Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...
Discussion
GeneralBanter said:
Chumley.mouse said:
But sweet mother of mary dont put it close to the edge of the building like that numpty has unless you fancy a bit of sky diving ……….weeeeeee
Now that you’ve mentioned it, it’s an accident about to happen.
sebdangerfield said:
B'stard Child said:
I was going to make one as it’s gutter cleaning time but at £25 it’s not worth my effort so thanks for the link and it’s purchased
In that case a set of gutter cleaning tools are also handy. I think I got the whole set from screwfix but you can buy just the type that fits your gutter profile. They screw into a harris pole and means you can climb in one position and pull the crud to you.https://windowcleancentre.co.uk/products/progutter...
mickk said:
GeneralBanter said:
Chumley.mouse said:
But sweet mother of mary dont put it close to the edge of the building like that numpty has unless you fancy a bit of sky diving ……….weeeeeee
Now that you’ve mentioned it, it’s an accident about to happen.Bill said:
EmBe said:
Thanks for this link, doing the gutters this weekend and this looks much eaier than moving the ladder slowly along the length of the guttering.
It's definitely an improvement on the trowel, cane and duck tape combo I used last weekend! 
dickymint said:
Bill said:
EmBe said:
Thanks for this link, doing the gutters this weekend and this looks much eaier than moving the ladder slowly along the length of the guttering.
It's definitely an improvement on the trowel, cane and duck tape combo I used last weekend! Wife was seriously unimpressed.
EmBe said:
Tried that once, even on the lowest setting everything surrounding the house looked like a muckspreader had been through. The most spectacular however was firing the jet down the patio rainwater drain resulting in a 'blowback fountain' of rotting leaves and pinecones 20ft in the air.
Wife was seriously unimpressed.
Wife was seriously unimpressed.
I use a set of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gutter-Vacuum-Hoover-Clea...
We have about 8m of guttering that is inaccessible via ladder as there’s a glass roof below. That kit works well attached to a wet/dry hoover.
I see they now do a pricier carbon fibre version!
We have about 8m of guttering that is inaccessible via ladder as there’s a glass roof below. That kit works well attached to a wet/dry hoover.
I see they now do a pricier carbon fibre version!
Don’t use these on a corner ! Its not designed to be used on a corner , the “v” is to go round things .
That’s really not true. The manufacturers/vendors (even the reputable ones) specifically sell it for corners. There’s no need for grip pads on a corner, as geometry provides the necessary lateral constraint.GeneralBanter said:
skwdenyer said:
Lots of options, depending upon your needs, such as:
But TBH I often knock something up out of wood to do the job - allows me to spread the load as needed
Apart from Big Grip these are bloody dangerous !!But TBH I often knock something up out of wood to do the job - allows me to spread the load as needed
Falling from height is lethal as I nearly found out from a tower scaffold and that has 4 legs !!
The Big Grip certainly removes some of the potential for user error, I agree, but the remainder are all sound solutions to the problem they’re each trying to solve.
skwdenyer said:
Be interested to see your engineering calcs for why the others are dangerous in your view.
At least a couple of them seem slightly optimistic about how well friction will keep them from shifting. And that one bolted to the stabiliser bar seems optimistic about how well that hollow box will resist twisting in that axis; that bit isn't intended for that.
Edited by pquinn on Monday 20th November 22:02
skwdenyer said:
GeneralBanter said:
skwdenyer said:
Lots of options, depending upon your needs, such as:
But TBH I often knock something up out of wood to do the job - allows me to spread the load as needed
Apart from Big Grip these are bloody dangerous !!But TBH I often knock something up out of wood to do the job - allows me to spread the load as needed
Falling from height is lethal as I nearly found out from a tower scaffold and that has 4 legs !!
A concrete block? A nice shiny sloping surface bearing on the rounded tip of a stair tread? Another nice low friction flat surface onto a roof only relying on the mineral chippings to stop a slip - and the ladder foot will do nothing in that photo but try to push it off the roof! And the classic of a little pole with one hand tight clamp and the friction of a stiletto heel at the tip just waiting for the right weight for the tube to fold?
I really don’t need engineering calcs to judge a series of photos of utter disasters about to happen, these are appalling examples of Moron physics !
Edited by GeneralBanter on Tuesday 21st November 02:09
GeneralBanter said:
A concrete block? A nice shiny sloping surface bearing on the rounded tip of a stair tread? Another nice low friction flat surface onto a roof only relying on the mineral chippings to stop a slip - and the ladder foot will do nothing in that photo but try to push it off the roof! And the classic of a little pole with one hand tight clamp and the friction of a stiletto heel at the tip just waiting for the right weight for the tube to fold?
I really don’t need engineering calcs to judge a series of photos of utter disasters about to happen, these are appalling examples of Moron physics !
Edited by GeneralBanter on Tuesday 21st November 02:09
As regards the mineral chippings, those are bitumen shingles, so not quite as you imagine. I've used one of those Pivit tools in the past & found it excellent. As above, you've got to assess the risk, but there's plenty of bearing surface, and (with an approximately 30 degree angle), 2/3rds of the force is being resolved vertically downwards. The amount of side-slip loading is low, and the bearing surface plenty large enough.
Anyhow, to each their own. Ladder work requires an appreciation of risk. None of those should be used lightly. But none of them are inherently unsafe.
skwdenyer said:
GeneralBanter said:
A concrete block? A nice shiny sloping surface bearing on the rounded tip of a stair tread? Another nice low friction flat surface onto a roof only relying on the mineral chippings to stop a slip - and the ladder foot will do nothing in that photo but try to push it off the roof! And the classic of a little pole with one hand tight clamp and the friction of a stiletto heel at the tip just waiting for the right weight for the tube to fold?
I really don’t need engineering calcs to judge a series of photos of utter disasters about to happen, these are appalling examples of Moron physics !
Edited by GeneralBanter on Tuesday 21st November 02:09
As regards the mineral chippings, those are bitumen shingles, so not quite as you imagine. I've used one of those Pivit tools in the past & found it excellent. As above, you've got to assess the risk, but there's plenty of bearing surface, and (with an approximately 30 degree angle), 2/3rds of the force is being resolved vertically downwards. The amount of side-slip loading is low, and the bearing surface plenty large enough.
Anyhow, to each their own. Ladder work requires an appreciation of risk. None of those should be used lightly. But none of them are inherently unsafe.
Love "Moron physics". I shall steal that phrase.
You could probably demonstrate some good physics with some of those set ups by bouncing them to reduce the friction, allowing the horizontal thrust to start shifting the thing sideways. You then get into a grip/slip cycle a bit like a bow being pulled across a violin string. Except a violin string is tethered at both ends.
You could probably demonstrate some good physics with some of those set ups by bouncing them to reduce the friction, allowing the horizontal thrust to start shifting the thing sideways. You then get into a grip/slip cycle a bit like a bow being pulled across a violin string. Except a violin string is tethered at both ends.
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