator access, should be attached to the elevator's moving platform, not the stationary stairs. Don't want Grandma to walk out and fall off the board while grandpa is riding down. Also, a limit switch should be added to the moving frame such that the motor won't start unless the occupant pulls up that platform entry board. This will also serve as a safety-from-moving-parts guard (don't want Grandpa's sweater to get caught in the rail guides).
That flimsy outer hinged bar is not safe enough, so attach an identical board to the outside car exit, also with a limit switch, which also will double as a wheel chair ramp, which Grandpa will be using very shortly I'll bet.
Also, slap a couple plywood boards on the sides too. Stair rail & landing slat spacing, by code, must be close enough to not let a 4" sphere pass and I imagine that a moving elevator would have a more stringent requirement.
Was that hoist meant for people duty? It's paperwork might have a disclaimer somewhere regarding its use as a people lift. Generally, use a safety factor of 5 for stuff that could cause injury to life & limb.
Historical Factoid - Back when elevators were first invented, people lost their lives when cables snapped. Otis, as in Otis elevators, patented and showed off at the Chicago World's fair, a patented mechanism where the lifting cable was attached to the elevator by a spring which was attached to a linkage which was attached to brake pads. If the cable snapped, the spring tension would go to zero causing the linkage to thrust the brake pads outwards against a plate running parallel to the elevator track and thus preventing the car from falling. it was a a type of dead man's switch. Your elevator design does not have this safety feature.
I disagree. The board should not be attached to the elevator. What if you are standing there waiting for the elevator to come up. You don't want to be on the stairs. You should be standing on the board.
@@captwar Good point, but it is no good how it is now either since you can accidentally walk or roll off the board and fall down the stairs since the outer edge of the board, when lowered down, is dangling a couple feet above the next step down. The stairs need to be rebuilt or shifted left in order to build an entrance platform.
I like it the way it is. !
What if you are at the top and the elevator is at the bottom? Or what if you are at the bottom and the elevator is at the top? How do you get the elevator to come to you is there any control for that? There may be more than one person in the house. I remember a long time ago riding on a fright elevator in an old warehouse where the elevator was controlled by ropes. They pulled one rope for up and one rope for down. Nothing was taped on. Thanks for making the video. It is very interesting. I really like the hinged board at the top. That it self is a great invention. It still allows you to use the stairs by picking it up.
not a bad idea with the ropes. There is only one person using it.
Great build ! Only thing that I might add is that moving objects close to stationary objects can become a guillotine for feet, arms, hands, fingers, and heads. Perhaps an enclosed cab would solve that.
That is a possibility. The only place where that could happen is on the stair side and you would have to be really close to have an issue. I cant enclose because of getting on one side and off the other. I could put a panel against the stairs so feet and such couldn't get mashed.
@@DirtyShopDIY that panel only, is the recommended thing for wheel chairs, to keep the feet and legs safe. Panel flush to edge of platform. No platform lip hanging over.
Switch the steel cable out for a good synthetic winch cable and it will stop that clunk, plus the synthetic is stronger, and more user friendly.
I have one already. Im going to do an update soon. Im also installing some safety's
Very good video wish you would have given us more info on the on the motor and how it was attachef
The motor is bolted directly to the upper arch of the frame. I believe I used the U-bolts that came with it or something like them. These are indoor hoist wenches made to attach to a roof beam. Th cable goes up and attaches to a chain wrapped around doubled 2"x6" boards.
Awesome. mission accomplished. the cable roll on wench systems is indeed annoying.
Center distance between holes? Measure once with inside jaws and once with outside jaws. Add the numbers and divide by 2. Don't bother with measuring the diameters of the holes.
Thanks for share your experience, greetings from México
Great video! I plan on building something similar and I'm wondering how that hoist has been for you? Does the lift get daily use?
Yep daily use no issues with the hoist. I did have an issue with the cable and original pulls. I had to replace them with a poly cable and better block. Inspected it yesterday and it's still good
@@DirtyShopDIY Cool. I ended up going a different route, using a 3-phase motor and gearbox we found.
Great video, btw! You need to teach everyone how to record this way!
You will have to define that a bit better. What type of recording would you want to learn about
I found the trolleys to disallow screw head clearance so I produced 1/4” thick spacer plates and welded those to the back of the unistruts. The screws cleared trolleys.
That's a good move, I had to mill mine down.
Use deeper strut.
@@donsmith9081 The ideal method is to weld outside edge angle brackets to completely avoid screw heads in the channel seat. I did that at the top but not on the bottom at the door jambs as the door trim would not lay flat and I should have triple sisterered the door 2x6 verticals allowing outside bracket weld attachment. The dee channel requires equally larger trolley wheels when using these as vertical verses horizontal tracks. Works fine as is I’m happy.
