Throwbag nightmare

[Adkpk]

Personally, I think it all revolves around some mutual, global admiration for Bermie. :love1:

Isn't she something!

So you hold the throw line the whole time it's flying? I do that in the tree using the bag to reset the line but never on the ground. Although I will give it a try.

I will add that this thread has gone rather well. And also was thinking about the time it got started why there wasn't more thread's on the all-to-famous throw bag and line. It sure can use a lot of my time when I'm trying to set a line.

 

[Tree Machine]

So you hold the throw line the whole time it's flying?

Only on short throws, like when pulling low hangers, or when rigging a single limb, like a long dead one where you want it chokered toward the center or tip, rather than nearby where you'll cut. On these limb-rigging throws, they're generally really easy throws and the 'brake' is to redirection the arc back toward you, and maybe to slow the bag right before it reaches your hand. That way you may not have to take a single step to throw, retrieve, clip on rope, pull up and over, clip rope back to itself, pull til it chokers, done. That whole procedure can take as much time as it took you to read this paragraph.

If its a long throw (or bigshot) and I need to brake, I'll step lightly on the shotline winder. Long throws (or shots), I just keep my hands away.

I will add that this thread has gone rather well. And also was thinking about the time it got started why there wasn't more thread's on the all-too-famous throw bag and line. It sure can use a lot of my time when I'm trying to set a line.

Like anything in life, as the saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a shrew.

As far as professional shrew skinners goes, there's the one who pretty much has skinned shrews the same way as when he started. Then there's the shrew skinning technician who through his career has tried hundreds of different ways to skin a shrew, many failures, but along the way has picked up the finer nuances, added the tricks and methods to his bag and through his constant belief that the shrew can be skinned faster and more accurately he can now skin three shrews every ten minutes where it takes other shrew skinners anywhere from 31 minutes to an hour to skin a single shrew.

So, if you're getting serious about skinning shrews, I might suggest you go to critterskinners.com, a forum dedicated to the practice, and quite likely you will find a thread..... it could be titled 'Shrew skinning nightmare', or something, and likely you'll hook up with some experienced shrew skinners who will share with you every one of their secrets if you keep asking the right questions.

 

[outofmytree]

Only on short throws, like when pulling low hangers, or when rigging a single limb, like a long dead one where you want it chokered toward the center or tip, rather than nearby where you'll cut. On these limb-rigging throws, they're generally really easy throws and the 'brake' is to redirection the arc back toward you, and maybe to slow the bag right before it reaches your hand. That way you may not have to take a single step to throw, retrieve, clip on rope, pull up and over, clip rope back to itself, pull til it chokers, done. That whole procedure can take as much time as it took you to read this paragraph.

If its a long throw (or bigshot) and I need to brake, I'll step lightly on the shotline winder. Long throws (or shots), I just keep my hands away.

Like anything in life, as the saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a shrew.

As far as professional shrew skinners goes, there's the one who pretty much has skinned shrews the same way as when he started. Then there's the shrew skinning technician who through his career has tried hundreds of different ways to skin a shrew, many failures, but along the way has picked up the finer nuances, added the tricks and methods to his bag and through his constant belief that the shrew can be skinned faster and more accurately he can now skin three shrews every ten minutes where it takes other shrew skinners anywhere from 31 minutes to an hour to skin a single shrew.

So, if you're getting serious about skinning shrews, I might suggest you go to critterskinners.com, a forum dedicated to the practice, and quite likely you will find a thread..... it could be titled 'Shrew skinning nightmare', or something, and likely you'll hook up with some experienced shrew skinners who will share with you every one of their secrets if you keep asking the right questions.

If only I had some rep to give away right now. On top of the great advice a darn good laugh as well!

 

[Bermie]

Somebody check TM's temperature...he sounds feverish, skinning shrews and such...the lad is rambling!
Maybe one of his throwbags bonked him on the head...:biggrinbounce2:

I'm going to try that two handed stance and see if I can't knock some of them critters in one throw...

