Just some work pics

[crane operator]

We're about 8 miles from arkansas border. Ozark mountains they call it, but more like short steep hills than real mountains. Scrape the ground about anywhere and you have a couple inches of dirt, then rock. Lots of drilling and blasting for big rock removal. Big breakers for the rest.

 

[crane operator]

Got started on fixing the wear pads I sheared off a while back inside the boom of the 70 ton. One of the guys said left hand bits and easy out, I never have any luck with easy outs, but this isn't in a good location, so I gave it a whirl. Three bolts on each wear pad, one pad on each side on the top of the boom (the six small holes)

Should have just welded on washers and then nuts, I did that after dinking around for a hour with the drill and easy outs. The worst one to come out was the one I had drilled out.

The worst thing is the sheared off bolts are in access hole, on the inner boom section. Two other sections to reach through, and if they didn't come out, complete boom disassembly is the next step (two days worth of work with 2-3 of us). Fortunately they all came out, with some care.

Tomorrow I'll try to figure out if they're metric or standard (they're probably metric, but I think they've been messed with before, so who knows) , and then we'll have to snake the pads in through the back of the boom and rebolt them in. I may have to drill one or two of the holes out oversize and rethread. Bolts are countersunk allen head, so I'll probably have to order them in from fastenal. They can't stick in too far, because the dead stick is in there below it yet, so whatever I order, I'll probably have to cut to length.

 

[Hank R]

Crane Operator we may have to call you a mechanic also if you had a larger hammer........... and cresent wrench.

 

[crane operator]

Crane Operator we may have to call you a mechanic also if you had a larger hammer........... and cresent wrench.

Those are the only two tools that I'm probably qualified to handle, or should for that matter.

 

[Jim D]

crane op,

After the last picture... we should call you a surgeon!

 

[crane operator]

It was just like the kids game operation, putting the washer and nuts down between the sections, and hoping I didn't drop something down the sides. Couldn't see in it while I had the welder nozzle down in there, it was pinball wizard time, weld by smell.

Christmas tree came down this week, it was a nice day but kind of windy.

Put a small unit up at the denny's here in town. The install guys were less than thrilled, all the wiring is in a false ceiling that has been sheetrocked over on the bottom side, so no access. They were talking some fine words over that.

 

[crane operator]

While working on the boom pads on the 70 ton, we investigated a little leak in the turntable area. Turns out the swing gearbox has wiped out its bottom seal, so out it came. I think it probably had some moisture in it, and froze in the seal in our cold spell the other week.

The gearbox was held down by allen head cap screws, and they were tight, tight, tight. I had a good allen socket (17mm), but it was just 1/2" drive. We stacked up some extensions, and put on the cheater, and one of the 1/2" extensions gave up the ghost. Went to a 1/2 to 3/4 drive adaptor, then 3/4 all the way up, and had jim hold it all straight while I put it to it with the cheater. They were the kind that didn't creak when they broke loose, they just had that loud snap/ pop to them when they came loose. Several times I thought we broke something when they came loose, but they all came.

We didn't have to disassemble the whole gearcase, it had a bottom seal bolt on housing, so less work there.

 

[crane operator]

After getting the box pulled and seal ordered (should have monday), I pulled up the western star and trailer and fixed a couple tires. I've had two that have been slow leakers for a couple months, and I hate having to air them up everytime we go somewhere. One on the trailer and one on the tractor. The trailer is pilot, and the nuts came off good on it, but the wheel was stuck to the drum. The western star is budd, and the outer nuts didn't want to come loose.

The 1" gun didn't want to get them, and I didn't feel like sitting there beating my brains out with it, so I got out the by hand gear reducer thing I got a year or two ago. That thing looks gimmicky as all get out, but it works. Mine looks kind of like this, but mine has more sockets with it. Slap it up on there and give it a couple turns and them old budds just eased themselves right off. Really. I just used it to break them loose, then took them the rest of the way with the impact.

Shop yard is full of equipment right now. Good time to get things ready.

 

[crane operator]

Just as a contrast to that last picture, its been a little cold here this week, and a bit of the white stuff.

 

[crane operator]

Even pushed snow, twice. That's about all the snow we'll usually get in a year. The first couple years I owned this building, I didn't even push it, I just shoveled the pavement and let the rest melt. I've had the Allis forklift, and my twisted old mind decided that it's really just a backwards tractor, why can't I use it like a tractor.

Old used 3 point blade and some scrap and there I was. Works pretty good for no more snow than we usually get.

As you can see, it's not a very finely finished custom implement job, but no one else ever see's it, except all of you now. I've got no pride.

 

[crane operator]

Lost a water line to the sink last night in the shop bath room, pushed off a fitting, but I don't think I have any bad damage. The toilet just had a skim of ice starting on it. One of my guys had -6 on his thermometer this morning.

Dodge and the allis forklift was all I started up. Dodge was plugged in and I let it warm up quite a while. Allis took the block heater, and the battery charger, and a little whiff of the can that no one is supposed to use.

 

[Hank R]

I guess you never chain up down your way then.

