# Please give me advice



## 1984 Noob (Nov 7, 2005)

I just started being a ground guy this past summer....i've been up about 30 feet in a pine, and i'm ready to start out small and start cutting.

I got a loan, and i plan on buying a 1000 hr sc752 tow-behind grinder...i hope to go to south florida and make some money.


i was a wrestler in high school, i have fairly good balance, and even though i was scared of heights all my life i feel like trees are my calling...after all we'd be dogs if chimps didn't venture into trees for safeharbor.

before primates walked on two legs, they were tree climbers. trees truly did give us knowledge, otherwise we'd be really goofey looking dogs right now.


anyways, i haven't worked in trees in a few weeks, i was up in slidell for about a month with my ??????? boss who owes me a great deal of money. but i've been climbing small diameter trees barefoot (no spikes nothing)...not high or anything but i'm really learning the physics of leaning back and using outstretched arms and keeping your legs tucked in.


yeah, i'm a n00b, but i truly think i can be a half decent climber.


i haven't read any literature...but my old boss tought me how to use a figure 8 for pines, and he tought me the basic repel line to use in conjunction with my buckstrap.

i feel fairly comfortable, but i'm not that skilled. i was pretty good with physics in high school, i have an idea of how to drop limbs and swinging them from houses, but experience is always the best way of learning.


sorry i'm a blabbermouth typer...


but basically, i'm pretty confident, and i think i'll just start slow and work my way up myself.

i need advisement on what you guys think i should do


for now i plan on 

*getting a grinder
*slowly doing small jobs, then working to big pines
*going to the camp in ATL on november 29th for the isa, or whatever...climbing/rigging I

i'm guessing i should definately buy the book "tree climbers companion"

what else should i do?


and i have a 025, i have used it in a tree before, is that too big or should i hold onto it for mid size pine removals.


and can someone tell me the steps of topping out a pine besides tying it, and notching it.

my boss's climbing line was longer than 100 feet, and one of the pines in slidell had his climbing line dangling off the ground (it was about 110 ft.)

when he topped it, he took it for quite a ride indeed, laughing and going "yeah baby" because he was tottering a bit.

i need to konw more about riggin and topping....teach me


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## Chronic1 (Nov 8, 2005)

"i'm guessing i should definately buy the book "tree climbers companion"

This will be one of the best purchases you'll ever make in regards to learning climbing systems.


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## Sizzle-Chest (Nov 8, 2005)

I like this part, "you have to take the incentive to self-teach through the teachings already taught" . . . and by teaching what is taught, we teachers are not teaching any teachings at all.  Just playin with ya TM! 

for NOOB, im fairly new to this stuff too, but i quickly learned that it isnt just about dumping trees. and there is far too much to learn by yourself, you really have to find a good person to work for who is willing to train you up. start there, and be patient. ide say the worst thing you could do is get ahead of yourself and make mistakes, cuz this is one of those professions where any mistake is potentially your last.


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## Chronic1 (Nov 12, 2005)

Never take a "short-cut". Learned that one the hard way.
Breaking in a new chainsaw is an art form in my humble opinion.
Never "drop start" a chainsaw.Also learned the hard way with near miss.
Start climbing using the traditional SRT w/ blakes hitch and once perfected look into the split tail system.
Buy the best equipment and keep it in top shape.
ALWAYS use safety gear. Protective clothing, safety glasses, chaps, cut resistant shirts etc.
Check equipment befor each climb. Check it again. Then check it again when climbing. Then check it again....did I mention check it again ?
I prefer to climb with lanyard and climbing line, I like to back-up my systems as much as possible. I don't feel comfortable with my life hanging on 1 safety line.
Never climb under the influence, wait until you get home.LOL.

This will get me flamed, but they say never work alone...but I have no choice sometimes.
Don't chip screnches and hammers or rakes. Eeek.
Learn all you can and keep learning. Never get comfortable(SP?).
If you're tired....STOP ! Do something mindless and not dangerous....like washing off the chipper.
Take your time when you bid a job, I've lost my arse many times on this point.
Carry insurance (duh). With literally hundreds of jobs, only two have asked for proof. A lot of fly by night ops around here.

