getting your crane legs

jonseredbred · Sep 27, 2006

we recently started using cranes here and there in our removal work.
Call me old school but I am having a hard time feeling comfortable seeing sections of wood being hoisted up and away.
I know when I see stuff clear my ankles or disappear under the bucket I am ok.
How long before it took you guys to develop trust in your rigging and get comfortable?

Colin · Sep 27, 2006

Not long.

You HAVE to trust your equipment, or you will always be puckered up!

TLHamel · Sep 27, 2006

Nice pic. and NICE PICK. Whew!!! How much did that weigh? To date, the largest pick I've cut is 5000 lbs.

jonseredbred... I've been lucky in that I've always (except once) had the priviledge of working with knowledgeable and experienced operating engineers. We agree on each pick before it happens (we usually map out the entire tree before the job begins). Everyone feels comfortable before the cutting starts.

Lumberjack · Sep 27, 2006

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/10mmsheepdog/Nexttolastpick.jpg

My biggest pick to date.

Trust the equipment and the operator. Just like MB said.

The only time I get my pulse up is when I am working at the outter limits of the crane, right before I start the cut. Playing the mind game with myself, however, if I aint sure about the pick I dont make the cut regardless of the operator's opinion.

willie · Sep 27, 2006

hey carl did you have another sling on that? looks like a flopper if not

Lumberjack · Sep 27, 2006

Yes, I had 2 slings, both choked around the 2 stems, the ends shackled together and the bridge hooked through the hook.

The pick was 22k lbs, the slings were good for roughly 35k minus the relatively shallow angle between the two.

huggybear · Sep 27, 2006

I guess you got me beat. This one was 18k, tulip poplar. I was a groundie for this job, as i don't do climb too much with the crane. The crane was a 120 ton, and to reach the top we had to swing the jib halfway through.

Edit:
Two tulip trees were growing right next to each other. We took the first one down, then we had to put the jib on for the larger tree. Then we took the jib off for the wood.

Mahk_Adams · Sep 28, 2006

[ QUOTE ]
My biggest pick to date.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not a pick. That's just three guys standing in front of a honkin' big tree. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif