New to the site. Forgive me, I did communications line construction for years... But, I do have a few tricks to bring with me.
Great first post and welcome to this forum, you can also introduce yourself here........
CLICK
I like to take about a 4ft length of flat UG pull line in the bucket with me with a loop tied in one end. This loop is big enough to fit over the bucket hook. This stuff is rated for 1250lbs. and is great for tying a grapevine around a service if you need to free your hands. You can actually sag with it by sliding it out while pulling up the service just make sure your bucket hooks are secure. Now I know a 20 wedge grip with slackies is great too, but you don't have to split the service with one hand to put on the grapevine. Plus the pull line takes up no room at all. Also if you throw a little tape on end it makes it easier to handle in gloves.
Your method might work good for sagging a telephone drop to a house but I can not imagine that cable folks use a grapevine on coaxial cable…seems it might damage it. Sponge where did you get bucket hooks that are rated for tension? I always thought they where made to hold things and I would never use them with a side tension. I have no problem installing a 20 grip on triplex, you need to be taught how to pull that neutral out far enough to place a grip. Personally I do not like a grape vine to pull anything up to tension, seen to much damage from that knot.
I see guys struggle throwing rope. I made an 80ft throw rope (rope of your preference) by putting a knot about a foot from the end, throwing on three or four square nuts, throwing on a screw spindle eye, and then another knot. The key to throwing this rope is... coil it in your nondominate hand and have about a two to three ft lead in your throwing hand. make overhand circlesand let out an inch or two where you think it should release. you will be able to tell after a couple of circles. When it feels right whirl her around and release. I can hit a 1ft hole at 40 or 50ft may be more on a good day. Doing communications we weren't allow to cut the trees so we got pretty **** good. I've used it numerous times since I came to power.
Hey being a good thrower you better make bets on beer and I bet you will never buy. As good thrower is valuable on a transmission job when you have to get your rope mid span between the bundle so you can pull the conductor down to cut out the double socks and install the splice. I recommend you get a throwing ball, mine is about the size of a tennis ball made of canvas and filled with sand. It has a loop sewn into it for a rope to be attached. I have seen to many windows broken from the type you describe with all that bare hardware.
My last one requires a story, sorry. We were on storm (Irene) in Conn. Working sub-t. 4/0 covered copper 12ft arm change out 300ft spans inaccessible. It was me and a lineman. I was a first step. I climbed up there and had no idea how heavy it was. We untied it and just slid it off of the insulaters and brought it in with out too much trouble, but after we changed the arm and put in the new insulator... How do you get it back on the 8-12 inch high post insulator? Well we struggled for about five minutes when I got an idea. I was using a Pole lariat by bashlin (could problably use any fall arrest). I opened it up all the way, turned my belt backwards, threw my other safety around the arm (don't know if this was necesary? Thought it might keep me from swinging into the pole), and hoped up in top of the arm. Then I slid out to the end, put one hand on the wire on either side and hopped up on on knee basically making a triangle with my knee and hands. Picked the wire right up like nothing. tied it in and looked at my lineman and said, "A first step just got it, now you have to get it" a few minutes later he was still struggling and I had already tied in the center phase. I said " you want me to come over there and help you?" He said "no" Then he called for a collar rope, and I learned something. He took that rope and tied in on the arm and made a loop/step to stand in and lifted it no problem.
Sponge it sounds to me that you, your lineman and foreman where all in a bind to get that job done. Do you know that there is a cross-arm gin, that mounts on the arm above the insulator with a working eye on the top? Also if you do not have an arm-gin available you can make one out of a cross arm, you use it under the same fundamentals that a fiction crane is run. If you want to be an old man someday you need to use your head and some rigging or you will wear your body out young. 4/0 cu. Is very heavy.
Sorry I write so much. Don't want to be vague and want other newbies to be able to understand. Also want you more experienced guys to be able to see any flaws and be able to comment.
Thank you.