Anyone ever take a 60' tower down?

[MossRoad]

When I bought my retirement place, the original owner had Line-of-site internet, using a 60' antenna. I tried it briefly and it was horrible. We were able to swap to fiber and now I have an unused tower. My buddy wants the tower, so we're going to take it down ourselves. We're both comfortable working at heights and have the necessary tie-off equipment. We'll take our time, think each step through and make safety the number one priority.

I've been researching it and it looks like we need to build a gin-pole. I found this plan on-line and it looks simple enough, (Gin pole fab) I've also seen some plans using a length of uni-strut and some pipe clamps, which also seems feasible. It also looks like we need a modified scissor jack or similar jack, to help unseat the sections, if they're stubborn.

Anybody tackle this themselves? Any pointers or words of wisdom?

I may have missed it, but did you say if you're trying to save the tower or scrap it?

 

[MossRoad]

Why didn't that video show him lifting any of the sections up and then lowering them down? That would be the most interesting part.

 

[zzvyb6]

The way I'd probably do it it this, with a helper:
1) extension ladder roof to tower, helper hold bottom on roof & rope tie ladder to tower 2-3 places.
2) long rope secure around tower
3) down from ladder, untie short ropes securing ladder to tower.
4) across building roof over to a truck or tractor away from building.
5) unbolt tower to building brace
6) unbolt tower base support, fabricate a simple strap so tower bottom won't shift
7) slowly back truck or tractor up

View attachment 5301208

Once it goes over-center, gravity will bring it down. Might even hit the truck if the rope isn't long enough. Since the speed of relative positions along the tower is proportional to height, at some angle the tower will bend, brake, and smash itself into at least 2 pieces.

I agree. Man lifts are just that, man lifts. They aren't meant to support loads.

With that said, a 60' tower with six 10 foot sections that weigh 70 pounds per section is 420 pounds.

Mine came with a jib crane add-on for doing just that. You remove the basket, install the crane arm, and run it from the ground. I can drop that mill, wheel, and vane assembly into the tower turret with 1 eye closed. This is a 38' reach. Just the facts....

 

[Jframe]

Anyone who has been a 'hook tender' in the woods of the Pacific northwest could take down that tower in just a few minutes. A common piece of equipment like a crawler or skid steer would be convenient but a pickup would serve the purpose. For instance, using a tower rigged for high lead (one of many systems using a steel tower) taking the tower down to turn it around (and grease it as part of the exercise) has to happen every few days, and logging off the entire "setting" takes about a week or so. Then the tower has to be moved to an unlogged setting. Typically the hook tender and another fellow will go up to the setting on the day off to take the tower down, and turn it around or move it. Any logging job near you might well have someone who logged with a tower in the western US, and if you're lucky would take down the tower for a case of beer.

Cable logging has a whistle code. I've heard the code for tipping over a tower twice - rather a bad day. It is usually caused by two guy lines breaking or two stumps holding the guy lines pulling out at one time. But sometimes when "lift" is inadequate a backline block or two is/are elevated and one of those trees pulling over can tip a tower - also a bad day. A hook tender, the boss of the 7 or 8 man logging "side," in old growth spends his day jumping from log to log with a 90 pound steel block on his shoulder, sometimes never touching the ground with his feet once while working, and one that gets mean when he's drunk is one to avoid. I logged on one setting using a tree rather than a steel tower. I once saw a hook tender top a tree, and once it stopped swaying he stood on his head on the top of the tree. I worked on a side that had a brand new tower, and because of the Arab oil embargo someone had the bright idea of filling the tower with diesel for shipping it, so every time we re-erected the tower we were sprayed with diesel.

 

[zzvyb6]

Once it goes over-center, gravity will bring it down. Might even hit the truck if the rope isn't long enough. Since the speed of relative positions along the tower is proportional to height, at some angle the tower will bend, brake, and smash itself into at least 2 pieces.

