Yesterday we continued the monumental task of setting up the gondola frame and organizing all of our equipment. We went through the basics in the morning, putting on the legs, floors, pyramids, and preparing the inner frame. Our safety officer, Luke, watched and familiarized himself with the gondola and how we work. Then, in the afternoon, we conducted our very first hazardous operation: attaching the inner frame.
All in all, it went very well. Our climbers used harnesses to stand on the outer frame, but they were inconvenient and didn’t seem to make things any safer (possibly even less safe). Luke agreed and in the future we are free to climb up on the outer frame, as long as we have a spotter.
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- What we had to work with, at the beginning of the day
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- We have two white hard hats (science wears white), now complete with stickers
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- Tightening bolts on legs makes Juan crazy
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- We rested the frame on jacks until legs and wheels were attached
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- Safety 1st, wearing steel toes
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- Chocks and plywood, how the feet should always rest
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- Robin
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- Nick talks to Luke about qualifiying the floor for our use. That is one Nick worth of bricks on there
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- I normally don’t take pictures of people taking pictures, but this is Luke documenting the tests
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- Meanwhile, Elio and I spent most of the day dealing with boxes
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- Elio and Nick support the flywheel, trying to help Juan align it with the motor
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- Juan drills at me
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- Nick shows off his ladies: the biggest, toughest, prettiest wrenches we have
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- Juan attaches the bearing to the side of the inner frame
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- The pyramid is lifted into place
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- Samurai-style Elio tries to get it in place. This was really hard, and eventually some of the rigging crew helped us out
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- Hazardous Operation in Progress
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- Pre-operation meeting (supervisors in red hats, riggers green, science white)
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- Juan models the harness he will wear while climbing
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- Ready to go. Alec operates the crane, Vic and Elio look on
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- Dave and Gabe look on from the peanut gallery
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- Lifting slowly, and lining up with the crane (which is confined to the middle of the room)
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- Alec on the Crane
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- Eventually the frame is fully suspended
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- Derek handles one of the guylines
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- Luke watching
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- Lowering into place
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- Nick straps in
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- Juan guides his end in
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- Nick tries to align and attach the motor. This is the hard part
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- Elio watches
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- Larry watches too
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- To help Nick, Vic gets right up in there (as he tends to do)
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- Portrait of Me, by Juan
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- Leaving Work, by Juan
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