Epic Fail - Attic Lift Fall: What Happened?
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- Опубліковано 1 лип 2024
- In this video, I go over the root cause of my Epic Fail when the attic lift fell and what I did to fix it so it won't happen again!!
I know Epic Fail videos are fun to watch, but we can learn something from them as well. Seeing what other people designed or what they were doing with the Epic Fail happened educates us on what NOT TO DO, if we were going to try and do something similar.
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#Fail #SmallShop #DIYShop - Навчання та стиль
The courage to post deserves a sub.........
Nice!! Thank You Night Bird, I appreciate it. More content on the way soon...
Glad to see you are doing better. My father built a lift in his garage, and the same thing happened. The cause of his was a turnbuckle failure. When building his lift, he went to Lowe’s to buy a cast-iron 2000 pound turnbuckle and the Lowe’s employee pulled one off the shelf from the correct box but it was a 250 pound aluminum turnbuckle that was in the wrong box. It worked for over a month until it didn’t. His broke when he reached the top and it came crashing 12 foot down. My father was 75 years of age when it happened a couple years ago and he broke both heals, his elbow and his back but luckily he lived to build another day.
Wow, I'm very glad to hear your Father is ok and I really appreciate you sharing your story in the comments. We all (hopefully) learn from our mistakes and continue moving forward smarter. I've had enough wrong parts in the wrong location that I double check everything...luckily it wasn't even close to as hard of a lesson as your father's!
Be sure to check back and subscribe, I have new content on the way!
Thanks,
Tom
Damn, that looked like a nasty fall. Since you seem to value feedback, I want to share something: I notice you improved the point of failure, but didn't add anything to prevent this from happening again. That means that you're now relying on an improvement of which you can't really be sure if it'll hold up over time. I mean sure, it probably will, but especially if you're gonna be on the lift yourself, you always have to assume that it will fail at some point, so you'd need a backup.
The best way to prevent a very speedy descent in your situation IMO would be to prevent the axle that has your cable drums from spinning too fast. Something like a centrifugal clutch could be used to engage a brake when the axle spins too fast. Another option would be a magnetic brake, similar to what drop towers use, but that's probably a bit more expensive and harder to make.
Hey Tim, thank you for the detailed info and for taking the time to stop by the channel. I couldn’t agree with you more that the lift needed some redundant safety measures, given that I was riding the lift. I evaluated fall arrestor systems, notched gears, etc., but…I have since moved to a new home with a new shop! I’m working on the 2.0 version of the lift and don’t have the same limitations I did with the garage attic space in my last house. This version with leverage lessons learned and all the feedback I’ve received.
I give you a lot of credit for showing your fall, there's alot of people out there,myself included, that wouldn't have shown that. I did my own platform and am still working on the final touches. Nowhere near as stout or high tech as yours but it does what I need. Glad to see your up and about.
Hey Greg, we all learn from our mistakes and if my fall and subsequent evaluation saves someone else’s pain and suffering, then I’ll chalks that up to a good deed for the day,
I have looked at alot of lifts built. This is by far the number 1 lift I would not step foot on. Even with the so called fix.
@@TomsDIYShop thanks for sharing. I think the sistem it's not safe for people. Lack of safety. The best is to use it for items and stay away when holding loads
When engineers design things we use different factors of safety and backup “fail safe” provisions when people will be the load as compared to objects. Even then failures can occur through errors or unanticipated events. Glad you have recovered from your fall, very scary.
Hey Jerry, thank you for the well wishes and for checking out the channel! Definitely an oversight on my part, but not one that I’ll make a second time.
Thanks,
Tom
Glad you are OK, and thank you for debriefing the lift failure so we could all learn from it.
Thanks Franco, that was the general idea when I posted the original video and the follow up. I made certain assumptions about the materials used and it obviously came back to haunt me.
Glad you are okay and thanks for sharing your experience.
Everyone makes mistakes, miscalculations or overlooks potential problems. Just glad the fall was not more serious and thanks for posting this video so that we can all learn from it. God bless and get well soon.
sorry that this happened to you. I see some other things to consider in your build that would make me nervous. I highly recommend a fall arrestor for you when using that.
The cable seems to be completely off the drum at the bottom. Will make the winch motor work very hard to get the platform moving. It's better to leave 4 or 5 wraps of cable on the drum when the car is at the bottom of it's range.
The forward pulliies attached to your welded frame are attached with some bolts. Are those bolts sized appropriately for the weight they are expected to carry?
Hey Mike, thanks for stopping by the channel and for taking the time to leave a comment. I considered how much, if any, cable should be left on the drum when the lift was in it's fully lowered position. I decided on "None" because I was concerned that, if the shaft/drum was over-rotated down, the excess cable might go to one side or the other, outside of the cable drum guides, and wrap around the drum shaft. Raising the lift while in that state would cause the platform to have a severe angle and potentially damage the cable. Excellent points though and, if I had some type of sensor or switch for both the upper & lower limits, I could have left some cable on the drum and reduced the strain.
As for the components used in the build, yes...the bolts were more than capable of carrying the load. I considered the lift capacity of the hoist, the pulleys, bolts, cables, etc. and, divided the load by 4 as each connection would be sharing the load.
