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Just some work pics

crane operator

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Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Messages
8,275
Location
sw missouri
This glass clerestory/ skylight has leaked ever since the building was built. They can't keep tenants in the building because every time it rains, there's a lake on the floor.

It was originally installed/ built on top of a 6" rectangular tube, that got welded into the structural steel of the building. The builders need that steel to build the new roof out of, and it would be a pain to try to get cut down to that point. So I had them take out the lower glass, and put some bars across it and brought the upper glass down with the frame.

Cut it to pieces on the ground. IMG_0915.JPG IMG_0917.JPG IMG_0919.JPG
 

crane operator

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Joined
Mar 27, 2009
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8,275
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sw missouri
Was at a auction yesterday, and bought not one, but 2 cars.

My son has been making do with his 94 ford pickup, but now has got a better highway cruiser in a 1997 crown vic, with only 127,000 miles on the clock. Runs like a top and the a/c works. His old ford truck is kind of low geared for back and forth to college. This should make better highway speeds.

Youngest daughter has been driving my old red 3/4ton ford, and its also pretty low geared, and she's 3 hours away at college. Her new wheels are a 2009 toyota prius. Its got quite a few more miles on the clock- 240,000. They drove it in to the auction site, but it wouldn't restart when it was time to sell it.

I really had no intentions of buying anything. But the crown vic was selling pretty cheap, and my son has kinda been looking for a different set of wheels, so at $1,500 I thought it would make some cheap college transport. So I threw my hand up and bought it.

The prius was two cars down in the line, but it wouldn't start or go into gear that day. I guess no one really wanted to bid on it without it starting or going into gear, so it came home for $2,600. I bid figuring they got it to the auction- can't be anything too seriously wrong with it. I got lucky, the keys are a little finicky in the prius, and if you don't put your foot on the brake, they won't start or go into gear. I got it running and drove it home!

First impressions- the crown vic is a pretty solid old car, the prius is super noisy on the road- I'm guessing I've either got a bad tire, or they saved all the weight they could with sound deading eliminated. Its noisier than the dickens on the road.
IMG_0928.JPG IMG_0935.JPG
 

Old Doug

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Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
4,485
Location
Mo
I think the crown vics around that year were one of the best cars built. Cars and pickups are getting harder to find you did ok. I have a pt cruiser that has a bad head gasket. It has a very good body i am on the fence about fixing or junking it.
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,129
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Was at a auction yesterday, and bought not one, but 2 cars.

My son has been making do with his 94 ford pickup, but now has got a better highway cruiser in a 1997 crown vic, with only 127,000 miles on the clock.
<snip>
the crown vic was selling pretty cheap, and my son has kinda been looking for a different set of wheels, so at $1,500 I thought it would make some cheap college transport. So I threw my hand up and bought it.

You know you can sure pi$$ off those of us in the rust belt! Just to find a 1997 that looks that good of any make would be near impossible here! And if you did you sure would not find it for $1,500! How much would you want for that 1994 Ford?
 

kshansen

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Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,129
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
He wants to hold onto it for right now, I'll keep my eye out for a good one for you though. They actually aren't that rare in good shape by me.
Actually if I was to be 100% serious I would like to find a nice, say 1997 Ford Ranger! Had a extended cab short bed years back that the rust finally got to. Basic 4 cylinder 2wd.
 

crane operator

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Mar 27, 2009
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8,275
Location
sw missouri
Rough day today. 2hour drive to the jobsite 100 ton. Supposed to take down 4 trees. Get there and they were supposed to take down a tree by the road so we had room to work. Its not down. And there's two more trees they want to take down while I'm there.

They leave for lunch about the time we get going good, are gone for a hour and a half. I'm thinking "daylight is burning boys, better get your butts in gear". Finally pull the last tree at 5:00pm. Still have to take crane down and 2 hours back home, and sure enough, boom won't telescope back in. I'm in the middle of the street with a street closure. 103' of boom still out in the air.

The piano wire reel inside the boom, that gives the computer the precise boom length for the latching system has evidently lost its spring, or has a loop in the cable, because it won't retract.

Liebherr after hours tech support came through, and we were able to telescope it back in, all in manual mode. Which I hate doing because you can really mess things up. It wasn't fun, and it was really really dark when we got done. But the crane is out of the street and in a parking lot. It was too dark and I was too tired to bring it home. Counterweights are home and we can go get the crane later.

Parts order for tomorrow. And the customer wasn't happy because the bill was too high. :rolleyes: But I got a check. Let's hope it covers the new reel.
 

