Great video per usual. I remember helping my grandfather work on his old house on these in the mid 80's back when I was about 13 years old. One day he said we were going to set up the "pump jacks" and put the shakes on the second story from them and I thought to myself "what are pump jacks???" His were made of 2x4 posts nailed together to make 4x4's and wobbly for sure when we were up there, and the jacks were pretty rusty and I was a little scared but I loved it!! I also remember him (a carpenter by trade) telling me; "don't mention to your mother that I had you up 'this high' on these." lol. He's gone now but thanks for the memories and the skills you taught me Pop...
I have used pump Jack's in my General Contracting business for so long I can't remember just how many years I depended on them. I was born and raised about two miles probably a little less from Lake Michigan all steep hills and sand nobody was ever in a hurry to get a ladder out when working outside the sand makes ladders very unstable regardless of what we did and scaffolding in many cases just isn't an option pump Jack's though saved the day many times actually probably more than I care to remember. We were so used to the wobbles never thought twice about it! From painting, siding even window replacement a.nd trim replacement and repair to every in between nothing else would or could have done the job. Thanks for covering such a critical tool especially for those of us that live in and around huge lakes like ours!
Being a Craftsman I appreciate these shorter video's of less common tools/techniques! Adding this to my mental bag of tricks! Thank you and God bless you and your family!
Retail 36' pump jacks cost about $2,000 which I couldn't afford when I started a painting business later in life in NH. So, I used 32" ladders which I leveled and secured top/bottom with ladder jacks to hold extendable aluminum planking between the two ladders. I don't do that anymore and happy to be retired because at 76 years old I was getting dizzy whenever I looked up at a wall.
I retired from many years in the business and always though pump jacks...and in the Beginning of the project, wall brackets.....were the most versatile tools for the intended Job....mine were so old the poles were just double 2x4's and the planks were very Heavy 2x12's with an added layer of plywood.... These with aluminum poles and lightweight jacks are wonderful to use!!
These are the fancy version...I remember making and using 2x4's to make up the column. Never had an opportunity to use the aluminum ones, the swing of these is something I could never get use to even after a week of siding a house. Keeps your wits about you all day for sure. Thanks again for your videos.
I've been looking at those for a project at home. Bouncing between that and scaffolding. Would like to get both as they have their advantages. Problem, $$$
Right, we had the old orange ones that were eventually banned I think. You would just make the posts with lapped, double 2x4s and cross braced them as needed, as you went up. No workbench/safety rail on the old ones. I remember doing siding on a 3 story building in Galveston Bch with them. I was always relatively comfortable working at heights, but I have to admit I was glad to come down off of those things, at that height.
Wow I remember bee those days aS a young man scurrying up and down 12”fir planks 30 ft in the air and not thinking twice about it We never had back rails either! Smh. They have come a long way!
@George Davis - In the 60's - 70's I worked union construction on commercial buildings in Boston before OSHA had much to say about our safety. So, I know about the "thrills" you mentioned, especially when we used old, lumpy, wobbly, cement and plaster covered 2x6's to build scaffolds up the side of buildings without safety equipment. Sometimes it was terrifying to be the top man standing on a jiggly plank pulling up another plank from the ground using a rope. That's just one story out of hundreds from back in the day.
@@jacksak one day we heard kerplunk some aluminum banging and a guy squealing like a pig. We run outside to see the siding guy hanging upside down from the snips in his belt.. good thing they got stuck in the aluminum pick when the pump jack dropped..
You didn’t have them locked right and one side falls three or four feet . And then half of your bricks go sliding off . And now your masons are Really Mad at you more so then before!! Lol oh those where the days ..
@@georgedavis6583 The news doesn't report much of anything about construction accidents, so unless someone's in the business, they don't understand the dangers.
There is always room for scaffolding if you have the right type. Tube and clamp scaffolding can be erected in spaces less than a foot wide. Love your channels content, keep up the great work.
I use these almost everyday for siding. If you flip the second plank over, you have a nice shelf that will hold tools and material without letting it fall off the plank making it safer.