I can’t believe you posted the video I would have pretended it didn’t happen but glad you are getting better
Hey Matthew, thanks for stopping by and for your comment! I will always be the first one to laugh at myself or own my mistakes so I don’t mind putting both the good and bad out here for everyone’s viewing pleasure and learning opportunity. I felt my build was pretty solid…but (obviously) underestimated the wall strength of 1/2” pipe! Hopefully, others will not make the same mistake.
Glad you are back
Thanks Jack! It’s good to be back and I have quite a few things in the works…just need to sit down and edit video so I can publish!
Wow, thanks for sharing your X-ray. I fell about 15 feet off a ladder and had the same injury as you did to the L1 vertebrae, its called a "wedge compression fracture". I'm glad you're feeling better.
Mine turned out to be about 80% crushed. Stable and no chips or cord damage, but I could barely get out of bed for 2 weeks and had to take some serious pain meds. Happened 8/2022 and still undergoing physical therapy. The outlook is OK, but I'll never be the same again.
Count your blessings it wasn't worse. I now harness up if I'm working at heights greater than 6 or 8 feet if things look a bit "sketchy".
Wow...it's amazing what that extra 5 feet will do. The ceiling in that garage was "only" 10 feet...but that's better than 15! Glad you're on the mend as well and didn't sustain anything life threatening or worse! As we age, things hurt more than they used to and take longer to heal!
Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to do it, I really appreciate it! More content is on the way so, if you're not already, make sure you're subscribed and hit the bell so you'll be notified when new videos are released.
Tom
Thanks for the update👍
That's the one thing I fear about an attic lift - that it will not be built strong enough to prevent failure, especially when a human is on it. So thankful nothing more serious happened to you. Thanks for your candour and notes of caution to others.
They should be freight only, people go up the stairs.
This video has the potential to save lives! I am about to embark on a project like this. Just getting started with you video. Thank you for sharing!
Hey Captain, thank you for the feedback and for taking the time to stop by the channel, I really appreciate it! There are several other design options out there (which I’m sure you’ve discovered in your research, just as I did) that include much needed safety features, especially if you intend to ride the lift. I’m currently working on a 2.0 version of the lift in my new shop and don’t have the same constraints I did with the attic space above my garage. Would love to see the final build once you’re done!
@@TomsDIYShop thank you for the reply. As of right now I plan to use a winch, yours was the first one I saw with a garage door opener. I like that a lot because of the stop mechanism. There is a very impressive one I found last night that lifts a motorcycle into the attic as well as many other attachments that he added on. Really very very impressive. A lot over kill but, very cool.
I know I'm late to the party but, man, I'm so happy to see you survived! I'm not feeble by any means but, at "67" I don't know if I'd survive that! Keep up the good fight! See ya next fall!
Happy you healed well. I have broken several vertebra's and my pelvis among other things. For what it is worth mine healed pretty well, my advice is don't push it too hard and more important don't not use it. Fine line, but if you don't use it you can lose it, things get too tight and stiff. It was almost a year before things got really back to normal. Hang in there and good luck. Keep building and doing things you enjoy.
Thank you TCCD, although you comment may be a day late and a dollar short! I was already stiff as a board thanks to spending 18+ hours a day in my office chair for 5 plus years. I have been working to finish my bachelor’s degree and started on my MBA (only 3 classes left!) and between work and school, hardly left my chair.
@@TomsDIYShop Good luck on the MBA. I remember those days and glad I did it, and glad I don't have to do it again. The right Masters can sure open up some opportunities. But remember to live some during the process. Wish I had of but got too focused on degrees etc.
What humility and virtue!
HA! Thanks Jack, I appreciate it. We all make mistakes and (hopefully) learn from them. If this video helped someone else reconsider / redesign their lift and avoid injury...well that just makes me happy!
By the way, if you haven't subscribed...you should. I know I haven't put anything (of value) out here in a while, but I'm back and ready to take the channel to a whole new level!
Glad to hear you are doing better, not sure if anyone has commented on this but your garage door cable drums should have a few wraps on them when at the bottom. The casting of those cable drums are designed to use the friction of the loaded cable to clamp on that groove.
@tom Thank you for sharing the knowledge, get better!
Thank you DSZATA, I appreciate it! All is well from the fall and I've moved on to a new shop / new lift!!
