Climbing a split Cedar.

[beastmaster]

Yesterday while limbing a 80ft Cedar(30in DBH) with condiment (sp?)tops, I notice a split has developed from where the two tops were weakly attached and it appears to go 8 ft down and be reasonably resent. Cedar is a brittle type wood.
I still have to climb 25 ft above the split on the stronger of the two. I had a short rope sent up and I put several wraps around it and tied it off just above the the crack where the two forks start. In the back of my mind I was wondering if 4 wraps of 1/2 line would even hold it if it decided to go?
After taking the tops down to the crotch, I put in a tipping line and went down below where the crack ended(still tied). I didn't really have room to drop a 10ft chunk so I did take a risk, but was more worried it would slit on me while cutting and who knows what could happen. My boss wasn't to pleased, but when the piece hit the ground it split apart, he said good call. If I was a less augmentative climber I would of listened and just cut it where he wanted. Anyone think I'd of been in danger.
I did a drop and catch on a dying pine once, and after I took a piece, the tree split top to bottom. If it hadn't been for the chokers it probably crushed me. So thats a paranoia I live with. I guess my question is did I over react? It cause a little friction at the job site. beastmaster

 

[thepheniox]

No you did what you had to. Ultimately your safety is in your hands. Good call.

 

[superjunior]

You didn't over react AT ALL. You can never be 100% sure what exactly is going on in that tree and if a little precautionary measures adds more time to the job then so be it. It's your life up there..

 

[Treetom]

You're alive to tell the tale, you put safety first and utilized your skill and experience.

 

[Scrat]

Yesterday while limbing a 80ft Cedar(30in DBH) with condiment (sp?)tops, I notice a split has developed from where the two tops were weakly attached and it appears to go 8 ft down and be reasonably resent. Cedar is a brittle type wood.
I still have to climb 25 ft above the split on the stronger of the two. I had a short rope sent up and I put several wraps around it and tied it off just above the the crack where the two forks start. In the back of my mind I was wondering if 4 wraps of 1/2 line would even hold it if it decided to go?
After taking the tops down to the crotch, I put in a tipping line and went down below where the crack ended(still tied). I didn't really have room to drop a 10ft chunk so I did take a risk, but was more worried it would slit on me while cutting and who knows what could happen. My boss wasn't to pleased, but when the piece hit the ground it split apart, he said good call. If I was a less augmentative climber I would of listened and just cut it where he wanted. Anyone think I'd of been in danger.
I did a drop and catch on a dying pine once, and after I took a piece, the tree split top to bottom. If it hadn't been for the chokers it probably crushed me. So thats a paranoia I live with. I guess my question is did I over react? It cause a little friction at the job site. beastmaster

Beastmaster, fortunately you consideration for safety is better than your spelling 'condiment' is codominant. Good call, And honestly I think your Boss would have been even less happy had you gotten hurt.

 

[TimberJack_7]

Just a couple of things to say. First, when it is your life on the line, you have to make that call. There are no do-overs, no second chances, and very little forgiveness for error in this industry. I would rather come out of a tree and look like a puss than be a dead macho man. I think you did the right thing at least throwing a 1/2 line around it with several wraps for stability and tying it off.

Second - you know that little voice you hear in the back of your head some time? It is real quiet and it says "maybe that isn't such a good idea" and sometimes it goes the other way and says "oh we can blow the top out of this thing and it will land on that postage stamp spot right there". This little voice is that thing called instinct. Listen to it and listen to it well.

Guys get killed in this line of work all the time. Don't ever let anyone (usually a boss who does not have eyes in the tree) pressure you to do something you feel uncomfortable doing, and don't ever let pride make you do things either. Again, we only get one shot here so enjoy it while you can and go home everyday like you came in to work - safe and in one piece.

 

[treeseer]

After taking the tops down to the crotch, I put in a tipping line and went down below where the crack ended(still tied). I didn't really have room to drop a 10ft chunk so I did take a risk, but was more worried it would slit on me while cutting and who knows what could happen.

Could that 10-foot section have been re-tied, so smaller chunks could be safely cut?