 

[Tree Machine]

Can I ask a dumb question?

What is 'rep'?

I've heard that term several times. I'm clueless, but I want to know, just so I can be on the same page as the rest of the community. :help:

 

[outofmytree]

Can I ask a dumb question?

What is 'rep'?

I've heard that term several times. I'm clueless, but I want to know, just so I can be on the same page as the rest of the community. :help:

Assuming for a nanosecond that you arent being funny....

See the lil tree looking thingie underneath my avatar picture? Or scales if you prefer. Click on that. Add some nice comment about how sexy I am and click add to Outofmytrees reputation. Actually the click is optional but you can tell me how sexy I am any time you like. (Did I just say that?)

 

[Tree Machine]

Thanks, outofmytree. I'm actually not being funny, but just for this nanosecond, and then I gotta go back to being me. I've never clicked on the thingies. I've rolled over the scales and it tells me I must own a Stihl. That's as far as I've ever gone.

Is rep important? Can I give rep like this?
Hey outofmytrees, :yourock:

Hold on.... I'm dereailing Bermie's thread. This is her nightmare.
She's dreamy. :biggrinbounce2:


Ok, now back to our regularly scheduled program.

 

[tree md]

Had to thread the needle today. I had a little storm work to do. Nothing major, only three large limbs and some debris on the ground to clean up. I had one loose hanger about 40' up in a Pine. Just had maybe a foot window to get between the butt end of the hanger and the limb it was lodged in. I hit a Pine bough above it and use it as a spring board to drop my line in between the butt of the hanger and the limb it was hung in. Took me about 10 minutes. I only charged $25 for it as it is one of my commercial contracts and a good client. I almost felt guilty for charging that much...

 

[Tree Machine]

Threading the needle. Those are the toughest throws. Those and near-verticals.

Took me about 10 minutes. I only charged $25 for it as it is one of my commercial contracts and a good client. I almost felt guilty for charging that much...

They were probably just really happy to have the professional who could git 'er done.

The 'thread the needle' reminded me of one of those unique instances. Now, this was a long time ago, late 90's, I built my first single handled dual ascender out of two CMI's, just for this job, pulling the pivot pin out of the cam assembly on both and reinserting a double-length rivet pin through both ascenders, and then reinforcing the whole unit with small rivets in the handle. This was before digital cameras so I never got a picture of this set of early duals, other than the one aerial shot of me with no helmet and no backup and not using my flipline (there.... acknowledged, so don't give me crap.) The shots were taken by the Art Center Director. This first shot is the last one taken, but shows clearly where the throw needed to go.

Here's the 'needle'.

It was an art pole, a telephone pole with this square wooden frame nailed atop. The toss had to go through the wooden frame, and then the rope needed to rest directly on center of the pole. If the rope were to slide to the side, both me and the wooden frame were going down. The 2:1 friction hitch system I was familiar with would mean the rope atop the pole would be in motion, the chance of it sliding off to the side much increased. That's why the dual ascender, no motion of the rope at the tie-in point.

 

[Tree Machine]

In this second picture, the job was near completion. This art pole was covered with delicate pieces, all the way to the top, trinkets and ceramic pieces and whatever else one might call art, covering the pole top to bottom.

My job was to go up top and attach these long, streaming colorful lengths of fabric inside the frame. At the same time I had to not damage any of the pieces adorning the pole on the way up. This required a careful footlock where the toe of one boot was strategically placed in between art pieces to keep the rest of me off the pole, then a careful advance, repeat. Also had to have a critical balance so I didn't swing around right, or left.

 

[Tree Machine]

On this one, the task was completed. The camera person said "Get ready for the final shot."
I asked, "What do you want me to do?"
She said, "Become an opera singer,... at the top of your voice!"

Being all about silly humor, I gladly obliged.

 

[tree md]

Very cool Job!

