Derrick rigging and redneck cranes

[Tree09]

Yes, a crane sure beats a pole truck. Little bit of a price difference tho. I was planning on using it for way more than trees, mainly as a way to switch truck bodies depending on my job at the time, and the ability to lift things is a very nice extra bonus. For small fabrication stuff it would be awesome. And it still is far better than dicing it small enough and lifting by hand when doing trees.

 

[Tree09]

Bump for Sean

 

[SeanKroll]

But for other times, an easy to use anchor isn't readily available, so we need to improvise. A common one that most of us probably use is a tree or stump, and since we actually have loggers here, I won't embarrass myself by covering them further. Another good one is a truck or piece of equipment, chocking the wheels adds greatly to the staying power, as does loading it heavily. If using a piece of equipment, put the digging implement to where dragging it makes it plow into the ground, quite impressive loads can be held this way. For heavier pulls in a truck, digging a shallow trench sized for a log, then chaining the log to the bumper, so that pulling the truck forward locks the log just in front of the wheels. You basically turn the truck into a deadman, with the weight of the truck posing the log into the trench.

Deadman anchors are quite a bit more work to install, but can be done with tree trunks, so for us here would be economical at a yard. Adding vertical logs to further shore up the tension side ups the capacity further. Deadman anchors can resist massive loads, and can be used in skyline logging. The usfs has technical pdf files on them and their capacities in various soil conditions. Cable logging btw, is literally the application of derricks, although they have been called different names due to their similar, but simultaneous development.

View attachment 83758

Another form of deadman anchor is digging a big hole and filling it with cement. Anyone who has ever had the privilege of digging up a fence post will notice that very strong anchors can be made. If doing a permanent, high load derrick, these anchors are worth the cost. This is how large construction anchors and guys for large towers are built.

Kyle, would you draw a picture of thig truck-chained-log deadman, and post a pic?

 

[Tree09]

Forgive my terrible drawing skillz. Basically you are using the weight of the truck to help add down pressure to a log deadman. Attaching the load line to the deadman itself would probably be much stronger, but it is a trick to hold a truck fast for winching. Basically it's an expedient wheel chock. You need a chain on each side so it doesn't twist





Here's another army manual, thus is for recovery operations. Aka rigging anchors.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjABegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw2-qb4-bKTuZoPAWxRljja1


They are called scotch anchors

 

[Tim_B.]

Ok, three things. First, thanks to Kyle for starting this amazing thread, and adding so much information to it. Second, this thread gets my vote to receive "sticky" status. It is not exactly getting buried, yet, but to me it contains so much powerful information that it should remain at the top of the list of threads within the "Tree Felling and Rigging" subheading. It would of course be up to the Blaster as to whether he agrees with me or not. Other members are encouraged to express their opinions on this; maybe I'm alone in thinking it deserves "stickie" status.

The third item is a bit of a derail. I thought I remembered Kyle doing a dissertation on everything welding somewhere on this forum, but I'll be darned if I can find it again. I was hoping Kyle could provide a link to that thread or series of posts, if they still exist. Thanks in advance to everyone who pipes up and renders an opinion on this stuff, or provides any requested links.

Tim

 

[MasterBlaster]

I can stick it.

 

[Tree09]

Wow just noticed this, and I'm quite honoured!

As far as welding goes, it's been randomly spread out i think. If you have a specific question, i would gladly help if i can

Edit: i did manage to find the long winded explanation of my disliking mig welders for home use.

https://www.masterblasterhome.com/s...on-this-site/page7&highlight=Welding+machines

 

[MasterBlaster]

 

[Tree09]

Was flipping through my Google books, found a few more free books that some may enjoy.


https://books.google.com/books?id=G...KEwjFqM2w9-PfAhULjoMKHbyIBNc4FBDoATAHegQICRAB


https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=xcIyAQAAMAAJ


https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Amk0AQAAMAAJ


https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Amk0AQAAMAAJ

 

[chris_girard]

Good stuff Kyle. I just love those old illustrations!

 

[Tree09]

I wanted to show some cribbing techniques that I've found helpful, and figured i would put this here in this thread because technically cribbing is a form of rigging. Working pipeline has shown me the value of knowing this stuff (didn't have a clue about it earlier), and is so handy i think just about everyone can find a use for it. Pipelines are built above ground next to the trench they are installed in, and timber cribbing is the traditional way they are raised to enable welding the bottom. It is cheap, sturdy, and infinitely adjustable to the situation at hand, and I've used it many times since for levelling or supporting things. This is very useful when working on equipment or welding or timber fabrications.

