Lifting a lot of weight?

[David Clemons]

Hi,

	I made my own gin pole.  An article describing it will probably 
appear in one the next two issues of NCJ (not the Sept/Oct issue just out).
I also made my own block and tackle by going to a couple of well stocked 
local hardware stores and purchasing:

		1 each - heavy duty single pulley
		1 each - heavy duty double pulley
		320 feet of 3/8" hemp type rope

	The double pulley goes at the top of the gin pole, the single 
pulley rides on the rope (...the rope loops through it...) where it is 
secured to the item being lifted.  When using an arrangement such as this, 
you need 3 times the amount of rope as the height which you are raising 
the item.  Thus you do a lot more pulling, but the work per foot pulled is 
considerably less.  (It is like pulling an object of half the actual 
weight.)  

	A word of caution - I purchased this type of rope because it is 
cheap.  The biggest drawback is that it will rot if left for a period 
of time in moist conditions.  Another alternative is nylon rope, but it is 
considerably more expensive.  Don't use any of the polyethylene type ropes 
because, after a period of time in sunlight, small jagged pieces will 
flake off.  These pieces are incredibly sharp and will become embedded in
your hand as you are using the rope.

73, Dave Clemons K1VUT