how NOT to raise a tower...

[birdhouse]

my 70' tower has been up for about a year, though i have yet to set up a back haul system for it. 

upon raising, i pull it up with my truck to a certain point, then we pull the gin down slowly and softly to minimize shock. 

the downside is there are folks in the fall zone during the raising process. 

found this photo and had to share!

[/img]

adam

[birdhouse]

[Watt]

Wow, that could be a headache or even a big toothache for sure.   :'(

[tomw]

Darwin awards in the making?

I got away with lots of dangerous activities in my youth and I got bit hard a few times, too.

I am much more careful now because I am not as fast as a cat like I was in my youth.  I don't bounce as well as I did then, either!

Tom

[birdhouse]

watt-  i hear ya!  though after putting that tower up and down a handful of times, it's very predictable.  in the photo was one of the earlier times where i wasn't quite sure how far i could run the truck before the gin might come crashing down. 

it's still a circus show, but getting better. 

adam

[Dale S]

The gin anchor is a freshly poured pier, the base is an old rotten stump?

[bj]

  That was my take as well Dale, so I blew it up a bit,  the stump is in front of the base in the picture.  (can just make it out)
I guess that picture was only worth 976 words?

[tomw]

I forgot to mention in my prior post on this that I use a boat winch, rope and a pulley for my back haul rope to ease it over into place or get it started tipping down. Boat winch at the main pulling end, pulley at the rear guy anchor rope through pulley to the top guy attachment on tower.

I used to use a weight on the rear guy line but the winch and rope work better. Long poly rope eases things down due to stretch and the winch lets you control it well.

I usually work alone so I try to get stuff so one man can do it.

Good luck with it and I also wondered why such a nice pulling anchor and an old stump for tower base until it was pointed out the stump is just in front of the base.

Tom