hats off to guys that swing steel

[Tradesman]

this was a residential job with two truckloads of steel. It was the first time I have done more than maybe 10 picks of steel, so time has never been an issue but these guys wanted thing moving, with no tag lines like we use on wood trusses control was very important so for me with less than 2,000 hrs in the seat control comes at the expense of speed, they made it clear that I wasn't fast enough but I am to go back in the new year to finish the rest of the house ( couldn't of been too bad ) I could feel myself getting a bit better as the job progressed. No tag lines really make you work more "its up to you to hand it to the rigger no one to help you" Any jewels of wisdom are welcome
Ps. is the spell check new? Its nice not having to check my spelling I'm not a scholar but I like to make sure I spell correctly.

 

[td25c]

When possible I try to position the crane where it's in about the same radius as truss/beam pile and building set. Cuts down on booming up & down as much. Many times I meet with the builder to look at the site first and put some paint on the ground where I want the truss/beams dropped. As far as speed.........Work at a pace that you are comfortable with under the conditions. Good luck with it Tradesman.

 

[heavylift]

We can't pick without tag lines on loads, however I did put my foot down when they tied one to a concrete bucket.
So I guess we use tag lines 99.94% of the time.

 

[dbl612]

the iron heads will always tell you that you are not going fast enough but you wait for them when connecting most of the time anyway. smoothness and placement first, the speed will come in due time.

 

[CascadeScaper]

Highball and don't look back. How was the signaling from them? Usually the guys that complain the most about speed don't give good signals. That's just my .02 about it. I've been rigging for about 3 years, haven't set much steel but I've pushed a whole lot of rebar into tight spots. Not quite the same, but the finesse is about on par when fishing 50 foot lengths of #14 bar through a 35 foot opening or ducking under shoring struts/walers. Most of the operators I work with are pretty good about catching the load, but if we're working at a radius of 100'+, I'll jump in and signal to catch whether they want/need it or not. Just helps to speed things up. Not sure what kinds of things you're fighting, but be smooth to start and the speed will come with more seat time. But if they're giving you lousy signals, joke is on them, and they need to step up their game, too.

 

[ValleyFirewood]

I don't know how they can be on beams like that without fear! I damn near get the shakes climbing a ladder to change a lightbulb.

Must be a really large house to be framing with steel? Most stuff here is wood framed, even many medium sized commercial buildings.

 

[Tradesman]

Highball and don't look back. How was the signaling from them? Usually the guys that complain the most about speed don't give good signals. That's just my .02 about it. I've been rigging for about 3 years, haven't set much steel but I've pushed a whole lot of rebar into tight spots. Not quite the same, but the finesse is about on par when fishing 50 foot lengths of #14 bar through a 35 foot opening or ducking under shoring struts/walers. Most of the operators I work with are pretty good about catching the load, but if we're working at a radius of 100'+, I'll jump in and signal to catch whether they want/need it or not. Just helps to speed things up. Not sure what kinds of things you're fighting, but be smooth to start and the speed will come with more seat time. But if they're giving you lousy signals, joke is on them, and they need to step up their game, too.

There signals could have been a bit clearer, but not bad, they did understand what the crane had to do to go where they wanted, which is a big step up from most carpenters that have no idea how a crane works and have no desire to learn either proper hand signals or how a crane works. I give all my customers laminated hand signal charts as well as my business cards have hand signals on them.
I have my swing down pretty good, if I do get my load swinging a bit I can "catch the load" pretty easy now, I need to work on my boom up now, at high boom angles I am still having trouble maintaining control at any speed at all and if I get swinging I have a hard time catching it. So right now maintaining load control is my priority. I have started purposely making movements I find challenging on purpose so it becomes motor memory.

 

[Tradesman]

I don't know how they can be on beams like that without fear! I damn near get the shakes climbing a ladder to change a lightbulb.

Must be a really large house to be framing with steel? Most stuff here is wood framed, even many medium sized commercial buildings.

