Ashtabula High Smokestack comes down, 12-16-2012

[@ashTHFCley]

Just for one minute, imagine Fred’s reaction 😂😂😂

[@SunofYork]

Fred Dibnah would have had a cig, and then spit, and then gone to the pub... Asking for a 'fag' in the US would have been a bad move coz they don't speak English

[@winstonwho]

he wouls be astonished any of these ever did this before, and survived

[@geraldstarr9950]

If you listen closely you can hear the spirit of Fred Dibnah laughing his bollocks off.

[@yamantakayamantaka9974]

i looked him up, he's awesome

[@woodennecktie]

at least he knew his tricks , and was not scarse on firewood

[@brianthesnail3815]

At the end of this we need Fred Dibnah running out of a cloud of soot and brick dust saying 'By eck, that were close!

[@tedf1471]

"Did you like that?" Dear Fred.

[@utube1818]

what was the point of burning the timber, even if they had done it correctly they never gave the timbers a chance to burn through.

[@paulnicholls8683]

So right. Specialists at the job. No. Jackhammer and a 2 by 8

[@tomscotland]

Couple of fellas looking for a half day out with the undertakers.

[@domolition_garage2607]

Proof that nobody does it better than Fred Dibnah did it

[@IstasPumaNevada]

Fred Dibnah is a wonderful example of survivor bias.

[@ChrisParsons-i1r]

Was thinking the exact thing

[@laurencecope7083]

Fred would be rolling about laughing his head off.

[@GOLDSMITHEXILE]

I wonder what Fred's first attempt turned out like?

[@stevenbiars4817]

Should have cut a good bit farther around the stack. It needs to very closely approximate or surpass 50% Also, if that stack were bearing down on the timbers, you wouldn't be able to jab them with a plank. They'd have a few ton each riding on them.

[@alanfromdarwen]

i think someone needs to watch how the late great FRED DIBNAH did this..

[@pradey-nashpainting6727]

If Fred could of seen how bad they did this compared to how he did his!

[@trevortrevortsr2]

I was just thinking the same

[@davidtyndall9604]

Exactly what I was thinking. These guys need to watch another video...LOL

[@AVASTWORLD]

I love that so many remember him

[@IAMPLEDGE]

@@AVASTWORLD who could forget Fred Dibnah? And these demolitions are not the same without Fred's roll up, his fog horn and him asking "did you like that?".

[@MSWSB]

A lot of beers were being held while these geniuses were at work.

[@stevehoward3049]

I think they should have had more fuel available for the fire. The fire they made didn't produce enough heat to break down the mortar at the break points on both sides of the notch. Continuing to jackhammer at these pressure points was very risky for the operator. The wall could have broke out and struck him when the smoke stack started to collapse. A bigger fire would have allowed the workers to stand clear when the chimney dropped.

[@THEEJuror13]

A true case of ‘we don’t know what we’re doing’

[@bogey19018]

But they did.

[@brianwalmsley447]

Fred can't believe it the guys need to watch Fred's video's to watch how it's done 👍🔥

[@falmark187]

Fred would have said “that job was done by so called Steeplejacks”

[@mercoid]

Fred would always build a huge fire. Seemingly more than was needed, but he knew what he was doing

[@guinness38]

I came here to at this. Fred didn't start the fire then go poking because he had misjudged the job.

[@IAMPLEDGE]

@@guinness38 Nope, his fires were big enough to crack the cement and weaken the bricks some more and he weakened the structure more, propping it up on better wood than the sticks these guys were using. Also I couldn't see a plumb line set up anywhere. It wasn't by luck that Fred knew when these were about to fall.

[@paulburns1333]

Not really. I've seen him scrambling out the way as a chimney randomly fell, he got away with murder as well.

[@ronnieg6358]

Are there any pictures of these chimneys being built?

[@lbaldylocks6681]

I do wonder why a high school would need a 135 foot brick chimney. Unless there was a mill attached?

[@donnebes9421]

1:40 this can’t possibly be the most advanced technology we have to bring down that silo.