Hi, do you think we could use this for a quad and dirtbike lift to an upstairs garage?
The lift would have to be stronger and the hoist bigger. The principle is simple enough. Build it bigger to lift bigger things. If I was to try a heavier lift I would want to use 2 hoists and tracks on all 4 corners. However It might be hard to balance their pull.
You can buy deeper strut-without slots also.
Would you have plans for this? This is exactly what I have wanted for years.
Sorry, no plans. This would be an "at your own risk" sort of thing if you plan to build one. There should be enough information in the video if that is your plan.
I did like and sub
Wenn ich das richtig gesehen habe, ziehst Du die Lifteinheit mit einem 2. Lifter hoch?? Und nächste Frage , wo ist eine 2. Sicherung, wenn das Seil reißt ??
The wench is just doubled with a block. I installed a safty on the follow up video.
ホイストを台の枠に固定しているけど、天井は滑車？天井と部品自体も数百キロの負荷に耐えなければならないが、どうやるのだろう？このやり方だと、ホイストの電源コードを延長させたり、無線リモコンに作り変えたりする必要がなくて、とてもいい。自作できる知識・技術・工具・作業場があって素晴らしい＆羨ましい。
Could create a business making these lifts. Would it be easy to implement something similar with an auxiliary hand powered system in the event the power or motor fail?
Hi ! I like your detailed assembly of your home lift. How do you do the auto stop with your electric cable hoist?
In this case the auto stop on the lift was just about perfect. Otherwise I had a wood disc and some clamps to make my own stop
The wench is built to stop automatically when the cable is fully rewound.
Thanks I may need one may I know what was cost to build it. If needed can you make me one. Need to move products and my self up to second floor. Thanks for your time and understanding Ed Fugate
Sorry I dont remember the cost. I would guess around $300-$500
Nice design. How did it automatically stop?
You need an electrical endstop
Very nice, plz tell what is the wattage of motor for elevator. Thanks
Don't know, there is a link in the description for the hoist
you didn't show where the cable attaches to the platform,is it just bolted to the middle directly below? nice build.
Cable attaches to the arch overhead.
What size of the MS pipes are you using?
I'm not sure what an MS pipe is? But I think the frame was made from 1.5" X.125" square tube. It was the size that fit in the clamps on the hoist.
can you list links for materials you used? very cool
Check the description of the video. I have some of the links there. Other parts were sourced at local metals suppliers. The unistrut/superstrut is available in the electrical section at Lowes and Home Depot.
Great job.... How much money you spend for the whole materials?
I'm sorry I don't remember. I should have kept a record. Less than $500
I noticed you cut the rafters to make room for the lift. I hope you reinforced them so they don't fail.
He has a little blurb about it, they installed a double 2 x 6 support.
Nice work but pls work on safety issues when rope breaks asap
Done, check out my update video
Know nothing about them but what kind of milling machine and where to get them. Thanx, -keith.
I would suggest a cnc knee mill. Like a Bridgeport series 1. The knee mill is about as versatile as you can get. Manual ones are ok too and can be found almost anywhere. I would suggest you find someone around who can look at the machine and make sure you aren't buying a worn out one. Or buy one new.
@@DirtyShopDIY Wow, On Amazon.... $38,000. Am I looking at the right machine?
@@keithnorris8982 probably in that category. The first one I saw on Amazon was a Southbend at that price. I dont know how good those are. A milling machine is a serious investment. With a mill and a lathe you can do and incredible amount of really cool things. There are a lot of good used machines from better makers out there. www.machinetools.com/en/for-sale/494079-bridgeport-2j-vertical-mills
I am not necessarily recommending the above machine or seller. I am just giving you an idea. For a hobbyist a machine like that could give a long and productive life. You may not need CNC but I recommend it. Good luck with your hunt.
@@DirtyShopDIY Thanx. I appreciate your feedback. -keith
where did you get the track and rollers please
The rollers from Amazon, there is a link in the description. I bought the track at Lowes.
Your a good great grand son.
Turns out it's just grandson. I have trouble with such things. But thanks
That is awesome my man, but in a situation where by electricity cuts off. Do you have a back up plan.
It's only about a 6' lift. If it cut off then you would never be more than 3' from the ground or the landing.
@@DirtyShopDIY thank you very much sir for your reply. Please advise on someone who would want to do the same idea like yours on a two story building and electricity cuts off in the middle of the way. What are the safety measures that one can improvise for the authorities to approve his or her elevator.
@@reubenmalandu7490 I can't recommend building one of these that tall. There would need to be a better safety that would catch the elevator in the event of a cable or wench failure. Safety risks increase drastically with height.
