[missouri massey man]

A little while back my much older brother decided he needed a larger overhead beam inside his shop so much heavier projects could be lifted....like maybe a 747 or something apparently. (I'm thinking it needed beefing up just to hold the additional weight of this snatch block.) There was a problem with the taller, wider, thicker, heavier beam though....

...problem was, in the size of beam he wanted to use in addition to the above descriptive terms....it was SHORTER too !! Being an eclectic collector of all things discarded, digging in the iron pile netted another short one long enough to make the stretch if the two were added together. Now there IS a right way to make an I-beam joint and then there is the right-way-PLUS....The "plus" being the addition of "failure-proof" methods to make sure something doesn't come crashing down on your head.

To weld a beam together, it is not suggested to just merely "butt weld" the joint...a fellow is supposed to notch each joining end in a "Z" shape (for lack of a better description). Cut the top flange, drop straight down to 1/2 the height in the webbing, cut horizontally a distance and then straight down again to the bottom flange. This gives a much stronger joint. I believe there is a specific length of the offset in the joint for the respective beam height....

Anyway on to the "PLUS" portion. I forgot to measure this beam but it is at least a 10" and maybe even a 12" beam. Well in addition to the accepted weld joint these 1/2" plates were added on each side attached with (18) 5/8" grade 8 bolts and lock washers. Then for good measure (just in case a 747 fuselage ever comes in the shop) he added another 1/2" plate spanning the joint across the bottom. Think it'll hold up to the stresses ???? lololol

So there you have it...another afternoon project to make shop work a little easier in my much older brothers shop....after all he IS getting older every day !!!!

(On a side note, hidden in one of the pictures is glance at a home made 3 phase rotary converter being used to run a 3 phase rotary welder.....but THAT'S another story)

 

[BigDaveinKY]

Should be able to lift two tractors at once off that beam just with the fishplates. The welds and bottom plate must be just for show.

 

[prwttsh]

Can never "overbuild" a project like that. Oughta last til you need a heavier one for a B 52 loaded.

 

[huezang]

i impress by seeing that you are doing that I really like that

 

[Jim in NC]

It will provide a much needed lift for most anything I'd say. I find myself picturing what it would take to move a mountain. Good job!

 

[wizzard]

hmm top rite corner of the 2nd pic is the phase converter? when ya said z-shape reminded me of when i strched the frame on my frieghtliner, i didnt z it but instead 45'd it and plated it inside with 1". its held up for the last 12 years and even haulin 147,000lbs and taking the abuse the loag loader has put on it the last few years. i'd like to put in an overhead like ya'lls some day also. yours looks like itll be there for the next geration !!

 

[ralbuck]

I also believe that over beats under build every time!

 

[Sugarmaker]

Good work extending the beam. I also would like to have one some day. Have the Yale chain fall just dont have the garage and or beam to hang it on yet Details!
So how did you lift this into place? Looks heavy.
Regards,
Chris

 

[missouri massey man]

hmm top rite corner of the 2nd pic is the phase converter?

Yeah, you kinda gotta look just right with just one eyeball and you can see just the end of it.... It's a ten hp 240/480 3ph idler started with a 1/2 or 3/4 hp pony motor with a time delay relay to drop out the pony motor simultaneously energizing the idler with 240 single phase with one of the single phase lines piggy-backed through a 40 microfarad run capacitor for the third leg. It then has the sole duty of providing the power to run a 20 hp 240/480v three phase welder.

The key to operating one of these things is the pony motor.... Its job is to get the idler up to its rated speed BEFORE pulling in the contactor to give the three phase motor its juice. You need to use a pony motor with the same rpm as the rated rpm on the idler. If not, the idler will more than likely not attain full speed and your three legs of output power will be unbalanced to a much greater extent.

This particular setup would probably be referred to as a rotary phase converter. A lot of them are built using START capacitors and a momentary switch and no pony motor. Those will typically run only one motor load whereas with the rotary phase converter the output power can supply multiple motor loads and those motors running at the same time increase the total capacity of the system and actually serve to balance out the voltage imbalance even more. The ones with only the start capacitor rely on that capacitor to give it the 'jolt' required to boost the motor rpm to near rated rpm, but then the idler motor only runs on single phase 220 with the third leg not connected. Single-phasing is not good on a three-phase motor. The reason so many people have good luck with them is that the idler is operating at 'no-load' condition. If it were actually connected to a load to match the hp of the motor, it would smoke itself quickly.

The run capacitor(s) in the rotary creates the slight 'phase-shift' required to keep the idler motor running without overheating by supplying all three legs with power.

If you've not seen or used one, you'd be surprised how well they work.

 

[missouri massey man]

Good work extending the beam. I also would like to have one some day. Have the Yale chain fall just dont have the garage and or beam to hang it on yet Details!
So how did you lift this into place? Looks heavy.
Regards,
Chris

Yeah, its kinda heavy, but the much older brother let me stand on his shoulders and then handed it up to me with his bad hand...... well, maybe that's not EXACTLY how it got up there......lol

 

[wizzard]

i needed a coverter for my new metal lathe and was goin to go the rotory type, then i found one of these http://www.ebay.com/itm/HD-1-3-HP-S...073?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a759bc191 a whole lot cheaper then this one. only drawback is the motor only runs 2/3 the HP but it realy doesnt matter, the lathe still does what i want it to. the + side of it is its quiet!

 

[missouri massey man]

Yeah Bert, those are cool. I think they are referred to as an "Add-a-Phase" generically. I had one on a Bridgeport that shot craps so a VFD was used to operate it once a new (used) motor was found.

Here's a link to installing the VFD: http://antiquetractorsforum.com/sho...a-3-ph-Motor-on-Single-Phase-Answer-is-Within