Custom made horizontal Guillotine, local version not French

[IcedJohnno]

Helped rescue a friend of this forum 2nite. He drowned his rig in a large local river, hydrauliced it but got it going again.

He also got attacked by a wire rope that broke!! He was standing in front of the front vehicle, that was towing a very stuck truck, two vehicles behind. The hook swage on the wire rope is where the rope broke naturally. It came right around to the front of the vehicle and got him, thankfully after touching the ground first.

Grazes to calf muscle, stomach and shoulder, blood drawn and bruises, a very lucky man!!
Object lesson:
tie a heavy bag to any wire rope or nylon rope being used

Was the wire rope being used to snatch tow the rig?
Don't know, I wasn't there at that point but I suspect so.
My Engineering Degree tells me that a shock pull can generate up to six times the load of a static or perhaps a stretch-strop pull. Think about that, this man is very lucky not to be cut in half through his stomach.

For those that don't know, when a wire rope is swaged back onto itself using an aluminium collar, as most places do, the strength of the rope is reduced by something like 50%.

This post is not intended to crucify anyone, but rather to inform all forum members of the possible results of their actions. I do not want to see any names mentioned here please!
cheers John

[De-Ranged]

Been out recently and caught a guy using a 2.5ton tie down as a snatch strap!! it gets worse it had a knot at one end and the hook on the other end and he was snatching off the the original single 10mm bolt towing loop at the front an ideal missle....
Thankfully he retired it after I pionted out the danger... well at least for the trip I was on

Cheers Reece

[DJ]

Helped rescue a friend of this forum

and saw this posting on the "other " forum???

not a good look with a person with the inside bits on the outside
When I have been out with any group, the rules are laid down first, This team brief includes an apointment of a trusted and experenced winch master who is responsible for the safe operation and direction of snatching and winch recoveries. That appointed person has the skills to carry out these very important duties. This has many benifits as it not only teaches others less experenced but as there is only one voice of command we dont have everyone chipping in with their "I would do that or do it this way" opinons and achiving nothing except a dangerous sitution. If you see a possible accident waiting to happen, ie using a wire as a snatch rope do as Deranged said inform that person with the reasons why not. And if their money and blood are mentioned then most listen. Most with winchs seem to think that the recovery speed is the number 1 and the amount of pulling power!! its Bullshit. I sometimes go out 4wding with a friend who had a 1500kg? toyota winch and with double purchase he got out of some wicked mud holes. Twice as long half the stress but no accidents or dramas and aways got home.
Moral of the story If it looks bad then it is use the brain
Ill go back to sleep now
cheers DJ

[Kent]

this man is very lucky not to be cut in half through his stomach

I know a guy thats missing a leg because of this reason. Wire rope broke, moving fast, leg in way, leg in two pieces. Always use a dampner of some sort.

Kent

[Moriarty]

this man is very lucky not to be cut in half through his stomach

I know a guy thats missing a leg because of this reason. Wire rope broke, moving fast, leg in way, leg in two pieces. Always use a dampner of some sort.

Kent

Thanks, guys, learnt something new today.
It was obvious of course, as most good ideas are. Use a big heavy bag as a dampener. Wish I could, but we separated and she lives in Timaru.....

But I guess a super sack or similar would do the trick. thanks again for that tip.

[Sadam_Husain]

You can never stop things from breaking when they decide to let go

.....its not hard

Stand well away from the fireing zone and you wont get hit :fire:

[bang-thud-thump]

this man is very lucky not to be cut in half through his stomach

I know a guy thats missing a leg because of this reason. Wire rope broke, moving fast, leg in way, leg in two pieces. Always use a dampner of some sort.

Kent

Thanks, guys, learnt something new today.
It was obvious of course, as most good ideas are. Use a big heavy bag as a dampener. Wish I could, but we separated and she lives in Timaru.....

But I guess a super sack or similar would do the trick. thanks again for that tip.

That answers my question about why the bags on the winch ropes.
Cheers

[Jerry]

Back in the days when we were on Aotea Block there were some dodgy indian fellas using a winch cable on a winch as a strop

This was around the similar time sadam nearly had a convertible conversion on his flatdeck and a new hair cut thanks to a flying mu factory hook

[Snafu]

I have seen my fair share of broken wire ropes doing damage. I used to operate a Slackline Dragline back in the late 60's early 1970's. It was in the Transport industry so also seeing chains and wire strops break when recovering Trucks and Bulk Fertilizer trucks I am fairly careful these days.

Very little safety stuff back then, it was just a matter of getting the job done as best you could with what you had.