[@ethanhoward389]

you should see the technology they used to build it a century and a half ago

[@brianniegemann4788]

In England they have a LOT of very tall old brick smokestacks; it's the birthplace of the industrial revolution. They have 2 methods of knocking them down. First, they knock rows of small holes, a few bricks across, around the base. As each one is opened wedges are driven into it to support the weight. Once there are enough holes, a bonfire is lit inside the base. The wedges are slowly burned through, until it all comes crashing down in a big pile. Sometimes that's too risky, it might fall sideways and take out an apartment building. So then they call Seamus. Seamus is 75 years old. He climbs to the top of the chimney and builds a small scaffold around the top, suspended on ropes. Then he starts knocking bricks down into the center, round and round, with a sledgehammer. This continues every day until it's gone. Seamus can take out a 200 foot chimney in a few months.

[@alanmcewen6750]

To see how smokestacks are correctly and expertly demolished read this amazing book: FRED DIBNAH'S CHIMNEY DROPS. Published by Sledgehammer press.

[@gazza1136]

Rip fred. You was a legend. If these clowns continue to do it there way, they will surely be joining you soon!!!

[@MegaChaos91]

their way*

[@googant.v5160]

Dude running the show is literally the dumbest fuck I have ever met.

[@joshua7999]

Now how is the smoke supposed to get out?

[@tcod3137]

Very good😂😂

[@toypupanbai3544]

Where's Fred Dibnah when his expertise is so needed?

[@edwardjonez6615]

YES FRED would tell the blokes it's a bloody ROTTEN job ..like..

[@super6954]

or stand there watching the white crosses drawn on the chimney while smoking saying "it's going", he'd run like hell, and there would be the sounding of his trademark horn. then when its all over say "did ya like that" with that big smile. I met him once with his steam engine at a show. He was an amazing guy it's a shame he died of Cancer in the end.All his remaining stuff got sold recently from his yard. With all the current safety regulations he'd never be able to work like that now either, but he'd still have many more good true stories to tell us.

[@MrCOUNTYCORK]

Fred is turning in his grave watching that lot , his words, lunatics like

[@Mercmad]

And Fred would have had a real fire burning with a guage in the other side to indicate angle and movement.

[@matthewfoster6620]

I could hear Fred laughing in the background

[@dennistennyson4540]

I can only wonder how long it took to build the stack ?

[@mitchjones2821]

Yeah, Fred would stack about 3 demo’d houses worth of wood at the base to make one large and very very hot fast burning fire so pier poles/telephones poles (not 4x4’s) would burn fast and even. Also woulda taken another 3’ out for the opening.

[@vstrom9586]

So you set the wood on fire , then knock it out before they burn

[@Stonka1]

I'm only here for the Fred Dibnah comments 😏

[@tomroland2315]

me too

[@jordyoomen9025]

Yes me too

[@spacexfan1281]

Who TF is hi

[@DrBovdin]

Saw the video recommended now for some reason, didn’t scroll to the comments first. After seeing the comedy, I went for the Dibnah comments.

[@jahzd4028]

DID THE BRICKS DIE?

[@jjtrades7186]

These are the kinds of videos that keep OSHA awake at night

[@paulkandi]

Fred would be laughing his b...ks off 😂😂😂

[@errorsk2188]

I was like, there is no way one plank was holding it up.

[@isilder]

The problem is that the stack is not symmetrical. It didn't want to lean in that direction. It wanted to go in the direction it finally fell in. Cutting notches doesn't set the direction because brick & mortar has no compression..

[@DenzelLN936]

You mean tension......

[@master_Blaster91]

Go watch fred Dibnah

[@4sl648]

Whats holding it up? Habit.

[@bg147]

What is the point of using props and burning them if the guy is going to stand right there and knock them out by hand. It removes the safety cushion. Fred never needed to wrap bands around the stack. Plus, I think he removed more than 180 degrees of bricks

[@jibjab351]

So they put the wooden props in,set fire to them ,the fire goes out so they knock the props out with a plank.It still does not fall so they get the jack hammer out again then presumably run like hell when it does fall. What a bunch of amateurs, Fred would be turning in his grave.

[@johnnyholland8765]

Million dollar question...... How many bricks were in that structure

[@stevehoward3541]

"Sure I can take that smokestack down for couple hundred bucks and a case of beer man".

[@ericchapman399]

Reminds me of the old Swiss proverb "Silly people always lucky". These guys just proved it.

[@anythingoldmechanical]

A very poor and clueless imitation of the late and great Fred Dibnah.

[@NagendraKumar-to9il]

.

