ladder extension
- Thread starter gar2191
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ToolmakerCT
Active member
For your saftey and anyone else using the ladder, rent or buy a 35/40' er (extra length is always better)
I have in the past used ladders on top of hay wagons, but I DO NOT recommend it! Sketchy enough at 10' can't imagine 30'
I have in the past used ladders on top of hay wagons, but I DO NOT recommend it! Sketchy enough at 10' can't imagine 30'
beamrider
Well-known member
Ask Darwin.
+1 that your thought process of "ladder extension" was a Darwin moment !! 
Anything that high is air . . . NEEDS . . . to be rock solid. Had a tree trimmer whip out his 30 ft ladder at friend's house who had 50 ft tall trees needing trimmed. He put ladder in Y of tree up there and tied ladder to tree once he was up there. Then he secured his safety line to body harness. Next he threw "pull rope" up over yet taller Y in tree for rock-climbing style full body weight PULL up higher !! Finally yet another rope dropped to pull up the trim chain saw. 61-year old tree trimmer was suspended in tree from rope running a chain saw. It was impressive.
There IS a Right Way to do it . . . your "ladder extension" is NOT one of them !!
Anything that high is air . . . NEEDS . . . to be rock solid. Had a tree trimmer whip out his 30 ft ladder at friend's house who had 50 ft tall trees needing trimmed. He put ladder in Y of tree up there and tied ladder to tree once he was up there. Then he secured his safety line to body harness. Next he threw "pull rope" up over yet taller Y in tree for rock-climbing style full body weight PULL up higher !! Finally yet another rope dropped to pull up the trim chain saw. 61-year old tree trimmer was suspended in tree from rope running a chain saw. It was impressive.
There IS a Right Way to do it . . . your "ladder extension" is NOT one of them !!
beakie
Well-known member
+1 that your thought process of "ladder extension" was a Darwin moment !!
Anything that high is air . . . NEEDS . . . to be rock solid. Had a tree trimmer whip out his 30 ft ladder at friend's house who had 50 ft tall trees needing trimmed. He put ladder in Y of tree up there and tied ladder to tree once he was up there. Then he secured his safety line to body harness. Next he threw "pull rope" up over yet taller Y in tree for rock-climbing style full body weight PULL up higher !! Finally yet another rope dropped to pull up the trim chain saw. 61-year old tree trimmer was suspended in tree from rope running a chain saw. It was impressive.
There IS a Right Way to do it . . . your "ladder extension" is NOT one of them !!
sounds more like an arborist, not a tree trimmer (also sounds like my dad, if the guy was 64)
This is probably a bad idea. For one thing your weight plus the weight of the 8' extension must not exceed the safe working load of the ladder. The other thing is a 30' ladder most likely has a wider stance than a 22' so it won't be so tippy sideways when you're up there moving around. You're looking at adding about 30% more height for cripes sakes, the most I've done was 25% and that was only adding 4' to a 16' ladder.
Can you erect an 8' scaffold to put the ladder on or park a camper underneath and put the jacks down so it's solid?
Can you erect an 8' scaffold to put the ladder on or park a camper underneath and put the jacks down so it's solid?
Yeah, but they didn't survive to talk about it.
Ladders are not something to mess around with. Always use the appropriate ladder correctly, every time.
A few bucks isn't worth dying for.
jkwilson
Well-known member
Rookie2
Well-known member
Are you on the stage tonight with 10 other brain surgeons , wait , I'll submit this question to Megan Kelly !
just kidding !
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=285122
just kidding !
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=285122
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Wrenches of Death
Well-known member
Damn, how did I miss THAT thread?
The kid with his head stuck in the chair is "wet your britches" funny!
WoD
More versatile and totally safe........ When you use a spotter.
http://img.thesun.co.uk/aidemitlum/archive/02157/Ladders_01_2157146a.jpg
Back to the original post.........22' to 30' simple ..........2x4 's and duck tape
http://img.thesun.co.uk/aidemitlum/archive/02157/Ladders_01_2157146a.jpg
Back to the original post.........22' to 30' simple ..........2x4 's and duck tape
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turbowoodworker
Well-known member
I had to buy a brand new Werner fiberglass 30 ft for use around my new two story. Brand new quality ladder and it scares the **** out of me at heighth.
