scaffolding and pump jack - how to use

Started by sharbin, May 03, 2009, 07:45:52 PM

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sharbin

Hello Guys,

I am trying to find information about how to finish the outside of the house, i.e. Tyvek, finish material (horizontal pine in my case), and windows, using either scaffolding or pump jack or other ways.

Could anyone here offer an insight (with pictures  ::)) on what is the best approach and how it was done? Eventhough lots of people on this forum did their cottages, which means they must have used something to reach those high places, but I could not find any thread that explicitly talk and describe the process.

Thanks a lot.

Sharbin

PEG688



Check out my thread about big windows , there's photo of different pumpjack set-up that might help you.

  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=6185.0


 

Ask specfic questions if you need to.

 

 
When in doubt , build it stout with something you know about .


sharbin

Maybe the first question would be which one(scaffold, jack, other) is better to use in terms of ease and cost as well as whether to rent or buy.
Second, if going with jacks, how and where to attach the stabilizing bars to the roof, knowing that the metal roof is already on, and to the bottom of the building knowing that the first 4/5 feet are cement blocks.


Thanks

PEG688


Pumps all most always are better than pipe scaffold you see brick mason using. At least for general carpentry.

Cost you'll have to price the pump jacks about $100.00 a pole , for the metal parts , you provide the 2x4's to make the poles and generally 16' 2x12 or shorter are used for the staging planks , about 14' is the max span you should go with on 2x12's , the "extra" 2' is for the lap over.

If your stting up on the ground you just set the pole on the dirt if it's not a mud hole , if it is muddy and you think the pole will sink a 2x12 or 3/4 ply cutoff can be placed under the pole to prevent sinking to deep . But generally the bottom of the pole just sits on the ground.

As far as the top of the pole I did this for the job I'm currently working on,

 

  Something like that might work for you.

Check creigs  list and local pawn shops for used pumpjack , or buy new and then sell them via C/L maybe.

Rental may be a way to go as well . That depends on where you live , how long you need them for and a list of other variables.

G/L PEG 

     
When in doubt , build it stout with something you know about .

Don_P

I have pump jacks, ladder jacks and masons scaffolding. We use ladder jacks with aluminum scaffold planking most often, its quicker and more user friendly but is more limited. I believe the lit that came with the pump jacks gave 8' as the maximum spacing, adequate bracing is important with them, X's between posts and tied either to the building or braced behind you back to the ground. The posts need to be made from either dougfir or syp, none of the weaker species is allowed, choose your wood carefully. I'll custom make hats for unusual situations to attach the pole to roof, wall or subfascia. PEG's picture finally popped up... like that  ;D


n74tg

I too have a metal roof already installed.  My fascia is already installed too (but no soffitt yet).  I just bolted my scaffold verticals to the ends of the truss tails next to the fascia.  This gives me 8 to 10 inches of clear space next to the exterior wall (from ground level to roof) to install my housewrap and siding.
My house building blog:

http://n74tg.blogspot.com/

JRR

#6
PEG688;
Those are long-looking jack poles.  What's the longest you've made/used?  Have you ever been forced to splice the 2x4's to get the height you needed, .... or is that just never done for safety precautions?  That's a clever idea on the plywood attachments at the top of the pole.

Long ago I bought a couple of jacks to experiment with ... didn't ever really use them on a job .... but I only made 16' poles if I remember correctly, not very effective.  Think I'm going to revisit the concept after being inspired by your photos.

sharbin

Thanks PEG688... pictures worth thousand words  :)

Thank you all as well.

I guess the pumpjack and poles is the way to go.
Any other to do/ not to do list when setting up the poles and pump jack?


Don_P

This is a shot of some relatively long poles. I like to weave the breaks as long as possible 6-8' and use plenty of nails. In this case the building supply didn't have any yellow pine in stock but did have SYP in treated so I had to pay a bit of a premium. This shot also shows X bacing and ties back to the wall. If they sway much at all you need to brace more, the higher you get the better the bracing needs to be.


JRR

Quote from: Don_P on May 04, 2009, 06:26:54 PM
... I like to weave the breaks as long as possible 6-8' and use plenty of nails. ...

So, for the uninitiated (me) here .... you do have butt-joints in the 2x4's??

Don_P


PEG688

Quote from: JRR on May 04, 2009, 09:22:21 AM

      What's the longest you've made/used? 

   Have you ever been forced to splice the 2x4's to get the height you needed, .... or is that just never done for safety precautions?  That's a clever idea on the plywood attachments at the top of the pole.



   About 35 or 40  feet  would be the longest I've ever used.  Those are in the photos are 32' long two 16 footers end to end , the the other ply is started with a 8' piece then the 16' then the other 8' so one splice dead center and two off set splices. Nailed together with 12 d (3" long) nails so the nails don't stick thru , drive them at a slight angle.

The reason we made long poles for this job as some places required the extra lenght , we've cut down poles as we got to areas where the lenght was not needed.

The wood poles last for a few jobs , generally , but if they get to chewed up by the jack you 'retire' them.   

