<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=Windows-1252"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>Hey Wim,</DIV> <DIV>Harbor Freight has a 2 ton shop crane for $249.00. Item #35915-5RTH.  It = is free standing so you don't need a ceiling, etc.  It is probably cheap = Taiwan, but with the relatively little use and light weight of plates, it should = last.  Harbor Freight now has retail stores in larger cities, = too.  1-800-423-2567.  I have a friend who uses one similar and it works = for him.  His folds behind a door for storage.  = </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Lance Lafargue, RPT Mandeville, LA New Orleans Chapter, PTG lancelafargue@bellsouth.net 985.72P.IANO </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>-----Original Message----- From: owner-caut@ptg.org = [mailto:owner-caut@ptg.org]On Behalf Of Wimblees@aol.com Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2002 12:03 PM To: caut@ptg.org Subject: Re: removing a plate = by myself </DIV>In a message dated 7/18/02 11:27:34 AM Central Daylight Time, = fssturm@unm.edu writes: <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px" TYPE="CITE">Wim,    You don't need to hang the = hoist from the existing ceiling. What I do is brace a beam against the = ceiling. I use a 4 x 6 beam, held up tight against the ceiling with two 2 x = 6's, each with an appropriate notch cut to hold the 4 x 6. As long as = it is fit firmly (a wedge or two helps), it works just great.    </BLOCKQUOTE> In my previous shop. I had = to set up a system similar to what you've done. I used a steel beam to hang a = trolley on it, so that I could move the plate away from the piano, instead of = the other way around. But, unfortunately, my shop here is not set up so I = can do that. Wim </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>