Need help with building a pulley system to lift my HBOT on a platform

[meadow_wind]

and the initial system you found is the simplest and most elegant.

Well, I don't know about the "most elegant" part; my bedroom look is quite trashed right now.
I used to go to bed looking at a nice blue ceiling which is supposed to be a sky (and the walls are a light color reminiscent of sunset). Since I switched my son to a loft bed on top of me, I stare at a gray IKEA bunk, and my beautiful ocean painting had to go to the other wall which upset the Zen of it. This HBOT is the cherry on top of making my room ugly.

Complaints apart, I'm glad to announce that I succeeded in making this whole ordeal work! Yes sir!
I used a thicker rope and added 1 more single pulley, making a 5 pulley-1 rope system, similar to the picture I posted earlier with the Thule garage box. It would have been cheaper and easier to simply buy the 30$ kit at hardware store, duh...

The weight feels reduced down to 50%, but I must warn that it's not 100% ok: it does not lift the platform equally unless I help it.
If I pull the rope, only the platform's side near the wall lift, unless I pull the inside rope also. (see the sketch)

Here's the final look (at least I'll be able to open my wardrobe door):


The rope I used (says Maximum load = 46 lbs / Breaking strength = 198 lbs, and my load is 55 lbs):



Traction adjustment: I have to alternately pull the end rope vs the inner rope in pink



Final thoughts

• The ropes and pulleys take up space which will prevent me from easily storing the cushions.
• The pulling adjustment is annoying.
• The platform "swings" a bit before settling down. Not a big deal.
• If we made any mistake with the anchoring in the ceiling and it comes crashing down, chamber is trashed (and/or it kills my cat).
• It might be best to build a "loft" storage as per @iamthatis 's suggestion, BUT I would have to carry the whole chamber weight up and down every time (and keep a stepladder close by). It could be a bonus (makes me do my weight lifting at home), or a problem (for people who can't lift that much).

 

[iamthatis]

If we made any mistake with the anchoring in the ceiling and it comes crashing down, chamber is trashed (and/or it kills my cat).

There should be rafters all along your ceiling - wooden 2x4 cross-pieces that are part of the frame of the house. This is what the ceiling drywall is attached to.

Ideally the strip of wood that the pulleys are attached to in your photo should be anchored into those rafters. Or the pulleys themselves should be anchored into the rafters with long screws.

To find them, there is a tool called a 'stud finder' that senses them beneath the drywall.

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/categories/tools/hand-tools/stud-finders.html

But if it's 55 lbs and it hasn't fallen out yet, I think you'll probably be okay, drywall can't hold that kind of weight.

Congrats on sticking with it and making it work!

 

[meadow_wind]

There should be rafters all along your ceiling

But if it's 55 lbs and it hasn't fallen out yet, I think you'll probably be okay, drywall can't hold that kind of weight.

Well, bad news; my dad confirms that there is only 1 screw that entered a beam and it's the last one near the wall. The 3 anchors and the 4 hooks are screwed in drywall only it would seem... He's a carpenter and seemed confident that it would hold fine this way. I hope he's right, cause now I'm starting to stress a little. I will pay attention to see if any cracks appear.

We are not sure which way those rafters are: they might be the same way our wood piece is, which would mean we won't find any unless I move the center of the platform left or right. Thanks for the tip about that tool. I'm not sure why my dad doesn't have one. I think I'll get one for the future.

Edit: you know what? I know where one of the main beams is thanks to when I removed a wall inside my wardrobe to make it bigger. Gonna screw right in right now!

 

[Ina]

Well, bad news; my dad confirms that there is only 1 screw that entered a beam and it's the last one near the wall. The 3 anchors and the 4 hooks are screwed in drywall only it would seem... He's a carpenter and seemed confident that it would hold fine this way. I hope he's right, cause now I'm starting to stress a little. I will pay attention to see if any cracks appear.

We are not sure which way those rafters are: they might be the same way our wood piece is, which would mean we won't find any unless I move the center of the platform left or right. Thanks for the tip about that tool. I'm not sure why my dad doesn't have one. I think I'll get one for the future.

Edit: you know what? I know where one of the main beams is thanks to when I removed a wall inside my wardrobe to make it bigger. Gonna screw right in right now!