Hi Tom,
Really glad you are okay. Sometimes what we don't know can hurt us. As a tradesman, I continuously upgrade my knowledge. When we know better, we do better. The item you refer to as a shear key is primarily a drive key. There are three parts to a drive of this type, The Key Seat ( the groove in the driving shaft), The Drive Key itself, and the Keyway (The grove cut into the driven hub). There are specific dimensions for these items based on the intended load, shaft size, hub or coupling size. The key should fit snugly into the key seat and the keyway so the connection has no gaps to allow movement. The galvanized (Sched 40?) water pipe you are using Is not the proper metal nor has sufficient wall thickness to withstand the torque applied to lift the varying loads and was doomed to fail. It is unfortunate that it failed while you were on board. As an improvement, you have welded a collar over the pipe that has already failed once. If the keyway in the new connection is loosely fitted, the edge of the pipe that the Key drives on will begin to get pushed out and it will fail again. There are proper hubs, collars, shafts, couplings readily available. Go to your local bearing supply store and they will have the knowledge to supply you with what you need. Stay away from the big box stores or Tractor Supply stores. They don't have the knowledge to ensure you get proper components. Another thing I noticed is when the lift is on the floor, the cables are unwound all the way. There should be two wraps of cable still on the cable drum when the lift touches the floor. Also, install a limit switch so the lift stops before the cables slacken. There should always be a load on the cables to prevent them from coming out of their groove on the cable drum. If the cable comes out of the groove when unloaded, it may lay into an adjacent groove when the load is applied. The edges of the grooves are sharp enough to damage the cable if the load is great enough. One more thing, make sure all of the cables have the same amount of tension on them to keep the lift platform level, but that should take care of itself after you add the down limit switch and re-wrap the cable drums. Please fabricate some type of a safety mechanism to prevent it from falling. Personally, I would not build a winch in this manner. If I were to build one, it would have similar features as this. ua-cam.com/video/8wVN4IINC1A/v-deo.html
Take care.
Hey Mark,
First off...Wow! Thank you for the very detailed response and guidelines. I wish I had this info during the design / build phase of the project. You are 100% correct about the galvanized water pipe wall thickness and that was an oversight on my part. One correction though - the welded collar was not originally in place, which is what allowed the water pipe walls to flare under the torque of the motor. Once my back healed and I was able to evaluate what happened, I welded the collar (both front and back edges) all the way around the original pipe.
My preference would have been to use a C-Channel with truck guides against a wall. That seems to be the most solid option from a DIY perspective. Unfortunately, due to limited head room in the attic and limited wall space in my garage, I couldn't make the C-Channel solution work, which is why I opted for the cable system. The link you provided is a video I've watched several times and I thought the builder was very insightful with the design and execution and even had additional accessories he could attach. I don't have anything near the size or weight I'll be lifting....just holiday decorations....lots of holiday decorations!!
Thank you again, you very obviously put a lot of time and effort into your comment and I truly appreciate it!
Great information here. It definitely makes sense to buy the correct items.
I came here looking for an easier way to get boxes of files into my attic and I just learned so much!
And that was a nasty fall! I'm glad you're ok. Thankfully, I'm not trying to construct something that I intend on putting my old arse onto... just get the stupid boxes up there by working smarter and not harder. Thank you for the video!
Thank you for sharing your ideas. I was looking at the thread on the reducing from 1-1/4 to 3/4 .
The thread does not matter how tight it is , eventually it will come loose, because of the weather temperature change summer winter.
Expansion and contraction. When that get loose the garage pulley will spin freely the same way did it on the motor side.
Excellent point Segundo and you're probably right. When I was building the drive rod with the garage cable pulleys, I remember putting some extra elbow grease into tightening the two-per-pulley bolts that fastened them to the pipe. There were several options that could have that much better, like driving a bolt through the pulley and rod ensuring there was no chance of slippage or, at the very least, putting some lock-tight on the threads!!
My wife and I bought a home out in the country and the house we were in at the time of the fall is now our rental property so, luckily that lift was dismantled, and the hole covered up. In our new place, I have a dedicated 1,200 square foot shop and constructed a 350 square foot office / studio / Ultimate Man Cave in it...complete with ATTIC LIFT 2.0! More videos on the way, so be sure to check back, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the bell so you'll be notified when new content lands!
Thanks for watching the video and for taking the time to leave a comment, I really do appreciate it!
Tom
The old adage : "No good deed goes unpunished" seems to have come true for you. You took the time to build what appeared to be a very nice hoist and to film it and show us how to make something useful. I'm sorry that there was as much damage to your back as there was. I believe that all of your viewers are wishing you a complete recovery and that you'll make many more helpful videos for us.
You're spot on about taking the time to design and build it...but the filming part was just dumb luck, thanks to the security camera I had in my garage. That's essentially what "launched" my UA-cam journey...that and the fact that I was laid up with a broken back for two months and couldn't do anything!
And yes..the viewer comments, support, and well wishes have been AMAZING and fuel my desire to do more!
New shop, new content, new designs...more Tom Foolery on the way!
Good Job Bro!
Glad your okay. A failure like that could have ended much worse.
Thanks Roger....and yes, it could have!! Doc said my injury was the "best case scenario" for a broken back!
Thanks for stopping by the channel and leaving a comment, I appreciate it!
Definitely lookedlike something that would happen to me. Glad you're OK and hope you have no long term issues resulting. In your fix, would it not have been possible to just weld the cable drum pipe directly to the hoist shaft. Thanks for sharing your ideas. I am in the planning stages of my small one care garage that I also have to leave space for my wifes car.
Hey Charles, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and for checking out the channel. I did consider welding the two shafts together but, in the event I needed to take it apart for repairs or maintenance or replace any particular component of the drive system, leveraging the keyed shaft of the motor made sense at the time. I’m not sure how many times I thought I’d be doing that…but evidently it was enough to justify a more complicated solution because welding them together would have been easier.
