Replies

1. 
   MikeSmith | Feb 18, 2005 06:04am | #1

   carpenters have been using wooden versions of the mono-jack for eons..

    i still like my aluma-pole..

    or trestles

   Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
1. 
   jimblodgett | Feb 18, 2005 06:07am | #2

   Those look pretty handy, Shoeman.  What do they cost? 

1. 
   Shoeman | Feb 18, 2005 10:18pm | #4

   http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/store-name=hi&index=universal&search-type=ss&field-manubrand=Reechcraft/102-6379191-9929758

   Looks like Amazon had them for $170 but they are listed as discontinued

   Probably have to search around a bit more

1. 
   EricPaulson | Feb 19, 2005 12:18am | #6

   That looks scary! It's gotta bust up the siding too.

   Buy the regular pole jacks and make some poles.

   It's not a big investment.

   EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,

   With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.

   [email protected]

2. 
   JeffBuck | Feb 18, 2005 09:26am | #3

   yup ...

   make the sides outta a full sheet of 3/4 ply ...

   bet 1/2 would work.

   just cut into 2 4x4 ...

   then cut a diagonal.

   there's yer 4 triangles.

   nail heavy onto a coupla 2x4's ... one at 4ft .. the top ..

   one at 5 or so ... the down leg ...

   and shove in another 2x4 for the upright.

    

   I've looked into those "premade" ones ... look pretty good to me.

   probably easier to set.

    

   Jeff  Buck Construction 

      Artistry in Carpentry

           Pgh, PA

3. 
   Shoeman | Feb 18, 2005 10:19pm | #5

   I would like your aluma poles too

   Just thought these looked like a viable alternative for an ocassional user with less bucks

4. 
   blue_eyed_devil | Feb 19, 2005 12:39am | #7

   Mike, I built my first Mono jack sometime in the late 70's. I built them almost exactly as Jeff describes using plywood scraps.

   The key to the entire setup is the brace. The mono jack system mentions in their FAQ's that the angle of the brace is part of the adjustment of the height. In the field, I can assure you that we'd have a tough time making that aluminum pole thingy work out, but given the infinite amount of variables that I can create with wood, I'll find a way to brace it all up safely.

   I used to like the flexibility of the wooden ones. For instance, if I wanted to set one up at 12' off the ground, I'd simply nail a piece of 12' linial onto the existing 4' brace, then lean up the diagonal. The bottom of the 12' linial would typically rest on the brickledge, so I knew it wasn't going to sink into the mud. The weakness in the system is the angled brace. It's important to get it firmly planted and onto something that won't sink. Sometimes that is quite a task on a severly sloped grade.

   All in all, I rarely have need to set up any staging like that. In most cases, I'd rather lean up 4 ladders and just jump from one ladder to the next. Of course, I'm not doing siding which would require a longer period of time up there.

   blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!

   Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!