Just bought a Werner system with two 24 foot poles to get up three stories. The siding guys loved it. Setting the second 24’ pole on top of the first was an interesting task though.
I HAD to watch this video!! Where I came from, "pump jacks" were the surface machinery/equipment used in the oil fields to pump oil from the subsurface. When I saw the title, I asked myself "did he strike oil at his house site???" LOL
Just bought my own set with 24' and 16' planks sets. Rented and used the old wooden 2x post on the past. These are wonderful for my current re-sideing project. Since I work by myself I have a harness on whenever I leave the scaffolding and walk on the roof.
I've seen 'em in use many times and actually worked in the construction field for a time. One thing I never saw was how they get set up and taken down. Might be a good idea to explore that aspect to instruct us less than knowing
@@stickshaker101 Thanks for the information. Just one question , how much of a running start do you need? Does it depend on the length of the post.? Longer pole = longer run.
lol... Wow 20 years of painting and using walkboards and ladders don't think we ever secured them as much as y'all do. Lot of scary moments. Great video keep up the great work.
Used the old orange ones for decades during my career (retired this year at 66) and used built up 2X4' s for posts. We braced them underneath every 12' or so as we went up, and they were rock solid. We also used to set beams such as glulams with them. We used the beam as the "scaffold" and set the posts at the ends of where the beam was to sit. With a guy at each end, we would "pump" them up into place. It worked every time, and eliminated crane or forklift time.
Still own my 30yo steel Alum-a-pole jacks, have used them up to 48’ height (2-24’ poles) never used anything wider than 12” plank, as they get heavy, have complement of 24’,18’, 12’, & 6’ aluminum poles with inserts for any height combination, quicker and easier to set up and take down than any other scaffolding, easier to transport, and smallest footprint (3”x3.5”), I don’t know anyone that uses anything else for residential siding, and even light commercial. You get used to the wobble and even enjoy it. Quicker to slide down the pole like a fireman and climb the ladder than to raise and lower the stage every time.
Oh man I hate pump jacks . Or crank scaffold . It’s what I learned on doing masonry...! We always over loaded them all the time. Bringing them back down was always the fun part ! lol stay safe out there .
@@ChrisMac87 there is a guy who does a lot of siding here who just setups up multiple ladders close together and just jumps from one ladder to another. He does two story homes with no planks or scaffold of any kind.
I have pretty much no reason to to need these and I’m also scared of heights but hell I want a set. What a great bit of kit. Thanks EC, love the channel and content.
Just a heads up. In the video, the pump jacks foot pump is shown ACTIVE. To properly use these, you have to have the foot pedal in the UP position, to LOCK the mechanism. If the release is hit, while down, the staging DROPS.
Over my siding career I’ve acquired 14 poles and 8 stages ranging from 8’ to 32’. They’ve paid for themselves 100 times over. One man can safely set up a 32 foot stage in 10 minutes.
I’d love to see y’all start doing the “bonus episodes” like the Perkins builder brothers. They utilize B roll footage with less editing and have really helped with going into detail about their videos.
I really like his non destructive attachment method. Steel strap bent over and then bolted to a big piece of flat wood, then a couple big strong clamps. No drilling any holes in roof rafters.
Great video,not sure how I missed this one. Working by myself I think I'll buy a set for this year,last year setting up scaffolding by myself and pulling material up 3 story's was difficult
I worked with some bricklayers after high school. They used morgan scaffolding. Basically the same thing only larger, they had a cable winch that you pumped with your foot.
another great elevation device and another great video. It would be great if you guys went into the setup a bit more some day, we use these all the time but I'd be lying if I said there weren't any scary moments setting up and taking down, espectially with extentions. A few tips would help a ton of people I bet. Thanks again!
I made my own scaffold out of 2xs screwed together offset by half. A couple of triangles cut from ply on each side and planks put across them. I had to move the supports a couple of times, but that was not a big deal. I only had to go up 15'. So good enough. When I was done, I unscrewed the 2xs and reused them for a shed I was making.
