Things done at Work

Well, three things happened there. First, the footings were under engineered. Second, most of the weight (several 30,000+ lbs beams) were 80 feet or more above ground. Third, the winds were approaching 70 MPH during a spring storm. The crane was merely an innocent bystander in the wrong place at the right time

Ouch , Maybe it was a good thing it came down when it did . Occupied , that would have been a major screw up . After seeing the title of the picture , I'm assuming the machine did not survive

The only part of the rig that wasn't trashed was the operator station. If anyone would have been in there at the time, they would of had some messy shorts. The neighbors said it sounded as if somebody was kicking metal trash cans down the street. Happened at 3 in the morning.

Cleaning out the cell phone I found pics from the last 2 jobs . Had to load out a propane tank . Not a big deal if it wasn't for the pipe and electrical rack laying on it . managed to get a couple of inches of daylight with a small ratchet strap then just ease it out from under stuff

Then the last is setting solar equipment on the roof of a building in Grain Valley Mo

So that is what OOIDA did with the 20 years worth of membership fees and Insurance premiums that I sent them. Bought Solar Panels and paid some guy with a crane to fly them up to the roof!! Your welcome.

George

cat3208 said:

Hi buddy605 ! Very nice pics! Could you please give more info on the yellow crawler crane on #399!

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That is a mantis crane. A local contractor has 2 of them that one I think is rated for 30 ton. Ha has a 100 ton as well. These Bo a lot of marine work. We were placing a retaining wall at lunenburg. Na.

Boy, you don't know how tempting it is to pick on Tiny about being a union truckdriver working on the Owner Operator Independent Driver Association headquarters, but I better not. I'd just be picking on a friend, but, somebody might think I was starting something about union vs. non union.

Uh oh, did I type that out loud?!

mitch504 said:

Boy, you don't know how tempting it is to pick on Tiny about being a union truckdriver working on the Owner Operator Independent Driver Association headquarters, but I better not. I'd just be picking on a friend, but, somebody might think I was starting something about union vs. non union.

Uh oh, did I type that out loud?!

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I think you're trying to stir the pot without stirring the pot!:stirthepot

I have contributed to OOIDA as well!

That's not the 1st time I had been there , Set some sheet metal on the roof for another out fit a few years back

3900 T Manitowoc Boot Strapping

I assume that the term comes from pulling yourself up by your own boots straps . In this case it means Old School self erection . I have only been in on it twice in 34 years so it is not really common but works . It's a way to take the crane house off and on the carrier with out an assist crane .

It involves what looks like an over sized swing set frame , Some nerve and planning . The pics will tell the story for the most part

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Looking at the pictures reminded me about what a guy who used to work on Northwest cranes told me about how he could pick the house off the track frame of a crane without using another crane to replace bearings or bushings.

As I recalled it was done by using blocking and the weight of the boom working with the counter weight to rock the house one way. Install blocking at the back then by moving the boom get the house to rock the other way block and repeat. Wish I could have spent more time working with him and others of that skill set.

I'll put up some pics of some of the older guys loading out a track rig with out an assist machine . Now a days guys wouldn't even try the stuff they did every day

Best pictures I have seen in a long time, thank you for sharing. Some folks at the Manitowoc crane enthusiasts page on Facebook would love these pics also.

When was the last time you saw a 518 Link Belt loaded out like this ???

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Yair . . . Tiny. Man that's really something loading that Link Belt! I know bugger all about crane operations but can appreciate the knowledge and skills involved.

The truly remarkable thing is that someone had the foresight to document it with a series of pictures. I tell folks these days about sucking twenty tons of dozer or mudpump off the ground and straight on to the back of a Mack or Pete with the front wheels six foot off the ground and they think you're talking bull$hit . . . it never occurred to us to take some photos.

What engine and tranny would have been in the big Ford hauling the Link Belt?

Cheers.

Wish I had been in on a job some of our men did early this last spring. Had to remove a 5 1/5 foot approx. 30 ton crusher out of the second story of a cement plant. Would have loved to get some pictures of it. They had to move it about 10 feet sideways to get to the point a crane could hook on it to pick it. How'd they do that? Luckily they did have a chance last fall to go see the job and spend some time thinking it out. They took a couple beams and several blocks with them to have a track to move crusher on. Then after using a couple jacks to lift it a couple inches took the bucket of old Cummins wrist pins we had laying around the shop and slid them under the crusher. let the crusher down on the wrist pins and used a chain jack or two to roll it along on the wrist pins on to the beams and cribbing they had set up. Once it was over to the side of the building hooked on it with crane and lifted then lowered it on to the waiting truck. One of the guys then went to the office and asked how they were coming on the over the road permit. The local boss said what the heck is the hurry you won't need that for a couple days! To which our guy says the driver is chaining it down on the trailer right now and wants to get home this afternoon! Guess the next thing this boss said do you guys want to hang around for a while we have some other work that needs doing!