Oak Inside Roof Line, Technical Rigging

[tree md]

Me neither , we did maintenance and firewood , looked at some work but thats OK I can take a few days and regroup ....

I changed u-Joints on on the pickup. Ground is really too saturated to get where I need to go to do my big tree (got to watch out for septic tank laterals). I got 11 stumps to grind Fri. but it's supposed to rain all week. Hopefully the weather will break and allow me to do some work this week.

Oh yeah, hope you get the vid uploaded Murph. Looking forward to seeing it. Nice gesture in your last post.

 

[Raymond]

You guys would of been proud of me

I ran a bid about an hour ago. The lady said on the phone she wanted a tree topped. I didn't bring it up on the phone but waited till I got there to tell her it wasn't a good idea. And explained why.

I figured it was just going to be another silver maple, we have so many here. But no it was a (going to be beautiful) mulberry. I explained I can't find myself to topping this tree. Let me clean it out of all the dead and all the little crud (keeping it simple for her) throughout the tree.

She will be giving me the go on it tomorrow. Not yet but she will. She said I come highly recommended from her daughter and her daughter's neighbor.
I explained she will also be very pleased as well , cause that's just how we roll.

 

[tree md]

I ran a bid about an hour ago. The lady said on the phone she wanted a tree topped. I didn't bring it up on the phone but waited till I got there to tell her it wasn't a good idea. And explained why.

I figured it was just going to be another silver maple, we have so many here. But no it was a (going to be beautiful) mulberry. I explained I can't find myself to topping this tree. Let me clean it out of all the dead and all the little crud (keeping it simple for her) throughout the tree.

She will be giving me the go on it tomorrow. Not yet but she will. She said I come highly recommended from her daughter and her daughter's neighbor.
I explained she will also be very pleased as well , cause that's just how we roll.

Good on you Ray.

To tell the truth, I don't want my name on a topped tree. I see so many going down the road in our rural areas and even inside the city but especially in the rural areas where it looks like somebody rented a lift and just went down the road topping trees all in a row. I feel the best customer is an educated customer and I don't want the people who are educated and usually spending the biggest bucks asking someone who topped their tree (and thinking to themselves that they want to steer far clear of whoever did) and have my name pop up.

 

[Raymond]

Good on you Ray.

To tell the truth, I don't want my name on a topped tree. I see so many going down the road in our rural areas and even inside the city but especially in the rural areas where it looks like somebody rented a lift and just went down the road topping trees all in a row. I feel the best customer is an educated customer and I don't want the people who are educated and usually spending the biggest bucks asking someone who topped their tree (and thinking to themselves that they want to steer far clear of whoever did) and have my name pop up.

I really do try and keep it to a minimum. And I am going to work at it even harder yet. When I can't change their minds, I am kind of a smart ass about it.
I refer to it as hammer phucking or hammer slamming it, depending on the company I'm talking to. And I also tell them to have my card laminated and keep it in a safe place because I will be back often from here on out.

Them trees out in the open in the country topped is silly isn't it? :agree2:

 

[tree md]

I really do try and keep it to a minimum. And I am going to work at it even harder yet. When I can't change their minds, I am kind of a smart ass about it.
I refer to it as hammer phucking or hammer slamming it, depending on the company I'm talking to. And I also tell them to have my card laminated and keep it in a safe place because I will be back often from here on out.

Them trees out in the open in the country topped is silly isn't it? :agree2:

LOL, I'm thinking about taking pics of all the trees that are hat racked on just one road out here where I live. I actually saw the guy doing it. He rented a 40' lift and just went down the row hat racking trees. Oh well, Job security I guess.

 

[Raymond]

LOL, I'm thinking about taking pics of all the trees that are hat racked on just one road out here where I live. I actually saw the guy doing it. He rented a 40' lift and just went down the row hat racking trees. Oh well, Job security I guess.

I see that here too. On my home from the bid just tonight, I seen this used car lot, that has about 6 to 8 small bradford's, I think. Every year they top these thing HARD. I know it's because of the bird crap on the cars. So why not just take them down or not plant them there in the first place. If I think about it I'll take some pics.

 

[murphy4trees]

here's the link

http://www.yousendit.com/download/dVlwVWRnT01ENlNGa1E9PQ

Video is 26 minutes.. too long for youtube.. So you have to download it.. kinda long download at 96 MB... I sent the link to Eric, who may be abe to host it himself, though I haven't heard back from him. Will only be up for another 4-5 days and max downloads will be 100..

