Crane removals....

[BC WetCoast]

Was your groundman wearing some of those miracle fibre saw pants? Only comes in the colour blue and is so light.

 

[oldirty]

nothing worse than watching your cut do what it wants to do.


a guy around here (mass) got some of his teeth popped out of his mouth from a butt swinging the wrong way on him not too long ago.



if you really have no idea what is going to happen your best bet is to make an over under cut and rappel to a new spot and let the crane break it away.


and ghillie, it looks like you are truelly livin' the dream.

i only got the looks! lol

 

[Blakesmaster]

if you really have no idea what is going to happen your best bet is to make an over under cut and rappel to a new spot and let the crane break it away.

Yes. Of course. Hadn't thought of that. This is so good guys. I sure hope I get this crane job now. What type of hand signals do you guys use? I assume there are industry standard "approved hand communication gestures" but I'd like some simple, quick ones any dumazz tree guy like myself could grasp.

 

[Ghillie]

Was your groundman wearing some of those miracle fibre saw pants? Only comes in the colour blue and is so light.

Good point.

That is something we are addressing.

99% of the time the guys on the ground do not need a saw, but that 1% is all it would take to put you in the hospital.

Helmets (hardhats to some people, no chin strap) eye and hearing protection and gloves are worn but chaps and helmets with chinstraps are being implemented as well as full body harness when in the bucket instead of just a saddle.

 

[oldirty]

there sure is a set of hand signals. should be on the side of the crane where the operator is.


make a thumbs up. that is boom up.

thumbs down is boom down.

point left boom left, point right boom right. edit: with your thumb.

put both thumbs up in front of you so that the heels of you palms are together and that is boom out.

both thumbs together in the thumbs up and its boom in.

fist up is all stop.


pointer finger in the air and circling is cable up. pointer finger down circling is cable down.


putting a flat palm over the pointer finger tells the CO to go slow when cabling up or down.

 

[Blakesmaster]

put both thumbs up in front of you so that the heels of you palms are together and that is boom out.

both thumbs together in the thumbs up and its boom in.

This I don't quite get, boss. Perhaps you mean thumbs down on the second? No matter, I don't think my guy's boom telescopes.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Sorry. Too much Coors Light. As i was drainin' the lizard it occurred to me that most cranes probably telescope.

 

[Ghillie]

Yes. Of course. Hadn't thought of that. This is so good guys. I sure hope I get this crane job now. What type of hand signals do you guys use? I assume there are industry standard "approved hand communication gestures" but I'd like some simple, quick ones any dumazz tree guy like myself could grasp.

Other than standard crane hand signals:

Winch up- hand with first finger extended spirialing up

Winch down - Same but spiraling down

Boom up - make motion with forearm to simulate boom going up.

Boom down - same going down

Extend boom - fists with thumbs extended out

retract boom - thumbs extended in

boom left and right - point in the direction you need the boom.

Stop all motion - Closed fist.


I also make a vee with the palms of my hand either pointing down or up to let CO know I am going to scarf the limb and then make a "chopping motion" with my hand to let him know which way I am going to cut.

or if I am not going to scarf cut, I will just make the chopping motion to let him know how I am going to cut.

I try to keep the motions simple so I can do them with one hand so I can stop in mid cut, keep one hand on the saw still in the cut and adjust the crane if the piece is twisting or I need more lift on the piece (ie.. the kerf is closing on the bar)

Usually I get about halfway through the cut and start moving the bar in and out (like first time saw users do) in a "sawing motion". It keeps the bar moving so I can feel it start to pinch and I am also plunge cutting a little to keep the kerf open.

 

[Ghillie]

Beat me to it OD.

The ones we use are on the side of the crane on a sticker from the mfg.

As long as you and the CO are on the same page before you go up.

 

[oldirty]

Sorry. Too much Coors Light. As i was drainin' the lizard it occurred to me that most cranes probably telescope.

lol.


i thought they all did.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Thanks again guys. Any other tidbits?

