I’m currently outfitting a workshop in a garage space. I’m installing a dust collection system. The system will consist of steel ductwork and will be powered by a large dust collector. This collector is a beast of a machine, one of Oneida’s dust gorilla models. It runs on a dedicated 230V 30A circuit and will be collecting dust from all the machines in the shop.

So far I’ve just been working on building out the gorilla itself. Most of the pieces were easy enough, not too heavy and easy enough to bolt together. However, the motor was another story. This thing weighs as much as I do and it needed to be lifted up eight feet in the air, over two feet, and back down a foot or so. It’s a large awkward object and there are space constraints due to existing ducting and piping in the area.

This is the motor here:

The gorilla before construction of the frame. (Note the water heater for scale.)

Now, I suppose I could have done this just by rounding up four strong guys and getting a few ladders for everyone to stand on. But I really wanted to be able to place and remove the motor by myself. In case I need to service it or unclog a backup, I wanted to be able to raise or lower the motor again myself. My husband’s back is recovering from a sporting injury, so I had to figure out a way to lift this motor single-handedly.

So, I decided to build a large hoisting frame around the thing. My plan was to hang an electric hoist at ceiling height. Use the hoist to raise the motor up. Use a sled on rails to slide the motor over the top of the gorilla, and then use ropes to lower it down.

I spent several days building out this lifting frame from the ground up. At the top are a set of rails allowing a sled to move horizontally along them. The sled has a hole in it to accommodate the impeller motor which sticks out several inches belong the motor housing. The geometry of all of this had to be planned for. The hoist is just a cheap ceiling hoist from Harbor Freight.

Finally, once everything was built, it was time to lift. I built a lifting bar and rigged up the motor.

I stood back, let the winch do its thing, and the whole plan worked brilliantly!

I lifted the motor to the top of the tower using the hoist. I then lowered it onto a sled. I then slid it over top of the gorilla. I did have to modify the sled to remove the front of it, but it worked out just as well.

Finally, I rigged ropes around the motor, raised it up enough to get the sled out, and then carefully, inch by inch, one rope at a time lowered the motor on to the top of the gorilla.

Finally, after several days work, it’s done.

It’s been a lot of work getting this all together. And I’m sure there may are probably quicker and easier methods of getting a motor up there. But again, I wanted a permanent solution that allowed me to disassemble the system in the future if I need to. But it’s been really enjoyable. Also, I now have a giant hoist if I ever need anything hoisted!

Next step is the duct work build out!