 

[crane operator]

No, no, no, and really no. If it snows we all stay home, its going to be 50 saturday. No one knows how to drive on it here, and there's no shoulders and the roads are steep and curvy, and off grade, so you're just sliding off. I haven't moved anything all week. I really don't think I could get the crane up my road, even with chains on. I have taken a crane to a jobsite, before it snows, just so it was there.

It doesn't snow enough, that we don't have to chain up and deal with it, it will usually go away in a couple days. I do have a set of chains for the pickup, after I got stuck in a ice storm a couple years ago, but haven't ever put them on. I put them in the pickup this weekend, but never mounted them.

Actually when I lived in iowa, I never owned chains there either. (personally). We had them at work, but things are much flatter up there, and we just always drove through it. Had them for the tractor, and that was about it.

 

[f311fr1]

Snap On makes a 17 MM hex X 3/4 drive impact socket. It was $63 2 years ago.

 

[crane operator]

Snap On makes a 17 MM hex X 3/4 drive impact socket. It was $63 2 years ago.

That would help if I could get the snap on man interested in stopping by. I've met him twice at a local car shop, but it seems like I'm not good enough for a regular stop? Met the new mac man a while back and he was the same way.

Seems like in our area they just want to stop at the car shops, not industrial, and frankly, I think I've probably got more $ to drop than the guy doing oil changes down at the quicky change place. Maybe I give off the "I'm too cheap to pay your prices, but I've got something I need to warranty vibe".

 

[hosspuller]

That would help if I could get the snap on man interested in stopping by. I've met him twice at a local car shop, but it seems like I'm not good enough for a regular stop? Met the new mac man a while back and he was the same way.

Seems like in our area they just want to stop at the car shops, not industrial, and frankly, I think I've probably got more $ to drop than the guy doing oil changes down at the quicky change place. Maybe I give off the "I'm too cheap to pay your prices, but I've got something I need to warranty vibe".

Since Toyota Camrys don't have lots of 36 mm the local car shops don't have the various cheater pipes and large impact wrenches heavy industrial shops use all the time... Means less warranty claims.

 

[Hank R]

I also believe that all the new electronic scann tools is where the money is , $15,ooo.xx for a scanner to reset codes and 2 years latter you need a new one????

 

[thepumpguysc]

.. I'm a cheap azz too.. Lol
I got tired of waiting on "snappy" to show up> IF he showed up< just to replace a 10mm wrench.. I'd go weeks waiting on him.. THEN I went to Northern Tool on my lunch hour 1 day, next to Burger King & found RACKS & RACKS of them, cheap.. NO MORE waiting on "snappy"..
I went to Harbor Fr. on Tuesday just to buy a pack of red shop rags [cheap] & a box of crushed walnut shells for the blaster.. I took my 20% off coupon w/ me & my freebie tarp coupon..
I left w/ 2 carts FULL OF JUNK & 400.00 less in my wallet.. LOL
I guess that "tarp" wasn't free after all??

 

[crane operator]

Warmed up nice here today, got the 70 ton put back together.

The new seal was a really snug fit, had to drive it in pretty hard. Put the halogen on the gearbox to warm it up a little for some gasket sealer on the bottom case, there's no seal there. Dropped it in and got out the 3/4" stuff and tightened it back in, it ran with no leaks, we'll hope for the best.

Got some flat nylatron/nylon/ stock to make the new wear pads out of. Drill press and a table saw and I had them shaped up.

There's a pad and two steel shims on each one, we used a little gasket glue to try to hold them together to slide them up in there, but it didn't want to hold. Jim said, how about fishing line to hold them together, so that's what we did. Worked great. I shoved them in from the back and he spotted them with a pick to line them up.

 

[crane operator]

.. I'm a cheap azz too.. Lol
I got tired of waiting on "snappy" to show up> IF he showed up< just to replace a 10mm wrench.. I'd go weeks waiting on him.. THEN I went to Northern Tool on my lunch hour 1 day, next to Burger King & found RACKS & RACKS of them, cheap.. NO MORE waiting on "snappy"..
I went to Harbor Fr. on Tuesday just to buy a pack of red shop rags [cheap] & a box of crushed walnut shells for the blaster.. I took my 20% off coupon w/ me & my freebie tarp coupon..
I left w/ 2 carts FULL OF JUNK & 400.00 less in my wallet.. LOL
I guess that "tarp" wasn't free after all??

There's a harbor freight up in springfield, I'll run up there if I can't find what I need anywhere else, that's about a hour drive. I'm just always so disappointed in what I get there. It's pretty hard to mess up shop rags, I guess I've never tried them.

I gave up on the ratchet in the 1" set we got from them, couldn't keep it together. I bought a set of car "skates" where we had to move a non engined, stock car. They fell to pieces and I had to weld them together on site. Their zip ties are really brittle if cold, and fall apart if the sun gets them. Their emery paper/sandpaper stinks.

It always looks good, but their stuff just doesn't hold up, I only buy stuff from them as a last resort anymore, because I always end up taking it back or just pitching it. I think they're great for homeowner/ diy tools for people that are only using it once, but I just don't have good luck there.

But I do find that I always get suckered into trying some of their stuff again- because its pretty cheap and the next time it will be better, but it seems like it never is.