Alternative Technology Assn Forums

1. 

   jdaley
   Member

   I have been given a lot of mud bricks, about 350 x 350x300mm and they are very heavy.
   I usually use more manageable sizes.
   I am looking to create a lifting device to pickup, move and lay on the wall.
   Has anybody got a solution to my problem.
   It is not sensible to lift, carry and place these without help and another person is not the solution.
   Thanks in advance.

   Posted Thursday 10 Aug 2017 @ 10:39:34 am from IP #
2. 

   ilmessaggio
   Member

   Use a tile conveyor

   Posted Thursday 10 Aug 2017 @ 12:09:56 pm from IP #
3. 

   Johnnojack
   Member

   Hand truck with lifting winch thingy? Only gets them up about 1m but that's a start.

   Posted Thursday 10 Aug 2017 @ 12:29:31 pm from IP #
4. 

   axess
   Member

   jdaley,

   Try the Onwer Builder magazine website at: wwww.ownerbuilder.com.au or the Earth Building Association of Australia website at: http://www.ebaa/.asn.au . They might have a few tips.

   Posted Thursday 10 Aug 2017 @ 9:55:06 pm from IP #
5. 

   jdaley
   Member

   Tile lifter is impractical , since the bricks need to be lifted onto it.
   But thanks

   Posted Saturday 12 Aug 2017 @ 9:38:32 am from IP #
6. 

   AndyG
   Member

   How high would you like to lift the blocks?
   2.4m? Higher?

   An engine hoist is pretty cheap, has wheels to move the blocks around and could be easily modified (i.e. counterweight + extension to the lifting arm) to lift to 2.4m and the hydraulic ram makes fine adjustments of height when laying pretty easy
   I doubt the blocks would be more dense than concrete, so they should weigh less than 90kgs each
   Should be able to pick up a decent hoist cheap on eBay or gumtree and then resell later if you don't want to keep it

   Posted Saturday 12 Aug 2017 @ 10:15:26 pm from IP #
7. 

   axess
   Member

   jdaley,

   What about hiring/buying (depends on the extent of your project) a used electric or fossil forklift or side lifter? Do you have the access onsite to cart the bricks around?

   The cost could be offset by not having (or aggravating) a severe back injury?

   Is it possible to cut the bricks instead to make them more manageable? Hire a saw instead?

   Posted Sunday 13 Aug 2017 @ 3:17:45 am from IP #
8. 

   jdaley
   Member

   Top layer of wall would be 2.7M
   I have engine hoists, the wheels are no good for rough ground, they seem to prefer concrete.Access is possible with flotation or car wheels, nothing smaller.
   I am aiming to have no back injury, as I have done that before.
   Cutting the bricks is not practical.
   Ihave found a stone lifter design in canada, called a Base lifter, or block lifter. I researched 'stone lifter' in the ned. I should be ale to weld one up.
   They need two people and I can do that. I was hoping to use the tractor jib and a flying jib where I can lift and swing it. Actually grabbing the brick was the hard part until my recent research.

   Posted Sunday 13 Aug 2017 @ 11:00:46 am from IP #
9. 

   jdaley
   Member

   I may be able to modify a set of brick tongs that I have. Bunnings sell then also, and they can be set to carry up to 10 bricks, mine will carry 5-6 which is ample for me. But by adding a long cross bar with a link the the existing lift handle, I may be able to have two people lift and manuveor the bricks onto a trailer and then off again and onto the wall. I will keep you posted if you are interested.
   I can't be the first with this problem.

   Posted Sunday 13 Aug 2017 @ 11:16:58 am from IP #
10. 

    The Raptor
    Member

    Hi Jdaley,
    I share a yard with a stone mason, he used a huge tong like a Big set of Brick clamps, that he lifted blocks of sandstone with, I could take a photo tomorrow if you are still in need of the item ?

    Posted Monday 15 Jan 2018 @ 12:22:05 pm from IP #
11. 

    gazmo88
    Member

    Genie Lift ?

    Contractor 18 should do it.

    Use the crane attachment and the brick tong thingie.

    It should happily traverse sheets of ply on the ground.

    Posted Monday 15 Jan 2018 @ 8:10:22 pm from IP #
12. 

    jdaley
    Member

    So what is a contractor 18 please?

    Posted Tuesday 16 Jan 2018 @ 10:14:04 am from IP #
13. 

    gazmo88
    Member

    Thats a form of Genie Lift:

    http://genie.genie.sanscode.com/sites/genie/media/products/material-lifts/SuperliftContractor.pdf

    The 18 is a size SLC-18

    We put our SIPS house together with one and possible exceeded the specs a little ....

    It lifted out 2400 x 1200 80 kilo roof panels up 4 metres.

    We bought ours but Kennards hire them.

    You dont need to have it for too long to make buying worthwhile. Resale price quite high.

    There are alternative clones but they dont seem to retain their value as much.

    Not cheap at around $5k new if you buy one but a wonderful well under rated piece of kit.

    Your mileage may vary

    Posted Tuesday 16 Jan 2018 @ 11:13:50 am from IP #

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