Pre-Vote Discussion: Lifting and Handling Equipment

General
1

In the last few warden meetings and last month’s Machine Shop Committee Meeting, we discussed that it’s probably time the hive invested in some proper, safe lifting and handling equipment for moving and servicing some of the heavier pieces of machinery we have (lathes, mills, table saw, etc.). While we have made due for many years now with engine hoists and pallet jacks, that really is not a safe way to handle the type machinery we have and will continue to get in the future.

To that end, I have put together a list of equipment that should allow us to lift and move anything we are likely to ever bring in the space (up to 4000 lb., which is the weight limit of our elevators).

This equipment falls into three basic categories: 1) A portable gantry crane w/ chain hoists and lifting straps for lifting things straight up and down, 2) Pry Bars and Toe Jacks for getting heavy machines off the ground enough to lift with other tools, and 3) machine skates for rolling heavy equipment from point A to B.

The full list of equipment can be found in this google sheet. The total investment would be around $7500.

Some questions and concerns that have already been raised on this topic include:

  1. What alternatives exist? Things like Die Cart/mini fork walk behind lifts are available, ideal for small compact heavy items like individual machine parts, not great for full machines. Pallet jacks and engine hoists sorta work, but are really not meant for machine moving, and can be quite unsafe compared to proper methods. Equipment would be investment for all areas of hive, Improved safety working on and bringing in/out machines.
  2. Door height issues - The gantry beam quickly comes off with pins and cotters, parts light enough to be assembled and disassembled by one person. Parts will easily go through doors laid down if needed.
  3. Gantry permeant home - Can be stored assembled over lathe or another machine, or could be disassembled and stored on pallet racks or compactly against a wall (likely in machining area, but could also be in hive infrastructure space)

Please review this proposal and offer any suggestions for improvement/addition to the list. I’d like to post this for vote within the next two weeks so we can get the equipment ordered to start moving the machine shop in January.

Thanks,

Kevin M.

(Temporary for the expansion) Machining Warden

2

Peanut gallery here - in the interest of kick-starting some discussion on this, no specific feedback other than it looks to be well thought out list and a fairly obvious need for the Hive given the machinery that is already there and is likely to come in to fill all the new empty space that is being carved out of the Dungeon.

The price tag seems a little high, but so is the insurance liability after it pays out for someone’s crushed foot when something jerry-rigged fails. It also is true Hive infrastructure that benefits a lot of the Wards to have the option for safe heavy lifting available. I’d vote yes if this was brought to a vote as-is.

3

Thanks for the feedback, based on the in-person discussion at the Tuesday meeting and warden meeting yesterday, it seems like there’s general agreement that this stuff is a worthwhile investment. I’ll leave the discussion open just a bit longer, probably post it as a vote sometime towards the end of this weekend or before the next Tuesday meeting. As always, I’m open to recommendations for alternatives or additions.