Our New GRCS

[treemandan]

That wood was measured once it was stacked at the guys house. A 16" facecord is 1/3 of a full cord. This wood was 18"-20". I measure the wood I sell in my cordmaster, so yes it is a hopper of sorts, but not on this gig.

Now you got me cornfused. I remember seeing your cord master, yup a hopper. So you just fill up the hopper and that's a cord ? No stacking?
I am trying to figure so I can load up a proper cord properly without having to stack it. The whole cord thing is so far out there to me I just don't get it, maybe its just to simple like photobucket thanks again.
Anywway my point is that everybody's cord is somehow a little different due to slight variances and so on. If you would be so kind as to impart the dimesions of your cord master and proper operating guidlines I would be much in appreciation as I would like to not skimp anybody by accident.
As far as your pulley? Yeah, its to far away from the trunk. That pulley is not the kind you unscrew and then the upper pulley falls out is it?
This is tied with a 12 feet eye so it wraps around a few times but do you see how tight the pulley is to the tree?

 

[Nailsbeats]

Now you got me cornfused. I remember seeing your cord master, yup a hopper. So you just fill up the hopper and that's a cord ? No stacking?
I am trying to figure so I can load up a proper cord properly without having to stack it. The whole cord thing is so far out there to me I just don't get it, maybe its just to simple like photobucket thanks again.
Anywway my point is that everybody's cord is somehow a little different due to slight variances and so on. If you would be so kind as to impart the dimesions of your cord master and proper operating guidlines I would be much in appreciation as I would like to not skimp anybody by accident.
As far as your pulley? Yeah, its to far away from the trunk. That pulley is not the kind you unscrew and then the upper pulley falls out is it?
This is tied with a 12 feet eye so it wraps around a few times but do you see how tight the pulley is to the tree?

We sell firewood cut and split by the facecord around here. A facecord is 4'x8'xwhat ever length you cut it and specify. Mine are usually 20" facecords. So picture a 4'x'8' sheet of plywood 20" deep and there you have it.

Make some wood or steel racks 4' high x 8' long and fill them, some call this a rick we call it a facecord. You could also sell by the truckload, then you need to specify that it's a regular full size box or whatever you want.

Logger, or full cords are 4'x4'x8' long logs. This is how wood would come on a log truck. Most log trucks depending on the style will haul at least 10 cords. Cut at 16" long this would make 30/ 16" facecords of firewood.

One more thing, the cords and facecords I mentioned are a volume measurement, when log trucks haul pulp they usually go by a weight measurement. They chart each species and what it weighs per cord, then they weight the truck and pay accordingly. This is faster than measuring and becomes a weight measurement and makes it more valuable for a logger to get his wood off the landing while it still has a high moisture content.

BTW, that is a whoopie sling on the block and is set as tight as it will go in a girth hitch fashion. Is there a way to make that type of sling tighter?

If you want a cord/facecord/rick of firewood without stacking you are on your own.

 

[treemandan]

what in the hell is a loopie or whoopie? Whatever it is if it don't get tighter than that, it should.
I see the situation you have with that strap. The eye splice won't fit through the loopie splice and the slack you have it actually the eye itself. Well,( sigh) that sucks. Glad I never bought one of those. I truth they lied about it being able to get the strap tight, its BS.
I made the eye tail in the picture. It is able to be used to get the pulley right up close and tight.
Now that you have the device those tiny variances of tension will allow for more... whatever and whenever.

 

[joesawer]

The more slack in your choker, the farther your block is below the cut, the farther your piece falls before it catches, the greater your shock loads.
The easy way to make a whoopie sling tighter is to let out some slack and put a wrap around the stem.

 

[Nailsbeats]

The more slack in your choker, the farther your block is below the cut, the farther your piece falls before it catches, the greater your shock loads.
The easy way to make a whoopie sling tighter is to let out some slack and put a wrap around the stem.

That's what I was looking for, thanks Sawer, that's what I'll do next time.

In case anybody was wondering, I wasn't catching wood off that spar, I used it as a jib pole to rig out the other leads. That spar all got bombed down, when I was sleeping I think I was removing the block and sling to send it down.

 

[Nailsbeats]

I agree, it can cause some melting on heavy impacts as it cinches up. Try for as little play as possible and as snug as you can get it.



