Have any of you ever herd of/or used slic-pac to remove a plug ? 

i have never heard of that. dont know if i would try it   i would rather blow the boom

I'VE HEARD OF IT BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I'D TRY IT..

The operator that told me this recently moved from SC to CA,and is now working for Brundage and bone and says the oper,s there swear by it,but i`m still pretty sceptical. 

Couple o thoughts on that.

Lee Horton used to tell me that the best way to clear a totally plugged boom was by pumping clean water back and forth. I never tried it, but I believed him.

If a boom IS PLUGGED and you can not pump it out, removing the elbows and blowing out the straight pipe has always worked. Or Hooking another pump directly to the straight, plugged pipe and pump it out with water. 1100# of pressurized water will do a real number on a straight pipe full of concrete.

But if a boom is plugged, and you can not work it out with your pump, I see no future in applying pressurized air to that boom.................... Unless and until you have at least two people familiar with the rules for doing it right and the knowledge of what can happen by doing it wrong.

I would agree, but hooking the second pump to a dead pump cell can be good with a still soft mix in the pipes.

adding a reverse push to setting mud could be ok, but use rubber to connect second machine. We tried and aboarted to much chance of blowing up. We pull the pipe apart, then water wash. Wash the hopper out put two sponges in the gate and push through with water. We do have safe zones for this, and done right it is not violent, I would imagine the additive would help. I have had sheet metal get trapped in the inhouse, with no option af wash out rather than run for my nearest plant I put on my 5-4 4-3 tapper stood the 50m strait up and back and forth till it moved two strokes then moved the two sections down to the susspended slap backed her up then pulled reducers and hammerd the 1.5 ft dry pack with steel contamination out. Got lucky maybe but stand it up lesson the chance of blowing throgh with small tappers? suggestions welcome it just worked for me.

We learn tricks and this should be an old trick to some.

i tried it and it worked perfect just like lee said it would. 

i do not like to use air on a plug if i can keep from it,when i plugged and ued water and slick pak i just  pumped it out neverhad to rock it back and forth.

lee was a fountain of knowledge and  would like to see him back on the board

So add the slick pack to the hopper of water good stuff.

Good advice.

DOESN'T REALLY APPLY HERE BUT JUST TO SHARE SOMETHING I HAVE DONE TO GET OUT OF A TIGHT SPOT...  I BLEW A DECK PIPE (DAY BEFORE NEW PIPE ARRIVED) AND WAS LEFT WITH A BOOM FULL OF CONCRETE. YES WE COULD HAVE STOOD HER UP AND GOT ALOT OF IT OUT, BUT HERE IS WHAT I ENDED UP DOING.  I HAD A 5 TO 3 REDUCER ON THE TRUCK SO ATTACHED IT TO TIP, ACTUALY WAS ALREADY ON, WE HAD A MAYCO ON SITE CONECTED MAYCO TO TIP TO BACK WASH THE BOOM WITH WATER NO TROUBLE.  NOT THE BEST SOLUTION BUT WE WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE.

I honestly don't see how a slick pak would make any difference. I mean if you put a hard ball in the swing 90 and fill the hopper with water and can't pump it all out, a slick pak won't make a bit of difference. When someone brings back a solid packed boom, we usually try to pump it out with water, and if for some reason that doesn't work, we have a blow out cap that is adapted to hook up to our pressure washers. If a blow out cap with 2000psi of air and water pressure doesn't blow it out, nothing will. And we have actually found that out the hard way, the first time we tried it was on a boom with 5 1/2 hour old 5000 mix concrete, and it wasn't budging, so before we could shut off the pressure washer pump the pressure blew apart the metric boom clamp that was holding the cap on. Won't make that mistake again.

LOL I think we all have learned allot the hard way, but I like to push fresh concrete rather than water, but we have ready mix available, we knock of the first elbow to the first and hammer on it, If thats a no go its a free for all 10 monkeys with wrenches hehe.

Don't put a ball in and try to pump it out!! Just fill the hopper with water and do the forward/reverse method!! A seperated pump is easier to clean out than a set up one! And if you can get the material in the boom to move,you can get it clean with JUST water!

EXACTLY

I am so glad you guys buy from our advitisers Slick pak is good stuff that is for sure.

http://www.fritzpak.com/products/product_slick-pak.html

Thanks for buying from our sponsors.

ive used it before to unplug my pump 28m,39m,&41m it worked every time. the only time it fail on me was on a 32m but also swear by it .If you try it make sure your pipe is thick not thin thats how i roll in cali for BBcp.

Gentlemen,

This is a safety issue that some don't seem to take seriously & everyone should!  This practice kills people.

STRONGLY RECOMMEND NOT CLEANING WITH AIR PRESSURE!!  If you're hell-bent on cleaning out your boom with air pressure, the Army is looking for you.  Howitzer operators can kill people legitimately Pump Operators are not allowed this luxury.

Remember that the couplings on any boom are the limiting factor as far as pressure goes (at least when the system is new) & the metric ends are rated for 1233PSI (or 85bar) Working Pressure.

  As most OEM clamps on the booms out there are forged, they yield (bend) when subjected to higher than the rated WP & don't return to shape after the pressure is released.  This means that the clamp is not securing the end correctly after being subjected to these forces & this can greatly reduce the pressure capability of the boom system. 

Another issue would be blowing concrete out of double wall style boom tube.  I know of many cases where the air pressure method was used & it pushed the liner out of the tube along with the hardened concrete (can you say 'WASTE OF TIME').  Better yet, single wall being pounded repeatedly with a hammer can & will dent the hell out of the tube which will, in turn, cause premature failure of the pipe so what did you really save?

We had done safety seminars in the past & one of the things we talk about is that if your pump won't push the plug through, air pressure won't likely either, but it has the potential for disaster written all over it.

Strongly recommend NOT cleaning with air pressure!  Water clean-out is always the safer option.

(OK, I'm off the soapbox)

TJ

I am with you 100% Tom. Air pressure is too dangerous to mess with. Too much potential for injury. And If you think about it at all; all you get with air is 150# pushing on the concrete. With a water pump you get at least twice that, with your pump (pumping water) you get many times more without the potential violent explosion. And I know that those good CF clamps are built to take the pressure............ they should be on all the booms  ;~)

I to have heard these stories.The one that others and I have done is use on busted water wash's.I can work,but with variables.If your valve is wore out,love the rooster tails or just packed to tight.