Well I received my results today on the small, large hyrdraulic and lattice boom.
I passed the squirt booms but failed the lattice.
I tested on an older bucyrus erie 30B 50 tonner. The only motion I messed up some, was on the forward zigzag by knockin over 4 cones and 3 tennis balls. Every other motion on the test was smooth and flawless including the reverse zigzag. Any other stories out there we can compare results to?
I sweated taking the practical test but passed on the first time. Saw two guys before me wipe out the course. I took the large hyd and the lattice boom tests. got a 100 on the L hyd and an 90 on the lattice boom. I knocked off a tennis ball but not the cone and I went over the 3 min on the return through the zig zag. Took the test on an old P&H 80 ton with s--t swingers. I think there would be better results for the members if the union had some newer rigs for the testing.
Us older guys are having more problems on the written tests. Hell, I haven't taken a test since HS. I don't like the policy on not being able to use a calculator for the math. My math sucks. If I was that good I'd have been an engineer not an operating engineer.
Tater
I agree with having the Unions upgrading their rigs. Some Locals simply cant furnish it due to low membership. My local barely has 900 members. I could go down to New Jersey, 4.5 hrs away and take the Lattice boom practical on a 222. The calculator is another issue, I would agree up until I took the written exam for all four cranes small hyd, lg hyd, crawler and AT lattice boom. The math was pretty simple arithmithic as long as you could remember all your deductions. I've never been on a job that wouldnt allow calculators, or a 3 min time limit to float a load and land it. Going through the 40hr class preparing for the written I was nervous about all the math, but the instructor went above and beyond. We were def over prepared for the written exam. I felt really confident upon completing those exams on that long saturday. 8 hrs of testing...
Where did you take your test? If Richfield, I feel your pain.Originally Posted by Big Tater
Just a pickin' and a grinnin'.
Life Member Local 18 District 6 IUOE
When I first took mine in '96 I think it was, I had the highest scores on all the tests and so won an all expenses paid thrip to the Manitowoc factory from my company. A way cool place to visit.
I'd rather be in the air running a tower crane,but can't always be so PICKY.
Here's a shot of the welcoming sign that they had for my boss Alan Ashlock and I when we arrived at the Manitowoc factory in '96. While I was there that few days I got to run a prototype of the newly built 777 on the pad too. These guys up there are soooo cool and roll out the red carpet for their guests! http://s1029.photobucket.com/albums/...rywithAlan.jpg
Last edited by gostr8r; 06-22-2011 at 09:04 AM.
I'd rather be in the air running a tower crane,
New rigs for all of our union training sites? Ehh, two schools of thought on that one. Its good to have newer cranes so we can all be familiar with the setup procedures and not to mention the computers on these things. But if you can run an older hydro or friction rig in a smooth manner, it'll make you a much better operator when in comes to the new stuff. So in my opinion we should keep both old and new cranes around.
Now my CCO story. Passed the small hydro and lattice crawler no problem. Went to the large hydro, did everything just fine. However, when it came time to go the reverse direction back through the corridor I just couldn't quite find where she would boom down nice n easy for me in the foot pedal. Ended up jumpin and running on me a few feet, knocked three or so tennis balls on the ground as I had a pretty good vortex going with the weight. Now I was actually able to recover and pass, but I was so mad at myself. Lol
Mote
I agree with you about keeping the old rigs around for training and qualifying. The ones that can get on 'em, figure them out and make the job go well are a dying breed. We still have quite a few friction left in our inventory of about 100 cranes but yes they're being phased out and replaced with the latest and greatest, with all the bells and whistles. Today's rentors are requiring the new stuff more and more as time go on, so we have to adapt. I recently did a 5 month project hanging red iron on Harry Potter's Castle with a Manitowoc 4000 tower. Not a fun job or a fun rig to do it with but was glad to see it sold after it came off the Universal Studios Orlando project. It had some feel to it and feed back, but after being in this game since 73 I now am in recovery from a total knee and knee cap replacement. I'll settle for the new stuff now!
I'd rather be in the air running a tower crane,
It's crazy that there is not one HYD. Lattice boom crawler in the state of Ohio. The union spent millions on these training sites but the equipment is pretty old and in a lot of cases junk. You have to spend time learning how to run a friction rig so you can take the CCO and that is probably the last time most of us will ever be in a friction rig.
When I took my CCO's I did good on everything except tower crane practical and I failed LBC written first time.
catkicker, if you learn friction and get good at it it's a great way to do good hook work, because of the instant sensory feed back from their clutches and brakes. The down side is the wear and tear on your hearing and knees. I understand the difficulty on the T/C Practical, because of the looking downward view point makes the hook look like it right over the target, when you're really short of it. It takes some getting used to and adjusting your perception of when you think the hook and trolley is over a target. That, plus the torque delay in the upper tower sections takes some time to bond with too.
I'd rather be in the air running a tower crane,
Well I'm fortunate that I have never regretted not operating friction rigs. Pretty much all HYD. on the jobs I'm on. Finally building wind farms in Ohio
gostr8r
Hey guy, you work for Alan? Is Magnum (Mike) still working safety there? Say hi to my friend JR.
We had Craig Baker for several years, then in the last 6 years or so, it's been Mike Smith. Is THAT the Mike you refer too? It sounds like him, and he does have a history in draglines and even owns a small one at home if I remember correctly. I'll pass on the hello. I saw him at one of our big company safety meetings 2 nights ago and he was doing fine.
I'd rather be in the air running a tower crane,
Mr. Smith is the guy, we worked together a lot of years ago at FCS at Brooksville.
I lost touch with him while I was in the middle east a while back.
I got my June issue of International Cranes and Specialized Transportation magazine yesterday. It has a list of the top 123 Crane owning companys in the world. You guys are listed and it shows your largest crane as a Manitowoc 18000???? I tought you guys purchased a new 31000 a couple of years or so ago??
We've been on that list before, but in the top 50 worldwide, and the reason the 18's are listed as our largest rigs is likely that we STILL haven't even taken delivery on our 31000, which was bought about 2 years ago, then built, and is now STILL on the test pad, in Luffer now, at the factory. I should be going up there this coming week to make some lifts with it. So maybe that list only includes rigs in the inventory being rented as of press time. JMO. Here's the link showing our new 31,000 from the big 5.5 million lb test lift, back into the assembly stage as it was when I was at the factory the last time in '09. Check it out Donns, you'll like the pics. http://s1029.photobucket.com/albums/...0pound%20lift/
Last edited by gostr8r; 06-30-2011 at 02:20 PM.
I'd rather be in the air running a tower crane,
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