Good luck on your shop build!
how long did it take for your initial set up to fail? I do appreciate your posting this, because it reminds me that those of us who are not engineers, don’t know how to calculate the various factors involved in why that pipe flared in the first place. to quote one of my friends, “ it seems like a good idea at the time.”
Hope your feeling a bit better mate, keep moving
Have you modified the cable spools to be keyed to the shaft? The binding bolt system they use is subject to failure.
Super awesome!!!!
So an idea for your "stop" switch. all threads, nuts, washers, and material for a lever. Find the distance between the edge of the access hole and the stop switch on the winch. build a rocker swith with the length plus a few inches. use all thread to make a couple of connecting rods. So when the platform reches the intended position, it pushes up the rod, which the rocker pulls the switch down to stop the motor.
Since I am currently considering building an elevator for my rear deck in my research I came across your video of the fall. If I may get right to the point your version appears to be a good build for moving stuff up and down between the two floors, but it does not "look" safe for people. If it's feasible with your particular topography I would go with a rail system with a double safety system one for when it's moving up and one for when it's on the way down. But if you're more clever than me you may be able to create one system that handles both potential failures! Best of luck.
good job
Perhaps I missed it but you really should have some failsafe system. What about a fall prevention line hooked to it? I built a lift in my shop too and have one you can check out for reference - might work. Otherwise I would try to build in a safety lock that ratchets into place on the way up and has a lever with a cable on it that you pull to allow the lift to lower. I almost did this set up but mine is a little less scary than yours as it is along a wall so swinging issues. Hope this comes across as good natured as just trying to offer some food for thought.
Put one of those fall protecto thingys on the lift. Don't know proper name but will only un wind so fast to keep you safe. Worth every penny you never know when something will go wrong.
I'm glad your ok, it could have gone much worse. I would trash that set up with the gas pipe fittings. Either get yourself a proper 1/2 inch pipe to go all the way to the motor and use either a solid coupling our a flex coupling. I wouldn't trust that set up even with that band-aid fix. Also the square tubing is begging to be crushed at the pillow blocks. I think you are asking a lot of that square tubing in general.
Hey @kljunatic8157, You'll be happy to know...I trashed the whole lift and I'm super excited to show you(Tube) version 2.0! It's a completely new design & build....in my new shop! Be sure you're subscribed to the channel and hit the bell notification so you'll be notified when new content lands. Lots of changes for the me and the channel.
Thank you for the comment and for visiting the channel, I really do appreciate it!
I'm planning on building one of these myself. I already have had one bad fall 8 ft on the concrete and broke my hip. Takes a long time to get over. I'm planning on using two of these online. 23ft Self Retracting Lifeline, 330lbs Fall Arrester Fall Protection Device with Alloy Steel Hook & Steel Wire Rope for Working
Amazon has them for $51 each
glad to see your going to be ok,( i have broke my back to l1 to l5 broke total fuses now),i know the pain. i used to be a pipe welder, i still see a flaw in you design. your eyebolt need to be welded close befor they open up on you. also you are saddle your cable clams wrong, ( Never Saddle A Dead Horse ) it will save your or some else’s life. words of thought < take care!!!!
this channel is underrated
Hey Michael, I appreciate the comment / sentiment and couldn’t agree with you more! (LOL!) I just attended a conference all about UA-cam and channel growth / exposure and really learned a LOT! One topic covered was about Community : How to build, grow, engage, & really connect with viewers / followers of the channel. So, with that, I would really appreciate any comments / feedback you might have on current content (too long, too short, (as my wife tells me) to wordy / in the weeds, not in the weeds enough, etc. AND what other content would you like to see. From a DIY perspective, what ate you looking for? What interests you?
Again, thank you very much for taking the time to visit the channel, watch my videos, and leave your feedback…I really do appreciate it!
It’s usually worth taking a moment every day to talk oneself through the planned activities and the safety precautions that might be appropriate. For example, “I am about to trust my life to this device; what could go wrong and where are the potential points of failure.” Whether it’s walking around a car to view all four tires, or walking around an aircraft and checking for water in the fuel and that everything is airworthy. Even getting in the shower every day (the most accidents happen at home) is worth a second of thought to avoid tragedy. Using a power tool or a lift is no less dangerous than any of these other things. And as others have commented, engineers use multiple factors of safety for a reason, lessons paid for with much blood and treasure. Never bet your life on a single component not being faulty. May you live a long, healthy, happy life.
sorry for the fall.. however i have concerns about use pipe fittings. pipe is typically not hardened steel & not intended for drive lines.
Hey Patrick, Thanks for checking out the channel and for the info about pipes...sure could have used that before I broke my back!! Ha! Ha! I made several (incorrect) assumptions about strength / functionality based on my garage door and watching many other lift builds here on UA-cam.
Trust me...I won't make the same mistake twice. Check out my wife's reaction when she saw me riding it. (ua-cam.com/video/usAWuR444-A/v-deo.html) Of course I heard "You shouldn't be riding that thing...is it safe?" Tom: "Of course it is...I wouldn't be on it if it wasn't safe!" This was almost THREE YEARS AGO and I'm still hearing "I told you not to ride that thing." If I fell again...I'd never live it down!
