Warning!!

[jmbfestool]

To day I thought I just get my scaffolding out which I have been storing outside!!!!  

Well .......  Here are some pictures what can happen!   At first I thought some one had come round and decided to smash my scaffolding up!!  

As you can see two sections of my scaffolding a small section with built in ladder and a larger section with built in ladder have been damaged.

Soon came to realise that the reason they broke was because of water freezing which expanded so much and popped my scaffolding.    The reason why the pipes had filled up with water was because because of the ladders.   The ladders which are connected to the tubes are the only ones with a complete weld so no water could get out.  

Just thought let others know!!

Here is a picture showing the section where the ladders are attached which have a complete weld all the way round

 

[jmbfestool]

I'm not a happy bunny.

 

[Kev]

See what the cold can do ... you should send all of your nice tools down to Sydney, where I can protect them from the cold !

Bad luck though - that's a lesson you only need to learn once  [sad]

 

[sgryd]

Thanks for the post. I'll go out and look at mine. If I have any complete welds I'll drill some holes in the tubes.
//Michael

 

[jmbfestool]

See what the cold can do ... you should send all of your nice tools down to Sydney, where I can protect them from the cold !

Bad luck though - that's a lesson you only need to learn once  [sad]

Lol nice try.

Yeah I can't believe how much ice must expand as you can see the ice has completely pushed the ring tubes out of the sockets. Good 2 inch push.

I have tried to push them back into the tubes but struggling to just get them off sitting on the edge of the tube to then get them lined up in the tube to push them back in.

Most of the bars and even ladders are bent so must of been some force.

Lesson learned

 

[jmbfestool]

Thanks for the post. I'll go out and look at mine. If I have any complete welds I'll drill some holes in the tubes.
//Michael

No problem.  

I thought to my self if I didn't know something like that could happen I'm sure others wouldn't either.  

So to save other people having something happend to theirs I thought I would post it.

That's what I'm going to do drill some tiny little holes on the ones with complete weld.  

It's because I had mine stored on their sides rain water was able to get in the part welded sections and so the tube was able to fill right up.

If I had stored them upright wouldn't of had the problem.

But to avoid any future problems I'm drilling mine but also storing them upright.

Would of thought the manufacture would of know something like this could happen.

Jmb

 

[sgryd]

Mine is lying on the side under a huge pile of snow  [crying]

 

[Kev]

See what the cold can do ... you should send all of your nice tools down to Sydney, where I can protect them from the cold !

Bad luck though - that's a lesson you only need to learn once  [sad]

Lol nice try.

Yeah I can't believe how much ice must expand as you can see the ice has completely pushed the ring tubes it of the sockets. Good 2 inch push.

I have tried to push them back into the tubes but struggling to just get them off sitting on the edge of the tube to then get them lined up in the tube to push them back in.

Most of the bars and even ladders are bent so must of been some force.

Lesson learned

I remember an experiment that was demonstrated in science at school a long time ago, we watched it on a 16mm projector (yep - long time) - a solid steel ball with one threaded hole was filled with room temperature water. The ball was at least 3/8" thick. A bolt was screwed in to take up all remaining space and seal the ball.

The ball was then lowered into a container of water that was full of ice cubes ... Seconds later the steel ball exploded violently.

 

[jmbfestool]

Mine is lying on the side under a huge pile of snow  [crying]

Mine is British made urs likely to be made in Sweden so be a batter made scaffold they most likely have full welds all over so no water can even get in.  Mine cheap so were possible only spot weld lol.

Yours might be constructed different.  The rest of the scaffolding is completely fine just the ladder ones.

 

[Deansocial]

I'd email the manufacturer

 

[jmbfestool]

I'd email the manufacturer

I called them up and they told me to send them pictures.  I sent them the link to FOG. 

They replied saying  replacement frame £89+vat.

I emailed back asking is the price the same for both frames as one is a large section frame and the other is a small section.  I have not had a reply.  I replied pretty soon after I recieved their email sooo.

 

[Bob Gerritsen]

That sucks JMB, thanks for sharing though, might prevent it from happening to someone else.

Hope they will help you out here.

Cheers, Bob.

 

[Alan m]

thanks for letting us know.
it might stop it hapening to someone else.
what brand tower is that.

they should have given you a new one free because its a design  or manufacturing flaw.
it would be cheaper to get it welded back togehter

 

[jmbfestool]

thanks for letting us know.
it might stop it hapening to someone else.
what brand tower is that.

they should have given you a new one free because its a design  or manufacturing flaw.
it would be cheaper to get it welded back togehter

It's a Lewis a scaffold. I bought my scafold direct from them I think.

I do believe its something they should of known about. A 2mm hole should of been drilled from manufacture.

I thought welding it back would be cheaper but when looking closely at the entire frames other joints have hair line cracks and pretty much every bar is bent if you eye it down. 

So there must of been alot of bending going on before one weld joint couldnt take it any more.

I'm not best pleased the company has not come back to me. 
http://www.scaffold-tower.co.uk/?gclid=CO3v74_ElbYCFYfJtAodKXsAwA

Jmb

 

[Deansocial]

Sure your not carrying a bit of christmas weight still jmb

 

[awil66]

That's not right! LMAO

 

[jmbfestool]

Sure your not carrying a bit of christmas weight still jmb

Im afraid my 9-10st weight wudnt do much shifting

If you had borrowed it I could of believed it though [tongue] 

 

[jacko9]

It looks like one of the reasons that I moved from Upstate NY to California - (NO SNOW).

Jack

 

[Wonderwino]

If the manufacturer had just drilled a few small "weep" holes, this would not have happened.

 

[jmbfestool]

If the manufacturer had just drilled a few small "weep" holes, this would not have happened.

Yip.  I would of done it my self if I had know this would off happend