 

[chief116]

our crane guy has a large clip on top of the ball, so the climbers rope doesn't rub the choker while getting into position, and the climber can take it out a lot easier.
already forgot if it was said or not, but the limb's center of gravity will always swing directly under the tip of the crane, not a real problem on nice straight pines, but i've seen some close calls on large oak limbs in the last couple weeks.
also, remember not to shock load the crane, same as a rope. we lifted a grove 2 1/2 ft off its front outrigger last week, and the operator was afraid he twisted the frame.

 

[oldirty]

chief! no names!! lol


mightve been him though.

 

[Wortown Mick]

Ol dirty, how many MA companies do alot of crane work ?

We brought in a 40 ton & a 1990 to dispose of some pines last week.. seems like we've got a crane around once or twice a month anyhow.

The climber & the most competent person on the ground should know standard crane signals. Nuff said.

A 2 way radio with noise cancelling could be useful too.

 

[Ghillie]

Ol dirty, how many MA companies do alot of crane work ?

We brought in a 40 ton & a 1990 to dispose of some pines last week.. seems like we've got a crane around once or twice a month anyhow.

The climber & the most competent person on the ground should know standard crane signals. Nuff said.

A 2 way radio with noise cancelling could be useful too.

That is something I am looking into also....

Anyone have any suggestions? I know Sherril has something in their catalog.

 

[oldirty]

3 companies ive worked for had them.


i'm thinking ive seen a few cranes running around here. some good looking ones and a few i wouldnt touch if i got double time to climb on.


its a tough expense for a company owner to own a crane but an even bigger one for someone to rent out.

if you got the work though, even though the expense is so high, you can really bang out the jobs.

what you need though is a good operator. sure anyone can pull levers but as far as tree work goes the best operators were once climbers themselves in my opinion.

 

[oldirty]

ghillie. go to radioshack and get a set of those two way walky talkies. clip it to your collar and push to talk baby.

sure you can shell out the big bucks for a legit set up but how many times are you actually out of sight for that many crane picks?


but in the same breath it would nice to have to have.


even though you are correct in saying that the climber and the main groundguy should know the signals its a good idea for the whole crew to know what the scoop is....just in case you gotta relay the signals from around the house.

 

[Ghillie]

3 companies ive worked for had them.


i'm thinking ive seen a few cranes running around here. some good looking ones and a few i wouldnt touch if i got double time to climb on.


its a tough expense for a company owner to own a crane but an even bigger one for someone to rent out.

if you got the work though, even though the expense is so high, you can really bang out the jobs.

what you need though is a good operator. sure anyone can pull levers but as far as tree work goes the best operators were once climbers themselves in my opinion.

You hit the nail on the head....

We own our crane and the guy usually running the crane has been in the tree business since the late 80's.

When he is runnin' it, I usually don't have to stop a cut to motion the operator, he can read what is going on from the ground almost as good as I can from watching the kerf. At most I just slow down a little to make sure he sees what I see, he adjusts and I keep cutting.

My other two partners that sometimes are running the crane are getting the hang of it though. Neither one has done much climbing and neither has done a climbing removal so they are slower but in the long run it is a lot more efficient.

 

[oldirty]

also, remember not to shock load the crane, same as a rope. .

this right here is sooooooo very important as well. the right cut in the tree makes all the difference in the world.

 

[Ghillie]

ghillie. go to radioshack and get a set of those two way walky talkies. clip it to your collar and push to talk baby.

sure you can shell out the big bucks for a legit set up but how many times are you actually out of sight for that many crane picks?


but in the same breath it would nice to have to have.


even though you are correct in saying that the climber and the main groundguy should know the signals its a good idea for the whole crew to know what the scoop is....just in case you gotta relay the signals from around the house.

Nail on the head again..

OD, I was thinking the same on trying out some 'Shack specials, If nothing else than to cut down on the shouting back and forth on the tough removals.