With that said...we moved and I have a new shop and will be getting back to putting videos out here. And !YES!, I have already built ATTIC LIFT 2.0 :-) More to come so make sure you're subscribed!!
Sorry I missed your other posts, but was this intended to lift you up into the attic or just stuff?
Hey Jay, thanks for checking out the channel and taking the time to comment.
My wife loves to decorate for the holidays and we have everything organized and stored in the attic. Different totes and yard stuff for each holiday, with Christmas being the largest. I got tired of muscling these totes up and down the attic stairs and thought a lift would be perfect.
CAN IT LIFT A PERSON? - Yes, with ease!
SHOULD IT LIFT A PERSON? - Not without some additional safety measures!
Lesson learned! I have a new shop with a new lift I’ll be posting soon…stay tuned!!
Oh gosh, I hope you are recovered from this. OUCH
I've done some stupid stuff and ended up hurting myself but the list is scary AF
Looks like you could add a couple of cable raps on the drums and not be at the “end of the rope” Maybe a counter balance on the lift so if it happened again it would not come down as fast
Hi, Tom,
Like others, I'm glad your are OK. As to the design, how strong is that shear key? My understanding was always that a shear key was intended to be the weakest point in the system, essentially being the point of first failure (shearing) in order to protect everything else. It looks to me like a shear key failure would allow your lift system to freewheel, basically doing the same thing that happened when it turned freely inside of the notched pipe. Are you certain the hoist mechanism can't shear the key, particularly with the lift loaded and at the top, perhaps if the load bounces? And even if so, why risk having the weak link in there?
Hey Jim, thanks for stopping by the channel and leaving a comment, I really do appreciate it. You have a valid point and it was something I (albeit briefly) thought about when putting this together. On many of the other build videos I watched, the drive shaft was welded to the motor’s shaft to ensure a solid connection. I chose not to do that because 1) the motor is capable of lifting over 1,000 pounds using (the original) cable spool, which included the shear key, 2) I knew I was not planning on putting any where near that amount of weight on the lift, and 3) in the event I needed to perform maintenance on the motor or the drive shaft, I wanted to have the ability to decouple them without having to use an angle grinder.
My lift was built to ease the workload of getting holiday decorations in and out of the attic and the heaviest object (excluding my fat arse) is our artificial Christmas tree.
Lesson learned…don’t ride the lift! If I am ever able to build an actual shop with attic / loft storage, I would absolutely go with a C-channel design using trucks and a braking mechanism.
Thanks,
Tom
it is good you are okay now, the threaded reducer coupling worries me still, can it unscrew?
Hey Butch, thanks for stopping the channel and taking the time to leave a comment. The weight of the lift / materials on the lift keep enough tension on the cables to ensure the pull is always in the "righty tighty" direction. Also, I went after those connections with a couple of large pipe wrenches...so I don't anticipate them coming lose any time soon!
@@TomsDIYShop I would put some tack welds on those threaded couplings. I don't care how tight you made them, and the fact that gravity should always make them tighter. What happens if the pipe threads get so overtightened that they strip?
And... I'm assuming that your days of riding the lift (or trusting it to hold your weight) are over? ;-)
It is not a problem that tube flared or wasnt beefy enough it is that when for some reason motor gets disconnected with the load there should be mechanically engaged brake that normally keep brake open with rope tension. So your problem is still there - lack of safety features. Next time is just something else will fail...
You are 100% correct and safety mechanisms were on the list of "To Do's" when the fall happened. In fact, I was sitting on the lift taking measurements so I could leverage the stopping mechanism when the lift reached the closed position. I wanted to make sure it was fully closed...so I bumped the "Up" button just to make sure. That was enough for the shear key to slip under the edge of the pipe and let the whole thing go.
In the next version (Yes...there is a next...as in, I've already built Attic Lift 2.0 in my new shop!), I will be leveraging fall arrester straps and Otis' safety brake design. Learning from my mistakes!!
Thanks for the comment and for visiting the channel. Be sure to subscribe...more content on the way!
Standard threaded gas or water pipe is NOT strong at all. You must use structural tubing or solid shaft for a project like this.
Damnit, Mr, this is how accidents happen and you might get permanent injuries.. I fell in my water pipes shaft last year, when the cover hinges broke on me, stepping on it, but I got lucky I just hit my knees on the border and scratched the underknee region.. It was painful as hell while I was unable to bend my left leg for almost 2 weeks.. Fortunately it looks nothing broke or got permanently damaged although it was stupid! I knew the cover was bad, I knew I shouldn't step on it, but trying to pick some trash I did step on it anyway. That's why it's even more stupid from my side.. Here we are, a year later and everything seems ok now, but I think some consequences will show over time since nothing comes for free.. Cheers, keep yourself in check and be careful. When you forget about care, you get what you deserve. I still have to rebuild the cover though..
Excellent points sir, thank you! I really do appreciate your concern and for you taking the time to leave a comment and check out the channel. I'm have definitely learned from my mistakes and will proceed with caution as my journey continues. As I fell, my head was inches away from a cart in my garage....it could have been A LOT worse!!
