# Swing stage scaffolding



## South-FL-Painter (Jan 17, 2012)

I get more and more calls to paint exterior's of an apartment buildings here in Miami area,and was researching online about swing stage scaffoldings.As I am not very experienced in that, I was looking to start of bidding with the companies that comes and sets up the equipment at first(I know that will chew up most of the profit,but at least i can have on hand training,and not try something like that as DIY.At least for the first couple of jobs.Anybody have experience with those? Equipment pricing? Purchase vs rental? I am familiar with heights and operating booms,but not swing stages. I don't want to go more than 12 floor buildings to start.

Thanks


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

all the outfits I ever worked for, nobody ever had their own swimg. all rentals. They got salesman like anybody else does they should be happy to survey the job and lost out what you need. Pricing? I dunno about Cept for that it is very detailed-as in every bolt has a charge.

Swimg work is not rocket Sciemce. Pretty simple really. Button-up. button-down. When you got to move it now you want somebody on the job that has some experience with the rigging. 12 floors is no better of a fall IMO than would be a 30 floor fall.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

The major companies all can give you a price for renting the gear and setting it up. The tricky part is anchoring the cables to the building and whether you can use outrigger beams with counterweights, parapet hooks, or something else. That, and the anchors for the individual lifelines. Don't skip that last step.


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## South-FL-Painter (Jan 17, 2012)

Thank you guys for your help.I will contact few reps and see what we cAn do.


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## Repaint Florida (May 31, 2012)

check out spider staging great company to use :thumbsup:


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

For 30 years, we've worked with Safway Supply. They have a location in Orlando.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

The last time I worked on a swing stage was on an oil storage tank. You have to have the right cables, clamps, and in the case of a round tank, rollers. You'll find an application for just about any configuration. I've operated both pneumatic, and electric, and tended to like the pneumatic better.

Like any other heavy equipment with high pressure or high voltage power supplies, be very careful. You'll still need a safety line, harness and lanyard, along with a rope grab.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

SFP, sorry, but I can't remember if you've posted anything about your operation. The only reason I bring it up is that all the stages that we've rented take two people to operate, one on each winch motor. That's not to say that there aren't other set-ups, but I thought a heads up might be in order. I've run one by myself, but it involved a lot of sliding or climbing from one end of the stage to the other.

It would be like getting an aerial lift dropped off at the job site, only to discover that there are no controls in the bucket...or so I've heard.


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## benthepainter (Jun 17, 2011)

I've only used a swinging stage maybe 15yrs ago
And never again this one In the pic surely couldn't be safe or standard ??????

It had two seperate motors so by yourself stand in the middle stretched out and you have to press the buttons on each motor at the same time lol if you were a little unko you most likely would be hanging on lol


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## benthepainter (Jun 17, 2011)

You could always go old school


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

benthepainter said:


> You could always go old school


With that 4:1 purchase, can you imagine doing a 12-story building? If you assume 10ft/story, that means ~500 feet of line to haul yourself up. You'll have gorilla arms by the end of that job.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

benthepainter said:


> I've only used a swinging stage maybe 15yrs ago
> And never again this one In the pic surely couldn't be safe or standard ??????
> 
> It had two seperate motors so by yourself stand in the middle stretched out and you have to press the buttons on each motor at the same time lol if you were a little unko you most likely would be hanging on lol


One that we rented was a 32-footer. Operating it by yourself meant a lot of back and forth.


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## South-FL-Painter (Jan 17, 2012)

Gough said:


> SFP, sorry, but I can't remember if you've posted anything about your operation. The only reason I bring it up is that all the stages that we've rented take two people to operate, one on each winch motor. That's not to say that there aren't other set-ups, but I thought a heads up might be in order. I've run one by myself, but it involved a lot of sliding or climbing from one end of the stage to the other. It would be like getting an aerial lift dropped off at the job site, only to discover that there are no controls in the bucket...or so I've heard.


Thanks for heads up,I have few great guys working for me so no I am no one man show.


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## [email protected] (Mar 1, 2008)

All I have done is old school almost 30 years ago. It was a good time. Young and almost stupid but only up to 5 story's


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

benthepainter said:


> You could always go old school


I have one of those sets but for a bosuns chair. Have the hook, block and tackle, chair and of course the safety line. It's pretty interesting swinging up there and painting like that off the chair. Not something I look forward to, but sometimes it's just the only way to access something.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Schmidt & Co. said:


> I have one of those sets but for a bosuns chair. Have the hook, block and tackle, chair and of course the safety line. It's pretty interesting swinging up there and painting like that off the chair. Not something I look forward to, but sometimes it's just the only way to access something.


The most recent version we have is made from an old steel tractor seat, much more comfortable than a board/plywood. I think the last time we used it was for a church steeple...still makes my palms sweat to think about that.


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

Gough said:


> The most recent version we have is made from an old steel tractor seat, much more comfortable than a board/plywood. I think the last time we used it was for a church steeple...still makes my palms sweat to think about that.


Yea. The last time I used it the guys made it a it a point to ask me for a pay raise as the were hoisting me up. :yes:


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Schmidt & Co. said:


> Yea. The last time I used it the guys made it a it a point to ask me for a pay raise as the were hoisting me up. :yes:


You had your guys hoist you up??? I always thought that the trip up was to get your arms loosened up.


Actually, we use a modified "rope walker system", so our legs do the work.


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