<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3059" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>For Phil: Here is a picture of my chainfall mounting system. Two 4x4s laid up in the crotches of my roof trusses (spanning four trusses) with a thick (I think 1/4") steel plate laid on top of the two 4x4s and a cast-iron loop through-bolted through the steel plate. It ain't going nowhere....</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If you are comfortable with the strength of your steel beams in the ceiling, if you like this idea, you could do something similar - at the least, it is very simple. You could lay two steel square sections  spanning two of your steel trusses (or even a couple 4x4s or 6x6s - I'm only spanning two feet - you are spanning 5-feet), bolt a plate to the top of them and hang your hoist. One advantage in your shop with a simple-mounted system like that would be that you could move it to whatever location in the shop you want as your shop evolves. One thing I have found with my shop is that as your work and shop use evolves, you start wishing that you had made some of your permanent installations elsewhere.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><IMG alt="" hspace=0 src="cid:002b01c788bf$e39a4da0$0501a8c0@DESKTOP" align=baseline border=0></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I agree with other comments regarding the nice slow incremental movements you can make with the chainfall. I know many folks use an electric hoist successfully, but being the klutz that I can be, I think I am much more goof-proof with my chainfall. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The other thing I noticed about the electric hoist you provided a URL for was that it had a rated capacity of 500 lbs. If you removed a plate from a 9-foot piano, you'd be coming pretty close (maybe even exceeding?) to the capacity of the hoist. You might want to try putting a strap around an old VW beetle or something else big and see how strong that thing really is before risking a big piano plate. A one-ton chainfall gives you a real comfortable measure of safety, IMHO.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>