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Ran a tower crane for 3 years before I figured out the brake release trick

Been operating tower cranes since 2021, mostly on high rises in downtown Austin. About 2 months ago I was having a rough day with a swing load - wind was gusting and I kept overcorrecting. Old timer named Rick from the next crane over calls me on the radio and says 'hey kid, you know you can feather that brake instead of slamming it, right?' I had NO idea. I thought when you let go of the lever that was it. Now my loads are way smoother and my arm actually hurts less at the end of the day. Anyone else learn some basic thing way later than they should have?
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2 Comments
karent75
karent7529d ago
Wait, isn't feathering the brake harder on the equipment long term?
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skylerg17
skylerg1728d ago
Doesn't feathering just mean riding the brakes a bit, or is there something more to it technically? Genuinely curious if the wear patterns are any different from normal braking.
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