Thinking back to the old way we'd set up a rolling scaffold for a big tank job

Back in the day, maybe 15 years ago, we'd just grab whatever pipe and planks were on site and lash it together with chain and wire. It was fast, but you'd spend half the day adjusting it and it was never quite level. I remember a job in Gary, Indiana where we had a plank slip about two inches, and that was enough to make you hold your breath all shift. Now, with the modular aluminum systems, it's a different world. You can build a solid, level platform around a 30-foot diameter vessel in under an hour, and the guardrails click right in. The upfront cost for the shop was a lot, but it cut our setup time by more than half and just feels a lot safer. Anyone else made that switch and found it changed how you plan your day on a big vessel?

3 comments

3 Comments

leep892mo ago

Totally worth the money. The time you save on setup gets spent on the actual work.

robert_roberts2mo ago

My setup time usually just gets spent on a different kind of work, like figuring out why the thing I bought to save time isn't working right. It's a real time management shuffle. You buy the tool to skip the boring part, and then the tool itself becomes the new boring part. The circle of life, but for wasting money on gadgets.

oliver_anderson1mo ago

People act like this is some huge life choice. It's just a tool, not a life coach. If it works, great, if not, return it.