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Pulleys; advice please


ToughButterCup

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I've been up and down our scaffolding often enough to qualify as the Local Yoyo Impersonator.

Today I had the blower up there, cleaning off the boards ahead of the rain due later tonight (its easier to clean while dry).

Climbing a ladder holding a blower isn't ideal. And while thinking how to do this a little more safely, who should come by but our local scaffolder.

 

"Eeeh lad, 'ah've gorra pulley in't van, ye can tek it if ya wants."

 

So there is sits in all its glory stored on my stillage, a nice shine new pulley, some scaffold clips and two new poles. And some rope with a stainless reinforced eye and a new hook. 

 

Suddenly I'm fantasizing about doing all sorts of exotic stuff with my pulley. And then caution kicks in.

H+S and pulleys....... And scaffolds. With extreme care, this little beauty's going to make my life a lot easier.

Where can I look for advice? I've looked - not hard- but I've looked. Any quick ideas apart from leave it on the stillage and admire it while standing on the ground.....?

 

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What you want is a book called "Basic Combat Engineering Skills" Part one. Got everything in there from pullies, Tirfor winches/jacks, slinging, levelling, chain saws, crane signals to knots and hitches etc.

 

I've one here but sentimental value. From when I was in Nam (Dagenham :) )Will ask around and see if I can get you one.

 

Couldn't find it on eBay but found on Amazon:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Basic-Combat-Engineering-Skills-Part/dp/B000MXLVOE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502894013&sr=8-1&keywords=basic+combat+engineering+skills

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I used my old SRT ascenders as rope clutches with a pulley.  They are fail-safe, capable of handling high loads (IIRC something like 400kg) and being able to be opened on one side makes them easy to fit to a rope.  They are not only a useful safety device in this application, but they allow you to take a breather at any time when hauling.

 

If you want to do it on the cheap (but still be safe) then learn how to tie a prusik knot and use that instead.  Before I splashed out on ascenders and harness, I used to SRT with home made webbing loops and prusik knots.  My first trip out of Lancaster Pot was done like this, much to the amusement of the local guys, who had every bit of flash SRT kit going.  Not much call for SRT kit in South Wales, as most of the caves are gently sloping, with very few potholes as such.

 

Here's a link to how to tie a Prusik knot: http://www.animatedknots.com/prusik/

 

and here's a link to a full description of how the knot is used as a rope clutch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prusik

Edited by JSHarris
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im a little confused? what is the safety concern?

 

you have the pully at the top, pull the rope from the bottom, tie it off, climb the ladder and retrieve whatever it was that you pulled up.....

 

only advice i would give is to tie a weight (old club hammer head) to the hook end so it comes down by itself and dont try to put your foot in a loop and pull yourself up, (your head will hit the floor)

 

p.s it was very kind of your local chap to lend you his shiny new pully :) 

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2 minutes ago, Construction Channel said:

im a little confused? what is the safety concern?

 

you have the pully at the top, pull the rope from the bottom, tie it off, climb the ladder and retrieve whatever it was that you pulled up.....

 

 

Thats all very well until you realise that you need to give your gonads a scratch half way up, you're then left with the most impossible conundrum "leave the scratch un-itched or drop your load" :D 

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1 minute ago, Barney12 said:

 

Thats all very well until you realise that you need to give your gonads a scratch half way up, you're then left with the most impossible conundrum "leave the scratch un-itched or drop your load" :D 

 

if your nuts take both hands to scratch i would consider getting that looked into..xD 

 

but you can tie it off pretty quick, i think we used a "clove hitch" onto a short pole we had sticking out near the ladder, (dont quote me on the knot but im sure thats what we used to call it) 

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7 minutes ago, Alexphd1 said:

we used one of them silverline electric winches for lifting concrete blocks up scaffolding. made life very easy!

 

Yes, I have one. It was an absolute godsend getting the velux windows on the roof. Also for getting the MHRV up.

