Hot water trick for sticky crane cables actually saved my day

I was out on a job in the port of Newark last month and got hit with that sudden cold snap. My crane cables started getting all stiff and sticky, felt like they were fighting me every time I tried to spool them up. I was about to call it quits for the day when an old timer told me to pour hot water over the drums before starting. I figured what the heck, grabbed a bucket from the break room, and dumped it over the cable drum. It loosened everything right up and I finished my shift without a single catch or snap. Anyone else got weird tricks like that for cold weather operation?

3 comments

3 Comments

dianawilson21d agoMost Upvoted

Hot water, really? I mean, I guess it makes sense if the cables were just frozen or something, but sticky cables in the cold usually mean the grease is getting thick, not frozen solid. I've had more luck just letting the crane run idle for a bit to warm things up, but maybe that's just me being lazy about hauling buckets around. Seems like a lot of extra work for something that might just be a one-time freak thing with the weather.

fionat5521d ago

Getting the water out in the cold isn't the easiest thing either, so I feel you on that... it's definitely way more work than just letting the machine warm up on its own. Seems like adam has a point about it working every time, but sometimes you just gotta go with what feels right for the situation.

adam41421d ago

Not a one-time thing. I’ve done it plenty of times on the docks and it works every time.