[@elektricTV]

А, как вы автор сделали, что комментарии переводятся на русский? Я вот по английски пишу комментарий - он английский и остаётся. Без подменю "перевести".

[@paulsharp3865]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Fred Dibnah yet.

[@paddyboy557]

Well how did you like that

[@Caver461]

Wonder what OHSA would have to say about those practices?

[@garethowen8730]

How's that bloke manage to live so long? Just shows how skilful Fred was maybe some one should send him a Fred Dibnah boxset.

[@paulkandi]

Freds way was meticulous and very skilled craftsman, he was a builder and engineer, and knew exactly the way to do the job, safely and never had one go wrong, these guys are playing with death and should never be allowed to this job...

[@IstasPumaNevada]

Fred Dibnah's fame is survivor bias defined.

[@philredbud3589]

After this, the guy changed his name to Todd Hoffman and became a "gold miner" on Discovery with his dad Santa

[@pauldzim]

I'm sure those hard hats would have protected them had anything gone wrong

[@stevethegreasemonkey]

The hard hats aren't going to stop them from getting a shorter neck

[@aaronshed]

if your able to hit the supports out then they are not taking the load...

[@steve1750]

Exactly why Fred used logs and not 4x4.

[@quienvive675]

This story could have ended this way, "He died doing what he loved to do."

[@mikaelabowen5781]

When a Dibnah is so badly needed!

[@willfishing5605]

pretty crazy how much weight a half-burnt 2x4 can hold

[@michaelanderson9792]

how many bricks stayed whole unbroken?

[@chieftp]

why do people keep destroying these majestic brick smoke stacks???? there aren't many left.

[@Gr8thxAlot]

They serve no purpose, cost money to maintain, and they might be a hazard. The schools here are now geothermal, so zero exhaust. It's crazy to think about. My schools had stacks like these. I assume for coal or oil back then.

[@mr.pacman1921]

Hey who is fred dibnah

[@sweetwaterbowworks9575]

What was the chimney used for?

[@SA-qg2bv]

smoke

[@jacobjohnson3200]

You know bricks are 'forged' in fire, right?

[@marekgregory4512]

Amateurs....."Half a day out with the undertakers" as Fred would say.....

[@anttiahonen7828]

HM

[@WCMT89]

Towd fred dibnah wudda had it down in no time, from what I've seen of him doing this same technique the fire needs to be allot bigger. It was obvious it wasnt gonna topple over when he knocked the wood away, and that's why it was obviously of the weight of that chimney was resting of them blocks he wudnt have been able to knock them out

[@sunnavailable]

Nice job! I thought it would come down with damage.

[@esuohdica]

Fred would have scored this pretty low! but probably had a good laugh too.

[@peterbarlow8912]

That’s old school burning out temporary props when felling a chimney. Notch needs to be well past halfway. These days you could just cable pull the temporary props out with a machine. Also pull the chimney with another long cable up as high as you could attach it. Timber!!!😂

[@dodojack1045]

Where is the style & class of Fred Dibnah...?

[@Nokku]

Howe do thay circl the briks

[@philredbud3589]

They build out of breeze block sized bricks then get these demo guys to chip them into circles, simples ;o)

[@percival23]

When your budget is 50 bucks to knock down a chimney ...this is what it looks like.

[@saxocoustic]

Fred would be rolling on the floor with laughter watching this - that's not a chimney - see Fred Dibneys videos to see a real chimney

[@mercoid]

Why is this guy poking out the timbers with a board? Isn’t it the idea that the timbers support the structure and burning them out then causes the structure to collapse? Also, how did they expect the timbers to burn by just putting a blowtorch to them. As Fred did it, he would add all sorts of debris around the timbers to fuel the fire. What these guys are doing, is complete nonsense.

[@TeaBagggg]

I’m now in the destroying stuff part of KZbin

[@andylee2815]

Very unprofessional only professional people should be doing this. They haven’t got a clue what they’re at.

[@adrianoleuzzi2217]

Ottimo lavoro, con molta suspence finale! Bravi.

[@stanwamberg]

OSHA to them is just a small town in Wisconsin. But at least they have hard hats on. Ha, and the burning props: well it worked in my dream. How a high school custodial staff takes down a stack.

[@Whin556]

Only in Ashtabula will something like this happen

[@kelly6739]

I take it these cowboys have never watched a real pro like Fred Dibnah.