Mine came with a jib crane add-on for doing just that. You remove the basket, install the crane arm, and run it from the ground. I can drop that mill, wheel, and vane assembly into the tower turret with 1 eye closed. This is a 38' reach. Just the facts....

How did it get up to double the weight persection. Plus, the weight limit is at max horizontal reach fully extended. This is a straight up reach with only a lateral rotation needed to lower it. Just the facts....

 

[Rockbadchild]

This in reverse... a fall arrest anchor on the roof should do the trick...

 

[MossRoad]

This in reverse... a fall arrest anchor on the roof should do the trick...

It would work if he had a hinge on the bottom. He said it's sunk in concrete. One could easily make hinges with some 1/4" thick 2" wide by 6" long strips. Put two on each outer leg. Two bolts through the bottom and 1 bolt through the top, then cut the legs inside the strips. Cut the back leg and drop the tower.

 

[bigtiller]

But then there was that darn wire in the sky screwing things up.

 

[gsganzer]

Yes, we want to save the tower for re-use.

I think it's 70# per section. Not stupid heavy, but heavy enough to make sure you have the right equipment.

 

[WM75Guy]

You could check with a local wrecker service with a rotator. Usually cheaper than a crane service. They could attach to it just above halfway with a sling, so the lower section is heavier. Then unbolt it from the base and let them lower it to the ground.

 

[zzvyb6]

Please, please, please let us know how it went, what it weighs, and what technique you used so we can separate 'facts' from 'feelings'. If you don't, well, I have a 'feeling' that gravity won...

 

[lilranch2001]

1) Exactly what MossRoad Stated.
2) You can extend the lift arm another 15 feet with an aluminum beam and attach it to the top. This might require your friend to climb up to the top to attach a cable, chain, strap, or a few bolts.
3) Borrow a backhoe and build up a 15' mound of dirt. Then back the lift up onto the dirt pile to get some extra reach. I'd wait a few months for the dirt to settle, though, depending on how well you compact the dirt.
4) Pull it down with a 100' rope attached to the top. This also requires you to climb up there to make the attachment. Don't disconnect it from the base, but slit two of the legs so it falls more gradually. Then catch it with the lift as it falls.
5) Get a heavy crane to park the lift on top of the pole barn. Mine weighs 2600 lbs, so reinforce the roof before you make the move.
6) Get 2 more identical towers. Attach them together at the top, and set them flat on the ground with the bases spread about 10 apart. Run a line thru the two joined towers and up to the other one at the top, then back to the ground. As you pull on the rope, the two on the ground will raise up while the tower of interest gently gets lowered. Problem: now you have TWO towers up there, but scrap metal prices make it worth the effort.
7) Max out the lift. Fasten the upper section to the bucket (securely), and cut the tower at the 30' level. Then gently lower the lift. Don't do this on a windy day. Now you ought to be able to just cut the base and topple the remaining 30' section.
8) Maybe your buddy only wants 30' of tower for his 20mW wind generator. Just take down the first 30' and leave the rest up there in case you need cell service in the future.
9) They make 100' lifts. Don't worry about falling from that height. I was told anything higher tha 20' is deadly, so no after the event remorse.

10) And the 10th best way to use a lift to down a 60' tower? Get a neighbor with a hot air balloon to stabilize the tower top while you lower the lift fastened at the midpoint ! That's Physics, Chemistry, Aerodynamics, Mechanics, and Psychology aggregated altogether. A recent college graduate with a degree in Ancient French Literature ought to be able to assist you. That's how they put up the Eiffel Tower, and its over 1000' !!!

Dude….
You have way to much time on your hands!

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I could have that Johnson down in less time than it takes yakking about it.

 

[chim]

We often looked up local sign companies when we had parking lot poles to set.

 

[zzvyb6]

Dude….
You have way to much time on your hands!

When I see grown people make a mountain out of a mole hill for a task I've done myself over a dozen times, I wonder if they are the same ones that insist you need a 100 h.p. cab tractor to run a small square baler on flat ground, no kicker, no wagons, no profit. Maybe my first tractor, a 22 h.p. Yanmar was highly over-rated, maybe was 180 h.p. instead ??? Dunno. Sold it with 4100 hours on it. Original clutch and tires. But, you do need 'live power' or a 2 stage pto clutch if your kid want's to try it out.

