By constructing a crane with a water lift (as roughly diagrammed in the drawings below) one can lift with relative safety a heavy load. In addition to constructing a sturdy crane for the job, it’s crucial to use a pulley that has a low coefficient of friction. We put a couple of plastic garbage cans in the carriage to hold the water.
As the water carriage is filled with water from a garden hose, it starts to lift the load on the opposite side of the pulley. Once its weight becomes greater than the weight of the load and it overcomes the friction created by the pulley, the carriage goes down and the load goes up.
I came upon this design when a foreman of mine wanted us to lift a beam weighing approximately 1,000 lb. 18 ft. above our heads, on ladders, with no safety lines. With the proper counterbalance, not only are the lifespans of backs, and perhaps careers, lengthened, the water does most of the work.
Max Wolf, Berkeley, CA
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