Buying used Kwikstage Scaffolding: what to look for

[ToughButterCup]

There's nowt for it. I'll have to buy  some. And with my hands, I'll need Kwikstage (KS) not Cuplock. There  are other systems worth considering

Done some due diligence on BH, and this seems to be the general wisdom;

 

• For a slow self-build, the business case is compelling
• This thread is a general discussion about KwikStage
• Here's a useful post made by @ProDave ; gives a good feel for how much scaffold you'll get for how much money

And a bit of poking round on Tinternet shows we can get new KS fairly readily, and there is easy access to guides on how it's put together

I'm using that PDF as a checklist for parts.

 

If I am to make an offer based on this suggestion, I need to know what to look for: £3k is not a small chunk of anyone's money.

 

Caveat Emptor. What should I look out for in second hand Kwikstage?

[PeterW]

12 minutes ago, recoveringacademic said:

 

If I am to make an offer based on this suggestion, I need to know what to look for: £3k is not a small chunk of anyone's money.

 

 

.... you would need your head examining ...

 

Speak to these lovely people about their packages, then ring me about taking mine off my hands ....

 

https://www.scaffoldingsupplies.co.uk/products/details/3450.html

[ProDave]

Check the condition of the battens (boards) They need to be sound and free of rot.

 

When I bought mine, I stored it for well over a year before I was ready to use it, just with the boards stacked on top of each other.  Nearly half were rotten with some kind of white fungus when I came to use them.  I luckily managed to find some more to buy locally.

 

So check their condition, and if storing them, stack them upright with gaps between them so air can circulate. 

 

Better still of you can find any at a sensible price, get steelstage "boards"

 

I used a hired 7.5t flatbed lorry to transport mine.

[Declan52]

The bars are all straight. Sounds obvious but when your swinging of a bar trying to get the pin to drop in but it won't reach and then realise the standard is bent out you will have to undo a good few bars just to replace the one bent one. Hard to bend a transom but standards and ledgers get bent by not do skilled telehandler drivers all the time.

You can never have enough screw jack feet. 

Long diagonal 21 ft poles to brace it otherwise you will definitely need your sea legs.

After that it's just checking the ledgers and transoms all have both pins in then.

Impossible to check all the welds on each standard so give a few the once over esp the ones that look freshly painted. 

It's very easy to put up once you understand where each bit goes. 

 

[JamesP]

I bought locally 4 bays second hand for £700 via ebay, it had been well used by a well known Cob house builder.  Lots of surface rust, some boards were a bit warped / rotten, a few ledgers  bent, 1 weld broke and the adjustable jacks covered in cob which all needed a good clean. So not the best buy but it was convenient at the time as I needed to move the Solar PV before we started building. 

I bought another 6 bays new, just not worth the hassle after you have spent collecting.

Putting up Kwikstage is a challenge by yourself and I try and secure the top of the scaffolding to the house, it sways a little.

 

[Alexphd1]

When we searching we found gumtree a better source than ebay for stuff local. It's very simple stuff to put up but do not underestimate the weight esp for transport.  We bought a set of caster wheels to make a mobile tower which has been very handy, now the walls and door frames are in we are planning to buy 4x short 2ft8 transom (3 board wide) and cutting down the uprights to fit through from room to room. Make sure you get a few diagonal braces they make a big difference!

I didn't notice any hop up brackets on the two links mentioned above, we didn't get either on initial purchase so needed to buy not a big cost though.

Edited February 12, 2018 by Alexphd1

[nod]

28 minutes ago, recoveringacademic said:

There's nowt for it. I'll have to buy  some. And with my hands, I'll need Kwikstage (KS) not Cuplock. There  are other systems worth considering

Done some due diligence on BH, and this seems to be the general wisdom;

 

• For a slow self-build, the business case is compelling
• This thread is a general discussion about KwikStage
• Here's a useful post made by @ProDave ; gives a good feel for how much scaffold you'll get for how much money

And a bit of poking round on Tinternet shows we can get new KS fairly readily, and there is easy access to guides on how it's put together

I'm using that PDF as a checklist for parts.

 

If I am to make an offer based on this suggestion, I need to know what to look for: £3k is not a small chunk of anyone's money.

 

Caveat Emptor. What should I look out for in second hand Kwikstage?

Hi Ian

 

ive had site fencing from this guy 

He was very fare with the transport cost 

[JamesP]

6 minutes ago, Alexphd1 said:

When we searching we found gumtree a better source than ebay for stuff local. It's very simple stuff to put up but do not underestimate the weight esp for transport.  We bought a set of caster wheels to make a mobile tower which has been very handy, now the walls and door frames are in we are planning to buy 4x short 2ft8 transom (3 board wide) and cutting down the uprights to fit through from room to room. Make sure you get a few diagonal braces they make a big difference!

I have a KS tower inside, I think  @PeterW suggested putting a batten on the low transoms with some blocks to help steady it, it helps a lot.