help with first time crane work.

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swampy036

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I am looking for some pics of how you guys are hooking you climb line above te ball. Also looking for some pics of stems being chocked and lifted with crane.

Now for the job I have a 85' dbl. crotch norway spruce each stem leans about 70 deg. I stripped all brush and dumpped the tops at 65'. Now I have to get a crane to pick logs off for me. I use a GRCS so I have lifted wood while cutting. I have never used a crane so I would like to see how to tie off to crane and also how to set slings . Thanks Tom
 
There's a jillion pics in the pic thread, just search them out.

I tie into a big shackle above the ball or sometimes I'll use the hook. Some guys like a friction saver.
 
Not mine but..

untitled.jpg
 
Sounds like the hard parts done, I hate to climb a removal twice. Basicly set the sling near the top with a little room in case of slippage or under a bump or knot. Drop down to where your cut will be made (varies by crane size, distance and operator) and start your cut from the side that the sling goes up. Variables are many but if the log is vertical to begin with it's easy, if not you may want to stand it up before releasing it.
Ive never tied in above the ball
 
The big thing to remember on crane work is to 'aim for the sky' when making your cuts. On a more horozontal limb, don't cut from the top down so the crane has to 'catch' it after it falls. You want to cut from the bottom up so the crane can lift the log off the cut.
 
Thanx WWBthat pdf was a good read it had some interesting facts:)
 
Learn your basic hand signals for 'boom up', 'boom down', 'cable up', 'cable down' and 'stop'. Here's the OSHA page showing their official hand signals, although in tree work the hand signals I used have been slightly different (hard to see a thumb up or down from 150' away).
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/materials_handling/signals.html

Have a briefing with your crane operator before you begin work and make sure you both are on the same page with hand signals. Review your work plan and which order you will make your cuts. Listen to suggestions from your crane operator since he will most likely have a bit of experience with trees.


And when you're in the tree making the cuts, always position yourself so that you are protected from a swinging log butt. You are in the kill zone, so you have to look out for yourself as well as having the crane operator look out for you.
 
If the crane operator has worked with trees it would be a big asset.

It sounds like the picks should be relatively straightforward. You really have a few main things to worry about:

-A piece flipping (with no brush on this shouldn't be an issue)
-A piece spinning (choke on the high side of course, if the piece has bend in it, judge accordingly)
-Getting pinched (usually cut towards the choke point)
-Overloading the crane (go small. an extra pic or three isn't going to kill anyone. flipping the crane might.)
-A piece swinging towards you. (pay attention to where the ball is. is the line plumb? if it's noticeably off plumb things are going to move quickly. don't hesitate to give intructions to the operator if you notice that things are off; you're closer to the action than he is.)
 
Like Gord mentions, pretty straightforward sounding, but one thing that we do when uncertain about how the wood being lifted is going to respond, usually with limbs in the picture and maybe there is some concern, is whittle away at the cut like sharpening a pencil, opening it up on all sides. With a little lightening up on the cable, you can usually see what the tendency is before breaking away, and the crane can easily pull over in any direction to help correct, and it easily alleviates a stuck saw, and helps make for a safe pick. A little more time invested, that's all. Not often used, but nice to have in your bag of tricks.
 
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All great post and pics. I will look at the tree with the crane oper. tomorrow. He said he does not do a lot of tree work but has done some. Yes this should be a staight foward job the hard part is done. I will snap some pics of the 2 sticks tomorrow so you can see the lean they both have. Thanks for all the great info. Tom
 
One big thing is getting the crane to preload the line as close as possible to the weight of the pic, to much and it will jump off (or break sling:cry:) to little and the load may spin and drop off toward you
 
If I understand, Willie is saying that the sling broke as a result of the sudden load, inadequate pre-pic loading?

It seems that if an operator has experience to judge how much pull is required for a smooth pick, he shouldn't need to rely on a computer to tell him if the pull is adequate, based on the estimate, can't they just judge that by themselves, pretty much? I think that our crane guy often works with his computer disconnected, for some reason.
 
sotc said:
One big thing is getting the crane to preload the line as close as possible to the weight of the pic, too much and it will jump off (or break sling)...
Click to expand...

No Jay, I believe the operator overloaded the sling before the cut was made.
 
I ALWAYS use TWO chokers on heavy loads; even if one would be enough to hold it and even when the crane operator tries to tell me one is enough.
 
Before the cut was finished anyway, we both misjudged how much the crane had on it. I figured if the scale was operational he would never have pulled as hard as he did.
Brett, what do you consider a heavy pick? We would call that one typical
 
I see, overloading pre-cut pull, or before the wood exits. That would be tough for the person doing the cutting to determine. Kind of helpless there, unless the sling was groaning like a sob. I think that lifting slings have a certain safety element designed into them. When one component fails, the remaining are supposed to cover it.

Wire rope for pics here, always.
 
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  • #24
OTGBOSTON said:
Good to read you again Swampy, where ya been hiding?
Click to expand...

3 kids 2 jobs 1 wife. :)
My son just got into motocross we race on sundays and rip around just about every day. Just not enough hrs. in a day or days in a week.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #25
swampy036 said:
3 kids 2 jobs 1 wife. :)
My son just got into motocross we race on sundays and rip around just about every day. Just not enough hrs. in a day or days in a week.
Click to expand...

Oh congrats on those great looking kids. Thats something to be proud of.:D
 
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