For Silverline it seems surprisingly robust. I'm going to mount mine in the workshop loft above the loft hatch once I'm sure I don't need it on the house anymore. (Not that I'm going to use the designated bat roost for storage. Honest :ph34r:)

 

Edit: I've used mine with this on the scaffold:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0140WLZJS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Edit 2: Here's the hoist itself:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-264782-Silverstorm-Electric-Capacity/dp/B002QRWHRO/ref=pd_bxgy_60_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SG2YNH8HPPCPRGJSTPJN

Edited by Barney12
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The best thing I have done recently is to fit one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scaffold-Winch-Electric-Workshop-Garage-Gantry-Hoist-Lifting-125-1000KG-/272134167630?var=&hash=item3f5c75dc4e:m:mefkdAf5bNIRBz5lPNMMv1A  (the £50 one that lifts 125kg/250kg) above the loft hatch in my workshop.  I made up a "lift" platform from 18mm ply, some eye bolts and chain, and it's brilliant for getting stuff up into the loft storage space.  This week I was finishing off the loft hatch and ladder fixings, and instead of using the rather cumbersome pole and twist latch for the loft hatch, I just fitted an eye bolt to the hatch, a couple of big tension springs and a shackle fixed to the springs to fit to the hoist hook.  Having extended and rewired the hoist controls, so they now run through the ceiling, I can just press a button and the loft hatch and ladder either lowers or raises, with the springs holding the loft hatch closed.

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29 minutes ago, JSHarris said:

The best thing I have done recently is to fit one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scaffold-Winch-Electric-Workshop-Garage-Gantry-Hoist-Lifting-125-1000KG-/272134167630?var=&hash=item3f5c75dc4e:m:mefkdAf5bNIRBz5lPNMMv1A  (the £50 one that lifts 125kg/250kg) above the loft hatch in my workshop.  I made up a "lift" platform from 18mm ply, some eye bolts and chain, and it's brilliant for getting stuff up into the loft storage space.  This week I was finishing off the loft hatch and ladder fixings, and instead of using the rather cumbersome pole and twist latch for the loft hatch, I just fitted an eye bolt to the hatch, a couple of big tension springs and a shackle fixed to the springs to fit to the hoist hook.  Having extended and rewired the hoist controls, so they now run through the ceiling, I can just press a button and the loft hatch and ladder either lowers or raises, with the springs holding the loft hatch closed.

I've got that one - used it for lifting windows and a steel beam. Which has reminded to factor it in to what's going in the garage and where - I need a mounting point for it as an engine hoist... 

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26 minutes ago, Construction Channel said:

ill just leave this next to it...

 

 

 

There's a very similar technique described at Upnor Castle (Kent) whereby a "fat bloke" would leap off up high to get gunpowder barrels and stores up. Seems an early H&S audit put a stop to it. 

 

Opposite side of the river to Chatham Dockyard. Good to visit and a couple of very decent pubs there.

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As I'm often on one man jobs, I have to be quite inventive when the likes of 500ltr cylinders arrive and have to go up vertically. 

A similar take on @JSHarris rope clutch method is my use of the humble ratchet strap. One around the cylinder, and then 2 more to pull the thing north. 

When your on your own, it's brain over brawn ;)

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6 hours ago, Onoff said:

 

Lucky the missus is there then! :)

 

Seriously, you must have something to achieve that finish.

Yes, Wendy's a real help, couldn't have got this far without her. As complete amateurs I guess things aren't too bad but we are into the seventh year of the build now, and you think you're slow!

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  • 6 months later...
On 8/17/2017 at 00:00, Nickfromwales said:

[...]

When your on your own, it's brain over brawn ;)

 

Given that I'm deeply into the full-on DIY experience and DIY kwickstage   experience to boot, the next practical challenge is to reduce the number of solo trips up and down the staging I have constructed.

 

Which makes

On 8/16/2017 at 19:25, Barney12 said:

[...]

Edit: I've used mine with this on the scaffold:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0140WLZJS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[...]

 

look interesting.

My first thought is 'weather'

I'm thinking of being creative with an suitably adapted empty plastic barrel  pressed into service as a housing.

But I bet someone has solved the problem before.....

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For winches stored outside we would usually make up a heavy duty pvc cover with some brass eyelets and drawstring. Lightweight so if it does fall off/blow away etc. I can see a barrel cut lengthways as a cover might work but a bit cumbersome maybe? So this sort of thing (4x4 winch), you'll struggle to hot weld the edges though. Velcro is often used for quick removal ones. Hole in the top for the hook:

 

images.jpeg.86d4f9278ca7db7e838ec65c92d0b9c1.jpeg

 

 

A local sailmaker would do it for a few quid. Been using this place for about 30 years now to make various covers: 

 

http://sailmakers.co.uk

 

Mike there did a load of work on the Cutty Sark after it caught fire.

 

So to diy you want a bit of pvc tarp, lorry siding etc and some of these:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/311793667452

 

You want airflow around the winch especially if it's working hard. In years past we've had to make sure operators leave the covers off in the Summer or the thermal overloads would kick in.

 

I have a Silverline type winch kicking around and some eyelets etc. Could knock you up something very basic but you really want it reinforced around where the hook comes through.

Edited by Onoff
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