Or some Barbie stickers. Kids these days!
springboard notch
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Or some Barbie stickers. Kids these days!
I THINK the springboards were used in two circumstances here. One use was to get above the butt swell of the redwoods and the other was cutting the downhill side of a tree growing on steep ground. Most of the notches were 3 or 4 feet above the ground. Some notches were way high though, like 10 or maybe 12 feet up on the biggest trees on a steep slope. I don't think the fallers were tied in at all.
My suggestion is you cut a few notches just a foot or so off the ground. Use a good plank and Bob's nails idea and see if you want to continue on higher up the tree. Don't forget a notch can create a stress riser and cause the tree to split or even barberchair. A chainsaw makes short work of butt swell or butressing and is safer.
BTW I just found an old growth redwood on one of the ranches I help chase cows on. It is 8-9 feet dbh and was left I'm guessing because the base is hollow. I can almost stand up inside it. Plus the top appears to be blown out and it has a nasty lean. Still it is a cool remnant from the past.
My suggestion is you cut a few notches just a foot or so off the ground. Use a good plank and Bob's nails idea and see if you want to continue on higher up the tree. Don't forget a notch can create a stress riser and cause the tree to split or even barberchair. A chainsaw makes short work of butt swell or butressing and is safer.
BTW I just found an old growth redwood on one of the ranches I help chase cows on. It is 8-9 feet dbh and was left I'm guessing because the base is hollow. I can almost stand up inside it. Plus the top appears to be blown out and it has a nasty lean. Still it is a cool remnant from the past.
The notches are pretty much on the sides or the downhill side of the trees here. Some, like the stump monster, aren't on very steep ground, but it might be steep enough if not using power equipment. I'll have to remember to ponder this when the snow melts and I'm back out in that country. Most are in cedar, which would go with the butt swell problem. Some of those stumps are still sound enough to use for guyline stumps.
Good post and some good advice as well. Sometimes two or three springboards would be necessary to get up to where you could face up the tree. I saw my uncles do this when I was a kid. Those guys were real catty when it came time to get down from all that stuff...I mean those guys could MOVE.
I don't remember ever seeing anyone tie in. It would slow you down, I think.
As far as the nails in the springboard go, I'd be real careful with that method. Maybe try it that way down close to the ground but if you do any serious board work better make yourself a shoe.
The spikes in the board were okay for a one time shot but they were wobbly and didn't ever feel totally secure to me. I had to come up with something quick and dirty and that was it.
One other thing...wear caulks.
Here's our state's description. If I remember, the boards have a narrow pointy end which is reinforced by a metal covering. I'll have to go to the Jubilee this year and see if they still chop off them.
WAC 296-54-53940 Falling and bucking--Springboards and tree jacking.
(1) Springboards must be:
(a) Made of clear, straight grained sound stock;
(b) Long enough, wide enough, and strong enough; and
(c) Replaced when they will no longer safely support the expected load at the extreme end.
(2) Springboard irons must be well lipped and firmly attached with bolts or other equally strong attachment.
(3) Saw chains must be stopped while shifting springboards.
Kind of vague, eh? I do know there are cutters who have them around here.
We were thinking of doing a modern picture, with 2 brothers posing on springboards stuck in a 14 inch tree.
WAC 296-54-53940 Falling and bucking--Springboards and tree jacking.
(1) Springboards must be:
(a) Made of clear, straight grained sound stock;
(b) Long enough, wide enough, and strong enough; and
(c) Replaced when they will no longer safely support the expected load at the extreme end.
(2) Springboard irons must be well lipped and firmly attached with bolts or other equally strong attachment.
(3) Saw chains must be stopped while shifting springboards.
Kind of vague, eh? I do know there are cutters who have them around here.
We were thinking of doing a modern picture, with 2 brothers posing on springboards stuck in a 14 inch tree.
smokechase II
Addicted to ArboristSite
semi springboard
There is one other simple springboard you can do in the field.
Let's say you're a firefighter that is a long way from a road. Maybe you dropped in to this imagined fire by parachute.
Rip some 4 1/2 foot boards.
More lumber than a real springboard would fill the need for.
Do four bores in and pop out each hole for your lumber.
(Don't make these notches below what will be holding wood.)
Make a couple wooden wedges for each springboard.
Place springboard in wide slot. Drive in wedge from bottom till snug.
You can see how much work this would be to make.
But it can be handy if its 2 hours hiking downhill to a rig that you hope is there and driver doesn't even know what a springboard is.
Of course nailed or other permanently fixed springboards will not cover the same range of area as a real springboard.
You can place additional lumber that is fixed in place by nail, wedge or dado crossways across the primary springboards.
Note how this was often done on the biggest trees where it would take 1/2 day plus just to make the face.
Sure we're macho.
There is one other simple springboard you can do in the field.
Let's say you're a firefighter that is a long way from a road. Maybe you dropped in to this imagined fire by parachute.
Rip some 4 1/2 foot boards.
More lumber than a real springboard would fill the need for.
Do four bores in and pop out each hole for your lumber.
(Don't make these notches below what will be holding wood.)
Make a couple wooden wedges for each springboard.
Place springboard in wide slot. Drive in wedge from bottom till snug.
You can see how much work this would be to make.
But it can be handy if its 2 hours hiking downhill to a rig that you hope is there and driver doesn't even know what a springboard is.
Of course nailed or other permanently fixed springboards will not cover the same range of area as a real springboard.
You can place additional lumber that is fixed in place by nail, wedge or dado crossways across the primary springboards.
Note how this was often done on the biggest trees where it would take 1/2 day plus just to make the face.
Sure we're macho.