I tried to upload it onto google video, to no avail. I could break it up into 3 segments and put it on youtube, but would rather not do that.

This was only my second attempt at video editing.. Movie maker is so easy to edit with... nothing fancy... just one voice over.. no music. I was surprised at how well the audio came out... quiet neighborhood and good camera mic on the sony mini dv camcorder. You can hear the climber at 75', no problem.

So this is a large leaning oak removal. Thing was tall.. maybe 90'.. We started it at 6:30 on a Friday evening april 24. You can see how relaxed the climber is. Certainly not "rushing".. I did make one major mistake... sideloaded the lowering line on the first butt hitch. New guy was supposed to let it run, but didn't.. I should have taken that line. And really should have used a ground anchor on the tree being removed or at least used a redirect. If I was rushing at all, it was in not taking the time to set that up. New groundie did let it run OK on the second piece.

I'll field your questions or comments on the video. After that I AM out here.

 

[Adkpk]

Thanks Dan. Your climber Pat was pretty good at slinging that rope around. Nice job on the video. Clean to the point and looked safe for a not so safe looking tree.

 

[tree md]

Nice vid Murph. Pat did a great job. I like seeing climbers around my age and having my physique getting it up in a tree.

 

[tree MDS]

I expected to see something a little more grand after all that downloading (and spouting off, lol) but... not too bad murpf. Obviously you guys got a good handle on lines and rigging.

PITA looking leaner - thank god there was that sweet tip eh?? I hate leaners.

Other than that... i think I would have made it up that thing much faster than that with the old taughtline, It seemed a little overkill with the ground guy tending the slack and all. I played around with the blakes and pulley when it first came around like that but lost interest in that knot. I havent bothered to try the other hitches yet, but eventually. When I get up there and start rigging 30' leaders down it really doesnt seem to matter all that much...oh, theyre busy...time for a smoke. lol

True blue for rigging.. not so much, 9/16 DB works fine for me and is way stronger. Let it run if you want stretch or whatever. 1/2 inch lines are fine for a butt line or tag line but thats about it as far as rigging with them for me.

Thanks for posting that though, good job.

PS, I see the dew's still rockin it, lol.

 

[tree md]

I expected to see something a little more grand after all that downloading (and spouting off, lol) but... not too bad murpf. Obviously you guys got a good handle on lines and rigging.

PITA looking leaner - thank god there was that sweet tip eh?? I hate leaners.

Other than that... i think I would have made it up that thing much faster than that with the old taughtline, It seemed a little overkill with the ground guy tending the slack and all. I played around with the blakes and pulley when it first came around like that but lost interest in that knot. I havent bothered to try the other hitches yet, but eventually. When I get up there and start rigging 30' leaders down it really doesnt seem to matter all that much...oh, theyre busy...time for a smoke. lol

True blue for rigging.. not so much, 9/16 DB works fine for me and is way stronger. Let it run if you want stretch or whatever. 1/2 inch lines are fine for a butt line or tag line but thats about it as far as rigging with them for me.

Thanks for posting that though, good job.

PS, I see the dew's still rockin it, lol.

I almost always have someone belay for me. I don't use a friction hitch or lanyard til I get to the top though. I'll shoot a line in the tree, set my climbing line, tie in to my D and just free climb with a belay until I get to my TIP. Very quick way to get into the tree and set up. You need to trust you rope man who is belaying for you though :greenchainsaw:.

I also use 1/2" safety blue to rig with. 7700# tensile and it works great. Plus I always have a spare because I use it as one of my climbing lines as well. I just use a retired climbing line for a rigging line. I use to climb on true blue when I first started and would use a retired true blue climbing line to lower with as well. I had zero problems using true blue to lower with.

 

[tree MDS]

I use safety blue to climb and as a butt line or tag line to pull stuff with.

Bigger cuts, like I like to make on big trees, 1/2 inch just doesnt give me the piece of mind (for the tip line anyways), I use a 200' 9/16 DB - although it would be nice to have a shorter one often, like she said...

Having watched the OP's vid again, no that is not the way I would have rigged the brush, but the wood was cool I thought (like some others said).

 

[tree md]

I use safety blue to climb and as a butt line or tag line to pull stuff with.

Bigger cuts, like I like to make on big trees, 1/2 inch just doesnt give me the piece of mind (for the tip line anyways), I use a 200' 9/16 DB - although it would be nice to have a shorter one often, like she said...

Having watched the OP's vid again, no that is not the way I would have rigged the brush, but the wood was cool I thought (like some others said).

