I’m not sure how to categorize this Article. It’s an answer, but more than that. We get questions once in a while something like “My trailer is X long and I want to haul a Y. Is 3 inch angle iron strong enough?”
Gantry Crane
Easy Gantry Crane Lift Conversion
The beauty of a gantry crane is the beam overhead, and the clear access for lifting things. To make them more useful, telescoping legs put the top beam at a height appropriate for the job — in your garage, or outside, or wherever. One of the challenges
I-Beam Shape Choices: I, S, W, M or H?
When is an I-Beam not really an “I” Beam? While it’s common to use the generic term “I-Beam” for any beam with an I shape section, there are actually variations with different letter designations. And, there are advantages for the various shapes
DIY House Crane
A reader submission showing creativity in his lifting Solutions! A big Thank You to “A Treehouse Dweller” for this story about building a house crane to access his tall home. Of course, this is pretty cool in my opinion.
Gantry Crane Failure Modes
There are a lot of ways to abuse a crane. We won’t go into those, but let’s do take a minute on crane failures and what they look like.
Practical Safety With A Crane
Nothing ruins a pleasant day quite like a goose egg on your head, or a throbbing finger pinch. Avoiding those things (and, of course, the much more disastrous potential events) is the context of this gantry crane safety article.
Aligning Misaligned Holes
Despite your best efforts, sometimes the holes you drill for a project will not quite align with those in the mating parts. It is maddening, and often you feel dumb because it is messed up, but there are ways to fix
Mother of Invention?
Do you believe the old saying “Necessity is the Mother of Invention”? Well, I have a need, but I don’t need an invention, just a quick solution. So, maybe Necessity is really the Mother of Creative Solutions!
New Size – Homemade Crane Plans
A New Size? OK, MechanicalElements.com has Gantry Crane plans – for years. Interestingly, one of our very first plans. Now, we just released the Perfect Size Crane for your Garage.
When is it Safe to Customize the Plans?
At Mechanical Elements, we encourage customers to modify and customize the plans. That’s how you build the perfect project. So, what things can you customize? And what shouldn’t?
Comparison: Steel or Aluminum – Part 2
In the debate about Steel or Aluminum for beams of trailer frames and gantry cranes, there is one big piece we hear less about. An important part of the equation, for sure, is the property of Elasticity . . . . What?
Compare: Steel vs. Aluminum Trailer Frames & Beams
Aluminum is such a great material. It’s light, strong, and looks sweet to boot. So, why is there a debate about Aluminum Trailer Frames comparing to others like steel? Or comparing for beams like with gantry cranes?
Gantry Crane I-Beam Clamp – Free Plans
Introducing a new product to the Mechanical Elements family of Do-It-Yourself Plans — the gantry crane I-Beam clamp. A simple product we give as Free Plans in our launch celebration! Well, is it really FREE Plans? Yes. Use the coupon code on