Yeah Jeff, but around here 70 ft is a BIG tree. Nels has gone from 1970's methods to 2002 in 4 months.

2002? why I ought a........................

 

[Ghillie]

2002? why I ought a........................

150 years of tradition unimpeded by progress!

 

[ddhlakebound]

There's still alot of slack that will come out of that whoopie unless it's just too big for that tree. Mine will snug up tight, so the block or porty is a couple inches from the girth hitch.

The Sherril catalog shows how you've got it rigged as incorrect, because the girth to the tree is resting mid splice on the eye splice. It shows the correct method it to have the girth hitch resting across both legs of the eye splice (above the splice) so the splice isn't compromised by cross loading.

I don't have a GRCS yet, so I'm hesitant to question your kerf mount method, but I don't see why you'd want to weaken the tree in any way before you climb and rig on it, especially on a silver maple where in lots of cases there's only the outer circumference of the tree that's solid, good wood.

Isn't the mounting strap secure enough on it's own?

Nice work, and good pics, I'd like to see a before pic of the tree.

 

[Nailsbeats]

There's still alot of slack that will come out of that whoopie unless it's just too big for that tree. Mine will snug up tight, so the block or porty is a couple inches from the girth hitch.

The Sherril catalog shows how you've got it rigged as incorrect, because the girth to the tree is resting mid splice on the eye splice. It shows the correct method it to have the girth hitch resting across both legs of the eye splice (above the splice) so the splice isn't compromised by cross loading.

I don't have a GRCS yet, so I'm hesitant to question your kerf mount method, but I don't see why you'd want to weaken the tree in any way before you climb and rig on it, especially on a silver maple where in lots of cases there's only the outer circumference of the tree that's solid, good wood.

Isn't the mounting strap secure enough on it's own?

Nice work, and good pics, I'd like to see a before pic of the tree.

No more slack will come out of that sling, the only way to do it is to wrap it around once then girth it and tighten the adjustable eye. The sling is too big to tighten anymore the way it is, you can see how much tail is hanging in the pics. I see what you are saying about being over both legs and not on the splice, good point.

The kerf method is pretty standard. The GRCS has little rubber bumpers on the back that will let it shift a little under very heavy loads, that is why you kerf it.

 

[rbtree]

No more slack will come out of that sling, the only way to do it is to wrap it around once then girth it and tighten the adjustable eye. The sling is too big to tighten anymore the way it is, you can see how much tail is hanging in the pics. I see what you are saying about being over both legs and not on the splice, good point.

The kerf method is pretty standard. The GRCS has little rubber bumpers on the back that will let it shift a little under very heavy loads, that is why you kerf it.

Seems the critics here have their panties in a wad, eh, nails?! And spout off aimlessly. Tends to makes one or two of 'em look kinda bad. Such folks might do well to zip it...the might actually learn something if they quieted down tad.

Your explanation made it clear you weren't butt hitching, so there was no need to get the block cinched as tight and short as possible. Agree that the splice shouldn't be loaded that way, however.

I still use eye slings for in tree block attachments, but may switch to a loopie, which is about twice as strong as a whoopie, and may be shortened more. Loopies and whoopies are the simplest of all pieces of kit to splice up!

Good on ya, you just got a GRCS, and already have the drill chuck, and custom made your own visor plate. We've had a GRCS since 2004, and just now got the plate and chuck. Next purchase is a Milwaukee drill!

 

[rbtree]

There's still alot of slack that will come out of that whoopie unless it's just too big for that tree. Mine will snug up tight, so the block or porty is a couple inches from the girth hitch.


I don't have a GRCS yet, so I'm hesitant to question your kerf mount method, but I don't see why you'd want to weaken the tree in any way before you climb and rig on it, especially on a silver maple where in lots of cases there's only the outer circumference of the tree that's solid, good wood.

Isn't the mounting strap secure enough on it's own?

Nice work, and good pics, I'd like to see a before pic of the tree.

That's the way a Hobbs is attached to a tree being removed. The visor plate attachment for the GRCS allows one man to install it, and removes the possibility of it sliding up the tree under a heavy load, a situation that could be disastrous. It has happened to us....only option is to cut slots in the tree for the strap...or for the GRCS. I'm really glad the visor plate has been made an add on option.

