Replies

1. 
   Sphere | Oct 03, 2005 04:47pm | #1

   Buy life insurance!

     Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

2. 
   BowBear | Oct 03, 2005 05:37pm | #2

   Jeffysan,

   From a DIY viewpoint, I raised an 18 foot wall built out of doubled 2X6s on 12" centres, a heavy brut - Building Department requirement. I just raised it like I would a stepped mast.

   I hinged the base with metal strapping, jacked up the top about 4' off the deck and hooked up a 4 to one block and tackle with 7/8ths braided polypropylene and using a 2 ton rated come along, raised the beast. There was a large oak 50 ft away I could use as tie off. I tied the line as high as I could off the ground, about 20 ft up. I could haul in about 8' at a time then tie off the tail. My 79 year old neighbour would prop the wall up until I could put on a new riding hitch on the tail and haul away.

   It worked and theoretically all was secure the whole time as the lines could only slip 8 ft. and there was always a prop under the wall.

   I do not think that I would do it again. Too many bad dreams after wards.

   An ex-boat builder treading water!
1. 
   MikeSmith | Oct 03, 2005 06:07pm | #3

   jeffy... you can buy Qual-craft jacks for a couple hundred.. or Proctor Wall-jacks for about a grand

   or you could rent some...

   i wouldn't screw around with jury-rigged stuff unless it something you've done beforeMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

3. 
   JohnT8 | Oct 03, 2005 06:18pm | #4

   You can pick up an amazing variety of stuff at the local rental places.  I'd rather rent some jacks rather than jerry rig some.  Sounds like you'd only need it for a day or so. 

   jt8

   "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain 

4. 
   junkhound | Oct 03, 2005 07:53pm | #5

   The 5 ft by 5 ft 27 ft tall tower for my pumphouse was built flat with windows, sheathing, sideing,and all about 4 ft off the ground and raised DIY.  Made 2 big hinges out of 1/2 steel plate, 3/4 inch bolts, bolted to sill and corners with 8 ea both sides  3/8 lags .  Simply pushed it up into place with the loader bucket against a plywood rub plate and top tied into bucket with a safety chain.

5. 
   COremodeler | Oct 03, 2005 10:15pm | #6

   Around here I can get a boom for $100, cheaper than death. and while they're there move some bunks around.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 10/3/2005 3:27 pm ET by COremodeler

1. 
   dieselpig | Oct 04, 2005 01:56am | #7

   That's the ticket right there.  I can get a boom truck with a 2hr minimum for $100/hr.  I've never regretted writing a check to a boom truck operator.  He11, have him stand all your walls and then drop your joist package on top too.  Or at least shuffle the lumber around a bit for you.

6. 
   mike4244 | Oct 04, 2005 01:58am | #8

   Easily done, I make wall jacks in about 20 minutes for each one. When done I use the materials on another job. If I did a lot of framing ,I don't anymore I would keep them. You need two 2x6's 11'-0 long for an 8'-0 wall. One 2x6 about 3'-0 long. Bolt the long 2x's together at the top with an oversized hole. One bolt and a spacer under neath.Spread the bottom to 3'-0" and nail the small piece to it on the flat.

   Fasten a heavy duty strap hinge on each end. You need a comealong, I use a 1/2 ton comealong that has 15'-0" of cable. A larger comealong has more cable, I use what I have but have to prop the wall about a third of the way up and repurchase the line.

   The comealong is held at a comfortable height for you, maybe 5'-0 off the ground by placing the hook on the body onto a 3/4' pipe , The pipe goes thru holes in the A frame.

   Lag screw the hinges to the deck with the boom up against the top plate. The bottom plate has to be fastened with banding iron at 8'-0 intervals.Start cranking, the boom will rest against the top plate all the way up, the boom will lean out as the wall raises.I can lift an eight foot high wall up to 30'-0 long with one boom in the center,takes 4 minutes including the time to prop the wall to re purchase the loadline.If I had a comealong with 25'-0 of cable I would not have to prop the wall ,probably could lift the wall in three minutes or less.