I have a pair of Power Poles by Reechcraft, they are set up & appear like pump jacks except they are powered by 2 electric drills running internal gears - like riding in an elevator. I even rigged up a switch so I could run both sides at once from the middle by myself. I've used them twice in the 4 years I've had them - bought them for the 1st job since it was the only tool that would work to install large windows on a hillside house. They paid for themselves on the 1st job - no other contractor wanted the job! (nearly $6k for the pair)
I have the 2x4 variety. They are awesome, though you do get the "fun" drop now and then while lowering them. One really wonderful thing I did with them was install a large window on a 2nd story. My helper and I set up the poles. We put the window and tools up on the walk board and up we went. It was by far the easiest possible way of installing it without a lift or something.
We used them a lot in Oklahoma, and Washington state. But we never had fancy Ibeams, just 2x4’s nailed together , graced every 8 feet vertically. And, nothing beats the race to the bottom! How fast can you wind that bad boy down!
About 15 years ago I was a journeyman carpenter and was building a house on an extreme slope just outside of Portland. It was 1 story in the front and 4 on the back. I will not miss waking up at 5:30 to get to that job site and side a house in freezing pacific northwest rain using those pump jacks. I still have nightmares about releasing them.
You can reduce the wobbling significantly by adding intermediate bracing. If you know you’re going to stay above 12 ft or so (as in this video), add another set of braces below the work platform. Of course you need something to attach them to.
Amazing invention - and if there isn't room for scaffolding, it's certainly better than a ladder - but that wobbling around would scare me! Great video as always
These look like an excellent idea, but wouldn‘t fulfill my personal requirements for safety. The „floor“ is pretty narrow, and the whole thing would be too wobbly for me to feel safe. There also doesn’t seem to be much to stop tools or other objects from dropping to the ground. But maybe I‘m a wimp. I‘m also a bit surprised that they aren‘t wearing safety lines (fall arresters?). I‘m a sailor, and don‘t leave the cockpit a sea without being clipped on. Our safety at work regulations here are pretty stringent, and I don‘t think this would pass muster. Absence of hard hats also a bit surprising. I sound v critical - I‘m not! I love this guy and his videos. Besides the things I learn from watching them, I am hypnotized by his Voice and delivery. A virtuoso of craftmanship. 😊
Ive found scaffolding in 90% of the cases far cheaper and almost as fast to set up, we keep extension ladders to a min, especially considering I can get two stories of scaffolding for the same ( or cheaper) cost as one 40 extension ladder, and you often need 3 per pump jack set, thats alot of money . Granted in certain cases pump jacks are great and like in your case the only choice.
my young mind would be thinking of renting a scissor lift, with all of the extra work he did in site works im sure the terrain is good to drive one on there.
I and a buddy were freelance house painters in college. We did crazy dangerous stuff on ladders and planks and sometime dangling from ropes with climbing gear. This would have been heaven... but then I would not have the stories to tell :)
Very interesting, I've never seen pump jacks before. As far as I can see they aren't used at all here in the UK. I have to admit though you wouldn't get me up there.
ladders are so dangerous specially when they are being used by more than one man i was on a job many years ago we put up the ladder and were bringing up gear when one guy picked up the ladder and moved it and did not notice he had lifted the extension past the step it was locked into the boss [of course] climbs on to go down as soon as his weight left the roof the extension slid all the way to the bottom with the boss on it he escaped a bad injury but just by dumb luck could have been much worse, great video as usual
You tie the two top rungs together so that they can't come apart like this. Ask me how I know. Ladders are a really great tool, it's just that you have to know what, how ,why and when. I love ladders. And no, you can't borrow mine, they always come back bent or not at all. Jim
We used these on a siding job on a three-story condo. There was a parking area that allowed access with a 32' scissor lift on one side, but a few sections could only be accessed with a set of these. Sadly, we did all the scary 36' high (some might not know; you can stack the poles) stuff on a 12" x 24' plank, THEN my brother found a deal on this 24" x 24' plank that would have felt five times safer. Even tied off I was tip-toeing up there.
