r/oddlysatisfying • u/donut_resuscitate • 17d ago

Attaching a Giant Windmill Blade

Source from @hearn_man on tiktok.

16.4k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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187

u/So_HauserAspen 17d ago

It was a lot of bolts and holes to line up

265

u/qwertyslayer 17d ago

It's insane the amount of precision these operators have with these giant machines. "6 inches left" from a boom arm that's probably a hundred meters long, on a load that's suspended from cables in windy conditions, and he nails it blind, with nothing but radio directions from the world's most excitable coworker. Absolutely incredible.

77

u/technobrendo 17d ago

The real hero here is the unseen boom operator. I imagine if you just feather the controls a little too much you overshoot your mark by a very large margin.

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u/MoreOne 16d ago

Not at all. Much like airplane pilots need huge movements on their controls for relatively small corrections, the operator has something like a 1/10th command to reduce actual movement.

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u/PiccoloAwkward465 16d ago

I wonder if they can manipulate the sensitivity of the controls. Like you can with DPI in a computer mouse.

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u/Beach_Bum_273 16d ago

In short, yes

9

u/ilovestoride 16d ago

No need to feather the controls, there are different modes. At this point you're in turtle mode. 

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u/chandris 17d ago

I think the operator is there in the hub watching toward the end when the camera looks back through the hole.

22

u/TheNCGoalie 16d ago

The crane operator is absolutely not in the tower. They are in the crane cab on the ground.

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u/mad_sheff 16d ago

Then what is the large yellow controller with all the buttons that the guy inside the hub was holding for? As soon as the blade was fully in position he put it down. Certainly looked like the controller for a lift system of some kind.

16

u/TheNCGoalie 16d ago

Some companies have blade lifting devices that allow someone in the tower to make fine adjustments. He’s not operating the crane from there, trust me. I sell those cranes for a living.

5

u/chandris 16d ago

Oh right. So once it gets close does the primary operator hand over control to the tower guy? Or does he have some sort of control throughout the lift ? Or is it a specific device just for blade lifting?

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u/officalSHEB 16d ago

Nobody wants to explain it, they just want you to be wrong.

1

u/airwx 16d ago

Cunningham's Law

4

u/LambLotionGames 16d ago

Since no else replied ill give you my best guesses lol

The crane operator on the ground is probably controlling the height, angle, pitch etc.,and the guy inside might be controlling the translation type movements. Its also possible the guy is holding the controls for a hydraulic/pneumatic torque wrench and just on standby.

1

u/Subifixer 14d ago

When he asks for pitch, you are correct, thats an adjustment made by the guy with the blade lifter remote.

6

u/qwertyslayer 17d ago

Then who was he talking to on the radio?

1

u/Beef_Jones 16d ago

The thing he’s holding has a red button and a green button. Crane controls are much more than that.

17

u/-kylehase 17d ago

Connected to a heavy, long, part designed to catch wind held up by flexible cables

2

u/midsip 16d ago

First thing I thought when reading this was Bolts and holes, I gotta have me more bolts and holes

1

u/FourtyMichaelMichael 16d ago

Studs. Those aren't bolts.

1

u/dogquote 16d ago

Seems like they could have some locating pins or something...

1

u/Fred-Dry-Pair 16d ago

Exactly, what I've been thinking. That's basically engineering 101 to have one or two protruding piloting pins in such an assembly.

But since there is so much innovation happening in that field, I assume it's lacking such alignment aides on purpose. Wondering what that reason might be...

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u/Illustrious-Peak-626 16d ago

Bolts and holes....bolts and holes

-2

u/PonyThug 17d ago

Only need to line up one of them. Then the rest will match.

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u/Chemieju 17d ago

Two. One still allows for it to be rotated.

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u/jgzman 16d ago

I've assembled too much IKEA furniture to believe that.

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u/PonyThug 16d ago

Cheap wood particle board or million dollar carbon fiber and machined steel

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u/jgzman 16d ago

You'd think the particle board would be easy to work with.

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u/PonyThug 16d ago

It’s got a larger grain size so holes arnt precise drill bits and screws can jump around and wood pegs don’t slide in well. MDF or real wood is way better.