# "Actual" Limits on Aluminum Planks



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

I have never used a product like we are talking about but I would never be tempted to push the limits of something that is holding you so far up. Would you put 2 people at the top of a 40ft ladder. I'm sure it will hold the weight but your just asking for trouble trying it. Your lifes worth more than a few $ saving. I have no problem going over tools designed capacities but a ladder or scaffold he'll no! They fail and you die.


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## ApgarNJ (Apr 16, 2006)

BC, you've never used a pick? 

We go up 2 stories on ladder jacks and picks all the time. Mine are 14" wide I believe. 

Spencer is just getting started, and he came here asking questions. None of us started with everything we needed all at once. He has time to learn and will be on his own someday. I know a few 22 year olds that are completely worthless. I give him credit for working hard and trying to do it right.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

ladder jacks? no way i hate them things:no:gimme a set of poles with a nice worktable and ill go up 50'


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## ApgarNJ (Apr 16, 2006)

I don't like them either but they go up and move around a lot faster than poles do. All depends what we are doing and how long we'll be up there.
I wouldn't use them for siding but they are ok for soffit work. My roofer uses them a lot more than I do. I borrow his poles when I need them, as he never uses them.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

it setting them up that get me..theres that point where your holding on to the ladder and you got the pic over your head...give me the willies just thinking about it:shutup:...sorry Williearty:


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

a buddy of mine has a 24'taskmaster that he routinely overloads with hardie,when i got on it one day with no other weight it feels funny,like something is loose,inspecting it it looks fine,no obvious damage nothing appears to be loose,i told him to scrap it,but he don't listen:no:


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## TBFGhost (Oct 9, 2008)

I used laddar jacks all the time... both inside and outside....I use the werner extendable work platforms as well. Sometimes you feel like your on a rubber band, but you get used to it.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

ApgarNJ said:


> BC, you've never used a pick?
> 
> We go up 2 stories on ladder jacks and picks all the time. Mine are 14" wide I believe.
> 
> Spencer is just getting started, and he came here asking questions. None of us started with everything we needed all at once. He has time to learn and will be on his own someday. I know a few 22 year olds that are completely worthless. I give him credit for working hard and trying to do it right.


I don't do any work over here that requires them. Where I was from in the UK everything was done from scaffolding no matter if it was a quick roof job or house build so didn't even use them over there. You can't even use ladders over there now to do quick repairs. Even a 5 min flashing repair would require a cherry picker, scissor lift or scaffold. You would be in trouble if caught using a ladder! I don't mind ladders. We used to have a 60 ft ladder, that thing used to get a bit much when you were at the very top of it's extension which I think was About almost 50ft


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## PA woodbutcher (Mar 29, 2007)

tomstruble said:


> it setting them up that get me..theres that point where your holding on to the ladder and you got the pic over your head...give me the willies just thinking about it:shutup:...sorry Williearty:


Or climbing up over, or down over @ 30':laughing:

Me too:whistling


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## texastutt (Feb 24, 2009)

As far as starting out. the "old guys" built good stuff (ladder jacks I believe), and you can rent scaffold for dirt cheap. I was not in a good mood last night so I have to apologize for my rant.

You don't need $100,000 worth of equipment to do impeccable work, the equipment just makes you faster and safer. IMHO


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## TempestV (Feb 3, 2007)

I'm 23 and just starting out, so I understand how you feel. However, if you can't afford good equipment, then you sure as hell can't afford an injury. Find a way to work within the confines of your equipment, or rent better equipment. 

Metal parts have a yield strength. stay below that level of load, and the metal won't fatigue. bending, stretching, or other movement of the material under load will return to normal. Exceed the yield strength, and it will begin to fatigue. Bending, stretching, and such will be permanent. As the part fatigues, it will weaken, and it's yield strength will drop. Eventually, it will weaken too the point where it won't hold the load anymore and fail.

With the plank in question, it was probably designed to hold more than 250 lbs without damage (I have no idea how much more). As long as that load isn't exceeded, it will continue to hold the weight forever. It will also hold even more than it was designed for, and while it might seem good and solid, the extra load will fatigue it so that it isn't as strong in the future. Depending on how many times it's been overloaded, and how badly overloaded, the ramp might not even safely support the original rated safe load of 250 lbs. It's not enough to put your ancipated load on it and call it good because it holds it for 5 minutes, because the plank will support more than it can really safely carry.