 

[Iustinian]

definitely good call -- it usually only takes a little longer to do it safely. Even in situations that arent as dangerous to you, but maybe like whether or not a piece will hit a roof, it costs less to take a little more time to do the right thing than to take a shortcut and have to fix or pay for damages you've caused.

The particular situation which you described, is somewhat similar to how Peter Donzelli died, split/cracked evergreen. He was considered an expert, so it can happen to any one of us. Biggest thing to remember is the exponential amount of forces that are created if the peice is not allowed to run, the shockload -- over 10x the weight of the peice can be generated before it hits the ground.

 

[beastmaster]

Could that 10-foot section have been re-tied, so smaller chunks could be safely cut?

Treeseer, if I had a strap to put on the tree above where I was going to cut It (and below it) I could of done it yes. Though my target area was small for a 10 ft chunk, the value of what could of been smashed in my opinion it wasn't so high, and the pressure to finish the job was great. I laid that piece between a small dogwood and a stone fence with a large concrete birdbath on it and a foot from the structure. It had to land flat and I owe it to my groundsman for giving the rope a good strong pull at just the right time as it was coming off the stick so it flipped. Beastmaster

 

[treeclimber101]

Treeseer, if I had a strap to put on the tree above where I was going to cut It (and below it) I could of done it yes. Though my target area was small for a 10 ft chunk, the value of what could of been smashed in my opinion it wasn't so high, and the pressure to finish the job was great. I laid that piece between a small dogwood and a stone fence with a large concrete birdbath on it and a foot from the structure. It had to land flat and I owe it to my groundsman for giving the rope a good strong pull at just the right time as it was coming off the stick so it flipped. Beastmaster

Hey man when you see #### like that in a tree than all bets are off , you do what needs to be done first off for your safety and secondly so you don't smash a dogwood , but to have someone override a decision I make for safety from the ground prolly wouldn't happen ... I have worked on some funky #### before and I look out for me first the guys working around me and then we worry about not doing damage to landscape ...

 

[lostcoastland]

theres some good footage of ACE tree from down under (AUS) doing some removals with straps like every two feet going up some nasty dead eucalytus about 3 feet around. ive heard of strapping trees at the base so they dont barber chair and definetly throw a rope between opposing Codominant tops AT THE PROPER height. thats the ticket. Ive seen some dead stuff up north and its too late for me. im not climbing dead trees. i did some elms back east and some big ol holler trees standing dead. the wood just doesnt hold a hinge..at all!! I climbed a maple that split right in the middle and had all the weight on one side..storm damage, leaning over a garden. My boss was like ive done hundreds of these climb right past it. the trunk was bigger than me hugging it and went right down to about half that or less where it peeled supporting the rest of the tree. everything was lowered and i was like dude let it run man im not down with this. we got weight off it and did it , it was allright but yea, not gettign a bucket there. If its standing it can be climbed is what i learned that day just got be real delicate. If you get another codaominant fracture like that tie multiple straps goign all the way up. about 2 ft apart.. thats one spot where nature has allready decided to prune. just waiting for wind ice rain or a climber to go messign with it... that video is called Tehani or something like that but you'll know it when you see it and other great videos

 

[lostcoastland]

the standing able to be climbed rule should be taken with some salt please...:msp_thumbup:

 

[Iustinian]

standing rule? hahaha

my ground guy is a giant, so we usually do an on-line test of the trees I climb if there's a doubt -- rope gets set, then I hang on one side and he pulls on the other. That puts double my weight at the tie in spot, and I'm fairly comfortable with that -- especially because he NEVER shockloads the rope when we're snapping dead tops down. One of the hottest days this summer we took down two dead mature ashes, the trunks of which were within arms reach of the new house (wonder how they died -- construction damage maybe? lol) Drop it and leave it job though, which is fun.

 

[Iustinian]

the standing able to be climbed rule should be taken with some salt please...:msp_thumbup:

I'll need some tequila with that salt please.....lol

 

[troythetreeman]

right on b

 

[lostcoastland]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Y6hEfav9ZwI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

found the video...