Also the small kerf cut needed for it isn't going to significantly weaken the tree it's attached to, unless the tree is really small, or rotten, in which case, the GRCS can be secured with a couple of lag bolts.

 

[rbtree]

I wasn't catching wood off that spar, I used it as a jib pole to rig out the other leads.

The correct word is jin...as in jin pole.

Good work, young fella. I love your energy, and enthusiasm, and how far you've progressed in such as hort time.

I started doing tree work in 1975, and didn't get a block until maybe 1989.

Gaffed everything till about that time, didn't even know how to body thrust, footlock or anything, save tie a taut line hitch (we called it a monkey fist.)
I was capable of doing some relatively technical removals back in that day.....but with nothing but a few ropes, it took a lot longer.

 

[tree MDS]

Yes Ghillie, I believe they do, you can get a truck receiver mount too, we are going to build one of those as well. We bought a drill adapter too, so we can hook up the big Milwaukee drill for the long pulls.

Will you please post some pics of that truck reciever when you build it nails? I've been borrowing a friends grcs and it would sure be sweet on the back of my rear mount. I do some welding too nails, not a pro but I get along.

 

[deevo]

exactly

Yes, exactly, that is why I take the time when I can to take pics, everybody always has stories, well in this day in age why not have the pics to go along with it. When I can't do this anymore I can look back and relive it through the pictures and it will give my family something to remember me by. Also, in the mean time people can learn from this (pictures) on both sides. Learning is always my main goal, period.

The pictures like yourself and others take are great learning tools for beginners and experienced alike. It's great to see how things are done right and sometimes when some people innovate some tools the way they do and I personally have learned a great deal by this site, and the pictures people take give you a perspective that books and others have taught me just don't. Keep posting them!:greenchainsaw:

 

[Nailsbeats]

The correct word is jin...as in jin pole.

Good work, young fella. I love your energy, and enthusiasm, and how far you've progressed in such as hort time.

I started doing tree work in 1975, and didn't get a block until maybe 1989.

Gaffed everything till about that time, didn't even know how to body thrust, footlock or anything, save tie a taut line hitch (we called it a monkey fist.)
I was capable of doing some relatively technical removals back in that day.....but with nothing but a few ropes, it took a lot longer.

I got ya RB, thanks for the support and clarification. I always thought a crane boom was a Jib, so I just crossed it over to tree work.

Spikes and natural crotches is a good way for a beginner to learn, keeps it simple. It has been a fun progression, I just wonder when it will slow up. Seems everytime I turn around I learn something new that I want to try.

I am not sure some guys could do without their gadgets, I could go back to oldschool in a heartbeat if I had too, but I would not choose to, many more options and safer methods with the new stuff.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Will you please post some pics of that truck reciever when you build it nails? I've been borrowing a friends grcs and it would sure be sweet on the back of my rear mount. I do some welding too nails, not a pro but I get along.

Will do MDS. Just make sure you are confident in the strength of your welds given the application at hand.

 

[tree MDS]

Will do MDS. Just make sure you are confident in the strength of your welds given the application at hand.

Thanks nails. I'm not that bad, dont get me wrong, lol. I've put a factory winch on my 200+ bandit, two or three dump bodies and I do my own bodywork welding-you know floor pans, cab corners, rockers, all that. I just dont go around saying I'm a pro because I'm not. As a tree guy I see enough of that, lol.

 

[ddhlakebound]

Wow....just checked, and they want $455 for the truck hitch receiver for the GRCS. I can totally understand wanting to build one yourself, just be careful about the possiblilty of voiding your liability insurance if the one you made were to fail and cause a claim.

 

[murphy4trees]

I have a truck hitch receiver for the GRCS... Bought it new with the GRCS... never used it once... If I use the truck I just shackel a port-a wrap to the pindle hitch and step on the gas...
If anyone wants to buy the unit email or PM me...

 

[Adkpk]

The pictures like yourself and others take are great learning tools for beginners and experienced alike. It's great to see how things are done right and sometimes when some people innovate some tools the way they do and I personally have learned a great deal by this site, and the pictures people take give you a perspective that books and others have taught me just don't. Keep posting them!:greenchainsaw:

+1. Thanks Nails.