STEEPLEJACK'S CORNER 2012

[Stanley]

Not sure China.....
John Burlison sent me this pic of the chimney felling at Vale Mill in 1964. Not sure which town yet. ( Vale Mill on Stockfield Road, Chadderton) Oldham.

[plaques]

Have you ever wondered why dropping a tall chimney always results in it breaking in half? No calculations please just a written explanation will do.

[Stanley]

My theory is that because the top is on the further end of the arc and the force on the chimney is gravity which is equal on all parts, the top end can't accelerate fast enough to keep up with the bottom and the resulting imbalance breaks the structure.

[plaques]

Your are right as usual Stanley. If initially the stack is considered as a fixed rod the torque action will accelerate the top faster than that normally expected by gravity. This introduces both shear and bending stresses into the stack. Depending on the cross section throughout the height of the chimney it could normally fracture at the base (shear) or anywhere from a third to half way up through bending. Often they will break in two or more pieces.

[Stanley]

And sometimes if they are in very bad nick they telescope as they fall or even just before they start. That's the jack's nightmare, no warning, they just go. Nearest I ever saw to that was Fred Dibnah demolishing an access tower by underpinning and burning as a stunt for the TV, it could have simply been balled down. He was lucky and was just able to get away as it fell.



Norman balling down the tower at Ellenroad in 1985.

[chinatyke]

A long time ago I signed up with a HGV drivers agency in Manchester. I had experience with lorry mounted cranes (HIABs) and put that down on my application form. A few days later the agency rang me and offered me a crane driving job. When I asked for details they said it was a tracked crawler crane with a fixed 90' jib on a site in Stockport. I imagine it would be like Norman's crane in the above picture with a wrecking ball on the end. Who in the right mind would let an idiot like me loose with a 1 ton ball on a 90' jib? Much as I would have loved to have done the job, I wisely turned it down and the agency were very upset at me. That was in the days when you just turned up and got on with doing the job without the paperwork.

[Stanley]

You should have gone for it China! I once asked Norman what the beginner’s mistake was when using the ball. He said taking too big a swing and getting your balls wrapped round your jib.....

John Burlison has been sending me pics....



Swabs at Rhodes in the 1970s.

[Stanley]

Swabs in 1923. This could be when the top extension was being added.

[Stanley]

Workers on top of Swabs in August 1923. Building the extension?

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

The start of the demolition of Swabs. Another John Burlison image.

[Stanley]

Swabs in 1979 shortly after the start of demolition, it was to be a long hard road!

[Stanley]

Oakmount Mill chimney yesterday. All the old boiled oil has washed off it now! Not in bad nick though.....

[Stanley]

It's a while since I was in Burnley and I was surprised by how many stacks have survived, The Hammerton Street foundry stack is still there, one of the ugliest in the town and Newtown Mill chimney has been sorted out, looks in good nick. Far better than when I went up it last!

[Stanley]

Oakmount Mill

[Stanley]

Who's working on Bancroft?

[Stanley]

Could Tom be on Bancroft again?

[Steeplejerk]

Not me Stanley,I left the last firm for pastures new,its a long story so i wont tire you with it

[Steeplejerk]

PS..I will call and see you very soon !!

[Bodger]

Does anyone know the story of " Vic " from Dukinfield ?

[Stanley]

Tom, that would be a treat! Remember to ring before 10 in the morning.....



Ten years since you were here last!

[Stanley]

Tom and Peter at Ellenroad in October 1985. Only 30 years ago, how time flies!

[Stanley]

The view from the top of Swabs in 1978. Pic by Peter Tatham.

[Stanley]

Peter was good at recording the chimneys he worked on, he took pics as evidence for the owners. Here is one on Swabs which shows how the air terminal was secured and how narrow and flimsy the brickwork at the top was. For it's size, Swabs was very lightly built and I often compared it to a milk bottle. Very wide at the base (40ft across internal) and thin walls. No wonder they had internal lightning protection right down to the flue liner, never seen that on a stack before.

[Stanley]

The transition from an octagonal shaft to a round head on Swabs. All very light construction but it must have been good enough. According to John Burnison's evidence this was done in 1923 when the chimney was extended and so it has lasted 55 years as this pic was taken in 1978.