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Another hand truck/lift design

5087 Views 17 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  challenger
For anyone interested I have some pics of a recent hand truck/lift that I fabricated from a used aluminum hand truck and some scrap I had laying around. Feel free to ask questions about the details of this. I did this out of necessity and it is built out of stuff I had on hand. Questions like:
Why didn't you........
Wouldn't it be better to.......
Well I did mine this way why didn't you........
will not be answered.
Thanks
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Interesting design with the use of the garage door track for your rails. Good idea. I like it. Are the boxes you show lifted, full or just empty boxes used for the picture? If they are full, I am surprised it's holding both of them up without anyone holding the handles of the hand trucks. I would have thought the front lip would need to be longer to support the weight without tipping.
God I hate attracted thumbnail. See my iPad don't open them. Neat idea with the track
David
God I hate attracted thumbnail. See my iPad don't open them. Neat idea with the track
David
Mine does
Looks great. Double wheels a good idea. Two suggestions If used outside, have I have much larger wheels. good for sand and rougher ground. Extend the front forks/plate so you don't need the strap. mine. Godd for
I like the 4wheel design too. What's the sweet ride doing in the garage, it's spring time!
For anyone interested I have some pics of a recent hand truck/lift that I fabricated from a used aluminum hand truck and some scrap I had laying around. Feel free to ask questions about the details of this. I did this out of necessity and it is built out of stuff I had on hand. Questions like:
Why didn't you........
Wouldn't it be better to.......
Well I did mine this way why didn't you........
will not be answered.
Thanks
Cool. But why didn't you ... :)

You are very clever. I never could have done that. Which is probably why my back is in the shape it's in.
Get that patent application filled out!!!!!!!!!
Ok, I'll give you $50 for it if frt paid! :)
Interesting design with the use of the garage door track for your rails. Good idea. I like it. Are the boxes you show lifted, full or just empty boxes used for the picture? If they are full, I am surprised it's holding both of them up without anyone holding the handles of the hand trucks. I would have thought the front lip would need to be longer to support the weight without tipping.
The boxes are not empty but are not working hives . They just have frames of comb. I may have to add an extension on the bottom but I wanted to wait because a longer bottom may prevent being able to get up close to the hives. Ideally I wanted to make it so I could get tight to the back of a hive and scoot it onto the angle aluminum bottom cleat then secure it. That way I won't need to lift at all. I can add a longer bottom if needed. I wouldn't leave it jacked up regardless. Thanks

God I hate attracted thumbnail. See my iPad don't open them. Neat idea with the track
David
Sorry but the pics were on my phone and it took an hour just to resize them and put them here. I thought thumbnails would be easier for folks???


Nice setup. Hope no one from UPS sees it.
These were being scrapped by UPS due to broken parts/liability. I got them legit from a UPS driver.


I like the 4wheel design too. What's the sweet ride doing in the garage, it's spring time!

Battery is charging :). Winter killed it. Nothing but rain lately anyway. 1970 Chrysler 300 vert original 50k miles & 1st 440hp motor.

Cool. But why didn't you ... :)

You are very clever. I never could have done that. Which is probably why my back is in the shape it's in.
Good one. If I can do it Anyone can. The only "special" tool I had to use was my lathe because the axle had to have a flat section along the whole length to fit the existing holes in the frame.
Thanks
I am sure I'll be filling with this thing and larger wheels would be nice but it would mean changing the axle location. I've used this, in the original configuration and it was fine except for a tendency to tip side to side due to the small width. If it needs a change to one thing or another I'm open to applying some fine tuning.
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Great looking lift/hand trucks. This is what I call, "countryboy engineering at it's best". And I mean that with all due respect. Also, that's a good looking 65? Dodge Dart in the background of pic 8.
Great looking lift/hand trucks. This is what I call, "countryboy engineering at it's best". And I mean that with all due respect. Also, that's a good looking 65? Dodge Dart in the background of pic 8.
Yes it's a 65. It's about a 50 footer. Pictures make everything look sooooo much better than they are. Unless it is a picture of my homely puss. even a camera can't improve that.
Nice. And it's simple. I hate overcomplicated systems...
Great idea!!! Now I know what hubby is going to do w/ the old truck dolly that I'm going to drag out of his scrap pile tomorrow, I have a pulley, Garage door track & wheels and I just took apart a stainless steel steamer table top. Now all I need is a new axle for the old truck dolly and since I'll be replacing that part anyway I will go with 4 bigger wheels from the old wagon that should be scrapped instead. I would leave it w/ the short platform also for the same reason that you stated. What do you think of putting a low set of outriggers on it, like a forklift has?
Oh sorry off topic, I nearly forgot. Nice Dart my brother sold a Polara that he had for 30 years recently. I have a cracked 440 block planted with hens & chicks and soon I'll have a #53 Cummins block sitting next to it. I call them my husbands Mopar trophys.
Nice Job

I'm building one similar.i hope to run it off a Drill motor
Both the lift and drive train
Acme screw for the lift and haven't got to the drive yet
Nice Job

I'm building one similar.i hope to run it off a Drill motor
Both the lift and drive train
Acme screw for the lift and haven't got to the drive yet
Interesting-I thought of using an Acme screw/nut with a crank and did a small test. I was thinking hand crank so it wouldn't be the same as using a Drill motor. I think I had a 8 pitch rod and it would have been too much cranking for my taste. I also thought about the weight and figured I'd go with a more primitive design. I am inclined to make things more complicated than they need to be but that's part of the fun for me and, it sounds like anyway, you as well. Let me see some pics when you have it done.
As a DIY project these units can get as sophisticated as one's abilities, imagination and, more importantly, the shop tools utilized. I REALLY wish I had a tig welder so I could weld all the aluminum. As an initial attempt I'd have had to use a large number of fasteners to mock it up and test it so going back to weld now would mean removing and filling the fastener/holes which doesn't compute into the need for a tig unit.
IMO, one doesn't even need a hand truck to start with if there is enough machinery and experience available. All that was left from my hand truck was the bottom blade, frame and handle. Even the handle was almost ditched and reworked but I was able to remove it from its original cart conversion bracket and relocate it on the side of the frame instead of behind it using six notched pieces of tubing as spacers. This also allowed me to ditch the cart conversion hinge which weighed at least 18 lbs.
Good luck with your builds. I think the chiropractic field will be out a few patients.
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