LOL, your story kind of reminds me of the ladies at the condo complex that I take care of. Two older women are my bosses there. One is the complex manager, the other is the president of the HOA. They are FUNNY! I can do no wrong in these ladies eyes. They used to follow me around with a camera everywhere I went when I first started working there 3 years ago. They have a bulletin board in the office plastered with shots of my mug at work. LOL, they are so easily impressed. They have pics of me doing a Bradford Pear in a really tight spot where I had to rope every piece. It was one of the first jobs I did there and they were just amazed. Super funny to me. I mean it was a lot of rope work but come on, it was a BRADFORD PEAR!!! LOL, I might have been 15 or 20 feet off the ground. Never the less it made some cool pics.

Anyway, it kind of reminded me of your artist friends.

Very cool job BTW.That was some serious needle threading! And I dressed like that back in the 90's too. What's a hard hat??? I never saw a climber wear one period back in the 90's.

 

[Tree Machine]

I like that you welcome in an audience. People like to be included sometimes, to be part of it. Even if it's just watching and seeing how their money is being spent.

Just had maybe a foot window to get between the butt end of the hanger and the limb it was lodged in. I hit a Pine bough above it and use it as a spring board to drop my line in between the butt of the hanger and the limb it was hung in.

True, an off-shot is not necessarily a bunk shot.

These pics were from yesterday, job finished, I just had to put on a backpack blower and get up on the roof. It took three throws to hit the 'wrong' limb, but I saw a springboard opportunity. The wrong limb was maybe four feet away and a foot lower than my ideal, but it was in direct line, so I went and got the camera.

Now, this was a tough shot, and that was a seriously good pun because I'm talking about the camera. The try was to get a little swing going and at the right moment pull-and-release; the bag goes up, over and away from the wrong limb and ideally back over the ideal limb. At the same time as the pull-and-release with the one hand, I was going to try to shoot the picture with the other. Ready,... and.....

One of the day's little successes.

 

[Bermie]

Oh, STOP it walls...!!!! (any limey's over 35 will know what I mean!)

Translated:
American...get OUTTA here!!!

Bermudian...bye, NO bye!!!! (bye being local lingo...does not mean so long...)

 

[Adkpk]

I used this method the other day to get a hanger I left in a hemlock down. 35' up and in a mess of greenery. Three throws and I got'er down. As I said before I have used the two handed extra control method in the tree but not on the ground. This was a perfect application. I was anxious to give it a try and now I will use it more often. Thanks TM.

I didn't noticed it mentioned yet in this thread but want to say, the new "neoprene" bags are much better design over the leather. Longer lasting and more streamline.

 

[Bermie]

I tried the TM shrew skinning method yesterday...I have to say I think it works!
Both throws went to their intended destinations within 3 tries...granted they were low, but I am sensing an improvement

 

[Tree Machine]

 

[Tree Machine]

Throw-bagging is the unsung hero or as it may be, the unsung pita.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a hero.

 

[Tree Machine]

I have another thread-the-needle instance.

In this first pic you see this ash that had a real bad day. The uppermost crown is out over the center of the street. It is heavily weighted and the rip-out area is barely holding the crown section to the supporting limb.

If the climber were to go out there and do the cut, one thing is sure to happen. A second thing is likely to happen.

Sure to happen, the limb will crash into the street, making a new mess where we had just cleaned up and taking the thousand branches on the limb and smashing them to 10,000 little pieces.

Likely to happen is when the limb releases, the limb that the climber is on will springboard, and if unaware, the climber could take the limb in the face or chest while the saw is running. Even if totally aware of that potential, the risk is pretty high.

 

[Tree Machine]

If you look closely at the picture above, you can see a shotline has already been set through the needle hole to the left of the rip-out area.

A bull rope was pulled up and over, steel triple-lock applied and the rope chokered. Then the shotbag was tossed over the supporting limb the other side of the rip-out.