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A simple chalk line trick saved my bacon on a tricky lift yesterday.

We were setting a 12-ton HVAC unit on a rooftop in Cincinnati, and the spot was tight with a lot of old pipework. Instead of just trusting the spotter's hand signals from below, I had my ground guy snap a bright chalk line on the roof deck right where the pad was. From up in the cab, that thin yellow line was way easier to see than hand waves against the gray roof. It let me place the unit within an inch of the mark on the first try. Has anyone else used a simple visual aid like that for a blind pick?
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2 Comments
rodriguez.jordan
Sounds like a lot of extra work for an inch, lol. Not sure a chalk line is that much better than a good spotter you trust. Feels like one of those things that looks smart but just adds another step. Did the chalk even hold up or just blow away?
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richard581
richard5816d agoMost Upvoted
Have you ever had a spotter's hands blend into the background from up high? That chalk line is a fixed, clear target. An inch on a tight lift is the difference between a smooth day and a costly re-rig.
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