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Everything You Need to Know About Scaffold Podgers

When it comes to scaffolding safety, proper setup is crucial. While there are many actions to complete and considerations to keep in mind when setting up a scaffolding system, it is important to ensure that you have the right tools for the job before you begin. As a leading provider of quality scaffold tools for all types of systems, the team at United Scaffold Supply knows how important ratchet spanners, levels, and scaffold podgers are for every project. While spanners, levels, banding, and strapping are often accounted for, scaffold podgers are sometimes overlooked. That is why we have outlined everything you need to know about scaffold podgers to demonstrate why they are important and how to use them effectively for your project.

Read our scaffold safety checklist to ensure that your system is safe to use.

What are Scaffold Podgers?

Scaffold podgers are a crucial tool for erecting scaffolding as they ensure that all pipes are properly aligned while drastically reducing the amount of time and labour required for assembly. Most podgers feature a tapered metal bar that may be slightly scooped at the end, while some units are attached to the end of a hammer or a wrench. This tool can be inserted into bolt holes to accurately align scaffolding pipes. Pressing on the other end can then leverage the podger, allowing the user to remove it and insert a bolt in its place.

The two ends of a scaffolding podger serve two different purposes. The tapered end is used to align bolt holes when setting the scaffold system in place, while the spanner end (the end with the wrench or ratchet) is used to tighten the nuts onto the bolts. Since most scaffolding systems utilize 7/8” nuts, scaffolding podgers typically come with a 7/8” six-point or twelve-point socket on a 1/2″ drive, but there are many variations that come with a different type of socket based on your needs.

What is a scaffold ratchet and does your project require one?

How to Use a Scaffold Podger

Scaffolding podgers are designed to make setting up scaffolding easier. To set up scaffolding using your podger, follow these steps:

  1. Line up the scaffolding frame pieces as closely as you can by hand
  2. Insert the tapered end of the scaffolding podger through one of the bolt holes so that it passes out the other side
  3. Line up the other piece of the scaffolding frame with the podger
  4. While holding these two pieces of the frame together, push the bolt through the bolt holes
  5. Place the nut on the end of the bolt once it is through both pieces of the frame
  6. Use the spanner or wrench end of the podger to tighten the nut onto the bolt tightly enough that it cannot come loose during use

Learn all about the other types of scaffolding tools.

To learn more about our selection of scaffold tools and scaffolding system rentals, get in touch with the team at United Scaffold Supply. We can be reached through our online contact form and will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our services.