The X bracing , generally 1x4's prevent or lessen the wobble , and when and if you can a "kicker" back to the house part way up , under your staging planks can be added. You can use the  metal brace arms part way up the pole after you jack up past the midway point.


  Like Don said pick the pole stock carefully , no or few knots , NO big edge knots , if you have to get stock with a few knots pick ones that have tight knots and knots that have "good" wood all around them , so no knots that extend out to the edge.


I noticed Don said he only spans 8' or so with his planks , I use two planks side by side so about 22 1/2" in width and I screw a 3/4" plywood gusset , generally from underneath so you don't trip,( we put about 5 screws into each plank) ,    on it when your walking the planks , so the two planks move as one unit.

I span close to 14' with 2x12 D. Fir planks , again select your planks for sound wood , few or no knots , no splits , etc etc. Nice clean straight D. Fir planks , or what ever your "best" framing lumber is in your next of the woods.

Back east we'd by full 2"x12"  Spruce  for staging planks.

On that plywood gusset thing I made a slotted hole to allow us to catch two hole that where existing where the screw that holds the metal roofing down where located. A big screw and washer then spanned the slotted hole and no "new" /odd screw holes where required. After I removed the staging I drove a wood "sliver" or two back into the screw hole so the roofing screw had something to bite back into after the staging was removed.



We've had to do some "advanced" tricks to stage some places on that house in the photos , like tying planks down so we could walk out on the ends of what would be cantilevered planks.

Great care should be used when building and working on any staging.

You can see various set-up in these photos , of the work stands , the 1x4 X bracing ,etc






We have three of the metal pole type pump-jacks they are sweet , jack up and down very smoothly , with 24"wide  x 24'long metal "floats" or planks , those poles can go up to 48' by use of a coupler and two 24' poles . That's where I picked up on using the metal bracket arms down lower on the pole , as you can't X brace the metal poles with 1x4's you use the bracket arms to stabilize the pole.     

G/L PEG
   
When in doubt , build it stout with something you know about .

sharbin

#12
That was my next question: I have seen aluminum pump jacks with alum poles etc. but these are really expensive. As for the steel pump jacks, do they operate smoothly, do you need to excert lots of force to move them up and down? I am working alone most of the times, would that be an issue?
Are there any pump jacks brands that are not recommended? or any brand will do just fine?

The following is what I found on the net:
- Super pump jack model # 6000 (Professional Duty) = 60.95 / jack
- Qual-Craft model # 2200 = 64.99 / jack
- Werner SPJ100 = 58.61 /jack

Thanks

PEG688

Quote from: sharbin on May 05, 2009, 08:51:55 AM


As for the steel pump jacks, do they operate smoothly, do you need to excert lots of force to move them up and down?

I am working alone most of the times, would that be an issue?


Are there any pump jacks brands that are not recommended? or any brand will do just fine?

Qual-Craft model # 2200 = 64.99 / jack



On a new pole they should work pretty smoothly , they start to jamb up as the pole gets chewed up. Reasons the pole get chewed up would be if you, 

   #1 worked a lot while it raining , the wood gets wet and  a bit soft

#2 If you chose poor wood with lots of loss knots and a few edge knots fell out some times the jacking mechanisms / square rods just get hung up in a knot hole and /or at the butt joints where the 2bys are joined.

But in general with one or two men on the staging you shouldn't have any issue.

I've loaded heavy windows , one at a time, on the jacks and lifted the window , or maybe a patio door if you set the door before you frame the deck , and haven't had any big issues.

Of course you wouldn't want to load 25 pieces of Hardi plank on the staging along with a bunch of tools and try to lift all that weight.

Common sense should be your guide , read the instructions that come with the jack, and you'll be fine.

Leave the advanced staging to the guys who do it for  a living . Like my set-up on the turret that has the poles on the lower roof below , it's safe but I couldn't explain it to a novice. In fact the guys I work with every day thought I was a lil nuts  when I said
"Lets do this , yadda yadda yadda " .   But once we started to pull things together everyone's fine working on my stagings.

  The Qual crafts are the ones I've used and that I own.  Mine are 20 or so years old , with a little , and I do mean very little care , they should last a life time / 50 or more years, even used daily. The pole are replaceable , the metal lasts a long time.


And no you should not need to force them to climb or to lower them if it takes all your body weight to make the jack climb something is a mis/ jambed / binding.

  Always keep the stirrup in the up position when your not jacking , if you leave the pump stirrup down there is a slight chance the jack will drop about 6". If you watch closely at all the movements that happen as you jack you'll see what makes them climb the pole. The stirrup used  make it climb  then in the up position against the pole , acts as a lock sort of.

G/L PEG   

 


   
When in doubt , build it stout with something you know about .


sharbin

Thanks for the info.

As for the pump jacks, can anyone recommend the best one in the bunch?
- Super pump jack model # 6000 (Professional Duty) = 60.95 / jack
- Qual-Craft model # 2200 = 64.99 / jack
- Werner SPJ100 = 58.61 /jack


Thanks