Surprise, I'm posting again: Chase Lifter, Partially assembled

On the Letpress List, there has been recent discussion about a helper tool for installing a form into a 10x15 C&P. The form and chase can be very heavy, and installing it to print requires lifting it, leaning forward, and lowering it gently into its bed.

My hands aren't all that strong, and a heavy chase strains the back muscles a bit. What better idea than to install a chase-lifting pulley assembly!

When I went out to survey the territory, I realized I had an advantage: the rail for the rollup garage door runs right over the press. All I needed was some sort of angle iron to rest over the rail, and I could then suspend a pulley and hooks. When I need to open the garage door, the chase lifter can slide back out of the way.

Finding the correct vocabulary for the the hardware store employees was less than easy, but I was lucky enough to be assisted by a couple of young guys who were capable of thinking outside the (tool) box. I had a drawing of what I wanted to do and asked them what parts might function as I desired.

One of them had a brilliant thought: he went into the wood yard and returned with a stud anchor: a piece of strap iron bent into a U with flanges (dare I say "serifs?"). I straightened out the flanges and lo, the sides hang down and the chain links fit into them.

Photo 1 is what I have dubbed the "rail rider," AKA "deck post tie." Attached to it are some links with screw-threaded closures. They meet in a plain ring, and a third screw-threaded closure attaches the pulley to it.

Photo 2 is a view of the rope and hooks. Tomorrow I will cut about 1/4 inch off the end of the hooks to allow the jaws to be large enough to admit the chase. The rope holding the hooks will loop into the pulley rope.

Note: the rope "ferrules" still need to be crushed to hold the ends of the rope from slipping. I will do that in the vice tomorrow.

I don't expect this device to hold the entire weight of the chase/form for long; it is simply a tool which will bear part of the weight of the chase while I jockey it into place. I'm very excited about testing it tomorrow afternoon! Stay tuned: by tomorrow night I hope to have results and a photo of the finished device.