When the guy selling you the ramp told you that they regularly overloaded it, that isn't a good thing.


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## Gough (May 1, 2010)

PA woodbutcher said:


> Or climbing up over, or down over @ 30':laughing:
> 
> Me too:whistling


I had one helper who always climbed INSIDE to get onto the plank. I've never even tried that way. 

We all know that we're supposed to have a third ladder to get on and off of a ladder jack scaffold, but has anyone ever done that?


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## Gough (May 1, 2010)

The standard ratings are based on #250 per person, including tools. We've got some planks at 250, some at 500, and one at 750. This last one, 24' by 20" is a BEAST. It's listed as a three-man plank, but the joke at work is that it has that rating not because it will safely hold three men, but that it takes three men to move it. OTOH, it's just the ticket when we have to work at height between two scaffold towers up to 20 feet away from each other. Working from it is like working from the sidewalk.


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## vos (Apr 6, 2010)

Ladder Jacks - OSHA 1926.452 (K)(1) Platforms shall not exceed a height of 20 feet (6.1 m). :whistling:whistling:whistling


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Get a grip Spencer. If you've spent any time reading on this forum you'll notice that flak is par for the course. You'll also get some of the best advice to be had. Do what you have to do, but never put anyone's health or safety at risk, and that's what these guys are trying to tell you.

And as far as being 22 years of age, I have a feeling that there are many "old timers" on this site that had probably lived a life-time by that age. Good luck to you.


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## CookeCarpentry (Feb 26, 2009)

Spencer said:


> Once again. I"M 22. Getting started. Comprende???
> 
> I put in 50+ hours every week working for a contractor, learning everything I can, and most importantly....keeping my bills paid and a providing a comfortable life for my wife.
> 
> ...


1. So you don't have your own business? Earlier you said you did it part-time?

I'm guessing no insurance, no license (if necessary), unmarked truck, doing side-work for cash or a check made out to your name.

2. Insulting members, not the best of ideas to prove your maturity, and you wonder why you caught some (very little) crap for this.

....


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## TBFGhost (Oct 9, 2008)

....I have an un-marked truck...never really seen anyone get calls from the name on the truck. I thought about getting it done, but **** canned the idea.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

TBFGhost said:


> ....I have an un-marked truck...never really seen anyone get calls from the name on the truck.


It's not necessarily about getting calls per se. The big thing is that you get name recognition. Then when someone's hitting the yellow pages or canvassing friends for recommendations, your name comes up and they feel like they know you.

OTOH, just last year a friend of mine landed $30K of work while filling up at a gas station. A little old lady saw his truck and was looking for a contractor. She had him follow her home. :laughing::thumbsup:


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## CookeCarpentry (Feb 26, 2009)

TBFGhost said:


> ....I have an un-marked truck...never really seen anyone get calls from the name on the truck. I thought about getting it done, but **** canned the idea.


Best $350 I spent on advertising.


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## Rustbucket (May 22, 2009)

All ladders and scaffold planks are designed to a safety factor. I believe they use a safety factor of 4 per OSHA requirement. So, a 250lb rated ladder SHOULD be able to carry a STATIC load of 1000lbs. The reason for the safety factor is that people are NOT static. i.e., they move around. Every time a person takes a step, they impart a downward force on the surface that is greater than their weight. This is called "shock load." 

I'm sure there are a lot of other variables that were taken into consideration before coming up with a safety factor of 4, but the general idea is that this was deemed appropriate for the way these things are used, and would take into consideration any minor manufacturing defects. 

Remember, the safety factor of 4 is a DESIGN limit. They are then tested in a CONTROLLED environment until failure. A job site is NOT a CONTROLLED environment, much as we would like to think otherwise. 

The second issue is liability. If you overload the plank, and somebody falls, even if it wasn't because the plank failed, you would be considered neglegent! 

Moral of the story? 250lbs=250lbs. Don't chance it.


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