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Eggy’s US Steel Experience … (Tons of Crane , and Steel mill Pictures)

Midwestern4x4 ยท 2009-10-22 08:51

Well I'm a Local 150 Operator that on September 1st Got a call from the Hall to go to US Steel in Gary to Oil on a 4100. So the next day I went out there , did gas training ,and safety training got some new boots , and called it a day. The Next day I got to meet all the guys ,and Meet my New Machine to take care of. Here's the spec's. Manitowoc 4100W. S/N 41102 260FT Main 40 Ft Jib Series 2 Decked out with all the counterweight. Cheek weights ,and all. I'm Going to post all the pictures in as much order as possible ,and describe what's going on if there is something you can learn from what's in the picture. Hope somebody think's its cool ,and can learn from what I have learned in the past 2 months. This picture is blast furnace road. You are currently Looking at number 8 Furnace.

Replies66
  1. #1Midwestern4x42009-10-22 09:15

    Here we are parked for an Outage at number 4 Furnace. This is a Hot ladle car being filled with molten Iron. First the ore is melted, then they transfer the iron by rail to another place to be mixed with the ingredients to make the steel.

  2. #2Midwestern4x42009-10-22 09:17

    Here's pictures I took during the Outage.

  3. #3Midwestern4x42009-10-22 09:30

    Next Day We moved the crane back down to number 4 Lay down lot. Here's how it's done. We put the 2 block dummy in , and boom the crane down. You will see the lowboy we use to move it has a turntable on it. There is a pin that allows it to rotate as the crane push's the truck or pulls it. The wood is to let the shives sit in as to not damage them. The Belly Lines / Throat latch's are removed to allow the jib to sit up. As we boom down we use a 15 ton neck breaker to lift the jib so it is held high enough to not touch the trailer ,and be able to turn. Once it is held up you tie the jib to the mast to hold it up once you let go of the picker. Then you chain down the headsection so it doesn't move. Then you go to the back of the crane ,and wait. On our crane the boom section that is where the spreader bar is has to be tied off so you don't have to lift it up with a picker. Once your done you lower the equalizer ,then remove the 4 pins to drop the gantry ,and lower it with a picker. Then your ready to walk.. Here's pictures of this process ... Only crappy thing is you have to drag the block.

  4. #4Midwestern4x42009-10-22 09:33

    And more Pictures..

  5. #5tonka2009-10-22 09:35

    Great pics MW keep them comming!

  6. #6Midwestern4x42009-10-22 09:38

    Its Going to take forever with 180+ to post ,and 5 per post. Stupid no hotlinking...

  7. #7Midwestern4x42009-10-22 09:40

    :Banghead

  8. #8Midwestern4x42009-10-22 09:47

    Now She's all Boomed up , and ready to be working here at Number 4 again.

  9. #9Midwestern4x42009-10-22 09:49

    Here is a Torpedo Car being moved by a specialized Loader , and then an old gradall that is a special poker of some sort. Never saw it in action So I can't say for sure. It sat then I saw it move 2 times.

  10. #10Midwestern4x42009-10-22 09:53

    The Next Time The crane needed to be moved we had to do the boom drill . It's always a good time. Pull a 20 Ft section ,and put a 40 in. So now we are working with 280ft.

  11. #11Midwestern4x42009-10-22 09:55

    More Boom Drill ...

  12. #12Midwestern4x42009-10-22 09:57

    More...

  13. #13Midwestern4x42009-10-22 09:59

    Before this was over I learned a new way to pull pennant lines which made things super easy. Put choker around head section and usee a 40ft choker and pull it through a snatch block. Pulls them straight ,and made things a breeze.

  14. #14Midwestern4x42009-10-22 10:03

    Then we started to get her boomed up.

  15. #15Midwestern4x42009-10-22 10:07

    Here's the Controls in the Cab. Left to right Travel , Swing (switch is swing brake) Non old swing break. Front drum Hoist , Back drum hoist , then Boom. Then She was thirsty ,and took 180 Gallons...

  16. #16Midwestern4x42009-10-22 10:11

    Heres a few other pictures Then I'm headed out to a funeral. Stay Ready guys I still have 173 more pictures to post ,and trust me they are worth the wait.

  17. #17Midwestern4x42009-10-22 17:18

    A few more random...

  18. #18Midwestern4x42009-10-22 17:21

    Then One day we had nothing going on for my show up time for 2 hours so I took some shots...

  19. #19Midwestern4x42009-10-22 17:26

    Some Cool pictures...

  20. #20Midwestern4x42009-10-22 17:31

    Here a ore boat in the dock. Then we did another boom drill....

  21. #21Midwestern4x42009-10-22 17:37

    During the Boom Drill . Here's are Galion 15 Ton Neck Breaker.

  22. #22Midwestern4x42009-10-22 17:42

    Lots of pictures...

  23. #23Midwestern4x42009-10-22 17:47

    Oh and this was Q ball's Idea posting all this. It's really a labor of love and time to take good pictures ,and get it all together...

