I purchased this "boom lift" for scrap for $500:

http://goo.gl/kbvFHE

It is a huge 20,000 lbs capacity boom lift. I do not need it and, I
suspect, neither does anyone else, this is why it was surplused by a
local public agency.

The way this works is that the boom goes up and down with help from
the lift cylinder, and extends and retracts with help of another
cylinder inside the boom.

However, I have an idea: Take off the hydraulically powered boom from
the front, and make it into a forklift attachment and mount on my
30,000 lbs forklift.

Then, I suppose, I could use it to reach higher and handle awkward
loads, and so on. This lift has a capacity of 10,000 lbs extended and
170 inches lift. Adding 120 or so inches lift od the forklift, this
can give you a 290 inches combined lift.

I can sort of visualize what needs to be welded to it to make it
attachable and detachable.

However, what I do not know is how easy it is to add hydraulic
functionality to a forklift with only a two lever spool valve. Can I
add another spool valve to handle these two functions (lift and
extend)? Would that be "in series" with the original spool valve?

Thanks

i