[Shop-talk] Building a service elevator/dumb waiter under a house?

[Gary K]

I knew a guy once who made a dumb-waiter type elevator drive system (small,
to move clothes and food to the basement) out of a Genie Garage Door Opener.


Gary

-----Original Message-----
From: shop-talk-bounces+mog8=oh.rr.com at autox.team.net
[mailto:shop-talk-bounces+mog8=oh.rr.com at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Steve
Shipley
Sent: Friday, November 02, 2007 2:38 PM
To: shop-talk at Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Building a service elevator/dumb waiter under a
house?

>Note, I have no idea about the code for this, but who cares? Its way COOL!

I too have spent waaay to much time thinking about this.

I have considered "powering" the lift with a tank that functions as a 
counterbalance.
Storage tank, counterbalance tank, hoses, fittings, and a pump. Tank full 
and the lift
goes up, tank empty and the lift goes down.

What I've never figured out is the failsafe system like the original Otis? 
elevator.

Like when the air pressure blows out the air hose, or the power goes out, 
or when
the chain fractures, or a moth shorts out the relay....

And regarding building codes.....If it's part of the structure my guess is 
that it should
be built to code.  But what if it's a device that is not part of the 
structure?  I don't think
the building inspector has any say in what kind of lift I use in my shop.

Oh, and even though this is a little off topic,  You're going to need the 
stuff you're storing?
http://eldercare.uniontrib.com/news/denise/hoarding.cfm

Personally, I've noticed some of the stuff I've stored over the years are 
reminders of some
of my "ineffective" behaviors.