It kind of makes sense tho. The slim profile is what helps it differentiate it's self from scaffolding. It also helps it become the tool of choice for tight spaces like the one EC showed here.
You attach the swivel bracket off an extension ladder while someone else foots the jack and raises it up to you then it has a t handle and a screw that clamps the pole in place. It's alot easier then it sounds. I use them all the time, 36' and sometimes 42'
So I apparently need to replace two roofs. My residency and a rental. You may be excited to hear I looked up who works with Tamko shingles in my area and have called two of them.
I have a set of pump jacks and theyre all I use. This is because my van carries ALL of my tools and pump jacks take up anlot less room than scaffolding does.
My neighbor, a soon retiring renovation contractor, took his sawzall to his horizontals of the pump jack to use with scaffold. Said, "damn thing to dangerous at my age, and rather have scaffold and these aluminum shelves". I can see the use, and convenience over scaffold or lift rental. But you have to get over the fear of what COULD go wrong.
I did new construction while in college and learned that I hated pump jacks. The last guy I worked for had a forehead like Frankenstein from falling off a roof. He used a 2x12 plank as the platform and we didn’t have any railings like you have. I finally quit before someone got killed.
Never seen those in UK. I expect that it would just have to be done with scaffolding here, it's amazing what scaffolders can do in the UK with siting bases on angles/ slopes or over multiple levels because of need to site with properties around that are old, and a shortage of land by US standards.
Hard to beat a man who knows what he is talking about except for a man who is good at doing what he talks about. The Essential Craftsmen is that man.
Essential Craftsman thanks for all the advice through out the years.
Great video per usual. I remember helping my grandfather work on his old house on these in the mid 80's back when I was about 13 years old. One day he said we were going to set up the "pump jacks" and put the shakes on the second story from them and I thought to myself "what are pump jacks???" His were made of 2x4 posts nailed together to make 4x4's and wobbly for sure when we were up there, and the jacks were pretty rusty and I was a little scared but I loved it!! I also remember him (a carpenter by trade) telling me; "don't mention to your mother that I had you up 'this high' on these." lol. He's gone now but thanks for the memories and the skills you taught me Pop...
looking at that thing reminds me why I got into cabinetry :D
I have used pump Jack's in my General Contracting business for so long I can't remember just how many years I depended on them. I was born and raised about two miles probably a little less from Lake Michigan all steep hills and sand nobody was ever in a hurry to get a ladder out when working outside the sand makes ladders very unstable regardless of what we did and scaffolding in many cases just isn't an option pump Jack's though saved the day many times actually probably more than I care to remember. We were so used to the wobbles never thought twice about it! From painting, siding even window replacement a.nd trim replacement and repair to every in between nothing else would or could have done the job.
Thanks for covering such a critical tool especially for those of us that live in and around huge lakes like ours!
Let's Go Red Wings!!!
Being a Craftsman I appreciate these shorter video's of less common tools/techniques! Adding this to my mental bag of tricks! Thank you and God bless you and your family!
Retail 36' pump jacks cost about $2,000 which I couldn't afford when I started a painting business later in life in NH. So, I used 32" ladders which I leveled and secured top/bottom with ladder jacks to hold extendable aluminum planking between the two ladders. I don't do that anymore and happy to be retired because at 76 years old I was getting dizzy whenever I looked up at a wall.
I retired from many years in the business and always though pump jacks...and in the
Beginning of the project, wall brackets.....were the most versatile tools for the intended
Job....mine were so old the poles were just double 2x4's and the planks were very
Heavy 2x12's with an added layer of plywood....
These with aluminum poles and lightweight jacks are wonderful to use!!
Love pump jacks, many years of my career has been spent doing exterior trim and siding off this set up. Thanks for the video.
These are the fancy version...I remember making and using 2x4's to make up the column. Never had an opportunity to use the aluminum ones, the swing of these is something I could never get use to even after a week of siding a house. Keeps your wits about you all day for sure. Thanks again for your videos.
TechEdFireman sliver makers.
I've been looking at those for a project at home.
