39 replies to this topic

[SGropp]

I built a couple of big timber frame buildings using a front mounted A-frame boom like that. It was mounted on the front bumper of an ex military 6x6 personnel carrier. The boom was raised and lowered with a winch mounted in the bed. The load was raised with the bumper winch through a snatch block at the apex of the boom.

This was a good rig and we did a lot of work with it.

One time we picked up a large diesel engine. The load swung off to the side and broke one leg of the A-frame [ 3" steel pipe ] dropping it to the ground.

The broken leg was replaced with a new piece of pipe.

We picked up another load that was theoretically within capacity. Again the load swung to the side, putting a tremendous twisting motion on the front of the truck. The whole frame of the vehicle was bent so far out of line that the winch linkages would not operate. We had to lower the boom and the load to the ground using the hand winch in the bed of the truck .

After a few minutes the frame of the truck snapped back into position with a loud pop.

That truck never would drive straight after that.

[Sam Thompson]

youngdylan, on 11 March 2010 - 02:38 PM, said:

.
Someone above mentioned "shearlegs". They're a sort of tripod with the legs linked along the bottom. Easily assembled, cheap to make and can lift a suprising amount but they don't easily move.

Shearlegs is another word for an A-frame. We once erected an arch over the entrance to a pub car-park using a tripod, there were only two of us; it was difficult trying to control the legs... The blokes in the bar really enjoyed it.

[youngdylan]

Sam Thompson, on 11 March 2010 - 03:39 PM, said:

Shearlegs is another word for an A-frame. We once erected an arch over the entrance to a pub car-park using a tripod, there were only two of us; it was difficult trying to control the legs... The blokes in the bar really enjoyed it.

Sam are we talking about the same thing? Picture shows what I've always called shear legs, could be using the wrong term?

 shear-legs.jpg   117.25K   36 downloads

[HWooldridge]

This is what I use - an M37 is only a bit bigger than your landrover. I typically don't use a gin pole but have skidded stuff all over the place by hooking the winch cable to convenient anchor posts using a snatch block.

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•  M37.jpg   77.09K   46 downloads

[Frosty]

We call those "Jib Booms' this side of the pond and we've been using them for a long time. Heck, they were probably mounting them on covered wagons during the westward migration.

Most decent sized pickups still have real frames under them though I wouldn't put money on it today.

For myself, instead of renting a cherry picker, or should I say wishing I could rent one, I usually rent an excavator or "Sky lift" (off road forklift) either will lift anything I need lifted, if not. . . Well, lets just say I can rent a mighty BIG excavator.

Believe me, if you're belted in the bus would lose in a collision with a Cat 350 excavator. One of the things I like best about excavators besides being extremely intuitive to operate is the armor. Few pieces of heavy equipment are as thoroughly or heavily armored as an excavator. Believe me it's easy to pick something that's caught on something and then have it snap loose and be thrown straight back at the cabin. This can be anything from a bucket of rocks and boulders, to half a ton of concrete curb, to a hearty length of iron sewer pipe, to a 1,000gl. buried fuel or WORSE sewer tank, to a big honkin tree, to . . . Well, you get the idea. Armor is a GOOD thing, about the worst you have to worry about is getting it shiny side down, so wearing the belt and maybe a helmet in hazardous situations just about covers your nut.

Of course having a jib boom on a street legal rig is sooooo handy.

Frosty the Lucky.

[Dragons lair]

Frosty, Where was the Cat when you had it out with the BIRCH. Grin
Ken

[youngdylan]

Frosty

Yeah I HEAR you re the armour.

The convenient thing about the boom arm is you don't have to plan ahead regards booking etc, it's always there and usable if site conditions change or you unexpectedly need it.

It's this flexibility that always makes me lean towards buying toys tools rather than hiring them ('cept for really big kit) if the cost isn't a vast amount more than the hire charge, even for a one off use. It's kinda useful having them for the future because it adds to the repertoire of what your workshops capable of.

[youngdylan]

Frosty, on 11 March 2010 - 09:07 PM, said:

For myself, instead of renting a cherry picker, or should I say wishing I could rent one, I usually rent an excavator or "Sky lift" (off road forklift) either will lift anything I need lifted, if not. . . Well, lets just say I can rent a mighty BIG excavator.

.... as big as the Terex RH400 below.

 terex_o&k_rh400_front_lg.jpg   50.61K   55 downloads

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

I want one!

[Frosty]

Dragons lair, on 11 March 2010 - 10:40 PM, said:

Frosty, Where was the Cat when you had it out with the BIRCH. Grin
Ken

Not surrounding my lazy behind is where it was. <sigh> I did do quite a bit of land clearing with an excavator once I discovered how much faster and easier it is. Just walk it up to the tree and push it over, the ground guy cuts the roots free as I'm pushing over another tree. As the ground guy starts getting close to the end I walk it back and start picking and stacking the logs and roots, then start pushing over another row of trees. With just two of us working we cleared the better part of about 3/4 acre in about 2 1/2 hours.