[@artfuldodger9312]

This is absolutely ridiculous. You want to see a true professional in action, don't you? Observe the fantastic Fred Dibnah.

[@gushollahbackatya1765]

Seriously ?? "Peck at it with this 2x6 for a while".... How f*cking stupid...

[@BuildersLondon]

Pneumatic (compressed air)are much better than electrical Demolition Breakers, a company from Sweden used to supply our drilling bits

[@1946luke]

I wonder why they don't just leave old smokestacks standing, instead of going to all the trouble of knocking them down ?

[@williammorton8555]

Fred Dibnah would have a Very colourful description of this foolishness.

[@PeterGardner-e1z]

AmaturesFred Dibnah uses a real fire not just the kindling.

[@isilder]

Why did they think a few sticks would hold up such a tall brick tower ... those little bits of white wood wouldn't hold it ... they were useless.. the better way to steer the collapse is with leverage.. a cable pulling in desired direction...

[@127069]

look up fred dibnah on here to see how its done

[@alexanderleeart]

why does a high school need a 135-foot smoke stack?

[@peterstepanov8062]

For coal-powered heating, perhaps

[@zimmerei-maltegelhorn7538]

Maybe they just wanted to have one for aesthetic Reason?

[@johnnybrace]

watching with my jaw on the table as these guys beaver away at this lmfao!

[@jonkiddart5706]

They obviously haven't the foggiest idea about what they are doing, and that's just a toy chimney compared with the monsters that Fred brought down 😬

[@demolitiondavedrillandblast]

This has got to be one of the most dangerous chimney demolitions that I have ever seen. Just use explosives guys and everybody can be at a safe distance.

[@lt4324]

Possibly just a small company with no explosive experience and may not be certified to get that type of license or permits for using explosives.

[@BoratWanksta]

I also thought too why were they not using explosives, to tear down this chimney as well? At least noone was killed when this chimney fell, but to me this seems like not the best method to demolish this chimney.

[@scottmarquis7624]

"Did you liike that"...

[@billbright1755]

U.S.S. Ashtabula AO 51 twelve battle stars, eight campaign stars. Sparrows Point Maryland. Jumboized, San Pedro California. Home port Long Beach California.

[@michaelhodges5921]

How not to do it right

[@grsymes]

He's no Fred

[@mercoid]

Nothing goes well in Ashtabula OH.

[@Clowningabout001]

When you watch a few KZbin videos and think... 'Yeah, I can do that!?'....... Then realise actually, you cant!

[@codprocamp4690]

Wouldn't demolition charges be a little safer?

[@n.jayhigley522]

Really annoys me that it took so long to get a new high school built in Ashtabula. Would have been nice if myself and the rest of the Class of '97 had been able to go to a shiny new school like Lakeside, instead of a decaying, rotting dump like AHS and Harbor.

[@ardalla535]

Nobody's watching this to see the 'correct technique'. We're just here to see it fall and wonder how much all those old bricks would sell for.

[@joesophie90]

Fred Dibnah would be turning in his grave if he saw this. This video is how *NOT* to topple a chimney. Watch how Fred did it, correctly, in in his many videos here on KZbin.

[@tomace194]

Why not let the fire do the work?

[@Gidaddy55]

Glad hes wearing a hard hat thats alot of brick😅😅😅😅😅

[@Oliver-kv2mm]

His mom never told him not to play with fire and sticks.

[@joecat916]

Spiderweb lattice of heavy cable very heavy loader with a strong winch even than it ain't safe.

[@nigelray11]

all I can say is good thing those guys are wearing hard hats! I mean a brick falling from 134 feet might make a bit of a bump on your head...

[@hubbahubba3166]

"A helmet a day keeps you from dead every day!"

[@IAMPLEDGE]

yep. As if a helmet is going to help if you drop a chimney on your head! Flat cap is what's required.

[@yzmoto80]

I don’t understand why they didn’t run a 50’ cable around the wooden supports, hook it up to a truck hitch, and just take off down the road while watching the stack fall in the rear view mirror !!! Why all the drama burning shit, and throwing gas on the fire ?

[@damselnlace44]

OMG!!!! Surprise the other guy wasn't pushing on it as he jack hammered the bricks.

[@joseparada4430]

American Technology...?

[@tpte]

When your 13 and your mom walks in on you alone in your room. 2:31