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treejunkie13
ArboristSite Operative
These guys doing the springboard chop competition, Where do they get the shoe for the board? Someone out there has to be supplying these things? For a new toy to play around with, an obvious conversation piece, I would prefer buy one that is right instead of making one myself.
forestryworks
Addicted to ArboristSite
treejunkie13
ArboristSite Operative
Nice pic, Thanx for the info... Checked out the site, seems to be everything log rolling, no springboard info, their store seems to be down right now.
StihlKiwi
ArboristSite Guru
Sorry for bringing up such an old thread, seems to be the most recent one involving springboards. I made one today, took me all of 15 minutes to weld up a steel tip for it. If you're still looking for one I made one today, took all of 15 minutes. I can post a pic if anyones still interested
Thomas
Sure, post away.
coastalfaller
ArboristSite Operative
I haven't read the rest of the post so I don't know if this is redundant or not. Sorry if it is!
What I do when I need a springboard is simply make one from a hemlock or some other smaller lower grade tree. Doesn't take long at all. Rip the board from the tree however long and thick you want. Rough measure of your notch, insert board, voila! If it's a little loose, tap in a wedge, it'll tighten right up.
A guy i know was in steep ground and big timber for quite awhile. He made a nice board and cut an old bar off and bolted it to the board. All he had to do to insert the springboard was make a saw kerf in his tree. Worked pretty slick!
Again, sorry if this is redundant. I suspect it is!
What I do when I need a springboard is simply make one from a hemlock or some other smaller lower grade tree. Doesn't take long at all. Rip the board from the tree however long and thick you want. Rough measure of your notch, insert board, voila! If it's a little loose, tap in a wedge, it'll tighten right up.
A guy i know was in steep ground and big timber for quite awhile. He made a nice board and cut an old bar off and bolted it to the board. All he had to do to insert the springboard was make a saw kerf in his tree. Worked pretty slick!
Again, sorry if this is redundant. I suspect it is!
StihlKiwi
ArboristSite Guru
Hopefully I've uploaded these pics right..
I had to extend the two straps on the top side as the original bolts were to close the the end of the board and felt like they were going to split out when I stood on it, the bolts further back have solved that problem.
I had to extend the two straps on the top side as the original bolts were to close the the end of the board and felt like they were going to split out when I stood on it, the bolts further back have solved that problem.
nw axe man
ArboristSite Operative
Here's a few pics of a springboard that I had to make to get a job done some years ago. This was a nice fir that was just too high on the bottom side. You can see where I slabbed off the bark. This is fairly close to St Helens and got some heavy ash.
RandyMac
Stiff Member
Yep, a very nice Fir. Too bad some of these lads won't see a 8 foot peeler, let alone fall one.
I learned to set board holes from my Grandad, it took a bit. The first time I saw Ray put one in he used his big Homelite, flipped driveside up and dabbed at the trunk from 6 feet away.
I learned to set board holes from my Grandad, it took a bit. The first time I saw Ray put one in he used his big Homelite, flipped driveside up and dabbed at the trunk from 6 feet away.
coastalfaller
ArboristSite Operative
Nice stick indeed!We've got a block coming up this year cruised at just over 1000 cubic meters/hectare (sorry for all my friends south of the border, you'll have to convert that!) I'll try and get some pics. Haven't seen it yet, don't think there's an abundance of big wood in it, likely thick with 3-4 footers. Perfect production wood!
1K m^3 = 35314.5 ft^3
35314.5 ft^3= 423774 bf
423774 bf/ha = 171499 bf/ac
which is HOLY CRAP big
By contrast: I recently cruised a 200 acre unit at about 10 mmbf.
10mmbf/200 ac = 50000 bf/ac
That's trees averaging ~26 in DBH and 150 ft tall, ~80 yo prairie-colonization forest, which is pretty big stuff indeed for this area and time.
35314.5 ft^3= 423774 bf
423774 bf/ha = 171499 bf/ac
which is HOLY CRAP big
By contrast: I recently cruised a 200 acre unit at about 10 mmbf.
10mmbf/200 ac = 50000 bf/ac
That's trees averaging ~26 in DBH and 150 ft tall, ~80 yo prairie-colonization forest, which is pretty big stuff indeed for this area and time.
bitzer
******** Timber Expert
Awesome pics! Hey I walked around a few Dougs today. The biggest was about 2 foot on the stump and maybe tickling a 100ft. Pretty huge for around here. Defenitely not the land of their fore-fathers.
HILLBILLYREDNEC
Addicted to ArboristSite
Spring board
I use a topping saw and and a common notch just deeper. Need to build a new set of my personal designed spring board hooks.
:hmm3grin2orange:
I use a topping saw and and a common notch just deeper. Need to build a new set of my personal designed spring board hooks.
:hmm3grin2orange:
Okay, everybody knows how to make a springboard and most people know how to use one. Most of us know how to get up on the board and do our work once we get there.
What I want to see are suggestions or videos, or even pictures, of getting down from the board. As in when you've stayed on the hinge just a bit too long and really have to bail out. Gracefully. Not landing in a heap. Not having to look for your saw. Not losing more than the normal amount of hide off your elbows and knees. Not rolling down the hill while trying to scramble to your feet 'cause maybe that stick you just backed up is headed your way. Graceful, controlled springboard exits.
How 'bout it?
What I want to see are suggestions or videos, or even pictures, of getting down from the board. As in when you've stayed on the hinge just a bit too long and really have to bail out. Gracefully. Not landing in a heap. Not having to look for your saw. Not losing more than the normal amount of hide off your elbows and knees. Not rolling down the hill while trying to scramble to your feet 'cause maybe that stick you just backed up is headed your way. Graceful, controlled springboard exits.
How 'bout it?
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