BEAMS – ways to jack into place
Today I return from a Depot run to find the boss on the site, standing on a scaffold on tippy toe, shouldering a 4×12-16 beam into place while the carpenter is on the other end, trying to stuff it up between the rafter tails that have been cut back.
I knew what to do – tucked a piece of 2×4 under his heels for support. Then stuffed a 2×4 under the beam end for support. Even nailed it against kickout.
As the carpentry crew is doing beams all the time, would have thought that they would have some clever and efficient means to support and raise beams. This looked more like BFFI.
Thus, I turn to Breaktime, certain in the knowledge that out there are all sorts of clever ways to make beam raising safe and smooth. Just wondering what they are. Floor jacks? Jack screws? Sheepherder jacks and 2xs? Wall jacks?
I’ve used my floor jack to good advantage. What it needs is a quick-adjust 2×4 kit. Start with jack down, slid in 2×4, adjust to fit, then pump away. Seem to recall a metal fixture on a scaffolding support that used 2x4s – it looked like it would let you slide one 2x past another going up, but not let it down.
Our knock down scaffolding is proving well worth the investment. K. was up there last week cutting back the rafters. He could walk along for 8′, doing his thing without needing to move. Today they got the beam on the top cross bar, where it sat secure. It was the last four feet that gave trouble. There is a better way than holding it on your shoulder while the other guy fights to get it past rafter tails.
The ToolBear
“Never met a man who couldn’t teach me something.” Anon.
Replies
I don't do post & beam work full time, but have handled my share of glu-lams, rough sawns, and engineered beams over the years. Lifting solutions depend on the application - size of beam/s, location, overhead room, height of lift, etc. Yes, some of them are lifted by hand, provided adequate scaffold is available. Some have been dropped in by crane, or lifted by forklift. Some have been jacked into place by hydraulic bottle jack. I've seen an apparatus like you describe for 2x4s but couldn't say where it was from. On one job on a commercial building reno the beam was very large and so a hole was cut in the tar & gravel roof and a crane line dropped in from above to pick up the beam which had been dollied into place below. It was simpler to repair the roof than to fuss about with complex lifting/jacking systems.
The only common thread is that it's always worth stopping to think it through before the lift begins, and make sure you have everything you need on hand before you start.
We use Genie lifts occasionally. Often a pair of them to lift flush and dropped beams into our remodels. We have them delivered to our job by a local rental company.
another vote for the genie lift ...
have also done it with 2 sets of 2x6 with holes drilled every foot and a dowel or bar ... lift one end ... pin ... move to the other side.
have also used a coupla guys ... making sure my buddy Brian was on hand.
called Joe to redneck engineer it
genie lift ... a big black guy(Brian) ... and a redneck(Joe).
bet there ain't a beam that setup couldn't get up there fairly safely.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Genie lift, that slipped my mind. Great provided there is a smoothish floor to work from. No good outside on rough grade.
Genie lift, that slipped my mind. Great provided there is a smoothish floor to work from. No good outside on rough grade.
Lignum est bonum.
Between the plumbing trenches where ever you go and the piles of dirt, crude solutions are in order. I just keep looking for something less crude than muscling it in place.
Today it was a pair of 2x12s to stiffen up a header done in the most incredible hack style.
K is whanging away on one end that will not come home. Whanging with a Stilletto. Got six of them; not my choice for trying to force fit something. Suggested a single jack or double jack. K: "It's not the hammer; it's how you use it." OK. More whanging. No joy. Come back and he is having at with the sledge. <G!> Finally pulled it and clipped a corner that was trying to lift the top plate.
Wonder what a single jack or engineer hammer with a long handle would do - something like a mini sledge.
The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
this may be a little off subject, but the gist of it is , you can never be too safe and you can always be rushing to much to "get it done"
fellow I worked with about 20 yrs. ago, was a 'nam vet, survived 2 tours as a medic,carrying no weapon, it was against his beliefs , but he still wanted to contribute.
Came stateside, worked as a carpy,(and he was a darn good one too!) met a gal, decided he'd build them a house, hired some guys to help him out, as the young bucks were setting a ridge beam(structural) one of them gave it a wack, 'cause it wouldn't move for him, well it did that time, and came right off its seat and down onto the deck below catching my friend on the backside just below his neck, cleaned out his spine, he's now been in a wheelchair for some 18yrs.
You can never be too safe when working with large beams, be safe and be smart...think first, and keep a cool head!!
Geoff
You can never be too safe when working with large beams, be safe and be smart...think first, and keep a cool head!!
I seldom see any preventers rigged, so when it come down, it comes all the way - less you be under it.