Ouch, sorry that happened, glad you weren’t more seriously hurt! Thanks for sharing, it’s a good counterpoint to all the lift vids here that say - for legal purposes no doubt - “not for humans, only put equipment on this” and then show themselves riding it up to their attic.
I’m in agreement with commenters that you fixed one point of failure, but really should not count on there not being another - after all, you didn’t see that first one coming, right? Have you considered adding the fall arrestors some have used? These winch lifts are the poor man’s elevators, it seems reasonable to add the poor man’s elevator brakes. There are no commercial elevators that just rely on their lift mechanism never failing to prevent you plummeting 20 stories, they have sophisticated braking systems separate from the lift mechanism. For just the reason your incident illustrates, I think.
Hello @3weight, thanks for checking out the video and for the comment, I really do appreciate it. In my latest video "Channel Update", I kinda show my new "Attic Lift 2.0" that I built in my shop...and YES...it has fall arresters! (ua-cam.com/video/sirQXxwffrE/v-deo.htmlsi=SbRYtKiyOcvpJw7U)
There are a couple additional safety measures I want to include...like locks that hold it in place when not in use, which will allow me to take the tension off the cables and motor when not in use. More to come on that!
Thanks,
Tom
seems to me that drilling through and putting a pin would be safer to start with?
Don’t want to rain on anybody’s parade, but as a elevator mechanic with more than 40years in the trade, I have yet to see one of these attic lifts that I would ever consider using, or letting anyone I know use. Way too many unsafe problems to name.
Hey Danny, thanks for taking the time to comment and check out the channel, I really do appreciate it! Buddy...where were you before I broke my back?!?!? I'm kidding...I knew it wasn't the best / safest design, but due to other limiting factors, such as roof lines in the attic & platform clearance, I didn't have many options.
However, we moved and I now have a dedicated shop space with a new Attic Lift 2.0!! The new lift is on rails, which are attached to a wall and I installed two fall arresters (one on either side) AND will be adding an Otis brake as well.
Be sure you're subscribed and check out my upcoming videos. I'm going to go over the new lift and I'd like to see if I can change your mind!!
Tom
Glad you are ok. It also appears your ladder is not installed properly. If it was it would be straight. It appears its legs are too long and do not allow the ladder to seat properly on the floor. You should probably fix that.
On further inspection, you also seem to have welded galvanized steel pipe (pretty much a big no-no), and are relying heavily on just the threads of an NPT reducer (looks like 1/2") to not shear off from the torque. I don't think you understand how dangerous your setup is and the risks you have taken, even after your fall.
Wow. Coulda been worse of course but still unfortunate you had to go through all that. We build lifts of all sorts for theater stages and other entertainment events. The level of safety factor that goes into most automation is high, but when it's a lift and especially one where a person is involved the safety factors are the highest. The number one thing is brakes. Dual brakes most of the time and they are always engaged and are disengaged to make a move. Usually one on the motor and one on the driven shaft. Also there's no single failure point that can allow a free fall like what happened to you. Also we alway always use solid steel shaft, not pipe for anything like that. And couplers to make connections with either keys or bloc wedge style tapered.
After watching the video of the free fall accident, I am almost inclined to use a personal safety device or harness, such as might be worn by a tree arborist or roofer . Most DIY home lifts that I have seen on UA-cam may not be engineered sufficiently to avoid mechanical failures such as this one. I hope Tom has healed fully and has not had any long term effects from the accident.
You have had one accident , don’t have another ! Change the eyebolts in each corner to seamless or close forged ones as that is a serious flaw and the lift will fail there.
Thanks @spiritburners, I appreciate the advice. There have been A LOT of lessons learned from this project and I'm excited to show off version 2.0 very soon in an upcoming video! COMPLETE REDESIGN!!
Thanks for stopping by the channel and for taking the time to leave a comment. Be sure you're subscribed and hit the bell notification, lots more coming up...I'll explain more in a Channel Update video that'll be released this weekend!
@@TomsDIYShop will do tx
cast iron fitting !!!! crazy
pipes n drive shafts are very different steel one might guess..
Yes...you are correct! My mistake was assuming (and we all know what they say about assuming) the pipe would be "strong enough" because I wasn't planning on putting an incredibly large amount of weight on it. The shear key slipping was a result of:
a) over-rotating the hoist motor when the lift was already in its fully closed position (I "bumped" the motor just to make sure, which was evidently just enough)
b) not having the shear key slot I cut in the pipe enclosed / captured so that the pipe would not have flared (I inspected the shear key after the accident and there was barely a mark on it, so I don' t think the force I applied would have been enough for the shear key to shear)
only change for me would be at time 2:45 your feet mayble a plate under it so overtime it doesnt go through or sink. besides that im usen your plan its simple
You should not ride up this platform with the stuff your lifting. Why not also have a drop-down attic stair to walk up and use the lift only for moving freight.
Tom
Tris use a lift cargo ONLY
To bad this happen... your design should have used tracks withs a simple otis safty ratchet track lock and also deadman fall staps as back up..