It is quite large with twenty foot ceilings in places, Most houses here are wood framed as well.It seems when architects get involved it turns into a challenge to see how much money can be spent.

 

[Knocker of rock]

Tell the iron heads to take a chill pill

 

[Dualie]

having been on both sides of the hook, you gotta work at the pace you know is safe and comfortable. They will always want more iron faster

 

[RocketScott]

As a framer I'd rather know the guy holding the controls isn't going to kill me, speed comes secondary. There are opperators in my area that I will not get up on plate line for. If your guys are just giving you crap for speed I think that's a good sign.

Signalling is important for sure, but technology has gotten to the point where we can talk directly. I had a job years ago that I had to land trusses where I couldn't see the opperator. We both had nextel so I talked him through it on direct connect. Now I have a set of radios I got at costco with headsets so I can talk to the guy if I need to. I have my own boom truck so it's not as important but they are sure nice to have. I think they were like $40 for the radios and a little bit more for the head sets.

 

[stumper120]

I got asked a few weeks back to set some trusses. Me being a tree guy and 99% of my experience is flying trees I told the customer I would only do it if I could have my climber who was previously a framer on the roof. he agreed. we use peltor brs vox activated earmuffs in our dailey setup so my climber simply wore his helmet with muffs attached. I told the builder on the job don't even bother getting my attention and to just go threw my guy on the roof who was on the other end of the truss. being able to say go down 1/2 inch or go 2 inches left vs hand signals is sweet. no delay and accurate. when we were done the builder was blown away with out communication and how smooth things went.

 

[Knocker of rock]

I rather give hand signals than screw with the radios. Radios and the like just cause excess chatter

 

[Knepptune]

I would rather swing steel then wood trusses any day. Most steel guys understand cranes and how they work and know hand signals pretty well. Seems like the loads are much more stable and behave a lot better then wood trusses.

 

[Tradesman]

I would rather swing steel then wood trusses any day. Most steel guys understand cranes and how they work and know hand signals pretty well. Seems like the loads are much more stable and behave a lot better then wood trusses.

I know what you mean steel is much more stable and isn't as inclined to "get to swinging on ya " and the riggers are far more educated in the way of the crane than carpenters, and I'm a carpenter by birth (third generation)

 

[RocketScott]

That probably goes back to what it takes to be either one.

Everyone and their brother has been a 'framer' whereas not just anyone can work with steel.

I frame in a relatively small area with a limited number of truss companies. Before I had my boom truck the truss company sent one out. Almost always I could see the look of relief when they came onto my jobsite. With three of us that knew what we were doing the truck would be unloaded fast, without the opperator leaving the controls. One guy rigging and two guys landing them at plate line. Trust was critical. The opperators knew we could handle the job, on the other end we knew the bad opperators and those that just had limitations.

The 'OK' guys we could explain what we wanted and use hand signals

The 'good' guys knew what we wanted and watched for hand signals

The 'really good' guys just needed us to point where we wanted the trusses and they would be there.

 

[stumper120]

I rather give hand signals than screw with the radios. Radios and the like just cause excess chatter

I bet you still get off the couch to change tv channels to, just so you don't get lazy.LOL While hand signals have been a accepted and practice for ever, my radios make casual calm hands free communication between myself and the person on the other end possible. on any type of jobsite, trees steel trusses extra clear communication is the key to ultimate safety, while we still use hand signals in conjunction with radios there is far less delay in communication. maybe its just because 75% of the time I cant see my hook and I am working blind for my initial lift off or set down? If your worried about excess chatter the guys aren't properly focused on the task at hand

 

[cecil89]

All I can say is WOW. The iron heads you say made me a hell of a living. Don't get me wrong they will turn on you like a pack of Wolves .Do what they tell you. Ram your D*ck in them when they screw up. Then you are just the best operator they have had. THAT DAY. Operating is a hard life get used to it. They Love you one day AN they want to kill you the next. Oh by the way it is Ironworker! Show a little respect. It got me a long way