Normally I wouldn't spend the money to rent an excavator just for a few cords of firewood but my stratagy has changed. You betcha! Heck, I was working for an equipment rental outfit when I tried catching the falling tree with my head! <SHEESH!>

Frosty the lucky.

[Frosty]

youngdylan, on 12 March 2010 - 09:43 AM, said:

.... as big as the Terex RH400 below.

terex_o&k_rh400_front_lg.jpg

I'm afraid I don't think anyonw would rent me a RH400 even if I could afford the daily and delivery on it. . . Still.

you're right about having a street legal jib boom, it's a LOT more convenient than trying to use an excavator in someone's yard. Poor lawn.

Frosty the Lucky.

[youngdylan]

Frosty, on 12 March 2010 - 09:14 PM, said:

I'm afraid I don't think anyonw would rent me a RH400 even if I could afford the daily and delivery on it. . . Still.


Frosty the Lucky.

Often wondered how they deliver something like that to site. Don't tell me they drive that down public roads! They can't exactly drive it onto the back of a low loader either. Do they bring it as a pile of bits and assemble it on site? The grease stored on those things probably weighs way more than my Landrover.

[AndrewOC]

youngdylan, on 12 March 2010 - 09:26 PM, said:

Often wondered how they deliver something like that to site. Don't tell me they drive that down public roads! They can't exactly drive it onto the back of a low loader either. Do they bring it as a pile of bits and assemble it on site? The grease stored on those things probably weighs way more than my Landrover.

Try this;
Dragline Excavator
AndrewOC

[double_edge2]

yeah i gotta admit, landrovers rock!
and the air hyd ram i put on when im lazy.

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•  4258084741_a3620a580f_b.jpg   381.09K   28 downloads

[Frosty]

youngdylan, on 12 March 2010 - 09:26 PM, said:

Often wondered how they deliver something like that to site. Don't tell me they drive that down public roads! They can't exactly drive it onto the back of a low loader either. Do they bring it as a pile of bits and assemble it on site? The grease stored on those things probably weighs way more than my Landrover.

I'm thinking they're pretty specific pieces of equipment, say for Joe's bauxite mine and don't get moved much if ever once delivered to the site. Then again, who's going to stop them if someone drives one down a public road?

You're probably right, Landrovers are pretty light.

Frosty the Lucky.

[youngdylan]

Frosty, on 13 March 2010 - 12:28 PM, said:

You're probably right, Landrovers are pretty light.

Frosty the Lucky.

....light dainty and nimble ?

[Frosty]

youngdylan, on 13 March 2010 - 12:33 PM, said:

....light dainty and nimble ?

Something like that. Here in Alaska we figure any vehicle it only takes two people to roll back up on it's wheels is light.

Don't worry though, the guys attracted to dainty and nimble are usually pretty well behaved. Of course if it's shiny too. . .

Frosty the Lucky.

[Sam Thompson]

youngdylan, on 11 March 2010 - 04:10 PM, said:

Sam are we talking about the same thing? Picture shows what I've always called shear legs, could be using the wrong term?

shear-legs.jpg

I'd call that a tripod, Shear legs are an A-frame, where you lean them at an angle and attach the load to the apex, anchor the bottoms of the legs and pull the whole thing upright. The load rises and swings inward. Or: the frame is secured at an angle and a pulley at the top is used to lift the load.I'm probably wrong but I think the salient point is directing the force down the angled legs.

Sorry, but I'm using the wonderful innovation of the broad band enabled pub to write this!

[Sask Mark]

youngdylan, on 12 March 2010 - 09:26 PM, said:

Often wondered how they deliver something like that to site. Don't tell me they drive that down public roads! They can't exactly drive it onto the back of a low loader either. Do they bring it as a pile of bits and assemble it on site? The grease stored on those things probably weighs way more than my Landrover.

I deal with a local crane company a lot. A 600 ton crawler crane with a non-luffing jib and full superlift requires about 30 semi trailers to bring it to site and 2 200 ton cranes to assemble it. The 1375 ton crane requires about 58 semi trailers to haul it.

I regularly see semi trucks hauling 2 tires as a whole load for the Cat 797 dumptrucks to the oil sands. Most of these trucks are hauled to site in pieces on rail cars from the factory.

[Mainely,Bob]

We used to use a fleet of trucks the size of small modern locomotives to move drilling rigs from one location to another.The front tires on the larger tandems and gin trucks were 6 feet tall easy.I was six foot tall and I had to throw things up onto the bed then walk to the cab and climb a set of rungs to get up there too.
Rigs are made to break down into large truck sized loads but it still took a couple of days and a lot of trucks to move a medium sized one.
When the next location was within line of sight we would skid the rig for Magic Drilling with the derrick still standing and draw-works in place.
One large tandem on each leading corner to lift with a dozer attached to the tandem`s front bumper to pull(these bumpers are made of heavy plate and heavy wall pipe to push/bump things into alignment).One or two dozers(depending on terrain)pushing on each trailing corner.
Once you got it moving it was a cake walk unless the bridle broke and you dropped it.
We did that once too.