*High Lift Jacks*
High lift jacks are a simple, powerful & dangerous tool. Jacking anything creates the risk of the load falling. High lifts are especially dangerous because they can lift a load about 4’.
It’s a simple device using 2 pins that work their way up and down a track.
Pins
Raising or lowering is controlled by a lever. When it’s up, the jack lifts, when it’s down it lowers. To shift it with a load simply raise the handle (the one you move up and down) and snap the lever up and down. Refer to the above left pic. If it looks like that, you can shift. Then you can slowly lower the load back down again.
Shifter UP---------------------------------------------------------Shifter DOWN
Here’s the jack under a shed. Make sure the slide (track) is straight up and down and that the lifting mechanism is snug against the load. DO NOT try and jack ANYTHING if the jack won’t fit straight. If it’s the least bit crooked it WILL kick out and the load will fall, I promise.
There is also a major pinch point. NEVER put your fingers or hand between the track and the load. If something goes wrong your appendage could easily be crushed. To steady the jack, use an OPEN PALM.
If you’re jacking on soft ground, you might need a block under the foot of the jack. If so, place it like this. The jack foot should be lengthwise across the grain of the wood.
If the load ever starts to fall, GTHOOD. Don’t try and catch it, you’re not stronger than this jack.
Here’s a couple of tricks. If the finger of the jack (the part that goes under the load- looking above it’s the thing sticking off the right side) needs to come up a few inches to touch the load, put the shifter in the UP position and with the handle simply pull up. The entire mechanism will slide up. That’ll save a lot of up’in and down’in with the handle.
You can do this in reverse. If the mechanism is still up, but there’s no load on it, shift the lever to DOWN, then pull the mechanism upward just a bit. The pins will release from the track and the mechanism will slide to the bottom. That’ll also save a lot of up’in and down’in with the handle.
Jaden
www.alpharubicon.com
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