As a diy super enthusiast, graduated from toilet and house cleaning to maintenance, I fell in love with a glue, in SA called NoMoreNails. I would have glued the whole beam first and then use butterfly screws making sure I avoid the rafters. LOL

 

[meadow_wind]

I would have glued the whole beam first and then use butterfly screws making sure I avoid the rafters. LOL

I usually Duck Tape everything first, and if it doesn't work, I call my dad but my dad is getting old and forgot about those rafters... Lucky iamthatis told me and that I found one, because I suspect that the plank might slowly space itself away from the ceiling over time... I'll go get the tool and find more. To be followed...

 

[Gawan]

Yes a luxury version indeed. Something like this? Just pulling your leg...

wench /wĕnch/

noun​

1. A young woman or girl.
2. A woman servant.
3. A promiscuous woman or a prostitute.

Lol. What I meant, you should use a Winchester to get more space.

Anyway, I think I got lost with these specific, unusual terms.

 

[Ina]

Lol. What I meant, you should use a Winchester to get more space.

Maybe a French 12 pounder would be more effective.

 

[Jacques]

I hope he's right, cause now I'm starting to stress a little.

May I say that I would stress more than a little if only 1 screw was in a beam.

 

[iamthatis]

May I say that I would stress more than a little if only 1 screw was in a beam.

I agree. With that much weight hanging over your head, one needs to be absolutely sure.

One more method of finding rafters:

They are generally spaced 16” apart. So if you know the location of one rafter, you can measure 16” down the line and add another screw. This only works if you know the orientation of the beams AND if the builders spaced them 16”… which they dont always do.

 

[life]

Hello there Meadow_wind,

One commenter suggested a wooden framework - great idea - this avoids the ceiling and uses the floor as an anchor/base for the structure.

Another framework idea is metal piping, the black iron kind, with threaded ends. These pipes are relatively inexpensive, they come in a variety of lengths up to 8 feet, can be connected together with “couplers”, use “flanges” for feet and screw them to the floor, at each top corner use a “three way elbow”. This method of framework is less bulky than wood 2x4, it requires neither nail nor glue, it can be painted, it can be disassembled, and you can attach your pulley system to the top horizontal pipes to lift your HBOT. For a 50 lb load you’d be fine with 1/2” dia. pipe, anything > 100 lb and < 200 lb use 3/4” dia. for increased stability. I recommend this method because I have have used it successfully in home & on my farm.

I am not familiar with ChatGPT; however, I am familiar with most things mechanical engineering related - if you want to learn some basics about understanding how loads can be supported safely, and how many simple applications can be applied to everyday things in your life then just read the first chapter of any college level engineering Statics textbook (not Statistics lol) … ChatGPT maybe quick but will you have learned anything ?

The tensile strength of the hoist rope is not your greatest concern. The pulley system creates mechanical advantage making it appear that the load weight is less but the vertical load (stresses) in each ceiling fastener have not been reduced. If you do not know the material properties, capacity / capability of your ceiling joists / beams - you are inviting disaster. Let's keep it simple ; )

 

[meadow_wind]

AND if the builders spaced them 16”… which they dont always do.

it's an old building and the landlord told me he doesn't know where they are, and that most likely, they are not every 16"

 

[meadow_wind]

May I say that I would stress more than a little if only 1 screw was in a beam.

Now there's 3 (2 in the corner, 1 at 1/3). I tried finding another rafter by adding 2 more screws on the opposite side without success. Meanwhile, my dad still feels confident that it's all good.

 

[Arwenn]

Hi there @life, we ask all new members to introduce themselves over in the Newbies section — nothing too personal, just a bit about yourself and how you found the forum.

A very warm aboard & it’s great you decided to join us!

 

[meadow_wind]

Another framework idea is metal piping, the black iron kind, with threaded ends. These pipes are relatively inexpensive,

Thanks! That's a good idea and I will look into it. If not for this project, I will keep it in mind for future projects!

if you want to learn some basics about understanding how loads can be supported safely, and how many simple applications can be applied to everyday things in your life then just read the first chapter of any college level engineering Statics textbook (not Statistics lol) … ChatGPT maybe quick but will you have learned anything ?

I wish to learn because I find this interesting and useful, but at the moment I have too much on my plate to add other books on my list. One can learn certain things with ChatGPT if questions are prompted correctly, but one must be aware that it cannot reason or solve problems trustfully.

The pulley system creates mechanical advantage making it appear that the load weight is less but the vertical load (stresses) in each ceiling fastener have not been reduced. If you do not know the material properties, capacity / capability of your ceiling joists / beams - you are inviting disaster.

Indeed! It seems stable if left static, but I feel that using it 5 times per week might put a lot of stress on the system, and it might become problematic. I think I'm going to dump the pulley system and go with a high "desk" suggested earlier.