An accident, a PRC imported hook and a great luck

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

A double hook, imported from China, succumbed

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

Hello!

I had my milling machine mounted on steel bench over a mobile base with wheels that allow vibrations and did not allow for height adjustment in the four corners and therefore could not level it adequately.
So I decided to make a base from angle iron with a rotatable wheel and a screw to adjust the height at each corner.
The, afternoon, today was the timing for me to make the change from one base to another.
I have my workshop in the garage which is at street level and below the house. There I have, screwed to a beam, a small hoist that I’ve used other times to raise the milling machine.
I did all possible checks before starting the operation and to expedite the operation, I asked my wife who, with the mill in the air under my control, withdraw the old base and try put there the new one.

When my wife took the old mobile base out and then at the time that would insert a new base, the router that was about 10 cm above the floor fell with a crash.
For millimeters the fingers of my wife were not injured by the falling bench plus milling machine on top of it. Weighting around 150Kg.

What happened?
A double hook that I bought three or four years ago and made in the People’s Republic of China, 8mm diameter, which was described on the packaging (a card and blister) as supporting 350Kg succumbed.

Is there a moral in the story?
What is the age at which, finally, we gain wisdom?

Following is the picture of the hook which succumbed. It had the shape of an open 8.

I hope that what happened to me does not happen to someone.

 

Best regards

Dias Costa

Edited By Dias Costa on 05/03/2011 23:57:22

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Very glad no one was hurt, it could have been very bad indeed.

 

You can’t depend on formed steel wire hooks for lifting anything heavy. Forged steel hooks or welded chain hooks only should be used, nothing made in China should be used, and never get ANY body parts under any object in the air in my opinion.

 

My general rule/opinion for lifting is that if a lift setup looks good, double up its’ strength and still stay out from under it. Same sort of thing for load rating numbers when buying hooks links pulleys straps etc- load them up to only half what they are rated for. I’ve had some close calls with shifting and lifting and now I take no chances. Rating numbers on Chinese goods are not to be relied on. I got this message the hard way when a Chinese engine hoist rated for 1200 lb collapsed with a 550 lb car engine on it during a straight vertical lift with no side load. No one was hurt but it wrecked the front of the car and damaged the engine badly. Of course I restrained myself to say only “tut tut” and “oh dear” at the time.

 

JD

 

 

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Dias Costa, yes good to hear no injuries. can only agree with Jeff, use reputable lifting tackle and don’t ever get any part of your boby under any thing that is up in the air or on jacks ect.

 

I have a 500kg set of chian blocks on a overhead gantry in my garage, would probaly take a 1000kg, but have never tried it.

 

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 06/03/2011 08:06:03

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