# A dirty word in here?



## heavyduty73 (Jan 23, 2008)

I'm an electrcian by trade but I Enjoy sheet rocking every now and then and prefer working by my self SO heres the dirty word SHEETROCK LIFT. I.m debating buying one for when I do do sheet rocking I can doit a without killing myself. I made a homemade lift that worked ok if I had help and 8 foot lid but it wouldn't do walls. I may also rent out a few times to cover the cost of buying one then would not rent anymore. what brands would you recommend. new, used and any other suggestions. May only get used once a year so it doesn't need to be top end but do want a good quailty one. if I done this 7 years ago when i did my first basemnet i would have paid for it by now many times over.


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## islandboy (Jan 8, 2008)

I work by myself doing renovations and additions. I bought a Telpro Pannellift with an extension for the project I am working on as the garage was 10' and the ceilings of the addition were all cathedral to 12' +. I am very happy with the purchase as a back/labour saver. Worth every dime. :thumbsup:


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## Muddauber (Nov 2, 2007)

I bought a used one from a guy for $300.00.
I love it.And my workers-comp can't charge me for it!:clap:


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## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

I built the coolest one about 15 years back with the help of my dad, a professional mechanical engineer. Was going to patent it but never got around to it.

Start with a regular baker scaffold ( the ones with the ladder type ends) and hang an air cylinder off both ends (on the outside of the scaffold). Put an air control switch on one end that controls both cylinders with an air line to the system.

The top of the cylinders have cross bars attached (actually I made them so they were hinged on one end allowing one side to lift for sloped ceilings). 

You set your sheet on top of the cross bars, hit the air switch, the rock goes up, you move the scaffold to get the rock in place, then stand on the scaffold to screw it off.

It works really well. The toughest part is lifting the rock up. If you can lift a 5/8 12' sheet 6' and slide it onto the cross bars, you can do it all alone.

I figured I'd use the baker scaffold because everyone has one anyway. Just add the attachment and go.


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Here's a thread that might be worth re-visiting for some different perspectives on this subject . . . 


http://www.contractortalk.com/showthread.php?t=2591&highlight=panel+lift


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## heavyduty73 (Jan 23, 2008)

my homemade lift was basicly a tri pod with removeable legs that stood about5'6" to the top. it had 18" x18 " metal plate that the legs slide into. on the bottom of that plate we weilded a 2 " pipe about 30" long inside of that we had a 1 1/4 pipe or so that could mover up and down ( there was little play in between the pipes. on the one side of the two inch pipe we weilded a boat winch to it and ran the cable though a log chain link weilded in the bottom of the 1 1/4" pipe up the other side to the metal plate. crank the boat winch up shorten the cable length up and it raised the smaller pipe that was cut to be 30 or so inches longer the larger pipe. On top of the smaller pipe we weilded a 36 inch peice of square tube horizontly across with 6" pcs of 2 " angle attached. In those we placed a 2x4x8 on each side to set the rock on. This worked well with 8 foot rock 8 decks. one person. 12 foot rock 10 decks three people The lift did not go the full ten feet . I don't have any photos of this and may never set it up again because I almost killed myself the last time I tried to use it solo. I rented a panel lift and got the ceiling and the top row of 4x12 on the walls in about the same amount of time I figured to do the ceiling. I realized the old way was not worth it it was time to look into buying a hoist.


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## A W Smith (Oct 14, 2007)

About 13 years ago for one specific job where I was hanging twelve's by myself on ceilings for a farmhouse. I needed to come up with a throwaway panel lift. I had a set of wooden horses i spread apart about 8 feet and screwed a plank to them to hold them at a set distance for the frame i was making. I also screwed a stud to one end of each horse that ware just short of the ceiling. I attached a sort of easel or blackboard type 5/4 spruce frame that had thru bolts pivots at the top into the studs with a ledger lip at the bottom to hold the board. I would load that easel with my twelve foot board and then climb on the horses and lift the lower edge to tilt the easel up to the ceiling and then use a prop I had standing by to hold it up it so it was against the ceiling. It worked very well for that job.


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## mrp (Dec 1, 2007)

I was going to ask how you figured it would be worth the cost if you only used it a few times a year. Then I checked the current lift prices. 

Amazon has one for $99 (list price $450). "Professional 11 Foot Drywall Lift / Hoist by Platinum Tool 11'-Ceiling 15'-Wall - One-Person Application"

If I was buying today, I'd still shell out ~$800 for a telpro with the loader attachment. (or something similar if they exist) With this setup I only need to lift the sheet up a few inches to get it on the loader, and then the loader hoists it up to the main panel holder. I'd like to be able to walk if I make it to 70.

I'd strongly recommend that you *not* rent out your tools unless your business insurance will cover you when you get sued.


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## woodmagman (Feb 17, 2007)

Your lift will be the best employee you ever had....stands around all day until you need help at no extra cost. Holds the board up even over lunch and never spits chew in a empty cup, only to step on it later.....worth every nickle. RENTING is o.k. too.


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## kgphoto (May 9, 2006)

They also make a Hurcule 42-60 for setting the upper board on walls. You roughly set it on the tray and then step on the foot pedal and that jacks it up tight to the ceiling and then lock it in place and you can cut out the openings and run screws without having to strain. Even has a spot to hold your screw gun on it.


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## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

I have a Bil-Jax I've had it for about 12 years I paid around $600 and it's paid for its self about 10 times now. best tool I own I don't have to have a helper to do ceiling work anymore.:thumbsup:


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## dlcj (Oct 1, 2007)

Ok,this might not be helpfull but sense where sharing stories. Dad and i used to hang all the rock in the homes we build. He built a pair of saw horses with a 2x6 laid flat on top of 2x4 edge ways with 2x4 legs set flush with ends of top (no overhang to step on) and 2x4 step notched in half way up legs. They are 4' long and the exact hight so we could hold rock to ceiling using our heads :blink: hands are free to nail or screw. we done a few 20' catedral ceilings where we walked the 12' rock out on scafolding from the second floor balcony then up on our "rock" horses. dangeres as hell:no:. We built a second pair 1' taller for 9' ceilings. Over the last 14 years we probably hung 1000 sheets off the same set of horses, just the 2 of us. Allways wanted to buy a lift but didnt think we done enough to be worth it.:wallbash: we quit hanging rock a few houses ago.:clap:


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## Ten Fingers (Nov 5, 2006)

I doubt that anyone whoever bought a decent hoist, whether they could barely afford it at the time or not, later ever regretted owning it


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