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dragline into a sauerman

fiat41b

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
352
Location
pawnee il.
Ok first time on cranes
Have the possibility of a dragline job at a coal mine one of the ponds is full of coal and silt
it just needs to be put on the east side back into the coal pile as it will get put thru the wash house forward is north east is left.
its a sediment pond right next to the raw coal pile
its 650ft x 250ft across 16 ft deep
long reach exc. cant get all of it it would take a 100 ton dragline with 120ft boom that's a big expense getting one in for that
no dozers or amphibious equip allowed in the pit
so I had a thought of a ls78 link belt dragline easy to move in 45ft of boom, the 78 can handle 300ft if wire rope on each drum from what a guy told me
what I would like to know is if a drag line of such could be used more like a sauerman bucket drag no swinging maybe get a small sauerman bucket to use with it.
dozer for dead man
if anyone knows if its possible to make something like this work please explain how
I have worked bulldozing around draglines but never ran one yet so I don't know much about them
I have a 60 ft pc400 exc. but this pond has already had one go around the outside edge they just cant get the main body out
do to reach
 

Tugger2

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Messages
1,376
Location
British Columbia
If you google Saurerman buckets there are pictures of some gravel mining equipment that uses the Sauerman bucket. Most of them are yarders running three drums , skyline,main and haulback. They also run a support mast in front of the boom so your mainline is pulling halfway up instead of from the the boom tip or the dragline fairlead at ground level. Years ago i worked on a dredging job that was very similar to what you are looking at. We used an 5 yard Sauerman on an 044 Madill grapple yarder. It was run with just the main and haulback lines to a tailhold machine. At first the bucket kept flipping over so we rigged a bridle and a scab block between the bucket and the haulback . With only 2 lines it worked ok. The machine had very good line speed and lots of pull. The 78 would pull a 5/8 or 3/4 yard dragline bucket,a 1 yard Sauerman might work but it will be slow, id guess a 15000 lb /150ft/min line pull bare drum on the 78.It could be an expensive science project before you see any production.

Have you thought of a 6" electric submersible pump on a small A frame float. Pump the tailings through HDPE pipe to a containment dike that you can dewater in and dig out with your big hoe. Set up some small deck winches and pull yourself around with the pump suspended on the A frame.
 

fiat41b

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
352
Location
pawnee il.
If you google Saurerman buckets there are pictures of some gravel mining equipment that uses the Sauerman bucket. Most of them are yarders running three drums , skyline,main and haulback. They also run a support mast in front of the boom so your mainline is pulling halfway up instead of from the the boom tip or the dragline fairlead at ground level. Years ago i worked on a dredging job that was very similar to what you are looking at. We used an 5 yard Sauerman on an 044 Madill grapple yarder. It was run with just the main and haulback lines to a tailhold machine. At first the bucket kept flipping over so we rigged a bridle and a scab block between the bucket and the haulback . With only 2 lines it worked ok. The machine had very good line speed and lots of pull. The 78 would pull a 5/8 or 3/4 yard dragline bucket,a 1 yard Sauerman might work but it will be slow, id guess a 15000 lb /150ft/min line pull bare drum on the 78.It could be an expensive science project before you see any production.

Have you thought of a 6" electric submersible pump on a small A frame float. Pump the tailings through HDPE pipe to a containment dike that you can dewater in and dig out with your big hoe. Set up some small deck winches and pull yourself around with the pump suspended on the A frame.
yes thought of that but the mine has a dredge head on a excavator they just don't want anyone out in the pit
msha is tough on them I helped build this mine and there were some serious accidents that I wont go into its just safety first.
I got the layout of how to use a sauerman with a dragline and a deadman or anchor
the guy said the ls78 could handle 300ft of wire rope on each drum I just thought that a 1yd would work the 2 1/2 yd would be better
another possibility is another link belt drag 108 model do you think the 2 1/2 could work with that one thing to consider is coal does not weigh very much it does have some silt also
 

Hank R

Senior Member
Joined
May 28, 2014
Messages
2,068
Location
Princeton B.C. Canada
Occupation
Retired Truck driver and School bus driver
If I remember right in the 70's hauling coal wet coal from a Hydraliic mine Water used for mining wet coal is very heavy yours could be almost mud. I could be wrong.
 

fiat41b

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
352
Location
pawnee il.
yea its the raw coal pile fresh out of the ground shale dirt earth mixed in its headed back to the pile to go thru wash plant
im just trying to put something together here hell they are at least reviewing my idea but they way things go they might do themselves
lol.
 

fiat41b

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
352
Location
pawnee il.
I don't think its ready to go to a mshsa regulated mine just yet
it would be a big load a 51b is probably 140,000lbs
wish I could find one of those pipeliner type dragline set ups with dozer crawler tracks just because of the conditions I work in a ls78-98-108 pipeliner
or bucyrus25b-30b pipeliner
 

Tugger2

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Messages
1,376
Location
British Columbia
Yes it was mostly 98 s and 78 s that were pipeliners. The 51B is certainly a project , it would be better if it had air controls .It would move 3 times the material the 78 would. But im not sure how long term your project is. Short term the smaller machine would be best.
 

fiat41b

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
352
Location
pawnee il.
still looking around
found some very old sauerman drag buckets called cresent type
they look horse shoe shaped a 1yd and a 2.5 yard
they want 6500.00 for the 1 yard and 8500. for the 2.5yd that's insane
I have seen Hendrix full drag buckets 2yd for 1000. to 2000. not worn out
could a drag bucket be used instead of a 80 year old sauerman
I could get one for few hundred and cut the bottom out unless there would be a way to make it dump
I just need to use one like a sauerman which really don't have a bottom or floor
 

fiat41b

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
352
Location
pawnee il.
Stumbled across this just now, thought of this tread. So here is a link to a sauerman thread.
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/sauerman-style-excavators.38875/
Cheers
yea that's Bollmeier from Illinois they used to do work a coal company my father retired from
I spoke to them the other day they are working at sand and gravel pit MN.
Cost big money to move that rig into job
they have some sauerman buckets for sale but the problem is they are 20 cy buckets
way out of my league. thx for the link
 

BCC Tyee

Active Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2011
Messages
25
Location
Illinois
yea that's Bollmeier from Illinois they used to do work a coal company my father retired from
I spoke to them the other day they are working at sand and gravel pit MN.
Cost big money to move that rig into job
they have some sauerman buckets for sale but the problem is they are 20 cy buckets
way out of my league. thx for the link
I can help you with setting up a Sauerman or with purchasing buckets. Feel free to contact me at stork.inc.18@gmail.com or call me 618-327-6238. I have specialized with this type of machinery for about 20 years now.
 

fiat41b

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
352
Location
pawnee il.
I found everything
3.5 yard 4 yard bucket both have carriers
support leg or I call it steady rest with sheave in middle
I still need some guidance as im new to this
 

BCC Tyee

Active Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2011
Messages
25
Location
Illinois
I just realized I typed my phone number wrong. It's 618-317-6238. Give me a call tomorrow. I will help you. I'm familiar with Sauerman machines and coal slurry.
 
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