 

[lilranch2001]

What is a mole hill to you may be a mountain to another fella, and mountain to you may be a slight rise in the roadbed to another fella, it’s all about perspective

 

[ultrarunner]

Put a flag on top and call it good?

 

[TC25Dave]

When I bought my retirement place, the original owner had Line-of-site internet, using a 60' antenna. I tried it briefly and it was horrible. We were able to swap to fiber and now I have an unused tower. My buddy wants the tower, so we're going to take it down ourselves. We're both comfortable working at heights and have the necessary tie-off equipment. We'll take our time, think each step through and make safety the number one priority.

I've been researching it and it looks like we need to build a gin-pole. I found this plan on-line and it looks simple enough, (Gin pole fab) I've also seen some plans using a length of uni-strut and some pipe clamps, which also seems feasible. It also looks like we need a modified scissor jack or similar jack, to help unseat the sections, if they're stubborn.

Anybody tackle this themselves? Any pointers or words of wisdom?

HAM Radio Extra Class here - yes, I've taken down multiple towers, and it's not as easy as it appears to be. Safety is a must, you need rated climbing gear (full body harness), solid sole boots (tower rungs are not very wide and hard on your feet) with not more than one person actually on the tower, and that person using 3 points of contact with the tower at all times when ascending/descending. Others have suggested renting a lift or a crane (which is an excellent safety idea). It's not impossible for galvanized towers that appear to be solid from the outside to have rusted inside, and not meet their original stability standards. The suggestion of contacting a local HAM radio club is a great idea, as it is possible that they'll do the job if you give them the tower materials (rated gin poles are slightly longer than your 10' tower section and cost around $1,000 these days). Climbing bucket for tools, battery operating impact driver with socket and hand wrench, hand sledge, and penetrating lube spray will be invaluable in loosening stuck bolts. Don't forget safety glasses, gloves, and hard hats (especially for your ground crew). You'll need pulley wheels and lift lines for both climber and tower sections being removed/lowered. Speaking of ground crew, you need enough of a crew to be able to not only hoist tower sections back down to the ground, but also potentially to lower the climber to the ground in an emergency (4 to 5 able bodies recommended). Power lines anywhere in the vicinity are a huge concern that must be addressed. Hope these cautionary thoughts help you decide how to proceed.

 

[OzarkChris]

When I bought my retirement place, the original owner had Line-of-site internet, using a 60' antenna. I tried it briefly and it was horrible. We were able to swap to fiber and now I have an unused tower. My buddy wants the tower, so we're going to take it down ourselves. We're both comfortable working at heights and have the necessary tie-off equipment. We'll take our time, think each step through and make safety the number one priority.

I've been researching it and it looks like we need to build a gin-pole. I found this plan on-line and it looks simple enough, (Gin pole fab) I've also seen some plans using a length of uni-strut and some pipe clamps, which also seems feasible. It also looks like we need a modified scissor jack or similar jack, to help unseat the sections, if they're stubborn.

Anybody tackle this themselves? Any pointers or words of wisdom?

I've had a 60' tower come down, but it wasn't by choice. Mother nature did a bang up job, literally! Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Most people I've seen that take these things down either A) climb to the top and disassemble section by section - not my first choice, these guys are nuts! B) attach a job that has a roller/block & tackle on the end to allow a winch cable to gently let it down - I've seen this turn into a disaster if the tower struts aren't strong enough to support the tower on the way down. C) use a cherry picker with enough height to at least get the top two sections on the first go - my choice.

Out here we have towers that have our radio antenna attached to it because there isn't cell coverage on our property.

 

[jrsavoie]

I have to weigh the cost savings vs the hospital bill on things I am considering doing anymore. A 60' boom lift rental seems expensive at first.

My hospital bills were 5 to 6 million.last year