Bouncing between that and scaffolding. Would like to get both as they have their advantages. Problem, $$$
Right, we had the old orange ones that were eventually banned I think. You would just make the posts with lapped, double 2x4s and cross braced them as needed, as you went up. No workbench/safety rail on the old ones. I remember doing siding on a 3 story building in Galveston Bch with them. I was always relatively comfortable working at heights, but I have to admit I was glad to come down off of those things, at that height.
Wow I remember bee those days aS a young man scurrying up and down 12”fir planks 30 ft in the air and not thinking twice about it
We never had back rails either!
Smh. They have come a long way!
Rene Menard cool story. Boomer much?
Just like any tool, The right tool for the right job... Great job as always, love the videos and the words of wisdom.
All you youngsters missed the thrill of the old metal ones with wood poles that would drop 10 inches without warning
@George Davis - In the 60's - 70's I worked union construction on commercial buildings in Boston before OSHA had much to say about our safety. So, I know about the "thrills" you mentioned, especially when we used old, lumpy, wobbly, cement and plaster covered 2x6's to build scaffolds up the side of buildings without safety equipment. Sometimes it was terrifying to be the top man standing on a jiggly plank pulling up another plank from the ground using a rope. That's just one story out of hundreds from back in the day.
@@jacksak one day we heard kerplunk some aluminum banging and a guy squealing like a pig. We run outside to see the siding guy hanging upside down from the snips in his belt.. good thing they got stuck in the aluminum pick when the pump jack dropped..
You didn’t have them locked right and one side falls three or four feet . And then half of your bricks go sliding off . And now your masons are Really Mad at you more so then before!! Lol oh those where the days ..
@@georgedavis6583 The news doesn't report much of anything about construction accidents, so unless someone's in the business, they don't understand the dangers.
Thrilling about sums them up. Never had an accident using them tho.
There is always room for scaffolding if you have the right type. Tube and clamp scaffolding can be erected in spaces less than a foot wide. Love your channels content, keep up the great work.
Just play this and his other videos before and during the time you use such things. His vids are literally lifesavers.
I enjoy your attitude and your channel so much. Thanks for all of your advice and videos. I have learned a lot.
I use these almost everyday for siding. If you flip the second plank over, you have a nice shelf that will hold tools and material without letting it fall off the plank making it safer.
Just bought a Werner system with two 24 foot poles to get up three stories. The siding guys loved it. Setting the second 24’ pole on top of the first was an interesting task though.
I gotta check this out. Jim
I HAD to watch this video!! Where I came from, "pump jacks" were the surface machinery/equipment used in the oil fields to pump oil from the subsurface. When I saw the title, I asked myself "did he strike oil at his house site???" LOL
I get the feeling that this spec house project is a clever ploy by Scott to use all his tools one more time🤣🤣🤣
Just bought my own set with 24' and 16' planks sets. Rented and used the old wooden 2x post on the past. These are wonderful for my current re-sideing project. Since I work by myself I have a harness on whenever I leave the scaffolding and walk on the roof.
I've seen 'em in use many times and actually worked in the construction field for a time. One thing I never saw was how they get set up and taken down. Might be a good idea to explore that aspect to instruct us less than knowing
You're never gonna believe this, but they pole vault them into place!
@@stickshaker101 Thanks for the information. Just one question , how much of a running start do you need? Does it depend on the length of the post.? Longer pole = longer run.
lol... Wow 20 years of painting and using walkboards and ladders don't think we ever secured them as much as y'all do. Lot of scary moments. Great video keep up the great work.
Used the old orange ones for decades during my career (retired this year at 66) and used built up 2X4' s for posts. We braced them underneath every 12' or so as we went up, and they were rock solid. We also used to set beams such as glulams with them. We used the beam as the "scaffold" and set the posts at the ends of where the beam was to sit. With a guy at each end, we would "pump" them up into place. It worked every time, and eliminated crane or forklift time.
Nice surprise to see this in my queue!
These seem super handy. I've only ever used scaffolding a few times but this looks so much easier
Hey, thank you again for this excellent post.
Really appreciate seeing how this equipment works. So handy.