Just my humble opinion.


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## Chronic1 (Nov 12, 2005)

I've sen a guy cut the limb he was tied into, ripping his saddle off his body. Most of his torso was black and blue, he survived.

Another climber had a car slam into him while he was chipping, severing his leg.

I saw a foreman walk towards a truck, have a massive limb crash to the ground seconds after right where he had been standing. Luck.

A guy chipped a hammer, it was ugly.

Another crew member stood in a puddle and cut a house service, you know the rest. He survived.

A crew member had a chainsaw kickback, it went 180degrees and STUCK straight out of a tree directly behind him.

I was dropping a large tree, had crew pulling, whe tree fell the butt end kicked the chainsaw bar sending it 180 degrees clockwise into my upper leg. I wasn't wearing chaps. Thank god for functioning chain brakes.

I was standing on a limb tied in w/safety line and WP lanyard that looked sturdy and fine. It wasn't. It dropped out from under my feet and the lanyard kept me from going for a big swing ride.

A guy I was climbing with was blown out of a tree by a sudden microburst in the mountains. The tree literally bent over and he swung out. He was wearing a helmet, tied in.....he got me into safe practices. 

Just trying to pass along some of the thousands of ways to get hurt/killed in this line of work. I love climbing.


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## pantheraba (Nov 12, 2005)

Chronic1 said:


> ........A guy I was climbing with was blown out of a tree by a sudden microburst in the mountains. The tree literally bent over and he swung out. He was wearing a helmet, tied in.....he got me into safe practices.....
> 
> Just trying to pass along some of the thousands of ways to get hurt/killed in this line of work. I love climbing.



Thanks for passing them along...helps reinforce why we need backup safeties.

I'll often have 2 climbing lines in the tree (one may be a simple 25 foot "daisy" rope) with me so that when I am repositioning one I still have the other one PLUS my lanyard. Takes awhile longer but....


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## newb (Dec 4, 2005)

Good Luck to you and welcome aboard. You sound like you have your head about you, just don't get to far ahead of your abilities. You will know when to go to bigger and more advanced trees. If you do take a saw into the trees you will want to look into a top handle saw.


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## smokechase II (Dec 4, 2005)

There are always the odd events. Ones that you night not prepare for.
While climbing in a campground, a guy about 80 feet up had a car go through a road block. Said car was able to somehow grab the climber’s rope around its bumper. Fortunately the climber had disconnected the rope from himself and the limb it was tied to was all that got pulled from the tree.
Road blocks need to be permanent - solid structures if serious work is being done nearby.
A road block was set up by DOT because of a fire and it wasn't put far enough down the road, (that was being blocked). A Truck w/trailer shows up at night and stops with its tail end out over a highway. Two guys in a van hit it and both died.
This is just some odd stuff from the "how complicated is life" file.
Perspective. I think the only way to reasonably learn a job such as an arborists' is to do the book learning, then work for someone who has done it for at least a decade and has a safety reputation.
I'm not even an arborists. Just somewhat appreciative of those tied to the stump and 75 feet up.


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## ropensaddle (Feb 21, 2007)

*new*

First welcome to an adventure but caution learning on your own
books will teach all safety rules but field work has lessons as well.
Training from a qualified professional is the best way combined 
with book learning you are about to embark on a journey few men
master. Things to let you know what will happen you will find
hornets at some point you may not react in panic. You will have things
not work, just the way planned , you will find bad spots in trees
you missed, and on the way down! There are things about the biz
that will kill you even if you are certified! I was climbing a giant magnolia
in Houston Tx.:monkey: in 84 and had a coral snake fall on my shoulder I 
was glad I already tied in! I was bitten by a brown recluse in 92
Hotsprings AR nasty little devils. Then their are hollow trees ,dead trees, 
modulus of rupture, power lines, raccoons ,wind , and the most
dangerous ice storms nothing will prepare you for these things 
like an experienced treeman that follows ANSI standards I encourage
you to enter the career get a job with someone been there you
will not be sorry you made that choice.


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