That old millwright who said I was over-rigging my picks

Had a conversation with a retired millwright named Dave at the parts counter about a month ago. He watched me ordering extra slings for a 15 ton boiler lift and just shook his head. Told me I was wasting time and making the load more complicated by using too much hardware. I thought he was crazy at first, you know? But he explained how he used to do double duty lifts with just two chokers and a spreader bar for thirty years. I tried his method on a pickup last Tuesday and honestly it went smoother and faster than my usual setup. Still makes me nervous though. Anyone else get called out by an old timer and have to rethink their whole rigging approach?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_wilson1815d ago

Old timers usually know what they're talking about, even if it stings to admit it.

brian_rivera5915d agoMost Upvoted

Man, @evan_wilson18 is right... old heads like Dave usually know their stuff.

johnson.jason15d ago

Two chokers and a spreader bar is a solid setup but that works best when your lifts are balanced and the angles are good. Over-rigging is real though, I've seen guys use four slings on a load that could be picked with two if they just took time to balance it right. It's worth listening to guys like Dave even if it feels wrong at first because they've seen what actually works in the field.