Electrical Mystery

[ponytug]

There is no tie off connected to him at 10:08 !

He did a lot of work without being tied, and survived to die of other causes.

The BBC has a video of him disassembling a chimney brick by brick, with a helper on the ground picking the bricks up one by one and tossing them in a truck.

He was an avid mechanical engineer, and later bought a true steam powered steam roller and rebuilt himself.

Very talented individual in many ways.

All the best,

Peter

 

[EddieWalker]

I just skimmed through the video. Why did he build that scaffolding around the top of that tower?

 

[ponytug]

I just skimmed through the video. Why did he build that scaffolding around the top of that tower?

I would only be guessing, but I would bet it is adding some compression to keep the top of the chimney together. Listening to him explain things on other videos, it is my perception that he has very good mechanical and practical insights gained from studying mining and steam engineering around him that took him down different paths to much of the accepted wisdom. I like the ladder video as he talks about why his method works and is safe, and practically how to get the work done as a solo operator.

One of his specialties for chimney removal (definitely a different method to the accepted wisdom) was to "burrow" into a chimney base, putting up wood mine props as he went. When he had about 10% of the base hollowed out, he would light a fire on the outside, and use the chimney to pull a strong draft. The fire burned up the supports, causing the chimney to tip over. He managed to drop the chimneys very accurately, within a few feet of the intended target. The film clips are pretty amazing.

The brick by brick removal for the chimney demolition above was done because there was a factory surrounding the chimney that still had staff working while the chimney was there, and no free space to drop the whole chimney. The pressure on the factory operators was that these were coal chimneys left over from the start of the Industrial Revolution and after 100-150 years the chimneys were losing their mechanical integrity. Watch how easily the bricks come apart in the film clips. There wasn't much more than inertia holding things together. The chimneys he dropped intact tend to fragment to a pile of bricks as they touch the ground. Now imagine being 200-300' on a pile of bricks playing Jinga.

They say that he was happiest repairing the chimneys and keeping them going.

All I know is that I have ways had a respect for heights and perhaps an overdeveloped sense of what a fall from even house roof could do to me. I would never have been safe doing what Fed did- I would have been too scared to think straight, much less work. I can't even imagine doing what @not2old did on a 60' ladder.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Jstpssng]

I can't even imagine doing what @not2old did on a 60' ladder.

Amen! I have never been fond of heights although I used to prune apple trees from a 20 foot ladder. Then one day I was crawling onto a second floor roof from a 1 story attached shed when the ladder kicked out. I used up 8 of my 9 lives that day.

 

[garry1p]

When working alone I use my tractor as a lift and have a platform to work from.
Preposition the cage, use the step ladder or a taller ladder leaned against the cage and step in so I can use 2 hands and feel a lot safer. So far it has worked out but you are limited in how high this will work.

 

[grsthegreat]

Honestly, as i get older, i get smarter. I dont heal as fast as i used to. For high areas that i can’t reach with my 12 foot a frame ladder, or where my 28’ extension ladder wont reach on a wall (never on a pole) i rent a manlift. Cheaper than ambulance and icu

 

[slckeys]

I know this is late to the conversation, but I was under the impression that OL was open load. Not overload. Which tells me there is a break in the wire? But maybe this only applies to continuity?

 

[ponytug]

I know this is late to the conversation, but I was under the impression that OL was open load. Not overload. Which tells me there is a break in the wire? But maybe this only applies to continuity?

At least in my experience, it has depended on the context. I usually see OL = OverLoad, but I've seen it mean open load on occasion.

So, yes, both, and therefore confusing.

All the best,

Peter

 

[grsthegreat]

If testing for voltage or resistance, ol means overload. Or higher than meter settings. If testing for continuity OL refers to open line or open loop…i forget exactly.

 

[slckeys]

Those explanations make complete sense. Thanks. I guess I never saw it except for testing continuity. And grs, I'm thinking open loop, hence no continuity...