stone/sculpture lifting equipment

["George Graham" <georgergraham@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Clive,

I just read all the ideas and really like erecting a scaffolding frame to
hang an I beam from. Masons use these setups with great success. Renting the
scaffolding from a construction supply business can save a lot of money.
If money is not an issue, then having an  all terrain construction machine
would go the easiest. Pay the money and get it done fast and safe. The
people who operate heavy equipment are extremely good at what they do.

But ,, if you can back your trailer right up to the platform where the
sculpture, and if the height of your trailer and the platform is very near
the same, you may be able to slide the piece to its place. If the height of
the piece when on the trailer is even an inch above the platform, then
sliding it "down" is surprisingly easy. I've used beams of oak, to make a
pair of rails , then sprinkle sand on them , set your stone on the rails and
push. You can also lay out your rails, sand, put a square of plywood on the
rails, then add the sculpture, you have a flat surface sliding on the rails.

A comalong, ratchet pulling tool, connected to a tree will give you a lot of
power the pull the piece off the trailer.

The pitfalls to this are that your rails cannot be allowed to spread apart
or slide with the stone so as to come off the trailer. Also sliding a stone
down a steep ramp can be very exciting,as it shoots off the ramp and your
stone rolls around on the ground. A ramp with more than a 20 degree slope
can let your stone move too fast. This method is pretty useless if you need
to move something uphill.

I've moved and set some very big stones, monuments and sculpture, and my
rules are that one person is giving the orders, ( that's me ) , if your
instincts are telling you that something is wrong, you know, that little
voice in the back of your mind that says I don't like this, then STOP!!!!
and look everything over. Keep your set up very very simple. No clutter of
stuff that you might fall over. Never take your eyes off the stone.
Absolutely, never never, try to catch a falling 1000 lb stone. And finally,
never work alone. I use the KISS rules when moving stone. Keep It

Simple,,Stupid!
I and I'm sure a lot of people will be looking forward to updates on how you
are doing.
George Graham