  24. #24Midwestern4x42009-10-22 17:52

    Now For the really Cool Pictures.. The Mill Guys were working on the Highline so I took some of them ,and then here's some of us working the 4100..

  25. #25Midwestern4x42009-10-22 17:55

    ......

  26. #26EZ TRBO2009-10-22 17:56

    Just got done looking at everything you have posted so far. Awesome, keep them comming. Looks like a nice job to have, and interesting. Thanks Trbo

  27. #27Midwestern4x42009-10-22 18:00

    ...... Glad your enjoying.

  28. #28Midwestern4x42009-10-22 18:04

    :usa :drinkup

  29. #29Midwestern4x42009-10-22 18:09

    103 Pictures left to go...

  30. #30Midwestern4x42009-10-22 18:13

    98 more...

  31. #31Midwestern4x42009-10-22 18:16

    93....

  32. #32Midwestern4x42009-10-22 18:23

    These next Pictures are from yesterday Layoff Day. Still more to come gotta head out soon to Union meeting to go see my Buddy Q Ball. 88 More...

  33. #33Midwestern4x42009-10-22 18:26

    Here's a few on the Ground Then I went up in the Manbasket.83 more..

  34. #34qball2009-10-22 22:57

    it's qball, iggy. thanks for finally posting. united we stand.

  35. #35D5G2009-10-22 23:06

    great shots, can't wait to see whats next!

  36. #36Midwestern4x42009-10-22 23:26

    More to come in the morning...

  37. #37dozerdave2009-10-23 01:06

    Hi Midwestern4X4, Great pictures, great effort.

  38. #38Midwestern4x42009-10-23 08:21

    Okay see if I can knock the rest out today. Here's All My Manbasket Pictures from wed , when I got laid off.

  39. #39Midwestern4x42009-10-23 08:24

    more...

  40. #40Midwestern4x42009-10-23 08:29

    Not a ton more but more...

  41. #41Midwestern4x42009-10-23 08:34

    63 Pictures Left

  42. #42Midwestern4x42009-10-23 08:39

    58 more

  43. #43Midwestern4x42009-10-23 08:43

    53 Left

  44. #44Midwestern4x42009-10-23 08:46

    48 ....

  45. #45Midwestern4x42009-10-23 08:52

    43...

  46. #46Midwestern4x42009-10-23 08:55

    39 Left

  47. #47Midwestern4x42009-10-23 09:04

    Taking all these pictures was a blast .. The manbasket Ride was a blast.

  48. #48Midwestern4x42009-10-23 09:07
  49. #49Midwestern4x42009-10-23 09:10
  50. #50Midwestern4x42009-10-23 09:14
  51. #51Midwestern4x42009-10-23 09:16

    Woohoo 14 Pictures Left

  52. #52Midwestern4x42009-10-23 09:19

    9 More left

  53. #53Midwestern4x42009-10-23 09:22

    Here's the last couple. As of Wed crane's parked , and down till the need it again. Hope you enjoyed the pictures ,and whatnot. If you want a copy of any let me know ,and I can email you a full size picture. Thanks for checking them out. ~Eggy

  54. #54registered user2009-10-23 19:07

    Very nice pictures Midwestern, I've never seen a loader move a torpedo before, I'm guessing it was empty? In post #10 the "gradall poker attachment" is used to remove stuck slag in the bowls in post #52 picture 1 & 3, at least that's how it was done in a steel mill down here. I should start taking picture myself, thanks again.

  55. #55alco2009-10-23 22:31

    Thank you so much for posting these, I've been searching for steel mill pics for some time, and these really help. Thanks again

  56. #56Midwestern4x42009-10-24 07:36

    They Use it for poking dust catchers.

  57. #57EZ TRBO2009-10-24 08:42

    Once again 4x4, awesome pics. Somthing that most of us have maybe never seen is a steel mill. I've heard many claim there are none left in the US. So is this job a permanant one or just a temp job cause they needed an operator? Guessing this must be just off of Lake Michagan? Trbo

  58. #58Midwestern4x42009-10-24 10:58

    Yeah It's just off the lake. I work out of the union Hiring Hall. They called for an oiler ,and so I got the gig. The crane is on long term rent , but not always used. When they need it they call for operator ,and oiler.

  59. #59JDOFMEMI2009-10-27 10:39

    Nice shots. I like the black and white ones mixed in.

  60. #60Midwestern4x42009-10-27 10:59

    Yeah I love black ,and white. If you want any of them let me know ,and I will email you the full sized ones. They are good enough quality to blow up .

  61. #61wormkiller2009-10-30 22:33

    The Gary works never fail to impress me. Thanks for the pics. :usa

  62. #62Midwestern4x42009-10-31 10:17

    Here's a few more...

  63. #63Midwestern4x42009-10-31 10:21

    And some more..

  64. #64Midwestern4x42009-10-31 10:40

    Some more.............

  65. #65Midwestern4x42009-10-31 10:55

    Here's a bunch more..

  66. #66qball2009-10-31 18:10

    that boom looks like it has a little case foundation blue in it.