Just some work pics

[crane operator]

38,000lb boxes, I had to get snugged up on the hole. I actually set up twice, once kind of on each side of the road to reach the end boxes.

 

[crane operator]

They spent quite a while hammering to drop the hole down far enough to get the new boxes in. It's all rock down in there, it makes it kind of nice, because you can set closer to a hole. Where I grew up in Iowa, its was all dirt all the way down, and there's no way you can get close to a hole with a crane, it will easily cave in. Not so much when they have to break out the rock.

It was still a little dim when we got started this morning. And its always a little odd with big old powerlines like those in the background. I worked a couple years at a powerhouse, and I didn't care for running crane in there either. Big power is no fun.

 

[trukfan]

Was that one of the trains they run for the Ozark Zephyr train ride out of Branson? We spent 5 days in Branson in 2017 and took that tour, and the train and area looked familiar. I really liked the area down there, but the mid August humidity was a bit too much for this northern boy

 

[crane operator]

Was that one of the trains they run for the Ozark Zephyr train ride out of Branson? We spent 5 days in Branson in 2017 and took that tour, and the train and area looked familiar. I really liked the area down there, but the mid August humidity was a bit too much for this northern boy

Yep, its a nice little ride they take here out of town. Mid summer you don't get to see much except leaves on the trees, its actually a prettier ride when the leaves are gone because you can see a little better.

Late august can be warm, you learn to work early morning until early afternoon. The 2:00 until 6:00 can be warm.

 

[crane operator]

Pump oil? Ha- gravity is my friend.

 

[crane operator]

Little maintence at the local amusement park. Down with the christmas tree, last time for it too- they're putting up a 90' one next year (this one is about 65'), I'll have to take a bigger crane next year.

 

[crane operator]

One of the guys was running the RT, working in another part of the park, I followed him in with the galion to do the water wheel. The old water wheel was pretty well shot, its just not in a easy place to get too. They are having a new one made, will be all steel, while this one was mostly wood around the steel center hub.

 

[kshansen]

If you think that was a tricky job just think about the guys who had to install those things back when they were new!

 

[DMiller]

Puts meaning to Millwright.

 

[kshansen]

If you think that was a tricky job just think about the guys who had to install those things back when they were new!

Maybe I spoke too soon, could it be that in his younger days Crane Operator had installed the original water wheel?

 

[Raildudes dad]

I work for our county highway department and we like those concrete boxes. A metal pipe salesman (also a degreed engineer) went to work for our local concrete pipe manufacturer back in 1987. He convinced his boss to invest in the forms for the boxes and off we went. We install 2-3 a year. Install them with a contractor but do some with our own crew. Did one with a contractor this summer, 25 feet deep to the flow line. The soil was sandy, the hole was big

So one of the local crane companies estimator comes out to determine the crane needed. They come back the next morning with a pretty big crane and the operator sets up on the "flat spot". First truck with a couple boxes shows up. The operator looks at the bill of lading and says I can't reach the end pieces. The estimator shows up and says, "you guys (the contractor) moved the "flat spot" - "uh no we didn't". Downs comes the hydraulic boom, packs up and leaves "we be back with another one". About an hour later here comes a GMK7550 - 550 tons . It got the job done

One question - what do they back fill with between the box and the rock? Looks to be not very wide.

 

[crane operator]

Maybe I spoke too soon, could it be that in his younger days Crane Operator had installed the original water wheel?

Nope, but its not really "old, old". The amusement park here is built around a theme of days gone by. They have blacksmiths, glass blowers, spinning wheels, etc. The ride was probably installed in the 80's, and the wheel was part of the "look old". But I didn't install it originally.

what do they back fill with between the box and the rock?

Probably 1" clean. Drop it down the edges and hope for the best. The only way I manage to get these boxes set, is the fact that we have such a rocky ground formation. Makes me able to set pretty close.

I've actually been shopping pretty hard for a bigger crane, actually a great guy here on the forum has helped me find one of the ones I'm going to try to go look at, but we've been kind of busy so I haven't had time yet to go. It won't be a 7550 though, I don't have the manpower or the need for something that big. I don't have the metropolitan area to support one that big either.

I'm looking at 100- 120 ton rigs. 1- 2 loads of counterweight. Probably the biggest 4 axle rig I can get- or the very smallest 5 axle. The 4 axle makes it tough for my axle load restrictions here in MO. The 5th axle makes it tough to get into some of the places I need to get to, more carrier length is not always good.

I actually bid on a crane that sold at auction last week in houston. It was a little newer than I've been usually looking at, and it really didn't bring a lot of money for what it was, it just brought more money than I'm willing to put into one. In hindsight, I probably should have kept bidding, but I kind of have a range I'd like to stay in, and this went over that amount.

It sold for $210,000. Which is a really good price, its just more than I really want to spend.

2005 LIEBHERR LTM1100-4.1 120 Ton 8x8x6 All Terrain Crane

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[crane operator]

We took about 4 shots at this hill behind the house, trying to back the mack up there. It just got too steep about 3/4 of the way up and we would spin out. I really wanted to back up there to put the turntable where I wanted it. But we ended up having to turn around and drive it up to get enough weight on the drives and off the steer.

 

[crane operator]

Had to do a little bucket repair for one of the guys grandpa. The bucket wasn't really made for his tractor, and they had a cobbled up mess to pin it on. I just made some heavier brackets and reinforced them a little. We didn't have the tractor at the shop to measure off, so I just kind of used the old brackets placement- they had to grind just a little out of one corner to make it fit.

We also found a picking eye to put in the middle of the bucket for a shackle.

It was rainy cold here Friday so it was a good shop project.

 

[crane operator]

Got to do a little trucking this morning too, moving a food shack to a different spot. He's got a full kitchen in there and we set it last spring for him. We just moved it to a storage yard, I don't think he knows where he's putting it this year.

 

[crane operator]

Met the drilling boys out at a site this afternoon, they're making the hole for a billboard pole. They travel quite a ways with theirs, and they don't drive it, they just have a lowboy haul it.

 

[Hank R]

That drills to be a very expensive rig when new

 

[crane operator]

Cold morning start on a 6v92, unfortunately the wind was out of the east, I was trying to get the smell to khansen in New York. He's probably buried in snow. With the wind from the east, I'm surprised Calif. didn't send me a warning letter.

 

[crane operator]

 

[crane operator]

New pole for a billboard