Cablift

[Crockett]

That is one cool extra set of hands! The fact that it doesn't complain either is a real bonus. Nice Job!!
Al

[gsmittle]

I am not smart enough to know it all by myself.

That's because you're not a teenager…

g.

[LinuxRandal]

That's pretty darn cool. I needed that when I did my roof 22 squares.

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Look around YouTube, and you will find plenty of ideas that you might combine for other projects. For example, other designs on there included ones that used a child's wagon and a block and tackle, while the wagon wheels ride the outside of a frame. Also several that use a HF electric winch. I try to use YouTube for inspiration when I can. I am not smart enough to know it all by myself.

[chopnhack]

Thanks for the recommendation! I think I have heard of it iirc I tried yo get it from the library and never heard from them.... I'll try again, thanks

[cabinetman]

I haven't forgotten your advice, C-man :-) There is a certain wow factor that some clients will have when you come in with large handmade tools. A mark of a craftsman -

Do shop made installation devices intrigue the clients...yes they do. Over the years I had made several types of carriers for tools. The first was when I got a contract for the fabrication and installation of vanities in strip malls, where the cabinets were all the same, just rights and lefts. There may be 10-20 or more locations at the site requiring to drop a cabinet, and move the tools.

So, I made a tool rack that clamped on a hand truck. It worked very well, and there were times and places that a dolly would not have worked. A very cool book, that you would really like (you probably already have it) is The Toolbox Book.

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[LCHIEN]

This brought back flashbacks of a shingle lifter I saw on YouTube. I found it again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR7h7_Dscyk

ha,ha, won't work for midgets.

[chopnhack]

This brought back flashbacks of a shingle lifter I saw on YouTube. I found it again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR7h7_Dscyk

Wow, thats some ingenuity! Poor guy must be some where that the boom truck can't get to

[cabinetman]

This brought back flashbacks of a shingle lifter I saw on YouTube. I found it again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR7h7_Dscyk

That's pretty darn cool. I needed that when I did my roof 22 squares.

.

[LinuxRandal]

This brought back flashbacks of a shingle lifter I saw on YouTube. I found it again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR7h7_Dscyk

[chopnhack]

I haven't forgotten your advice, C-man :-) There is a certain wow factor that some clients will have when you come in with large handmade tools. A mark of a craftsman - fake it until you make it kinda thing Totally agree, there will be a time where I will not want to take those three bolts out of the bottom that hold the mast to the base and there are some cases where I will not be able to use this, like my laundry room install. Plus there is the ever present storage issue... but a jig like this? I had to build it!!

Thanks for your input, I didn't think that I would be able to pull off putting together those three cabs... I was really concerned about trying to balance the weight of a cabinet on either side of a 12" high cab's face frame with only two screws per side.. it seemed dicey at best.

I like the method you described of laying them on their backs, the last kitchen I did, I mulled units together while the cabs where standing upright on a low assembly table. Lying on their backs you can approach either the left or right side with your dominant hand by just going to the bottom or top of the cabinet (i.e. - you would have to flip the cab upside down if it were upright to get to say the left side if you were right handed and still being able to use your right hand). I like this!! That way if the run is going right to left into a corner the left side would be the side to hide the mull screws - less visible. I am still not as comfortable using the left hand on expensive finished cabs

[cabinetman]

You must be planning a lot of installations to want to lug that around to the jobsite. I've worked alone too many times, and have tried to minimize what I have to load up, unload, and reload.

Do you remember the discussion we had with what to use for upper cabinet installations. I found it rather simple to use deadmen, and the small jack with a saddle plate. Another one is the single adjustable pole, which I give very high marks to...especially for installing crown.

I'm thinkin' that your threesome may get a bit tipsy with the cantilevered weight. I'm re-posting this method for aligning multiple cabinets with a face frame, could also apply in theory to frameless.

When installing multiple cabinets, there's the tedious task of getting the face frames to line up flush. This is a tip that may be of some help. For example if you have three upper cabinets each having their own face frame call the first "A", the second "B", and the third "C". If you've installed the face frame on the cabinets, lay them on their backs and line them up so the face frames are as close to flush as possible. Start with "A" and "B". Clamp the two FF's together. From whichever side you are comfortable drilling and screwing, drill pilot holes and countersink in at least three places (top, middle, bottom) from one FF into the other. Make sure the holes are not drilled where hinges will be installed. Insert screws that will be shorter by 1/4" to 1/2" than the ones you will use when installing. Bump screws in tight. Remove clamps. Do the final scraping or sanding on the two FF's at once so they are flat and even. Then go to the "B" and "C" cabinets and do the same thing, etc.

When installing, after placing them where they are to go and leveling them, screw cabinets to the wall, but not up tight. Using the slightly longer screws, align the FF's, clamp, and insert screws into the same holes and bump tight. Then do the final tightening of the cabinets to the wall. If the wall is not flat, (how many are?) shimming the back of the cabinets may be necessary, so that there is no strain on the FF's. This method helps make final alignment easier.

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[chopnhack]

Thanks guys The original design was from a series of woodweb photos. No plans per se but its not hard to figure out. The casters are appliance casters and work really well. The load limit is yet to be determined, I did crank myself up though so I figure it could safely handle at least 300 lbs. As for steadiness, I too was concerned about it, but I did test it on the incline of my driveway with my body weight and it seemed steady. I locked the rear wheels, stepped onto the platform and cranked away! I also gave the wife a lift and the two boys. Good times.

Sorry to get you high C-Man Yes, since I end up doing a lot of things solo, the uppers will be installed first in the next job coming up in a few weeks. And yes shimmed as necessary to get to level line and faced level as well, scribe molding to hide differences. If I can mull together 3 units (a 3930, 3012 and a 2130) I'll have the small wall done in one lift... I am still "mulling" this over I am not so sure of the sturdiness of three units mulled together with the middle unit being only 12" high.

If anyone else is also on LJ there are some other pics there too.

[jdon]

You can also stand on it while using your drill press

[atgcpaul]

That is pretty cool. I like the rollers you have against the beam. Was that forethought or "live and learn"?

You need to make a people lift version with a remote control electric winch. It would be great for working in tight spots where ladders wouldn't fit.

Paul

[Pappy]

Great idea! May have to file those pics away for future reference.