These guys got STYLE, wisdom and finesse.

[bonner1040]

That sounds like a cool gig!

It was. And it wasnt. I miss the height, the exposure, solitude and silence.

Thats about it though, i do not miss the wind, sun, rain, or snow; nor do i miss the 14+hour days weeks away from home or the fact that the work becme mundane and simple and repeated often without change. Once i had done all the different tasks more than 100 times i never wanted to do them again. Working on buildings we used countless flights of stairs. The structures had no soul and the work was without appreciation or result.

On top of it all, climbing, my favorite thing ever; became the bane of my day. I rarely looked forward to the 300'+ climbs. The effort was exhausting and coming down (and back up) for tools, materials, mistakes and to crap became something i avoided at all costs. Try avoiding the act of crapping, it makes you more miserable...

 

[Al Smith]

I only did that stuff once when I was younger ,dumber and more energetic .Relamped a radio tower at something like 600 feet .It's a hell of a climb even at under 30 years of age but the view was fantastic .Besides it paid double time with a minimum of 12 hours .I think it took 4-5 hours .

The tower ladder had a T rail thing you safetied off to with a harness .You couldn't fall but that SOB swayed a tad .Seemed like ten feet but I suppose it was like inchs .The mind plays tricks on you when you soar among the eagles without the benefit of a pair of wings .

 

[NeTree]

I can't fathom that, Ed. Unless there's a cpecific procedure from the manufacturer, including a reduced weight-handling table, to run with the riggers not at 100 percent extension, why would one gamble?

 

[Al Smith]

Some time late 70's we were working in a 30 foot deep casson beside a building .The idiot general contractor was going to safety plate over the top of us with 1" plate steel with a whole crew of us down below ,we walked .Iron workers, pipefitters and we electricians .

Damned good thing because the other idiot crane operater transported a big piece of plate on a 10 ton Grove but then swung it sideways without the riggers .The plate would have killed every one of us as it came crashing down after the crane went sideways and shoved the boom down in the hole .

There was a big piece of I beam guard rail support poking through the cab of the crane and I was afraid to even look as we got the operater out .I just knew it had cut him in half .He lived but it damned near took his leg off ,bloody freaken mess I never want to see again in my lifetime .

 

[Burnham]

Big equipment moving big loads, no matter what the specifics of the deal may be...not to triffled with.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

I can't fathom that, Ed. Unless there's a cpecific procedure from the manufacturer, including a reduced weight-handling table, to run with the riggers not at 100 percent extension, why would one gamble?

I cant fathom it either Erik. Would you have let him do the lift like that? I sure as hell wouldn't.

 

[sawinredneck]

Thanks for explaining how the test weight was used. The concept trips me up, though. I can't picture why a crane operator would need to run a test. Everything should be clear as a daisy what is good to go and what isn't, without testing it, for someone skilled enough to be at the controls. If it is so dicey that you need to put a couple hundred pounds in to see if it is ok, I'd ask for volunteers from guys doing long stretches in the pen. I must be missing something....

Some of the newer Link Belt crane computers require this test weight run, it allows the operator to input the weight of the pick, the angle of pick and the computer will say ya or nay before you even lift anything dangerous. Doesn't replace a skilled operator, but something manufactures have been working towards to prevent some of these accidents.

 

[Al Smith]

The big 2400 and 7700 series Lima cranes of a bygone era had load cells built into the booms .I think those designs and patents went to Link belt when Lima circled the drain in about the late 70's .

 

[NeTree]

Hellllll no, Ed.

 

[Bermy]

YIKES!!! The ladder top bomb out is DREADFUL!!!!!
I cannot believe that guy takes himself seriously...somebody shop him to the safety police QUICK!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Pretty unbelievable, ain't it!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Only thing I keep coming up with is some mad scientist spliced Murph's and Nosak's genes some how...

 

[NeTree]

Send him a link to the TreeHouse.

 

[pete mctree]

Send him a link to TreeWorld.

Fixed it for ya

 

[MasterBlaster]

I wish Nosak would find this place.

 

[chris_girard]

I wish Nosak would find this place.

Oh Yeah, can you imagine the discussions we could have with him? Who knows, maybe he would welcome the exchange of ideas?

 

[bonner1040]

nosak?

 

[chris_girard]

Just watch this video and you'll know what we are talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjhzVdYkr9Q

 

[bonner1040]

Um, so is it a joke? i mean he has equip and that seems like a lot of wood right?

 

[Burnham]

Reality TV, methinks.

 

[mistahbenn]

No joke!

http://nosakraw.com/extras.php

 

[chris_girard]

Yup, no joke. The guys for real.

 

[sawinredneck]

Well, at least he THINKS he's for real! He had a show on Discovery a couple of years ago, they pulled it with no explanation after the first season.

 

[chris_girard]

I know why they pulled it off. It was because they had a flood of tree workers calling, writing and emailing them saying that this is NOT the way that we do tree work safely and productively.

 

[NeTree]

I know why they pulled it off. It was because they had a flood of tree workers calling, writing and emailing them saying that this is NOT the way that we do tree work safely and productively.

Yup.