Still own my 30yo steel Alum-a-pole jacks, have used them up to 48’ height (2-24’ poles) never used anything wider than 12” plank, as they get heavy, have complement of 24’,18’, 12’, & 6’ aluminum poles with inserts for any height combination, quicker and easier to set up and take down than any other scaffolding, easier to transport, and smallest footprint (3”x3.5”), I don’t know anyone that uses anything else for residential siding, and even light commercial. You get used to the wobble and even enjoy it. Quicker to slide down the pole like a fireman and climb the ladder than to raise and lower the stage every time.
It’s never the only thing that can do the job! Most efficient best thing to use, yes I can agree with a statement like that!
Oh man I hate pump jacks . Or crank scaffold . It’s what I learned on doing masonry...! We always over loaded them all the time. Bringing them back down was always the fun part ! lol stay safe out there .
That set up feels like the Rock of Gibraltar compared to a set of ladder jacks on aluminum extension ladders and an extendable plank.
They outlawed ladder jacks in my neck of the woods. Can’t have any fun anymore
I hear ya. We use ladder jacks all the time. Pump jacks are gravy train.
@@ChrisMac87 there is a guy who does a lot of siding here who just setups up multiple ladders close together and just jumps from one ladder to another. He does two story homes with no planks or scaffold of any kind.
My Grandfather had pump jacks in the '50s on two by fours, they were great.
I have pretty much no reason to to need these and I’m also scared of heights but hell I want a set. What a great bit of kit. Thanks EC, love the channel and content.
Great video. I love your series.
Just a heads up. In the video, the pump jacks foot pump is shown ACTIVE. To properly use these, you have to have the foot pedal in the UP position, to LOCK the mechanism. If the release is hit, while down, the staging DROPS.
Good to know I hate that drop
Over my siding career I’ve acquired 14 poles and 8 stages ranging from 8’ to 32’. They’ve paid for themselves 100 times over. One man can safely set up a 32 foot stage in 10 minutes.
what brand do you recommend?
@@CheekyMonkey888 I’ve always had alum-a-pole systems. With regular maintenance you’ll never had any issues
@@ChrisMac87 thank you sir
@@ChrisMac87 My dealer only sells Werner, would you rate it as equivalent to Alum-a-pole, or is Alum-a-pole in a category of it s own?
Whaaaaaat!! I think that’s the best thing I’ve ever seen for building a house , wow I want a set
Broke my ankle first 4 months into my carpentry, thank God it wasn’t more than 8 weeks off the job. I watched your videos during recovery.
we used Pump jacks for years, they are great
You just saved me and my work pals
I’d love to see y’all start doing the “bonus episodes” like the Perkins builder brothers. They utilize B roll footage with less editing and have really helped with going into detail about their videos.
Love this rarely seen tool at work. Good work trying something new on the video production.
I really like his non destructive attachment method. Steel strap bent over and then bolted to a big piece of flat wood, then a couple big strong clamps. No drilling any holes in roof rafters.
Great video,not sure how I missed this one. Working by myself I think I'll buy a set for this year,last year setting up scaffolding by myself and pulling material up 3 story's was difficult
I’ve always worked civil and commercial projects, those things are amazing!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, much appreciated watch your show constantly.
I worked with some bricklayers after high school. They used morgan scaffolding. Basically the same thing only larger, they had a cable winch that you pumped with your foot.
another great elevation device and another great video. It would be great if you guys went into the setup a bit more some day, we use these all the time but I'd be lying if I said there weren't any scary moments setting up and taking down, espectially with extentions. A few tips would help a ton of people I bet. Thanks again!
I made my own scaffold out of 2xs screwed together offset by half. A couple of triangles cut from ply on each side and planks put across them. I had to move the supports a couple of times, but that was not a big deal. I only had to go up 15'. So good enough. When I was done, I unscrewed the 2xs and reused them for a shed I was making.
Thanks for sharing and take care. 👍
Great work guys!
Very cool. Thank you.
Never had a need for them and never even heard of them but like always now I want a set! 😂😂😂
me too, everytime he gets an anvil out , i start thinking i need a danged anvil!!