Welder Dave

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Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
12,260
Location
Canada
Kudo's to Liebherr! I'd guess it's common practice to have their 24 hour support number on hand. I think it's also common customers complain about the cost when it's their vault things take longer. I remember when I did a job on a multi-unit luxury condo complex. I was using the skid steer and I had a single axle dump truck. The customer hired someone else with a smaller/mini skid steer to do some of the work between the units and in front but wanted to use my dump truck. Sure. Then they were complaining the about the cost saying the guy in the skid steer did a lot more work. It took a long time to get paid on that job with all kinds of excuses like they never got the bill or they sent a cheque out and it must have got lost, etc., etc. I don't charge by the load, I charge by the hour like every other dump truck so if it takes 15 minutes to load or close to an hour you're still paying for the time the truck is sitting there. It's not like I can go to another job and just come back to haul the material away. Funny thing is I was kind of dumb and only charging $40/hr. and could have been using my skid steer in between loads and not charging extra for it.
 

CM1995

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Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,250
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Alabama
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Running what I brung and taking what I win
Damn CraneOP that sucks and unfortunately I know how a day like that feels..:(

So is the Liehberr back home?
 

Tags

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Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
1,610
Location
Connecticut
Rough day today. 2hour drive to the jobsite 100 ton. Supposed to take down 4 trees. Get there and they were supposed to take down a tree by the road so we had room to work. Its not down. And there's two more trees they want to take down while I'm there.

They leave for lunch about the time we get going good, are gone for a hour and a half. I'm thinking "daylight is burning boys, better get your butts in gear". Finally pull the last tree at 5:00pm. Still have to take crane down and 2 hours back home, and sure enough, boom won't telescope back in. I'm in the middle of the street with a street closure. 103' of boom still out in the air.

The piano wire reel inside the boom, that gives the computer the precise boom length for the latching system has evidently lost its spring, or has a loop in the cable, because it won't retract.

Liebherr after hours tech support came through, and we were able to telescope it back in, all in manual mode. Which I hate doing because you can really mess things up. It wasn't fun, and it was really really dark when we got done. But the crane is out of the street and in a parking lot. It was too dark and I was too tired to bring it home. Counterweights are home and we can go get the crane later.

Parts order for tomorrow. And the customer wasn't happy because the bill was too high. :rolleyes: But I got a check. Let's hope it covers the new reel.

You gotta love it, don't cha?? You show up to do a job when you were supposed to, the tree guys the customer hired didn't do what they said they would, you need to change the game plan, the guys take an HOUR AND HALF lunch, you get the job done, of course something brakes, and the customer isn't happy.....aren't people great!
 

crane operator

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Mar 27, 2009
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8,275
Location
sw missouri
Crane is back home, got done with some other jobs with smaller crane before noon, caught a ride down there and brought it home.

Part is ordered from liebherr, I think they had it in their parts depot in virginia. Should be here tomorrow, I've got trusses to set all day with a smaller crane, so I'm hoping to get it apart and maybe reinstalled Thursday.

I thought about trying to fix whatever is wrong with my reel (which may not be much), but I need the thing back together, and the reel is in a super unhandy location, and having boom stuck out and not being able to bring it back in is actually #1 on the list of super unhandy. So new reel.
 
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crane operator

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Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Messages
8,275
Location
sw missouri
aren't people great!

Yes, yes they are. Customer called again today to complain some more about the cost, and he "isn't going to recommend me to anyone". The guy actually complained about the crane breaking, which happened after I was done with the job, and I don't charge time for my own breakdowns. Complain about things that don't cost you anything? :rolleyes: I kinda hope he loses my phone number.

These guys aren't a regular customer of mine, they're out of my usual area also. I tried to direct them to guys closer than I am, but he "knows a guy who knows me"- and I'm evidently the tree whisperer.

Tree cutter was like "that was amazing, and I can tell you really know what your doing with taking those trees down, but the boss man is going to throw a fit about the bill". He was right, the boss man did throw a fit.
 

crane operator

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Mar 27, 2009
Messages
8,275
Location
sw missouri
On to good news, the 2 cars in a day auction has been a success all the way around. The Crown vic (nicknamed "The Couch" or formally "Crown Couch") is a great cruiser. He can fit all his tools in the trunk and there's still room for at least 2 bodies. Everything is dry and locked away. It floats down the road, and the couch must have the most overboosted power steering system I've ever driven.

