Hi, meet a female climber

[VTclimber]

Look guys, you've all got big johnsons, and you're all obviously good and and into what you do or else you wouldn't care enough to give me advice. Put them away and lets have a logical conversation. You don't have to argue your point, everyone has a different opinion, and we can all embrace someone else's opinion, even if we don't agree with it. Just read and learn.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by treeslayer
Kinda hard to wear hearing protection in a tree and expect to communicate with my rigger when I'm 60' up.

Thats what I can't understand with the crews I deal with. Its like they can't understand any type of hand signals/non-verbal communication. "What?" seems to be the word they say the best.

When I worked on a flight deck there was NO verbal communication. It was all hand signals, and to a minor extent, simple body language. Everything worked fine, and this was an aircraft carrier.

There needs to be a standardized set of hand signals, just like crane operations. Only for treework.

I have two signals I teach anyone on the ground. I would very much like to add to these signals, but I do not want to tax their tiny, little brains. (Forgive me, Good Groundies)

1) I touch my hardhat = polesaw
2) I touch my chin = bullrope

Thats it. I willing to yell the rest. But I wish I didn't have to.

Personally, I can just LOOK at a climber/groundman and KNOW WHAT THEY NEED. My ears having to take in the sound waves produced by their mouths is, for the most part, unnecessary. We should be able to work efficiently even if we were completely deaf. After all, hearing protection? Chainsaws and chippers operating at full throttle? Where does actual 'hearing' fit into the equation?

It should ALL BE VISUAL, and it should ALL BE STANDARDIZED.

Actual hearing should be considered a luxury.


Lauryn, its good to have you onboard!

 

[Dadatwins]

Originally posted by MasterBlaster

Personally, I can just LOOK at a climber/groundman and KNOW WHAT THEY NEED.

I think I just heard the voice of experience.

Nice post

 

[NickfromWI]

a book on the way

MB, you might like this one. I am currently compiling a list of signals that people use. I have a skilled illustrator waiting to hit the drawing board. A book/pamphlet is in the making.

The hand signals I promots (and suggest you consider/try) "make sense." Holding one hand out in a fist and moving it back and forth and then pointing to the ground might signify that you dropped your handsaw (why are you dropping your handsaw, butch?)

The problem I am having right now is that in my opinion, these hand signals all should be one-handed....but I don't think it's feasible.

All good crews MUST have a working sign language.

love
nick

 

[BigJohn]

Let's be honest we all don't have big johnsons I hear they're over rated. So VT do you really want to take down big trees that require using a 66 in a tree? I've been there and do it too much. I get paid just as much to go out and prune 100 ft plus oaks and poplars, fine dead wood. If thats what you want then go for it. I really enjoy pruning big trees with just a handsaw. It makes for a peaceful day. I too use hand signals to comunicate. I'm not big on asking for things. I usually expect my groundy to know that when I am not working and looking at him that I want something and he should know what I want by what is going on in the tree.

 

[BigJohn]

Nick you do that on my crew and one might think your calling him a jerk off.

 

[NeTree]

I agree. Get a groundy with experience, and he'll practically predict the climbers' next move.

Tough to find though.

The nicest part of handsaws vs chainsaws IS the peace and quiet; just doing yer thing, enjoying the scenery, eh BigJohn?

Man, it's great!

 

[BigJohn]

Yeah thats what I am talking about. For me its like an out of body experience. My body goes through all these motions but my mind is at home thinking about my horse or my fiance and money. If only the scenery was better. I need a gig hanging banners on the beach.

 

[treeslayer]

wow, I sure started something here.
Lauren, no I will not wear plugs. If my rigger (spotter) yells at me, I need to hear it. I like open communication with my ground crew. I own 5 sets of the peltor VOX radio headsets if I want to go high tech, but in a 2-3 hour takedown the saw probably only runs 10-15 minutes. with a crane their a must.
hand signals suck, and I will not trust them or the groundmans response via hand signals. sometimes when I have enough work I use a climber on the ground, and then we got flow.
This climber is good, and does thing my way. I am open-minded, but have enough experience to recognize suggestions based on non applicable experience. or lack of.
nor does my johnson have anything to do with it. I'm not tallking about your breasts, don't digress.
I am only responding to what you have typed lauren, you sound worthy.

 

[MasterBlaster]

So no hearing protection? And hand signals suck?

Hmmmm.

 

[BigJohn]

I agree with wearing of hearing protection. I hate not being to hear what is going on around me. It seems to throw me off balance. I do wear them when on the ground chipping and running a big saw to flush a stump or fell a tree. I don't usually use them in a tree. I may have them on a hard hat but I don't take the time to use them.

 

[MasterBlaster]

So do any of ya'll have the noises in your head yet?

Cause I sure do.

 

[NeTree]

Could u repeat that? I didn't hear ya

 

[BigJohn]

Yeah for the past week nothing but echos. With comeing of allergies my ears been clogged up. Sounds cool to ME when I sing in a tree. It sounds like a freight train at times when my heart gets pumping.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I really only hear it at night, in bed, when everythings quiet. Anything from a sound of crickets to a high pitched whine.

I wish I would have worn protection the first 10, 15 years of work.

 

[BigJohn]

The high pitch whine wouldn't be comeing from the one sleeping next to you?

 

[Dadatwins]

Originally posted by MasterBlaster
Anything from a sound of crickets to a high pitched whine.

I hear that whine too usually starts when I get home and keeps up til she goes to bed

What was this topic anyway

 

[BigJohn]

Blood stopper is a by product of cutting "sawdust"

 

[Stumper]

Lauryn, You are right about the hearing protection but all of your logic is lost on Slayer-it falls on deaf ears.
Hearing protection is so much a part of my routine that I find myself putting in plugs or dropping the helmet muffs to load wood or use a polesaw.-Work = PPE.

 

[treeslayer]

oops wrong picture.

they're not noises, those are voices.
and they are my friends.

I wear hearing protection on the ground.
I got lots of different radios, and don't like hand signasl climbing. but I use them with a crane, or pulling trees.

how many people climb and or cut with a blood stopper handy?