Friction Crane Operation-Tips and Tricks?

That's pretty much what I was thinking for the outrigger stands.

Won't be super pretty, but be easy to make and function ok.

To be honest I think you are better off with the simple plate feet .

The jack stand type foot has a higher center of gravity at the socket . Would look a little more unstable to me when cant set cribbing / pads level .

P&H hydro rigs used a similar hinged foot that flopped down when outrigger beam extended . Looks cool assuming everything is level . Otherwise I like a simple plate with low center socket point . That's just my thoughts on it .

I used to run a pettibone that had those flipover feet, never did like them. If you were on cribbing they always wanted to pivot and topple the cribbing over if you weren't perfectly level and well secure.

Hey Guys, the square ones are what suppose be used the( taller ones), there's not but 8 or 10 inches of travel for those vertical cylinders, so they will need a lot of dunnage underneath the pad to make contact

Since I'm getting to the point where I can say that I'm pretty sure I've got a machine that works, the next step is to start getting used to running obviously. But before I start doing any serious lifts, as I don't know the history of the cables and they do look pretty bad, I think it would be a good idea to replace them.

So what's the best way to go about changing the cable? Is this similar to how I'd have to do it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5RRUKLjZtE

Also what about the boom hoist lines? The boom hoist is kinda hard to get too, so figure I should ask.

what size is your wire rope

Heres my tip for changing lines.It comes from years of working on barges where you cant always boom down.We always welded the the new line to the old line and pulled them thru .it dosent help a lot with the hoist lines if your on land and can access the whole boom easily.But it really helps with your topping line or boom hoist line as it saves the puzzle of re reeving.There are other methods of connecting the new line to the old ,but ive always found a quick buzz with some 3/32 7018 works very well.Put your boom on the ground and unspool the last of the topping line.Pull the anchor end of the the line out under the machine and weld it to your new line.Have your new line on a pc. of pipe on your fork lift so it will spool off the reel.Then pull on the beckett end up on your gantry until the welded end arrives there.Attach the wedge anchor on the boom hoist drum and run 3or 4 wraps onto the drum.after that cut the new line to fit and install the beckett for your gantry conection.Spend a couple of hundred on a Crosby terminator beckett with your new line,its an important line. justmake sure you don't put more line on the drum than you need ,just had an incident with too much line on my 40 ton today and stopped it before disaster .

Hey TUGGER, I was hesitant about suggesting welding the 2 ends together, figured people would say (what the heck are you talking about) we never tried it with a welding machine always used a torch and a piece of #9 wire and put the 2 pieces end to end (new to old) not beside one another and kind of melted them together with the #9 wire about 2inches in length, being very careful pulling them thru the sheaves so as not to bind the welded ends and break them, hook the other loose end to a tractor or whatever and pull very slowly I always helped the welded ends thru the sheaves, never had one to break lucky I guess. never thought about trying the welder on the ends.
About 10 yrs. ago I helped change a boom cable on a 4100 and they had the Chinese finger thing made out of very small cable, they slid them together and duct taped them up, worked like a charm, take care all DW

I know what you mean 4100,some think its haywire.I find with smaller lines 1/2" or 5/8" welding is best ive done like you say with the torch to ,cable is good steel and it welds nicely.I but my ends together and weld them ,they pass easily thru the sheaves.
I was on a job once where we being harassed by those who were "Much" smarter than us tradesmen ,we had the crane on a sectional barge with very limited room .We had to change a hammerline so we boomed down on the river bank welded the new line to the old one .One of the Profesionals came along with his camera and asked what we were doing ,I said our hammer line was to short so we were adding some more to it.You can do that he says?Sure I said piledrivers do this all the time.Pictures were taken,safety people informed,major poop storm developed,before I clued them in on what we were really up to.We had a good laugh over it,some relief to the frustration of being pestered on a job by people like that.

Hey TD25C, could you post a close up picture of the attachment points on the outrigger feet in your picture? I have the same problem with my Unit 357, someone stole or lost the feet for it so I will probably make some, just looking for ideas on an easy to make pad. Also any suggestions on size of pad and thickness of steel? Hope you guys don't mind my hijack, its only slightly off topic.

Hey TUGGER, some people will believe anything you tell them huh? Got a good laugh out of your story, DW

The placard on the machine says I need 3/4 P&H type 11 (18x7 non-rotating preformed improved plow steel wire rope fiber core), only understand about half of that.

Ok I think I understand how to put the new cable in, where is the best place to get it? Just a local rigging store?

Good evening, not arguing with the placard but I would use 6x25 wire core center, good all around cable, maybe these other guys will chime in here, DW

alskdjfhg said:

The placard on the machine says I need 3/4 P&H type 11 (18x7 non-rotating preformed improved plow steel wire rope fiber core), only understand about half of that.

Ok I think I understand how to put the new cable in, where is the best place to get it? Just a local rigging store?

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Your rigging store will have a modern equivalent to the P & H type cable. Cable has, like most everything else, changed a lot over the years.

Agreed ,no rope core.Any coments on no spin wire?Ive always used 6 26 ,might be 6 25.Odd time we get some no spin wire with a new crane ,but I don't usually order the stuff for what we do.6 36 ( I think) is really nice and flexible.Your rope supplier will advise you on the best choice

Hey TUGGER, I don't think he needs rotation resistant wire, don't know the price difference but for a green operator (no offense) its not to forgiving if his cable gets crossed on the drum also he's not running a long boom either, we always ran 70ft. with 4 parts and I don't remember the block twisting up, my thoughts , DW

Operator4100 said:

Hey TUGGER, I don't think he needs rotation resistant wire, don't know the price difference but for a green operator (no offense) its not to forgiving if his cable gets crossed on the drum also he's not running a long boom either, we always ran 70ft. with 4 parts and I don't remember the block twisting up, my thoughts , DW

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If he does get a twisted block because of a twist in the line it is easy enough to unpin the becket and let the twist out. If he takes the new cable of the top of the cable spool and directly over the drum so the cable lays the same way it should be fine. Just like fishing line.

ror76a said:

Hey TD25C, could you post a close up picture of the attachment points on the outrigger feet in your picture? I have the same problem with my Unit 357, someone stole or lost the feet for it so I will probably make some, just looking for ideas on an easy to make pad. Also any suggestions on size of pad and thickness of steel? Hope you guys don't mind my hijack, its only slightly off topic.

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Yeah ror76a , not being familiar with the Unit 357 crane I came up with a brochure for one . I would think a round plate foot 16 to 18 inch in diameter & 3/4 thick would work fine .

Second photo is how the outrigger foot is attached to the outrigger itself on my Grove rigs . Pretty simple , tight radius linked U- bolt welded to the outrigger & foot allowing it to conform easy at different angles .

6-36 sound ok, local place says they stock that on their website. I'll have to check the placard in the upper, but I don't think the length of boom hoist cable is listed like the hoist cable lengths are.

Afraid the only way to find out the length, unless any of ya'll know it, would be to take it out and measure. Just make reeving the new stuff a bit more annoying.

You should be able to boom it down,do some measuring from the drum ,up the gantry out to the equalizer and then count the parts of line.You will kick yourself for unreeving it.Order some extra line ,you can always have some slings pressed out of the reminants.My guess is you ll need around 400 ft.