Youngest daughter wasn't quite as sure about the Prius. The prius is definitely a girl car, and she was kind of fond of the 3/4 ton ford- not a "girl" car. All the road noise was a severely chopped/ worn set of rear tires. New tires and a windshield to pass inspection. The new tires eliminated the road noise and and it rides 100% better. I put around 50 miles on it around town running for inspections and fixing. Her and I did another 30 or so with her going for a test drive run.

She drove back to college sunday afternoon, a 150 mile trip. And put in 4 gallons of fuel. I don't know where she stopped for fuel, or the exact miles she got out of the 4 gallons, but the little trip computer said 48mpg. She's pretty happy with that.
 

Welder Dave

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Oct 11, 2014
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12,260
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Canada
Just to make you feel better I had a day today that I should have stayed in bed. Had a couple guys offer to help on the oval track which was great. I was running a little late and then the place I get diesel has a new loyalty card so I had to cash out my old card and switching it over took about 20 minutes. OK, I'm 45 minutes late so let's get something done. Needed to put 1 new tooth on the did steer bucket. I think some of the glow plugs are bad and it took forever to get the damn skid steer going. I think it was an hour and half. Would spin over fast but just wouldn't catch. Finally boosted directly off the batteries instead of at the starter and it started right up. Weird. The batteries are behind the seat is why we didn't boost there first. Then used the battery charger with a booster on the welder so I could weld the tooth on the bucket and think I fried the battery charger. I'm using a generator on the battery charger and never had a problem before. Used a truck and got the welder going. Then the welder didn't want to strike an arc and rev up. Went and jiggled the connections at the welder and then it worked. Everything that could go wrong did. Thankfully the day ended a little better. One of the guys stayed and helped put a new hyd. hose on the Cat. Of course it was about the hardest hose to put in and connect being a 1" 4 wire hose. Almost needed a 3rd person to help get it in. Routed it slightly different and had to leave a clamp off but it's in. I need to see if the clamp is really necessary or could be modified. It would have caused the new hose to rub on some other lines.
Salvaged some of the day but think I should have stayed in bed. The other guy crawled under the Cat which was a huge help. My back aches just from leaning over fixing stuff and I loaded a couple loads in the dump truck with the skid steer that really did me in. I'm just stiff and aching now and can't wait to get in bed. Hoping tomorrow will be a better day.
 

John Griffin

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Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Messages
264
Location
Huntsville, AL
Yes, yes they are. Customer called again today to complain some more about the cost, and he "isn't going to recommend me to anyone". The guy actually complained about the crane breaking, which happened after I was done with the job, and I don't charge time for my own breakdowns. Complain about things that don't cost you anything? :rolleyes: I kinda hope he loses my phone number.

These guys aren't a regular customer of mine, they're out of my usual area also. I tried to direct them to guys closer than I am, but he "knows a guy who knows me"- and I'm evidently the tree whisperer.

Tree cutter was like "that was amazing, and I can tell you really know what your doing with taking those trees down, but the boss man is going to throw a fit about the bill". He was right, the boss man did throw a fit.

Did you guys not agree on a rate or price beforehand? Did you charge them during lunch break?

Just curious. Our local crane outfit refused to take a 30 minute lunch break when doing 8 plus hour days. The only other thing they have really ever done that irritated me related to charges was the crane Op kept taking phone calls while on our time clock. Im not talking about 2 minute call from the boss. 10 minute shoot the **** with his buddy kinda calls. 3 or 4 of them throughout the day, so 30 to 45 minutes. As an owner, Im not paying for a crane ops time to shoot the **** on the phone. No problem paying for the crane rate for actual crane time.
 

AzIron

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Jun 14, 2016
Messages
1,541
Location
Az
Did you guys not agree on a rate or price beforehand? Did you charge them during lunch break?

Just curious. Our local crane outfit refused to take a 30 minute lunch break when doing 8 plus hour days. The only other thing they have really ever done that irritated me related to charges was the crane Op kept taking phone calls while on our time clock. Im not talking about 2 minute call from the boss. 10 minute shoot the **** with his buddy kinda calls. 3 or 4 of them throughout the day, so 30 to 45 minutes. As an owner, Im not paying for a crane ops time to shoot the **** on the phone. No problem paying for the crane rate for actual crane time.
I dont do crane work but do a lot of by the hour service we charge thru lunch me and my guys will eat on the run if we are hungry so I charge thru the customers lunch break it was there choice to take one

It always seems after lunch takes time to get the rhythm back witch adds a fair amount of time to the day but if I had a customer take an hour an a half lunch I would dam sure charge for it
 
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