We should be able to gin up some quickie A frames that would give support. A pair of step ladders might be a start. Hoist beam to ladder top. Now, how to jack it from there?The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
I think Sly said it best, it depends on the application. Lately we have been erecting pipe scaffold under where the beam is to go and hoisting it via pulley, placing it on the top of the scaffold just below where it is to go, then jacking the scaffold legs up to set the beam in a good tight fit. It has worked surprisingly well. I use bottle jacks a lot. The Genie is a great idea, but one we never think of until zero hour,the guy I work with is also well into his 50s and we still think we are 23. For the really big ones, we always use a crane. Worth every cent.
I like pulleys...anyway, there are links to the U.S. Army Rigging Manual at this site http://www.logbuilding.org/index1.html which has proven immensly useful.
I like pulleys...anyway, there are links to the U.S. Army Rigging Manual at this site http://www.logbuilding.org/index1.html which has proven immensly useful.
If you like tackles, you would love Darcy Lever's The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor (or a key to the leading of rigging) - available in a reproduction of the 2nd edition (London 1819). Lovely copperplate illustrations.The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
placing it on the top of the scaffold just below where it is to go, then jacking the scaffold legs up to set the beam in a good tight fit.
How do you rig to jack the scaffolding up? Interesting idea.The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
Screw jacks in the scaffold frame.Lignum est bonum.
Exactly. Sly said it. For pipe scaffold you can get adjustable feet that slip inside the legs and they give you around 24" of adjustment to play with. They're like screw jacks on each leg It's for uneven terrain which is almost always. Nothing like working off a level plank.Whenever you get pipe scaffold, go the extra and get the adjuster feet and the wheels.
For pipe scaffold you can get adjustable feet that slip inside the legs and they give you around 24" of adjustment to play with.
Have to see if our scaffold kits have that option. We use the 6" wheels. Usually on concrete vs. fixed on dirt somewhere.
I am wonder about some sort of lifting kit that fits on the top stubs and jacks or screws the beam into place. Keep thinking of my safety stands - they lift easily and catch on that line of hooks. Use that for gross adjustment with a bit of screw jacking for the last bit. The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
"Have to see if our scaffold kits have that option."Oh I'm sure they do.. If you have ordinary pipe scaffold the feet pretty much fit every make.
https://actionscaffolding.com/index.php?cPath=30&osCsid=ee7eca83b0b8de10865ab718843ecee5
TNX for the data. Printed a copy for the boss. See him tomorrow.The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
Take your leveler feet and turn them upside down in the scaffold pin hole. That'd work.Parolee # 40835
Friend gave me the Northern Equip. catalog. Some stuff in the lift section that might work. The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
2 years ago I had to put in a 23' x 14'' x 5'' 1/4 PSL to replace a load bearing wall. I had two temporary support walls on both sides, but only one could be built at a time to get the beam in place.I was working alone so I had to roll the beam in on pipes and get into place.I think I used one of the methods Justin Fink was referring to from an old issue.
Using a couple of 2 X 6's on each side, I drilled a bunch of holes with 8-10'' increments on each board to act like a ladder step and found some steel garden stakes laying around the remodel.Put the beam on one horizontal stake at 8'' while jacking the other side first with a car jack then an ATV jack once the beam was on a high enough stake.Worked my way up to place it below a 10' ceiling.I probably should have rented a genie, but didn't want to hassle with loading and unloading the lift and getting in and out of the house.
I'm not sure if anybody has mentioned it already, but Rick Arnold and Mike Guertin did an article years ago about assembling beams in place/raising beams with different types of jacks.
It was one of those topics that doesn't get much attention, but can be brutal if you do it wrong. I found it to be a great read, for what it's worth: It's in issue #144, if you have a collection of back issues. Or you can get it online: http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/how-to/articles/built-up-center-beams.aspx?LangType=1033&ac=fp
Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Remodelerator
Oops. Object not set to an instance - sez the website. Duh - sez I.The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
well, when I did it by myself.......I'd get two ladders and run back and forth inching up the beam until I could reach the top of the posts.
two guys you don't have to run around so much
But the smarter way when I was building Lildall post and beams was to get everything prepared ahead of time and call a truss truck........
There are fast carpenters who care..... there are slow carpenters who care more.....there are half fast carpenters who could care less......
Just this past Sunday.....
18" Lamb, 10 lbs per ft 800 lbs total , Me & my friends Jack & Jackson...
I like them, they never have anything to Say or talk about.
2hrs latter & a few Snow flakes were Happy!
Bout $70bucks each. They don't dig Steel,
But with some Old school Punk Jacks, the ones were you nail two 2by fours together wee (almost peeed our pants on that one) raised a 700pounder . Just don't waffle around especially under said Beam!
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Proof positive that you can raise a beam with the old pump jacks, eh?The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
Not just Beams.....
about 6 weeks ago, 1 weekend we had some help, the rest the Jacksons & the Lone Framer.....
& a whole lot of Shovling of the White stuff (about 30% of my time)!
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Knew there was a reason I winter in SoCal and wear shorts to work most of the time. Been in the 80s today.The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.