Chicken coop, yep , i want one now
Keep up the good work!
Rusty Shackleford dangit Dale!
Great video. Thanks.
I have a pair of Power Poles by Reechcraft, they are set up & appear like pump jacks except they are powered by 2 electric drills running internal gears - like riding in an elevator. I even rigged up a switch so I could run both sides at once from the middle by myself. I've used them twice in the 4 years I've had them - bought them for the 1st job since it was the only tool that would work to install large windows on a hillside house. They paid for themselves on the 1st job - no other contractor wanted the job! (nearly $6k for the pair)
Thanks so much..big help.
5:13 LOL My brother played this video at lunch and that drew a pretty good laugh out of all of us.
Thank you for the informatuon
That squeak should be trademarked
I have the 2x4 variety. They are awesome, though you do get the "fun" drop now and then while lowering them. One really wonderful thing I did with them was install a large window on a 2nd story. My helper and I set up the poles. We put the window and tools up on the walk board and up we went. It was by far the easiest possible way of installing it without a lift or something.
Thank you
We used them a lot in Oklahoma, and Washington state. But we never had fancy Ibeams, just 2x4’s nailed together , graced every 8 feet vertically.
And, nothing beats the race to the bottom! How fast can you wind that bad boy down!
I have been a painter for 31 years. Never heard of pump jacks. Done everything with a ladder.
I Betcha Larry Haun built his pump jacks with "Tuba Fours"
About 15 years ago I was a journeyman carpenter and was building a house on an extreme slope just outside of Portland. It was 1 story in the front and 4 on the back. I will not miss waking up at 5:30 to get to that job site and side a house in freezing pacific northwest rain using those pump jacks. I still have nightmares about releasing them.
Yall make it look very easy! Thanks for the video, I pray I never need to use a pump Jack!
You can reduce the wobbling significantly by adding intermediate bracing. If you know you’re going to stay above 12 ft or so (as in this video), add another set of braces below the work platform. Of course you need something to attach them to.
Amazing invention - and if there isn't room for scaffolding, it's certainly better than a ladder - but that wobbling around would scare me! Great video as always
These look like an excellent idea, but wouldn‘t fulfill my personal requirements for safety. The „floor“ is pretty narrow, and the whole thing would be too wobbly for me to feel safe. There also doesn’t seem to be much to stop tools or other objects from dropping to the ground. But maybe I‘m a wimp. I‘m also a bit surprised that they aren‘t wearing safety lines (fall arresters?). I‘m a sailor, and don‘t leave the cockpit a sea without being clipped on. Our safety at work regulations here are pretty stringent, and I don‘t think this would pass muster. Absence of hard hats also a bit surprising. I sound v critical - I‘m not! I love this guy and his videos. Besides the things I learn from watching them, I am hypnotized by his Voice and delivery. A virtuoso of craftmanship. 😊
You're right.
Ive found scaffolding in 90% of the cases far cheaper and almost as fast to set up, we keep extension ladders to a min, especially considering I can get two stories of scaffolding for the same ( or cheaper) cost as one 40 extension ladder, and you often need 3 per pump jack set, thats alot of money . Granted in certain cases pump jacks are great and like in your case the only choice.
Yeah, I don't really see why scaffold couldn't be used here.
You can erect scaffold pretty much anywhere.... i.imgur.com/pAPogLV.jpg
Love how he says roof , the mans a lord
my young mind would be thinking of renting a scissor lift, with all of the extra work he did in site works im sure the terrain is good to drive one on there.
I don't think there's room to get a lift on the hill side of the house
I and a buddy were freelance house painters in college. We did crazy dangerous stuff on ladders and planks and sometime dangling from ropes with climbing gear. This would have been heaven... but then I would not have the stories to tell :)
They look very handy, They sound very dodgy,
I would use them.
In the UK, we would say, “is he having a laugh?” Meaning, is he crazy? There is No way that you could get me on that. 🤣👏🏾👏🏾
Not to mention HSE would have a field day condemning it.