That said if I had to do it I would use a 12 volt wench like on a Jeep with a battery. The battery would be charged by a smart charger which would maximize the battery life. If the power went out you would still have a good number of trips up and down before draining the battery.
@@DirtyShopDIY thank you very much once again for your reply and your advice. I will have to involve expects on my elevator. Good day bye
I'm just curious as to the total cost of this project. Obviously the posters skill comes into play but I'm considering having one installed in my loft and $20,000 is a bit much for my budget.
I dont remember the total cost of this but it was less than $500 for the materials. May be a bit more now and I had some on hand that I dont know the price of. But defiantly less than $1000. If you are going though a professional company they would probably build a much better product but they have all kinds of expenses that I didnt. Especially insurance.
Measuring Tip: if measuring between 2 holes the same size, measuring from the identical side of the hole (vs. the opposite sides) gives you the centerline of the two holes. No math.
I often measure with calipers between holes and then ad one hole worth of diameter to get distance center to center
Doesn't that only work if you subtract the difference between both sides of the identical sides of the hole? I might be missing something...
DSD has it right. No way to measure by eye accurately.
Nice job...ever taken adderall? Couldn't you have welded plates on the back side of your track and made bolt holes in the plates to attach to the wall?
hello . Could you tell me where I can buy the plates with the bearings, I can't find them in Spain. thank you so much
I purchased off Amazon. If you look in the description below the video there is a link. Unistrut trolleys
@@DirtyShopDIY Hola muchas gracias por tu rápida respuesta , has sido muy amable, no podía abrir el Link donde lo vi por eso te lo pedí, ya lo tengo localizado de nuevo muchas gracias por todo,
Where did you get the tracks?
It's called unistrut. Bought it at lowes
I hope you know not to use grease on wire rope. If you want to lubricate it there are special lubricants for the job, using grease hides damage to the wire rope which could lead to injuries if the rope fails.
How much weight does this thing hold please comment back
The host is rated at 880 pounds. I assume there is a significant safety margin built into that. However it is a lower cost hoist and is a use at your own risk. The lift weights about 100 pounds, the person it lifts is about 180-200 pounds,occasionally they carry things with them so I would estimate the lift normally lifts between 300 and 400 pounds. I am putting safety's on this soon.
How much did the whole project costed to you?
I dont really remember, less than 500.
What was the name of that motor?
There is a link in the discription
How much does that metal frame weigh? And the winch? Gotta be pushing almost 300 pounds. So if you have a winch at 440 max load rating anyone whop gets on there over 140 pounds is stressing it beyond its max. Winch is definitely underpowered for this application. Also you have no safety stop if the cable breaks or motor fails due to overweight load. That thing is gonna plunge straight down to that concrete floor and whoever is on it is going to get hurt. Nice idea and overall good execution but 2 major oversights. You should address these sooner than later especially with it being used for people. Just my 2cents.
I addressed one of those issues. Iheartmedia frame is less than half that weight. And the wench is doubled so 880 pounds rated.
880 is definitely better, thanks for the update.
Assuming the man is not dumb as he has a mill and capable math skills, and enough skills to figure it out in the first place, I think it is safe to assume he has done the math and figured the margin of error out already. Having said that I dont think he needed ur 2 cents, just my 2 cents.
🎉
Add fall arrestors
Done check out the update video
What happens if lift stops half way up. Is rider stranded
Potentially, yes. However the distance covered is only about 6 feet. So they would never be more than 3 feet from top or bottom.
#ILoveThis #Greatjon #NewSubHere
Sir you need to experiment with LIGHTING so we can SEE the small components your think we can see....
Yep, lighting is always an issue.
PRO TIP: Putting the saw blade in backwards make a smother cut on metal.
You know I heard that, but when I tried it blew all the teeth off.
@@DirtyShopDIY Probably had carbide tips then. My dad had to cut aluminum siding and found that his REGULAR skill saw blade made a good cut by putting it in backwards. I dont think he was using carbide tipped blades back then.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👍🏻
How is your pulley attached
There is a double 2x6 on top with a chain around it. The pulley is bolted to the chain. I removed the hook and bolted through the holes.
For those who want to build something like this. Hope accidents will not occur. Even if it is well done what is it going to happen if the camel snap or the winch clutch failed?
I installed a safty in the follow up video. I tested it and it worked. For such a short lift, I feel good enough about it. If others want to build something like this they need to understand its safty is on them.
I don't see the attachment of the upper pully to anything.
Its not too visible in the video. The pully is attached to a chain wrapped around a double 2x6. Probably now the best way to do it but it works. You can see it better in this video around the 9 minute mark.czcams.com/video/d5aycWbHcTQ/video.html
The elevator door
Better to open from left to the right so it can block and close the stair
Not top down
It actually drops down to make a platform with a guard rail
unistrut