Just some work pics

[Kiwi-truckwit]

Glad you got to learn something hosspuller. The sister hooks (CM doesn't know what they are talking about) are kind of nice if you have 4 big cable chokers to put on, its less of a mess than on a single hook. Where they are a pain is if you have a 4 way cable spreader with a single lifting ring. I always try to have a big (blue 20k single- 40k basket) 4' endless round sling, that you can lay in both sister hooks and basket through the lifting ring. Then it all hangs straight from both hooks.

See, now you learned what sister hooks are, and how to deal with them in the real world.

Also, that "form B" hook they show with the center hole for single point lifting, are a real pain. A shackle big enough to throat that hook by that center hole, is more shackle than I want to deal with on a regular basis.

Interesting how different countries have their own terminology. We call them ramshorn hooks, but have seen them referred to as sister hooks by Americans on a couple of Facebook pages

 

[Nige]

Interesting how different countries have their own terminology. We call them ramshorn hooks.........

So do we, I assume because it describes the shape of the hook perfectly. I'd never come across the expression sister hook before but then again I don't get out much.....

 

[DMiller]

Noticed your Sister set up come with jaw throat latches. The Nuke required them on mobile cranes some years ago, do not know if any other sites do now or if just a general requirement.

 

[hosspuller]

Here's a hook ! Siamese sisters ! lol

 

[crane operator]

Here's a hook ! Siamese sisters ! lol
View attachment 196999

Those boys better have eaten their wheaties. When cable chokers get that big, you need a crane to rig the crane. The way they are standing out off the hook, they about have to be steel, not nylon's. Not much for latches on those hooks either. Granted, the latch would be so heavy, no one could push it open to hang rigging anyways. That big ship stuff is just so big and heavy, its kind of neat to see.

 

[crane operator]

Setting panels around the corner in the blind, and not much for a signal man. Then I looked over and just cheated, me and my shadow can boom down and hold a load, no spotter required.

Also had to get a little creative, had two different spots on the building with panels under the overhang. The other ones they were able to just push in, these two we hung a chain fall and a beam clamp.

 

[crane operator]

Got all the stick out on the liebherr today. 157' main, and it acted real solid.

 

[crane operator]

Got another tank flipped and ready for shipment friday morning. This has been a great little gig this spring. I've done work on and off for the last couple years for these guys, usually their tanks are smaller and they just use their overhead hoists and telehandler. But this spring they have a contract for a bunch of larger tanks, and its kind of nice to have a once every week or two weeks job for two cranes.

The nicest part was getting it flipped and the cranes back to town by 9:30 before the holiday traffic got even crazier. Everyone's in a hurry to get to their camping spot or the boat in the lake, and I am "IN THEIR WAY", moving way to slow.

Also got another 1" plate fixed up for the liebherr. I'm going to try to take 2-1" plates, and 4 of the 7" tall plates with me all the time. The 4' x6' footprint seems to be working real well, the one jobsite we were on last week was pretty soft and they didn't push in much. I'm going to make a couple plates that are a little taller also, for more crooked locations. The 1" plates I bought from a scrapper guy, I have no idea what they came from, but the price was right compared to new steel, and I'm just going to shove them in the mud and leave them lay outside, so I don't need new.

The steel plates are kind of expensive, but I shouldn't have to be replacing it all the time, the wood mats get kind of bad from laying around, damp and rot sets in.

 

[crane operator]

And while messing around building plates, the allis forklift didn't want to turn , the damp looking gravel was my first sight of the spraying hyd. oil. A new steering line and we were back in business, plus it got me a chance to talk to my local hyd. hose guy about stocking in DIN heavy and light for the liebherr (He's going to look into it).

So does anyone know if you get DIN hyd ends, do gates etc. then use metric hose also? Or do they sell the fittings that then fit on standard hose? I've been looking into a plug and cap kit, and I think I'm going to end up having to get light and heavy, plugs and caps, anyone got a good source?



Also got some steel set at a local college for a new building

 

[Hank R]

Just wondering how many cranes are in your fleet?? 5 or 6 in my mind and it is not sharp all the time.

 

[Junkyard]

For the soilmec we use standard -xx hose with the DIN fittings. If it’s -12 or whatever we use the same as JIC or O-ring face. I don’t have any plugs and caps for them and I don’t recall the differences between the two. We use Hyspeco for our stuff, I bet they can order some plugs etc. Get an o-ring assortment for them as well, you many have to piece them out in the sizes you need as I’ve yet to find a kit so I ordered what I needed. If your guy won’t stock them figure out what brand machine you think is most common and stock them yourself. Most shops with have the hose and the dies if you have fittings. Parker is what I see most.

 

[crane operator]

Are the o-rings for din a special square/ size/ taper ring, or just standard o-rings? I think caps and plugs are going to be necessary, when I took off the steering cylinder to repack it, there's no way to shut off the oil flow from the hoses being off. I thought it would slow down, but it just kept right on running.

 

[Junkyard]

They’re a size all their own lol. I haven’t found anything that’s close to the same dimensions other than specific O-rings for the application.

 

[crane operator]

Just wondering how many cranes are in your fleet??

Hank- right now there's a 15 ton galion- fa150, a 23 ton mack with a national boom truck mounted- 1295. 25 ton tms 250 grove, 35 ton tms 300 grove, 40 ton grove-rt740, P&H 70 ton -t650, and a 100 ton liebherr- LTM1080-1. Which is really one or two too many, but the work always varies. Lately its been all bigger stuff, in a month the bigger crane stuff may be dried up, and we may just be running around in the boom truck and 25 ton setting trusses. Who knows.

Likely the P&H 70 ton is going to be looking for a new home. I can probably swing the new 100 ton without selling it, but it would make the new 100 ton a lot cheaper if I did sell it. If I can keep the 70 ton busy enough to justify keeping it, it can stay, we'll see how it goes. The other rigs I think will kind of stay. The last few weeks I've had cranes scattered all over working where its not raining, and just running around in pickups to where we can work, and then the extra numbers of cranes is kind of nice. If we get rained out we can just leave them set, and get a different rig to go somewhere else with.

I'm really on the verge - actually past the verge- of needing another operator again. We've been getting it all done with the employees I have right now, but the right guy I would probably hire if he came through the door, I just don't know that I can keep him busy all the time. I hate to hire a good guy away from a job where he's secure, and then in six months have to tell him "sorry, the work kind of dried up for a while, I can't use you".

 

[f311fr1]

Gates DIN ends on standard inch size hoses. Look at Brennan Industries, or Adaptall for DIN plugs and caps.

 

[crane operator]

New amusement ride.

 

[crane operator]

 

[crane operator]

 

[crane operator]

Spent the last two days demo on a old ice plant. Torching out the old machines upstairs inside a partial wood structure was a water hose adventure.

Between the wood and the sprayed on urethane foam, we had a couple roaring fires going at times.

Not a lot of room to work in between the power lines down by the crane either.

 

[Hank R]

Never a dull day keep you on your toes.