I hear ya, I use 3/4 DB for the heavy stuff but most of what I rig comes down with the 1/2 safety blue. I have the utmost confidence in this rope. Been lowering with it for probably 15 years. I have hung whole small pines with this rope.

 

[tree MDS]

I hear ya, I use 3/4 DB for the heavy stuff but most of what I rig comes down with the 1/2 safety blue. I have the utmost confidence in this rope. Been lowering with it for probably 15 years. I have hung whole small pines with this rope.

Yeah I got one of those for the trunk stuff only usually - if it needs it. I like the smaller one because I can move it around with three sections of pole saw so I dont have to squirrill around for no reason in order to tip tie a leader. It might sound like a pain to some of you but when youve been doing it for fourteen years or so like that it gets real efficient. I learned to rig old school and have added alot of other tricks along the way - with more coming as need arises. You know how it is: whatever it takes to do it as quickly and as safe as possible (while still taking calculated risks).

BTW I've been climbing for longer than 14 yrs, thats just about the time I learned the tip tie/butt tie method is all. Big leaders with two lines and take em right at the trunk... bye! The theory was to make as few cuts as possible and still be relatively safe. Thats why I like the bigger rope on the tip tie.

 

[tree md]

Yeah I got one of those for the trunk stuff only usually - if it needs it. I like the smaller one because I can move it around with three sections of pole saw so I dont have to squirrill around for no reason in order to tip tie a leader. It might sound like a pain to some of you but when youve been doing it for fourteen years or so like that it gets real efficient. I learned to rig old school and have added alot of other tricks along the way - with more coming as need arises. You know how it is: whatever it takes to do it as quickly and as safe as possible (while still taking calculated risks).

BTW I've been climbing for longer than 14 yrs, thats just about the time I learned the tip tie/butt tie method is all. Big leaders with two lines and take em right at the trunk... bye! The theory was to make as few cuts as possible and still be relatively safe. Thats why I like the bigger rope on the tip tie.

That's why I like bigger rope period. Fewer cuts = more efficient removal. I try to bring them down in as big of pieces that will fit.

 

[tree MDS]

That's why I like bigger rope period. Fewer cuts = more efficient removal. I try to bring them down in as big of pieces that will fit.

on that one and rep coming

Sorry I guess I cant rep you again... what do I have to do go into the chainsaw forum and start giving it away to strangers or something??

 

[Dadatwins]

Nice work Daniel, curious about why you were afraid of the tree in the beginning, and rightly so, because of it being dead and 'not trusting the root system' and set up a separate lowering line for the brush, yet decided to butt hitch the heavy wood off the stem? A second lowering line in the poplar behind it looks like it would have had the same angle and drop spot with no bounce/risk to the climber, and might have been faster for the climber instead of having to move the rigging block several times. JMHO Nice work in a tight spot.

 

[Raymond]

I ran a bid about an hour ago. The lady said on the phone she wanted a tree topped. I didn't bring it up on the phone but waited till I got there to tell her it wasn't a good idea. And explained why.

I figured it was just going to be another silver maple, we have so many here. But no it was a (going to be beautiful) mulberry. I explained I can't find myself to topping this tree. Let me clean it out of all the dead and all the little crud (keeping it simple for her) throughout the tree.

She will be giving me the go on it tomorrow. Not yet but she will. She said I come highly recommended from her daughter and her daughter's neighbor.
I explained she will also be very pleased as well , cause that's just how we roll.

I was going to post the before and after pics of this Mulberry tree I cleaned out. But I'll wait till tomorrow. I don't wanna steal Murphy's thunder.

Good job Murphy and the climber. Just curious why you started so late?

 

[Raymond]

Before...

And after...

That small low bobbed limb on the right, yeah I polesawed it off before we left.

 

[Glennak]

Nice work Daniel, curious about why you were afraid of the tree in the beginning, and rightly so, because of it being dead and 'not trusting the root system' and set up a separate lowering line for the brush, yet decided to butt hitch the heavy wood off the stem? A second lowering line in the poplar behind it looks like it would have had the same angle and drop spot with no bounce/risk to the climber, and might have been faster for the climber instead of having to move the rigging block several times. JMHO Nice work in a tight spot.

I had the same thought. I didn't re-watch the video on this thread but I thought it was a good safe job; bigger pieces are not always faster but they often are. I would have told the rope man to get out from under the tree if he was any closer, why risk a branch on the head. I would agree with the too many wraps though.
I have been working on trees since the mid 70's and I don't have a mortgage on my Million dollar real estate.