Apparently, tower building is a Dirty Job, according to Mike Rowe of Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs.” I happen to love the show, and I love towers, so what’s not to love about this?
The February 7th show has Mike joining the Great Plains Towers crew as they build a new stick. No doubt this will be an interesting segment.
Here’s a question for you: Why are the tower bolts inserted upwards through the holes, with the nuts and washers on the top? There is a VERY good reason for this, and you are taught the reason on the very first tower you assemble, or come to inspect.
Here’s another question from the clip, above: Why did Kevin Reski, the owner of Great Plains Towers attach one of his safety belt hooks to a tower segment that had not yet secured by any bolts? I really doubt there’s a very good reason for this.
Jonathan
PS: The tallest stick I’ve built was 251 feet AGL back in 1982. It was for Storer Cable in Mission Viejo, California. That was tall enough for me, thank you very much.
PPS: Mike is well known for Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs and the Deadest Catch, and for the hysterical YouTube clips of Mike on QVC in the early 90’s (don’t drink while watching these unless you want to mop the floor after). His personal web site is a fun pun: http://www.mikeroweworks.com.
When Pilgrim Films (Dirty Jobs)first contacted me to film their Top Tower Hand episode of Dirty Jobs I alerted them that tower work was not really a dirty job. I told them it is a sucky job, They said sucky was OK.
Yes, I did throw my big hook onto that still floating section to pull her back down. I was also belted into the tower section I was standing on with another safety hook (monkey tail)assy. Any that knows me & my operation would know & view in that episodethat everyone on the tower had redundant safety fall protection as standard practice.
My co-star was pleased that he lived through the tower stacking & sucky weather but offered no request for a sequel episode.. ha,,