Using a sling to support a heavy tool in midair isn’t a new idea, but I think the system I use is an improvement over other methods I’ve seen. Instead of suspending the tool from a single hook, I hang it from a steel ring that slides along a piece of 1/2-in. pipe. This allows me to move from side to side with the tool without the restraint of a fixed mount.
I usually use this technique when I’m working on a vertical surface with my Bosch demolition hammer. The hammer is on the working end of the rope, and a bucket containing sand is on the counterweight end. In the setup shown in the drawing, I had to remove the stucco from the walls of an old porch. On this job, I used two pipe rails mounted on the ceiling with open-eye hooks. The double-pipe system was especially nice in this case because it kept the counterweight away from the work, and allowed me to move easily from wall to wall.
—Peter Fenerin, Palo Alto, CA
Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #152