@@clackmannan i'd rather be up on a pump jack in america then near a crane in london
@@SuperAWaC Hahah, too soon mate!
Very interesting, I've never seen pump jacks before. As far as I can see they aren't used at all here in the UK. I have to admit though you wouldn't get me up there.
Again, all great advice! 👍👍👍😎🇨🇱
ladders are so dangerous specially when they are being used by more than one man i was on a job many years ago we put up the ladder and were bringing up gear when one guy picked up the ladder and moved it and did not notice he had lifted the extension past the step it was locked into the boss [of course] climbs on to go down as soon as his weight left the roof the extension slid all the way to the bottom with the boss on it he escaped a bad injury but just by dumb luck could have been much worse, great video as usual
You tie the two top rungs together so that they can't come apart like this. Ask me how I know. Ladders are a really great tool, it's just that you have to know what, how ,why and when. I love ladders. And no, you can't borrow mine, they always come back bent or not at all. Jim
‘Or until you forget to tie them down...” 😂
We used these on a siding job on a three-story condo. There was a parking area that allowed access with a 32' scissor lift on one side, but a few sections could only be accessed with a set of these. Sadly, we did all the scary 36' high (some might not know; you can stack the poles) stuff on a 12" x 24' plank, THEN my brother found a deal on this 24" x 24' plank that would have felt five times safer. Even tied off I was tip-toeing up there.
It might be a little wobbly but it certainly looks safer than two people up two separate ladders doing the same job.
I could never get used to the wobble, especially with two people when you don’t expect it. Wooooh....... hahahahaha
My dad used to have old 2x4 pump jacks, 24' long wood no aluminium poles in those days.
Yuppppp they are handy
I wish I had the aluminum poles for my pump jacks I use double 2x4s
I'm surprised how narrow the platform is.
usually yu can add or remove "planks" to widen it, but realistically, more then the length of your foot isnt needed
It kind of makes sense tho. The slim profile is what helps it differentiate it's self from scaffolding. It also helps it become the tool of choice for tight spaces like the one EC showed here.
How in the heck did you get up there to originally secure the top of the jack posts to the house?
You attach the swivel bracket off an extension ladder while someone else foots the jack and raises it up to you then it has a t handle and a screw that clamps the pole in place. It's alot easier then it sounds. I use them all the time, 36' and sometimes 42'
So I apparently need to replace two roofs. My residency and a rental. You may be excited to hear I looked up who works with Tamko shingles in my area and have called two of them.
Equipped with bonus fun in the frozen north. The rubber isn't too pliable at -40 so hang that siding quick with the frozen airlines.
Love these things! But....we have to use the safety netting between the top & bottom rail.
Never ever seen anything like that here in the UK. Very interesting.
I have a set of pump jacks and theyre all I use. This is because my van carries ALL of my tools and pump jacks take up anlot less room than scaffolding does.
My neighbor, a soon retiring renovation contractor, took his sawzall to his horizontals of the pump jack to use with scaffold. Said, "damn thing to dangerous at my age, and rather have scaffold and these aluminum shelves". I can see the use, and convenience over scaffold or lift rental. But you have to get over the fear of what COULD go wrong.
You have to trust your equipment
I did new construction while in college and learned that I hated pump jacks. The last guy I worked for had a forehead like Frankenstein from falling off a roof. He used a 2x12 plank as the platform and we didn’t have any railings like you have. I finally quit before someone got killed.
Sadly we wouldn't be able to use these in Australia due to our OHS/WHS regs.
Never seen those in UK. I expect that it would just have to be done with scaffolding here, it's amazing what scaffolders can do in the UK with siting bases on angles/ slopes or over multiple levels because of need to site with properties around that are old, and a shortage of land by US standards.
I love using tools and consumables that i’ve held onto for ages and it really annoys the wife when i say ‘see told you it would come in handy!’
U the man.
Thanks, keep up the excellent work.
Above all Enjoy God!
hello hope im not late pleae discuss about tips when using traditional plumb and bob when levelling
Clamp some X bracing between the uprights, below the jacks, once you get above a certain height. Will make a world of difference in the wobble.