I don't know about the rest of the forum but I'm sure sick and tired of all these History Channel Mega Movers type movies that portray everything related to earthmoving and mining equipment as giant, huge, massive, dangerous, tremendous, enormous, largest, need I go on. I watched the History Channel movie tonight about Ekati Mine up in Canada. It started off OK then went out of control to the use of superlatives. If we didn't hear the above words two dozen times over and over when describing a Demag hyd shovel or 793, everything measured in 3 x football pitches long, 2 x olympic swimming pools deep, tires 2 stories high, explosives that can move a mountain, wheels that would crush a car, dump bodies that could fit 10 automobiles, bucket teeth so strong they turn rock into glass, and so on. On and on he went about the guys planting an overburden blast and how dangerous it was and how it could go off at any minute and all be killed. What a load of rot. The fuses weren't even placed. And they are well trained to do it. I got so sick of this guy going on using all these superlatives I switched channels. I'm sure glad I didn't buy the DVD which I was tempted to, before I saw it tonight. I guess I should thank him for saving me the $29.95. Who are these narrators trying to impress? No wonder people think miners and earthmovers are a bunch of muppets. Cheers tournaphil
That was uhm, frank... But I have to agree, as much as I love seeing the machines, the over exaggeration kills it for me. Does anyone actually know the dimensions of football fields and olympic swimming pools off-hand? And "two stories" high? Are we talking high ceilings or 37 brick-courses high for each floor. Honestly, ax men is the worst, they depict forestry as an industry governed by simpletons with hooks for hands. And the danger blah blah blah... the producers might as well make it a "Shake Hands With Danger" mini-series. The worst one for me was the one with Tony 'The Goose' Sira-what-ever, "OK man, how do I drive this "bad-boy"?'. GROAN. First, you DRIVE a car, you OPERATE a machine. Second, it has a name that isn't 'bad-boy'. Its a grader, not a racing-come-stunt car thing with flames stenciled along the sides.
Well I wouldn't stress too much, these people have to sell a TV show and if they rock up with a show about professionals going about their everyday job in a safe manner, they may well not sell their show to anyone. Like those cop shows, makes cops out like they are in a war zone with a bunch of crazies. It's dramatisation, dramatisation keeps people watching and gets ratings. Is James Bond how real live spies do their job? No, it's not that exciting. Would people watch a Bond movie if he spend two hours standing on a street corner observing the movement of someone?
Hendrik said it well, most people aren't all that interested in heavy equipment. The producers jazz up the narration for what would be a factual narration of a documentary film in order to be able to sell it to more networks and appeal to more audiences. That being said it's probably a necessary evil to get heavy equipment and megaprojects shown on tv.
They should have been around with film last week when the off road tire guy knocked my 623 off the jack with no R. front driver tire. *&^^%**@# no producer needed.
Pete Why was it on a jack anyway? Don't the tire guys know how to turnblock one anymore? No jack needed then.
Good question he is a 25 year off road tire guy, he had some kind of brain fade because he new how to turn block it up, said it had been awhile since he'd changed a tire on a Cat scraper. No harm done but I didn't like it. Anyway got new Generals on the front and moved the fronts back, good all the way around now
All the dramatic language to describe heavy equipment is to help the average couch potatoe get excited about something he doesn't know about so he'll go bother the professionals with his ignorance.
I personally met several 25-30 plus years heavy equipment mechanics and operators who claimed to have never seen it done.You can tell right off the bat when they're walking in circles around the machine trying to figure out how one front tire is off the ground with nothing under it and nothing parked on the tail.:beatsme:idontgetit:cool2
I had that look the first time I saw it, back at 18 or so. Now it is just old hat, but like you, I have seen many who have been around for years and never knew how. Worst I seen was a tire man who put his jack under the bumper of an old 631. I was only 19, and I was acting foreman on a small spread. I seen him put his jack there and went over to tell him that was not the right place to jack it from. He told me in no uncertain terms I should mind my own business, he had done this since before I was born. He did not have much to say a few minutes later when I came back by to find the scraper on the ground, and the remains of the bumper bent all over the place. He had no idea how to get it up, and I showed him how to turnblock it. Even after I showed him, it seems he did not understand how it worked.
What kills me is that no-one even taught them to at least turn the tractor full lock to give more stability.I'm not a big fan of teaching rookie tire guys to neck-block scrapers.I think a man needs experience before learning that,but the first thing an OTR tire guy needs to know is to stabilize the machine as much as possible,and there is NOTHING stable about a scrapers front end when straight ahead and sitting on cribbing,unless the amount of cribbing is extreme overkill.Much simpler to turn it,then jack it until they're a little more seasoned:IMO
Those sort of shows cater to an audience of people who know nothing about earthmoving - and it probably only sounds stupid to you due to your life experience. Dont worry about what those folks think. MP
turn block... What exactly is that? ... someone have a photo maybe?
No photo, but the simple explanation is that you use the angle between the scraper and the tractor to lift the tire you want by placing a steel block under the side to side stops on the hitch, then turning the tractor 90* to the scraper, and the block keeps the tractor from tilting, causing the tire to raise. More to it than that, and it has the potential to be dangerous if done improperly. Blocks can come out if not done right, and not only does the tractor fall, but the block shoots out with some amount of deadly force. Not to be attempted without a good understanding of what you are doing.
Is this like when you turn real sharp sometimes the rear wheel come off the ground, correct. But you put a block somewhere on the hitch that makes it stay off the ground. Is cribbing placed under the scraper also? I think I got the picture, I think I will stay clear of the scraper tire repair area
This is how it works,and it only works on machines with down pressure in the bowl cylinders.It's like holding the tail down and using the bowl cylinders to lift the tractor.You first determine which front tire you wanna lift(we'll use the right front as an example),then open the cushion hitch and turn the tractor about 45 degrees to the right(to open the gap in the oscillation stop further),then place your steel block in the oscillation stop on the left side,WALK(not turn sitting still) the machine full lock to the left and push down on the bowl,which pulls the right tire off the ground(not necessary on a 651/657-just turning them full lock raises the tire w/out pushing down.Must be the geometry of the hitch being placed different from smaller units). DO NOT ATTEMPT:badidea,as Jerry said,without extensive experience related to what you are working with, that block comes out like a bullet if it comes out.Great time saver,great way to wow someone who's never seen it:jawdrop,but it is very dangerous if improperly done.As far as cribbing,that would defeat the purpose of the exercise,which is to keep from having to break out the jack and blocks in the first place.And yes,operators,stay clear of the boom swing area when the tireman is at work:nono.I know it's cool to watch a man that knows what he's doin' make changin' a scraper tire look as easy as changin' yer drawers,but don't make him have to tell you more than once to "watch out":soapbox. Thank you.
front tire, that's not even how I had that pictured... thanks for the explanation guys...
Here's a pic of a 637E that is done as explained above. There was a problem with the cushion hitch and because of it not opening properly the right front would barely come off the ground.Normally, the rear tires would still be on the ground and the ( in this case) right front would be at least a foot off the ground.Although it doesn't look like it in this pic, it's about an inch off the ground. Sorry, but I don't have any pics of the actual block placement in the oscillation stop.This is the position that the tractor should be in to use a jack.Very stable.(If the cribbing and jack placement are correctly done.)
Tireman, thank you so much for explaining that! I have heard a lot of mechanics talk about having done it, but never actually seen it done.
You're welcome. Proceed with EXTREME caution!
I should add, before someone asks, that yes it does work on machines not equipped with a cushion hitch.However, if it is a cushion hitch, it works much easier if it's open.