If a once cable snaps you done...with a track design the lift stay in the track.... the load would not flop to the side spilling over... gravity would then lock the safty mechanism into the track and the fall arresters would used as back up
My 2 cents worth of comment. You can use a tension clutch. If cable breaks and lose tension, the clutch engages to stop the fall. Another factor maybe you can use a few pulleys to minimize the force on the motor connection. Everything seems strong except where it connects to the motor shaft.
Hey Stephen, yes sir...you are correct. That is called an Otis brake and, although it would have been difficult to implement on my previous design, it will most certainly be installed on my NEW Attic Lift 2.0! It's already built in my new dedicated shop space and I have two fall arresters installed. I want to add an Otis brake as well...just in case!
Check back and click the subscribe button and hit the notification bell so you'll know when new videos land!
Thanks,
Tom
You need rails, which means relocation against a wall. A portable lift on wheels that includes a platform, rails and motor would enable you to use the current hole in the attic. The flaw is this design is the instability of the the platform in all directions.
You're correct, that would have been a much better design...but it wasn't an option in that garage due to the rooflines in the attic space above the garage. Plus I had to work around a natural gas pipe and a huge bundle of electrical wire.
I couldn't re-engineer that place...so I just bought another one!! Kidding...kind of - My wife and I bought a new place in the country and I have a new dedicated shop....with a new attic lift 2.0...and yes, it's on rails!
More content coming soon...be sure to subscribe and hit the bell so you'll get notification every time I upload!
Thanks,
Tom
Pls. check your cable clamps, they are not installed correctly as far as i can see. Good to see you are ok, nasty fall.
So glad to see you are recovering well. We all have had accidents happen, it's part of the process of "making".
Any reason you didn't use a set collar at that keyway slot? Welding a coupling worked great but not all of us weld so a set collar, I think, is a solid alternative. Even a split collar would work.
Nice work and good luck with your back recovery. 👍
Hey CF, great question and something I wish I would have thought of beforehand!
I completely underestimated the wall strength of the 1” pipe used for a drive shaft and, although I watched a ton other videos where the connection was welded, I chose not to, in the event I wanted to take it apart.
The welded collar was a post production modification just to get it operational again. Two months in a brace put is way past Christmas and the garage was piled with totes that needed to get back in the attic.
Thanks for the great question and kind words, I appreciate it.
I have a new shop and a NEW LIFT I’ll be posting soon! Stay tuned!
Are you going to continue riding that???
HA! No...I did not step foot on that lift again all the way up to the point where I removed it from the attic. We bought a new home in the country and converted that house to rental property. I have a new shop...and have already built Attic Lift 2.0!! Trust me...lesson learned, safety measures will be in place before I get on it. My wife would NEVER let me live it down!!!
More content coming soon...be sure to subscribe and hit the bell so you're notified!
Thanks!
Tom
I hate to break it to you (pardon the pun), dude, but the next component to fail will be that galvanized pipe reducer coupling.
Any machine that is designed to lift people or things above should have as few failure points as is possible. What I see in your videos is a machine that has almost countless failure points go look at an elevator designed to lift people and you will see a machine, that has very very few failure points. And then those failure points are inspected and maintained.
I Certainly wish you the best.
I’m glad you survived that terrible fall. Not sure what state you live in but California has state disability that you would qualify for.
HA! Don, would that be physical disability or mental?!?! Don't tell my wife, she might try and have me committed!
I’ll tell you what, that right there is good old fashioned American gumption! Get up, dust yourself off, grab the duct tape and WD-40, and get back in there! Every scar we have should have a good story behind it, and you just can’t beat an X-ray and accident video to show how you beat the odds, and laughed in death’s face! Broken backs may stop some people, but you sir, are an American HERO! Yup. Keep them videos coming! Maybe some of our lazy young generations can get some inspiration.
Hey Hank,
Thank you for stopping by the channel and taking the time to leave a comment, I appreciate it! The biggest reason I do what I do is because I enjoy it. I like solving problems and coming up with ways to improve current processes. Maybe it's the Lean Sigma training or, as my Mother used to tell me, "You're just lazy enough to find a better / easier way to get things done!"
I'm not sure if I would use the word "HERO" to describe myself....maybe stubborn or pig headed!
Either way....thank you sir, I enjoyed your comment!!
Also, don't miss my latest video where I added fire bowls to my new deck....all made possible using quality propane and propane products!! 🙂
ua-cam.com/video/3cbABzvYzwQ/v-deo.html
Hope you learned from your "DARWIN MOMENT" . See why elevators have fall arrestors. I even use one while roofing. Hope you make a full recovery though. Best of luck.
Keyways don’t work like that. They marry a shaft to something on the shaft, not to another shaft. Commercial versions of those drums have key ways, and you slide the key in so half is in the shaft and half is in the drum. Both sides of the key have a large amount of metal around them. And then there’s also a large set screw that keeps the key from backing out, cause they do. They’re gonna be tight, I usually hammered them in.
To marry two shafts together you need a coupler so shaft 1 is married to coupler a which is bolted to coupler b which is married to shaft 2.