I can't imagine juryriggin' something at that length!
I can't imagine juryriggin' something at that length!
Rookie2
Well-known member
BTW: Did you see the contraption to rig an extention ladder to your reese hitch ? I'm going build one with a stair glide on it !
Anybody know the name ?
Anybody know the name ?
duke5572
Well-known member
Uh, the hitch extension is for transporting long ladders, not climbing them.
Rookie2
Well-known member
Found it :
http://www.monkeyrack.com/
http://www.monkeyrack.com/
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beamrider
Well-known member
That'd be great if you had the ability to place a truck with precision within 3-5 feet of what you want to reach. Great for light poles maybe. Most houses don't have unobstructed access, tho.
lakeroadster
Well-known member
Erect 8 foot of scaffolding that ties to your home, then put the ladder on top of the scaffold....
_______________________________________________
Great? Actually http://www.monkeyrack.com/ is a horrible idea. It places loads on the ladder that it was never designed for.
Stuff like this is an Engineers worst nightmare, retrofits that alter the intent of the original basis of design specifications.
John
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whoa, lots of remarks....
actually I did some measuring and its like this... I have a Werner that states it is good for 24. So I will believe them. My last work is at 26 ft.I have 1 ft reach.SO I need 25 ft.
My pickup bed is 3 ft high.I have access to the work by backing up and the ladder will be sideways in the bed.
I will make a stout holder that will not allow the ladder to slip in the bed. That should get me to 25 ft with 1 ft to spare.100 bucks a day is ******** and I dont want to go pick up a lift anyway.
actually I did some measuring and its like this... I have a Werner that states it is good for 24. So I will believe them. My last work is at 26 ft.I have 1 ft reach.SO I need 25 ft.
My pickup bed is 3 ft high.I have access to the work by backing up and the ladder will be sideways in the bed.
I will make a stout holder that will not allow the ladder to slip in the bed. That should get me to 25 ft with 1 ft to spare.100 bucks a day is ******** and I dont want to go pick up a lift anyway.
beamrider
Well-known member
? Not sure what you mean by you have 1 foot reach. If you have a 24ft ladder, and need to reach something 26ft up, you're fine with the ladder you have. Is it ideal? Nope. Is it possible without killing yourself? Yep, I do that at least once a week. If you're really worried about 12 inches, C-clamp a 2x4 on each side of the bottom of the ladder as extensions. And yes, I also do that, ~once a month.
Zeke
Well-known member
It's your call. The only problem with a ladder in a PU is the suspension of the truck. Place jacks under the truck and get up there!
AFA the rest of the comments, what a bunch of girls. I've been on ladders most of my life. I use to 'walk' extension ladders on a wall to reach out further. Every day. Give me a 6 foot A ladder and I will walk that across the room, turn it around and walk back.
Of course I was riding unicycles at age 10.
And to the cat that said longer extension ladders are wider, you need to take a walk down the ladder aisle at your local box store.
lakeroadster
Well-known member
Walking the ladder doesn't change the load on the ladder from it's original design. Extending a ladder beyond its original design or using a "monkey rack" for clamping the bottom so it is now cantilevered does.
Folks play Russian Roulette and live to tell about it, I guess those are the "real men", eh Zeke?
_____
John
logical
Well-known member
That's not even close to what you asked about in your opening post, go back and read it. You deserved everything you got and more. You want to put it in the bed of you truck, that sounds perfectly rational and reasonable, nobody would call that crazy. But again, that's not even remotely what your original question was so don't act like we are the ones who are out of line here. You waltzed in asking for a home brew way to make a 22 foot ladder 8 feet longer, what did you expect?
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PassnThru
Well-known member
Drywall stilts while standing on the top rung.
Duh.
Duh.
AceofSpad3s
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2014
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The deceased's last words were- "Hey bubba, hold my beer, I gotta use the ladder" RIP in peace.
logical
Well-known member
Most definitely.