Looking for insights

[treesquirrel]

I am a military vet who has decided at the young age of 42 to get into the tree biz.

As a signal corps soldier I did pole climbing and have found that trees are a much easier task. I'm self tutoring about rigging techniques and have decided that to attempt to learn them all is not necessarily required to do this work.

I'd like to hear what particular rigging systems most pro's consider an absolute must in basic tree work.

Currently I am comfortable with the following procedures:

Climbing.....

Spur climbing is a snap for me.

SRT is also a snap due to my previous rock climbing activities.

DRT I am learning and I am most impressed with the trunk walking Ekka promotes.

Rigging.......

I'm using the timber hitch with success for lowering operations however I find myself always backing it up with a fisherman knot on the tail.

I almost always default to clove hitches to attach to limbs etc.. for lowering.

I will use slings and girth hitches for smaller lighter peices.

I have set up zip lines before for traverses across ravines so this is also a snap.


Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[Thillmaine]

Not too shabby

Sounds like your pretty well off. Learn block and tackle systems, as well as look for port a wrap for lowering butt peices. All should be easily adaptable with your skills. Be careful with the timber hitch, many people dont use it anymore, try something else.

 

[treesquirrel]

Thanks,

I'll look into alternative for the timber hitch. I've only used this method on a couple of jobs for a few peices that would have struck and damaged property. Always used it in slow controlled application with no dynamic shock to the hitch. I would be more inclined to use some other system in a dynamic setup.

Yes, I definitely need to work on a mechanical advantage system that I am comfortable with. I actually used the winch on my jeep for a lowering operation recently of a huge limb the size of a small 12" tree that hung over a womans home. It worked very well but getting it set up was cumbersome.
The ground man I have does not know knots or rigging yet.

Please keep the comments coming.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Not sure if you are lowering with Timber or Clove..

i'm going to suggest that Timber Hitch in this scenario is lacking in at least 2 aspects. 1) Not vibration/ loading-unloading proof and 2) should only be used if meeting spar perpendicularily (which if lowering would be at perfect balance point/ Center of Gravity). Most all of the time in lowering the load is butt tied/ off balance/ hanging down. A preceding half Hitch or Marl would make most knots that are made to meet load/spar perpendicular; fit to meet load/spar pairallell/inline (i prefer a Half Hitch preceding a Running Bowline). Half Hitch preceding a /Timber would give the better Killick Hitch; for inline pulls. This would be better, but still not safest for overhead work in my book; more better for dragging etc.

Our knotting bible ABoK (Ashley Book of Knots) has 2 seperate chapters on hitching to spars; 1 for perpendicular and the next for inline/ alongside spar. And notes well, that gripping a spar inline is one of the hardest things to do correctly. Most all the hitches in this second of the 2 chapters initialize with this Half Hitch or Marl type strategy; to make the hitching good for these inline pulls where spar is pairallell to rope/ not perpendicular to it. i'd prefer even a Clove be preceded by HH or Marl when not meeting spar perpendicularily.

inline vs. not.swf

i get a lot of mileage out of small slings connected to end of eye (either Bowline or spliced eye) of line with krab. This is very easy for ground control person not familiar with knots too. For heavier might even go with HH/Marl (or 2) preceding a sling; the preceeder(s) taking most of the strain.

-KC
MyTreeLessons.Com-Knots_Links.htm

 

[Curtis James]

THe bowline is a must for me. THe guide to practical rigging is a great referrence book on how to do practically any and all types of rigging. THe bowline on a bight is helpful. The loopie sling and the whopppie sling are awesome also. Definetally get a sherrill tree catalog and just thumb through that. It has all kinds of fun stuff to think about.