There are three different techniques that I'm aware of and use, the box crib, the crotch, and the slide. The box crib is used in all of them, and is the basic technique. It is simply stacking timbers in an alternating form, much like Lincoln logs. Friction holds everything in place. A crotch is used to keep things from rolling, and consists of timbers placed on an angle to form a v shape which keeps things from rolling. A slide is when an extra timber is used to form a ramp, which allows another skid to be slid up or down the ramp, changing the height. By using this we can level long sections just like if we had a jackstand.

The pictures I've decided to use show multiple techniques used together to achieve what they needed to. The first one is a box skid with a crotch. You can adjust the height slightly by lifting the crotch skid and sliding the cross skid that it sits on closer to the pipe. You can level perpendicular to the length too, to get an i beam or similar level by doing just one side. You are fixed in height using a box or crotch skid, so that is what is usually used to start. A slide is used to level, so it's used secondly.



This next picture is fuzzy, but you can see how they accommodated the cross slope by forming a slide at the bottom, so the rest of the box skid is level. They then used stacked skids for the the pipe to sit on (using a crotch) making it stronger so it isn't relying on one skid to not bend.



This is how i prefer to build a slide, the box skid is simply the foundation and the gives the desired height. If i need slightly more i stack 2 skids on top, higher yet i build the box higher first. This is simplest way and strongest way to build a slide. Some prefer to use wedges from ripped skids to form the slope of the slide, which is fine too, but the thicker whole skid is stronger and doesnt rely on perfect alignment to stay in place.

 

[MasterBlaster]

 

[pantheraba]

Good info...knew the box, not the incline or slide. My first exposure to cribbing was with First Responder training...taught to use it to stabilize overturned vehicles before entering for extrication.

Here's where we used box cribbing to salvage a crane operation that got squirrely. Crane put the 46' trailer with heavy CT machine in place...crane left. The technician using the onboard hydraulics almost let the support leg get off the concrete pad. My son, Alex, came to the rescue with his trailer and cribbing...calling the crane back was at least another day and $2k...it was a 100 tonner. We were able to lower the front of the trailer weight onto our eqpt. trailer and "back" the medical trailer back into place. It was a touch and go situation for a bit.

 

[Tree09]

Excellent work Gary, your extensive work experience ranging from trees, diving, and crane work, (and a bunch more I'm probably not even aware of!) is both humbling and inspiring. Thank you for sharing that. Great quick thinking and figuring it out with what you had to get it done.

 

[pantheraba]

Thanks but that was probably the 3rd time I have used a crane...huge lots I don't know about them.

Alex gets props for ciphering that solution...he pulled our butts out of a mess with that trailer.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

That's a serious equipment for the rescue. His trailer probably weights more than my car, and my own trailer would be crushed flat

 

[pantheraba]

it was a consideration. He did the math and decided the trailer could handle it...a big "whew" at the time

 

[SeanKroll]

We got a live one!

Welcome!


Former trail builder here, but not as involved with rigging as all that. Wish I had done that kinda stuff.



Is Kneejam and offwidth reference?

 

[Burnham]

Welcome, kneejam. Beautiful pictures, and job well done. I'm sure you'll fit right in here.

Like Sean, I also have some experience with your sort of rigging challenges, having over 32 years with the US Forest Service (happily retired now). I'd guess you also work for a natural resource management public agency, like USFS, BLM, or any of the many fine state organizations...or a Canadian province like BC or Alberta. Looks like a western forest in your pics, to my eye ...don't be too shy, love to hear your bio, but only to the level you wish to share it.

I never worked trails as a primary job, but was called on from time to time to assist in tasks requiring more complex rigging, especially when high block or anchor points were needed (i.e. climber required ). I also seemed to always have on my truck or in the shed that two or three more bits of rigging gear the really out of the ordinary jobs might need. A lesson there...never get rid of anything that might make you more valuable to your organization, even if you have to obfuscate the fact that you have done so .

We could talk about the rigging I once set to manage the removal of a wrecked automobile from a designated wild and scenic river...400 feet from the road, 150 feet below it. Main power was from my USFS Dodge 3/4 ton pickup and it's front mount 12k Warn winch (only 125 feet of cable...the hard part of many limits in that scenario to figure out how to deal with ).

Again, welcome.

 

[kneejam]

Another bridge

 

[SeanKroll]

Wilderness bridges are AWESOME!


Where abouts do you work?

 

[Burnham]

Wonderful.

Been there, more or less . It's more work than it ever looks like in the pics, eh?

 

[Burnham]

 

[squisher]

Cool work Kneejam. Welcome and thanks for sharing.


Justin

 

[MasterBlaster]

Welcome to the TreeHouse, Kneejam!