Topping over a house - Video - Feedback requested on how to improve.

[JanThorCro]

I see it now.

Lee LOCKED up the lowering line and reduced any chance of the rope absorbing the force of that fall. That piece had no choice but to swing into the spar.

 

[murphy4trees]

In the video of AA getting rag dolled in the Pine Tree, I happened to watch it about 10 times. It seemed to me that the guy on the Pull Line (NOT the lowering line), continued to pull on the Pull Line LONG after the tree top had begun to lever over into a falling motion.

Looks like the lowering rope finally got tight when the piece was 8' away from the tree. Is it normal for the piece being lowered to get that far away from the spar?

In doing this didn't he pull that mass of weight further from the tree and increase the force of the tree top swinging back at the tree like a battering ram./?

Am I reading this right?

Pine Tree in Powerlines - YouTube

You are close on that.. it wasn't the pull line but the cut that had the piece flying so far... the narrow notch will help you throw a top when needed.. Looks like AA cut one there.. And yes the groundman F'd up... BUT as a climber you have to be READY for that... That really wasn't too bad of a ride (even though they did everything wrong) becasue it wasn't that big of a top.. If the climber had been properly braced for the ride he's have had some fun riding that bull..

 

[JanThorCro]

Thanks Daniel,

So the degree of openness on the notch can be adjusted to find that sweet spot for each situation?
Sweet. I hadn't thought of it like that, but it makes perfect sense.

 

[murphy4trees]

Thanks Daniel,

So the degree of openness on the notch can be adjusted to find that sweet spot for each situation?
Sweet. I hadn't thought of it like that, but it makes perfect sense.

Check out this notch at 8:00-8:35 of:

throwing a big pine top.mov - YouTube

Tiny notch... and needed to throw the top of this nasty lightning struck pine 23', over the hedge..

 

[murphy4trees]

I seem to always get to work with inexperienced groundies. Often times I have to use plan B on a take down, cause plan A takes a sharp ropeman. I like having another climber down on my ropes, they can anticipate more or less what I am doing. That being said, has anyone any experience with Dynasorb rigging line? I am going to get a 5/8 line of it just for those situations when I'm working with a green crew.
When I was first learning this trade I skidded a big top out of a pine growing throu a deck, the foremen kept telling me lower, lower. when that top started sliding down the tree bent like a fishing pole.,the tree would straighten up then bend again as the top bounced it's way down. That was the scariest thing that ever happened to me in a tree. Getting rag dolled catching a piece is just painful and embarrassing not so much scary, plus it over kind of fast.

I've been thinking the same thing on the dynasorb.. except I like the 9/16 rather than the 5/8.... I did some homework and ran the numbers...

The 9/16 has pretty much the same stretch per given weight as the 1/2" true blue, except with twice the tensile... NICE!!!! For most of the weights we deal with in tree work, it seems like the 9/16 is a better fit than the 5/8, plus its obviously lighter and easier to handle in the tree... I'd rather have more stretch and less tensile for those situations where the tree is the weak link.. you NEED THAT STRETCH...

to really get a feel for just how important STRETCH IS...
check out this video produced by yale cordage:

Yale Cordage Ultrex vs. XTC Rope Static and Dynamic Test Demonstration - YouTube