Hey SRT, this is a most appropriate place for your questions. I too try not to fuel this debate, though for me there is no debate; use spikes where they are appropriate (for me, takedowns, that's it.).
Up where Clearance is ya got big ol honkin, thick-barked trees, spikes probably never hit the cambium. In the southern US, northern New Zealand, all over Australia, Hawaii you have palms and it seems to be normal operating procedure. Even pines seem to do OK, Cedars same.
But limb-laden hardwoods, all I can say is, 'Why?" Just from the few words from your boss I can sense he's never fired a bigshot, never climbed a 1:1 system, probably doesn't enjoy climbing to begin with and the message that come through from that is "Screw the tree. git up there, git 'er done, make me some money." He's old school and you're not going to change him. He THINKS the way you're doing it is faster, but does he even own a pair of ascenders? When your answer to all this is "takes too long to rig, you spend all your day rigging and not removing or trimming" is he confusing rigging with rope setting? Is he having you do your cutting off of just the flipline, or does he encourage you to be on a lifeline and sink a flipline to fine position and then make the cut?
"takes too long to rig, you spend all your day rigging and not removing or trimming" is a line that comes from someone who simply doesn't know. This is called ignorance when you don't have a clue.
Spikes have their place, but justifying them in places where they are used but not needed, that's just inherently questionable.
It used to be 'the right way' to do things are ways that we now see as really screwed up. We used to put women on trial by dunking them under water for long periods to see if they were witches. Leeches to remove blood from ya, anti-nausea meds that made little monster babies. Vegetable oil can not be used as a bar lube. Remember the era where doctors actually endorsed smoking cigarettes? Topping tree was once fashionable, as was flush-cutting trim limbs. We can go on and on and on with revisiting our prior beliefs, looking at how silly we were for thinking 'that'.
The reason there is 'hate' for local crews that spike is that the other crews have stepped up their methods. Spike crews are stuck in time, unwilling to change. Such is the human animal. SRT Tech, this is a time for you to effect change. With your aerial skills (and the right tools) you can amaze your boss without using spikes. I'd really like for him to see that. If he's inflexible, just because it has to be done 'his way' then I have to ask, what would it take to get you here to Indianapolis? Your skills are recognized here.
I wanna see your vids but never did solve that quicktime problem. I were reading this post thinking i'll miss out on another one but hopefully Ekka comes to the rescue. TM:rockn: 's.
hmm3grin2orange