A way around keys is a d shaft
The one inch hollow shaft is dented by the set screws in the drums you have, which kinda makes it a d shaft, that’s why they don’t have keys, why would you think that little piece of metal could be structural, especially when cut. Same principle on why open ended wrenches don’t grab as well as box end. You’re very lucky one of those cables didn’t grab something and try to wrap you around the drum. Especially since you have four cables
That looks sketchy as hell😅
You're correct @greenlantern1174, super sketch! Improvements were made in the 2.0 version, which is shown in my latest video called "Channel Update" (ua-cam.com/video/sirQXxwffrE/v-deo.htmlsi=SbRYtKiyOcvpJw7U)...you should check it out!
Thanks for stopping by the channel and watching the video...and I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment!
Tom
I fell 16' doing alot more damage to myself...do yourself a favor and add fall arrest devices...
Hey @vannbranch2341, I appreciate you checking out the channel and taking the time to leave a comment. In my latest video (Channel Update - ua-cam.com/video/sirQXxwffrE/v-deo.htmlsi=SbRYtKiyOcvpJw7U) I kinda show off Attic Lift 2.0...with Fall Arresters! I think it's a fun video...you should check it out.
Thanks,
Tom
😀
Glad your okay now, your build is the best I've seen so far for a garage lift, gonna put one in my garage. Always better to over build a little than under.
I’ve done worse much worse there was only one perfect one ☝️
way to many parts that can go wrong. The fewer the parts, the less that WILL go wrong.
Sorry for your mishap, BUT!, these lifts are not meant to ride to the upstairs or to the downstairs
Its still not for people
Handy gadget but NOT! for riding ,nope not never, lesson learned. Cl;-[p}
shit dude that sucks
It did...it sucked hard!
The cast pipes will be your downfall in the future too. Please install fall arresters to keep yourself safe. That pipe is not structural and will fail. search through industrial suppliers like MSC, McMaster Carr and Grainger for a more reliable solution out of forged steel components. Cast will continue to fail. Be Safe.
Hey There @MakeitZUPER, thanks for the comment and for stopping by the channel, I really do appreciate it! Yes...there were many lessons learned on my first lift and boy did I learn the hard way!! Since that video, I've moved out to the country and now have a dedicated shop...with a PROPER LIFT to storage located above The Ultimate Man Cave!! You can see a preview in my latest video (ua-cam.com/video/sirQXxwffrE/v-deo.htmlsi=1v2IC2t_eh8FMmnS) and...spoiler alert...I installed fall arrestors!
I'm getting back into the swing of things with UA-cam after an extended break due to a bunch of big life events, both good and bad, so be sure you're subscribed and hit the bell notification button so you're updated when new content lands.
Thanks,
Tom
@@TomsDIYShop Congratulations on the relocation and sorry for your woes. I hope they weren't too serious. Because of my background and experience, I'm pretty picky about building things of all sorts so you might not be a good fit based on what I saw on the lift video, but I will give you a shot and see how it goes. If I make any negative comments in the future, be aware that I have your safety in mind first and quality and efficiency next. My comments will always intend to be instructive and helpful but I admit that I may not communicate it as effectively as I should. We all have weak points and communication with kindness isn't something that i am good at. Best of luck either way. I'm looking forward to seeing your new setup.
What did your home owners/health insurance provider say about this unapproved lifting device? Can’t imagine they were happy. Another 1 for the “ we’ve seen a thing or two” crowd.
Lol
Way over engineered even after the fix. I see all these guys trying to one up the previous build and this is the end result of over engineering.keep it clean, simple safe and with as little moving parts as possible. All those rods and cable pulleys are unnecessary.
You were very lucky not to have sustained permanent disability with that fall!
Holy shit thats so sketch!
Completely Sketch...but that's just how I roll my friend! I try to be safe, but I'm also a one man show, so there's times where things could be considered questionable from a safety perspective. No Risk...No Reward! Thanks for the comment and I hope you're subscribed...more Sketch on the way!
all jokes aside, at least fall verified your iq at 70. 😂😅. glad your able to walk
what about actuators or hydrolics?
Forehead Slap
!
There is no brake in the entire system. Suicidal.
I see further design flaws. Don’t ever put human life on it again. Sorry about your fall, but it will happen again.
Have you considered putting feet directly below your vertical supports to continue your downward force straight to the concrete? May save some unwanted base flex from years of use.
Hey Clint, the design and location of the lift were determined by a couple of things.
1. The roof lines, large bundles of electrical wire, and a gas pipe left me with very few options from a placement perspective. I wanted at least 5 feet of headroom on the platform with the lift in the fully closed position. Due to where roof peaks landed...it need to be near the center of the garage.
2. If I put some type of support in place down to the floor, it would have limited / hindered use of some of the tools because of the reasons described above.
Ideally, I would have had this running on rails mounted directly to a wall, but that just wasn't an option for that garage.
However...In my new shop, that's exactly what I did. Attic Lift 2.0 has been built and it leverages all of the lessons learned from the first epic fail. I'll more videos coming out soon and review the changes / improvements made.
Thanks for your comment and for visiting the channel...be sure to subscribe and hit the bell so you'll know when I start pushing out more content!
Tom