   Very safe and economical way to lift sheathed walls.Costs less than $70.00 for each jack if you bought everything new. I had the comealong, bolts and pipe,the 2x6's were there.I've done this about 15 times over the years, real backsaver.

   mike

1. 
   jrnbj | Oct 04, 2005 03:59am | #9

   I'm gettin slow in my old age...I can picture the A-frame, I know what a come-along is, but can't picture how your rig works...can you sketch it?

1. 
   mike4244 | Oct 06, 2005 01:45am | #12

   Here is the drawing of my wall jack.

   mike

   
1. 
   blue_eyed_devil | Oct 06, 2005 04:34am | #15

   Mike, that's the basic principle.

   Carpenters have been rigging block and pulleys on "gin poles" for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. It's okay to rig up something that gives you a mechanical advantage, but you should take the time to do it right.

   Your top bolt assembly looks like a weak link. It will kink the cable. You need to mount a pulley up there.

   How do you propose to anchor the winch?

   blue 

1. 
   mike4244 | Oct 07, 2005 01:51am | #16

   The comealong is anchored on a piece of 3/4" pipe that goes thru the boom. The hook on the comealong fits the pipe perfectly.The cable goes over a 3/4" bolt at the top, as noted a pulley would be a good idea. I did not use a pulley as I did not have one available the first time I used the contraption. The cable did not kink or fray because the bolt rolled with the cable. As I stated, I do not frame every day. If I did, I would use a comealong with at least 25'-0" of cable, mount a pulley, paint it red with white and blue lettering, MIKE'S CONTRAPTION. I take it apart when done, use the lumber for something else.

   At least one post referred to this idea as crap. If you think it is crap,rent proctor or other wall jacks. I would never post anything that I had not tried and was sure was safe. If this was a case of " I think it might work" I would have prefaced it that way.

   mike

7. 
   blue_eyed_devil | Oct 04, 2005 05:37am | #10

   Jeffysan, before we bought the old crane, we raised thousands of walls with a wall jack called Mac-Hoists. The "walljacks" use a boat winch that is bolted to a steel frame made out of strap steel. A pulley is mounted on the top of job built boom (usually 2x4's in a T form).

   Even with this setup, there are numerous lessons that have to be learned. I'm an adventurous type too, but be forewarned, your rigging needs to be stellar.

   blue

    

8. 
   Brian | Oct 04, 2005 06:17am | #11

   I tried that once with a truck and a rope and a 2x12-12 anchored vertically in the middle with the rope over the top.  The thought was the 2x12 would make the vectors on the rope work.  the wall was 20' tall, 18' long 2x6's no sheathing.

   The 2x12 broke, the wall fell (not far) and we all had a good scare.  Then we used 3 guys to get it on saw horses, a skid loader to get it past 45 degrees, and the truck and rope finished the job.

   I guess the point is be careful...

    

   Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!
9. 
   Framer | Oct 06, 2005 02:04am | #13

   I don't know how much experience you have framig but don't ven watse your time to rig something up like that a kill yourself. Rigging something up like that is a bunch of crap.

   Frame the wall without the sheathing and you'll be done a lot faster and a lot easier without killing yourself. Sheath it later. It's know big deal.

   If you still want to sheath the gable end you can run your last ceiling joist out to the end of the wall like a box and keep it back far enough at the corners so your rafter birdsmouth can sit on the plate and run a row of plywood back to the next ceiling joist so you can nail the shoe in place on edge and frame your gable and sheath it and put your rakes on and stand it up.

   Before you stand it up nail long 2x4's on the wall sheathing and up above the top plate at the center about 8' and two more on each side and that will hold your gable end in place when you stand it up.

   Joe Carola
1. 
   Brian | Oct 06, 2005 02:10am | #14

   I'll second your thoughts.  It was the "a frame" section that broke in half when I tried something similar.  The vectors on your rope/cable can multiply forces many times over.  Use a crane, a crew or do it some other way.

    Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!