Professional Cabling in Large Trees

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jomoco said:
After getting consults and bids from the top tree firms, I was somewhat shocked to find that mine was chosen despite being the most expensive. It turns out that every other bid and recommendation was for removal of the trees with a large crane. The HOA board wanted these old giant historic torrey pines saved if humanly possible.

I charged them big bucks about 7 months ago to climb each tree, inspect each cable, and write a full report on each tree with detailed recommendations.
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:yourock: :bowdown: :cheers:

Any of you guys ever rod an old crossover together and have it meld together completely enough to hide the hardware inside?
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Not sure what you mean here; if it's crossed over, there is no space for the hardware to be visible. But yes, I look to throughbolt branches where they rub other branches and stems above a bad fork, and let the tree cable itself. Seems like the best material...If there is bark in the rubbing spots I try to scrape it off down toward cambium so grafting is more complete.
 
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treeseer said:
:yourock: :bowdown: :cheers:

Not sure what you mean here; if it's crossed over, there is no space for the hardware to be visible. But yes, I look to throughbolt branches where they rub other branches and stems above a bad fork, and let the tree cable itself. Seems like the best material...If there is bark in the rubbing spots I try to scrape it off down toward cambium so grafting is more complete.
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I'm talking about the seemingly endless species of trees that are capable of melding and binding crossovers that rub into one fully integrated static union.

Sometimes, particularly in large live oaks here in so cal, I come across relatively large crossovers still in the rubbing and drooling stage of getting together, I like to drill and rod these wound junctions together at the exact greatest point of friction, usually with two 5/8ths galvanized rods.

Over the years any evidence of these assisted crossover fusions have completely disappeared and are buried and waiting for a razor sharp chainsaw!

That's kinda what I'm talkin about Treeseer my friend.

jomoco
 
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jomoco said:
I'm very oldschool about my cabling RB, 7strand with tree grips, drop forged galvinized through bolts.



I've been thinking about some kind of attachable drill jig to get a 1/4 inch pilot hole about 8 inches deep and perfectly true to the cable angle and dead center on the leader being cabled.



jomoco
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My auger style bits have a little cone shaped screw thingy on the tips to pull the bit into the wood. If you have a pilot hole smaller than bit, screw thingy can't pull, you try to push and CRAP, bent another bit. Now if the 8 inch deep pilot were the same size (guess it wouldn't qualify as a pilot) as finish hole, then auger (long ) bit could follow ok?


When static cabling, anyone try the WIRE STOP? EHS cable only. No more dead end guy splice and thimble rubbing on eye bolt with washer and nut on other end. Just the two pieces, rated same strength as cable. I'm sold on them, have been for some time now. Has anyone ever had or heard of one fail? I think they are the cats meow, so beat me if I'm wrong, but not if you haven't tried them.
 
John Paul Sanborn said:
I've not been doing it long enough. Maybe a few with eye bolts getting engulfed.



Attach a laser pointer to some rod, drill the first hole and insert the rod and the laser site will tell you where to drill. then when the drillman starts the hole, he gets the "dot" on the back of the drill to keep it all inline.

Someone inventive enough should be able to make a plug for the drill hole that will be even more accurate, just like a breach mount laser siting kit for firearms.
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I think I saw a picture in Baileys or Sherril where that green laser pointer was right inside of the first hole drilled and pointing beam at other limb, but how often is thefirst hole that "spot on" anyway????
 
randyg said:
I think I saw a picture in Baileys or Sherril where that green laser pointer was right inside of the first hole drilled and pointing beam at other limb, but how often is thefirst hole that "spot on" anyway????
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Pretty often if you align the laser before you bore the hole.
 
jomoco said:
I'm talking about the seemingly endless species of trees that are capable of melding and binding crossovers that rub into one fully integrated static union.
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Yeah that's what I was trying to say. Rarely see it in pines here though.

Maybe it would be best to leave one rod end long so it would be visible to the removal crew? Or paint it, or tie an aluminum wire to it? 5/8", sheesh those must be big branches. What would that do to a chipper?
 
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I use a laser pointer device that also gives distance up to 100 feet. Picked it up at a building supply store for like 80 bucks and use the snot out of it. Especially great for measuring long cables like anything over 15 feet, very accurate. Also handy to use as pointer and checking heights when bidding bucket work, side reach of bucket etc.

