Thread: A Real Workshop

This is what I see each morning when I head towards the shed.

The three big sliding Queensland Maple panel doors were an extravagance but I feel good every time I see them.

This is the Red Gum slab.

I used a router on a gantry style sled to flatten it.
Between the slab and the workbench is a temporary torsion box table. I need a big enough flat bench for the slab and the router sled.

The cracks have been filled with epoxy that was coloured with black oxide.

After many passes with the router it is time to turn the slab over and repeat the process on the other side.

I decided that lifting heavy timbers is too hard.

So I bought a 400kg winch for the shed.

My preference would be to fit an section of I-channel across the width of the shed. That way I could move the lifted timber from one side of the shed to the other. Mostly it would be to lift the timber from the floor onto the bench.

But I am in a hurry so I decided to use what I had to fit the winch above the table.

I am not sure if the roof beams will hold 400kg, how to attach the winch to the beams or if the hardwood board I have to attach the pipe to the ceiling is strong enough.

This is what I did:

I bolted U-bolts through plates to the 4"x2" hardwood board. Then bolted the board across 5 of the LVLs in the ceiling. There are two 10cm coach bolts into each LVL and I added an L-shaped bracket to the end LVLs so I could bolt into the sides of the LVLs.

A 50mm diameter pipe sits in the U-bolts.

The most difficult part was lifting the 20kg winch up to the pipe so it could be bolted on.

The winch had no trouble lifting the slab.

The remote control is very simple with a toggle style switch for up and down.

It is a bit jerky when you start and stop but quick responsive and smooth when in action.

It took a bit of fiddling with the winch straps to get the slab on its edge. Then I pushed it over and lowered it down on the other side.

The winch isn't directly over the centre of the bench so I had to push it around as I was lowering the slab.

I was pretty clumsy but it was certainly much simpler than having to lift it by hand.


The winch is going to be a welcome addition to the shed.

I reckon I could find a use for a wench in my shed ...

Oh a winch! probably one of those as well

Thanks Nick, I needd that.
I just spent a couple of minutes looking for the "Typo".

Needless to say, I often have a willing wench or two in my shed. They are good workers and usually better company than my iPod but none of them can lift 800kgs.

Originally Posted by Scally

.....Needless to say, I often have a willing wench or two in my shed. They are good workers and usually better company than my iPod but none of them can lift 800kgs.

Not everyone can lift 800kg. Not even in the World's Strongest Man competition is that weight part of the competition.

You are right Christos but it has taken me a while to realise that I can't lift 200kg let alone 800kg.

My Red Gum slab has lost some weight with all the material removed to get it flat then trimmed to size.

I think I added it back with the big legs on the base.

Now I need to get the base on the floor the right way up and turn the top over and put it on the base.

That is going to test my winching skills.

Curious, how'd you know it was 800g anyway?

and that looks to be one solid table, cool

Oh and I've just had a thought on delivery ... Fletty is in the traveling mood at the moment and is probably coming past in the next few days ... and has some chap's trailer attached to his vehicle. What could be easier?

Great idea Nick but I don't think my clients would appreciate wine stains on their new table when it is delivered by Fletty.
But thanks for the offer.

A bit of clarification on the 800.
My electric winch is rated to lift 400kg with a single rope. If the rope is doubled back to the winch the lift is rated at 800Kg.

I have no intention of lifting anything near 800kg.

My rough estimate of the weight of the Red Gum slab, 4m long, 1m wide and 50mm thick is 200kg. I have used 1 tonne per cubic metre for this rough estimate. The Red Gum will be a bit less than that.

After trimming to 2m long by 90cm wide by 40mm thick it would be less than 70kg.

I have been getting some information together to make my winch moveable.
First is an I-Beam about 6m long, $180.
Girder Trolley to suit the I Beam, $100.

Then I need to weld a plate to the bottom of the Girder Trolley so I can bolt the winch to the trolley.

This would allow me to lift a project on one side of the shed and move it to the opposite side.
That would be handy.

Ah - thanks for clearing up my confusion

if my recollection serves me correctly, Stu of Stu's shed went through a similar exercise re winches a couple of years ago (maybe)

Originally Posted by Scally

Great idea Nick but I don't think my clients would appreciate wine stains on their new table when it is delivered by Fletty.
But thanks for the offer.

It IS red gum isn't it?

It is Red Gum Fletty.
I am sure the delivery route could pass through many excellent Red wine regions.
Thanks Nick, I may have seen Stu's winch too. I will have a closer look.

Sounds pretty cheap, what size UB are you planning to use? By price it sounds like 150UB14 which might be a bit small given the span. Have you done any bending moment calcs? Sunset patios have a pretty good beam deflection calculator on their website, sure beats doing calcs with Young's modulus yourself. At least that way you can put in your maximum load plus the mass of the winch and girder trolley, the size and the mass of the beam and it will tell you how much deflection you'll get over your span.