Bent Aluminum Ladder - Paint Talk

AALory · 06-19-2008, 04:55 PM

Hello out there.
An overambitious employee tried to move our 40' aluminum ladder and dropped it hard on its side. The result is a nasty little curve toward the top.
Has this happened to anyone and do you have any simple solution to straighten the ladder effectively?
My wallet will be so grateful for any suggestions.

JNLP · 06-19-2008, 06:19 PM

Had it happen once too. Don't know if there is a fix? We just delt with it as is & used the others as first choice. Maybe make him work off $400 for a new black tip.

vermontpainter · 06-19-2008, 06:22 PM

Over the years we have had a couple get clipped by the snowplow or run over by trucks. We built a ladder storage rack on the back of our shop so they dont lay on the ground anymore. I personally wouldnt be comfortable straightening one even if I knew how. The rails on those things arent particularly bulky. I agree that the employee should have to contribute to a replacement.

HomeGuardPaints · 06-19-2008, 06:59 PM

drop it on the other side

CApainter · 06-19-2008, 08:09 PM

Wedge it under something, like a truck. Get the biggest guy you know to tweak it straight again. Hang it on a couple of brackets with weights in the middle. The weight of them damn ladders should straighten it self out.

timhag · 06-19-2008, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeGuardPaints

drop it on the other side

timhag · 06-19-2008, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AALory

Hello out there.
An overambitious employee tried to move our 40' aluminum ladder and dropped it hard on its side. The result is a nasty little curve toward the top.
Has this happened to anyone and do you have any simple solution to straighten the ladder effectively?
My wallet will be so grateful for any suggestions.

if you come to no conclusion,,,,make sure to scrap the metal.

NEPS.US · 06-19-2008, 08:33 PM

Take it apart and you now have a 20' roof pick ladder and a 20' jump ladder.

slickshift · 06-19-2008, 08:48 PM

Oh please boss, can I go up 40 feet on that ladder that was toast but we bent back into shape by putting in between Jimmy's Jeep and the crappy van and then Jimmy just kept on the gas until it bent back...kinda...

...uh...wait a minute....

slickshift · 06-19-2008, 08:49 PM

Off Topic but...nice pic NEPS (avatar)

tsunamicontract · 06-19-2008, 10:29 PM

haha good thread, we are using a 40'footer with a nice curve to it. Don't us it much and just ordered a new 32 that should do the job most the time. but sometimes it doesn't slide right and for some reason there is no rope so I have the other guy hold it off the house while I climb up and bang on the brackets so they slip off the rung they are on and then lower it down while he is holding it up

keeps work fun and interesting.

JTP · 06-19-2008, 10:53 PM

I cut both rails even below the bend. Yeah--now it's not a 40 footer--it's a 39 footer. So the top rail is shorter than the bottom rail--still useable works fine.

JTP

paint_booger · 06-20-2008, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AALory

Hello out there.
An overambitious employee tried to move our 40' aluminum ladder and dropped it hard on its side. The result is a nasty little curve toward the top.
Has this happened to anyone and do you have any simple solution to straighten the ladder effectively?
My wallet will be so grateful for any suggestions.

Destroy it with a saw-zaw! The unwillingness to replace it could cost thousands in medical bills, or even someone their life. I say "destroy it" because someone might garbage pick it and kill themselves on it. Do the right thing! SAFETY FIRST!

GURU

NEPS.US · 06-20-2008, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paint_booger

Destroy it with a saw-zaw! The unwillingness to replace it could cost thousands in medical bills, or even someone their life. I say "destroy it" because someone might garbage pick it and kill themselves on it. Do the right thing! SAFETY FIRST!

GURU

You should pat yourself on the back! Best Booger post ever!

**daArch** · 06-20-2008, 08:53 PM

Yah, nice avatar NEPS. Did you make the rally ? Nah, neither did I.

But back to the question at hand. I hear a lot of opinions, but don't see no picture. Sometimes a little ding is a little ding and nothing to sweat over, sometimes a bend is a bend with a twisty, torquey, stress crease and not even Tiger or Schilling would play through it.

Do you have any pix with which we can better judge?

Speaking of pix: LOVE this one

690967a5-84c3-4cb4-9795-43fee17a020d-690967a5-84c3-4cb4-9795-43fee17a020d.jpg

paint_booger · 06-21-2008, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paint_booger

Destroy it with a saw-zaw! The unwillingness to replace it could cost thousands in medical bills, or even someone their life. I say "destroy it" because someone might garbage pick it and kill themselves on it. Do the right thing! SAFETY FIRST!

GURU

I had a 40 foot aluminum fully extended on a copper gutter ... a breeze blew it down, and it "WARPED". We all joked about how we could angle around power lines and stuff ... but think about it ...

Your center of gravity is far beyond the midle of the ladder, and your people might (falsly) feel safe because they are in the middle of the rungs. But, the ladder will create a false sense of security; resulting in sneekers hitting the pavement at 98 miles per hour (the terminal velocity of the human body) ... enough for a compound fracture of the shin bone ... of your bravest painter.

Don't ruin someone elses career buddy!

Put the hazzard away!

GURU

AALory · 06-21-2008, 05:44 AM

It is a slight and smooth bend. I'll take a pic today and post it tonight.

Workaholic · 06-23-2008, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JNLP

Had it happen once too. Don't know if there is a fix? We just delt with it as is & used the others as first choice. Maybe make him work off $400 for a new black tip.

Ditto
I got a tweaked 40 out back right now. I have used it since but not my first pick.

EricTheHandyman · 06-25-2008, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timhag

if you come to no conclusion,,,,make sure to scrap the metal.

I was thinking the same thing...every diet coke I drink brings me 1/4 of a cent closer to retirement...a 40' ladder would replace a LOT of pop cans!

stansoph · 06-25-2008, 11:54 PM

Sell it to College Pros......better yet, GIVE it to them.