With 2' of drill bit and another foot and half of drill, I can eyeball the opposing limb (target) and 9 out of 10 times after 1st hole is bored, I put eye right up to tree and look through hole and see the entire limb. That 1 in 10 I can at least see part of the limb. Everyone is looking for this laser accuracy but lets face it, when the wind starts to blow, those laser sights will be scanning all around like some laser light show anyway right?
 
randyg said:
I think I saw a picture in Baileys or Sherril where that green laser pointer was right inside of the first hole drilled and pointing beam at other limb, but how often is thefirst hole that "spot on" anyway????
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That's the first thing that went through my mind as well Randy.

I've solved this perfect cabling alignment problem old school style!

But you guys will have to wait a week or so until my patent attoeney has filed to check it out.

I've already assembled a prototype and taken digital photos for my attorney to work from.

I invented it yesterday, and will be using it on my upcoming cabling jobs.

This is my second online invention here ay AS.COM this year.

Thanks guys, AS.COM rocks into the future!

jomoco
 
I'd like to see the old cables before looking to remove them. I've installed cables into trees where the cabling was done incorrectly but I've always left the old cable in. Thumbs up on the EHS with through bolts!!
 
md_tree_dood said:
I'd like to see the old cables before looking to remove them. I've installed cables into trees where the cabling was done incorrectly but I've always left the old cable in. Thumbs up on the EHS with through bolts!!
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What benefit can a misaligned cable twisting the branch or leader in the wind provide?

I've seen the results of improper cabling on dozens of occasions, branch weakening and failure.

Leaving a misaligned cable in place makes no sense to me at all friend.

jomoco
 
jomoco said:
What benefit can a misaligned cable twisting the branch or leader in the wind provide?

I've seen the results of improper cabling on dozens of occasions, branch weakening and failure.

Leaving a misaligned cable in place makes no sense to me at all friend.

jomoco
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I'd have to see the cable first before removing it. Second, while there may be no benefit to leaving the cable in, there may be no benefit in removing it either.

But your attitude with your post leads me to believe you are just posting to brag about ripping off a client rather than to get a good discussion going. carry on
 
md_tree_dood said:
I'd have to see the cable first before removing it. Second, while there may be no benefit to leaving the cable in, there may be no benefit in removing it either.

But your attitude with your post leads me to believe you are just posting to brag about ripping off a client rather than to get a good discussion going. carry on
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The benefit from removing a misaligned cable and replacing it with a perfectly aligned cable is no more twisting in the wind obviously.

I'm going to ignore your insult in the hope of developing an educational thread that can be of real use to cabling experts that want to keep learning.

jomoco
 
Different species grow at different rates. If the tree has grown to the point where the cable (while creating a twisting effect) is supporting a good deal of the weight of the branch, you could possibly weaken the entire branch by removing its support system even after putting a new cable in at a different position, albeit 'expertly' aligned.

Cabling lateral scaffolding branches back to a upright stem can be useful but it does put alot of strain on the entire tree. Not that there isn't a time and place for thisl but it should be done with great care. When doing it, choosing the height and angle that you've mentioned is of the utmost importance.

I do 2-3K of cabling a month easy, and its just like pruning or a removal, every situation is different, and every situation may call for a different solution. Kudos on the topic of discussion but....

I'll go back to my original statement. I'd have to SEE it first.....
 
Jojo just curious if you ever use Cobra and what you or any of you guys think about it. I have used it many times but never in very large trees. I am very happy with it and understand it has limitations .
 
B-Edwards said:
Jojo just curious if you ever use Cobra and what you or any of you guys think about it. I have used it many times but never in very large trees. I am very happy with it and understand it has limitations .
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No B Edwards, I haven't used it, don't trust it, don't agree with it's attachment rationale, and have heard it's had a few failures already.

However, I do agree that a dynamic cable with a limited spring throw, kind of a reverse shock absorber, attached old school style with throughbolts, would be the best an arborist could get to mimicking mother nature, with an added bit of mechanical security for target protection.

Cabling is an interesting field of arboriculture, with lots and lots of room for improvements, in my opinion.

jomoco
 

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