# Really Tall Carvings



## mmstihl038 (Sep 8, 2009)

I carve standing dead trees. Have carved up to 14'. I've got a couple 20 footers coming up and am looking for suggestions for scaffolding setup. Species is lodge pole, so straight trunk. Carvings will be totems. I built my own scaffolding out of lodge poles previously and worked fine strapped to tree with a couple ratchet straps, but have to build or buy new to get to 20' mark.

Appreciate any advice.


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## twoclones (Sep 8, 2009)

This may not be OSHA approved but it worked. We set a tower of scaffold, two levels high on each side of the tree and tied them together with the third level. By placing planks across the scaffold on each side and then from plank to plank, we made a walkway all the way around the tree at each level. 

Note that at least one carver has had a carving damaged when tall scaffold blew over duruing the night...


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## lumberjackchef (Jan 25, 2010)

jacob said:


> OK - I understand now. It would be impossible to judge the worth of these pieces, especially as there is a big problem with dealing in ivory without a certificate.



:spam:


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## MostShady1 (Feb 14, 2010)

:agree2::agree2:


jacob said:


> :agree2:


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## BlueRidgeMark (Feb 14, 2010)

mmstihl038 said:


> I carve standing dead trees. Have carved up to 14'. I've got a couple 20 footers coming up and am looking for suggestions for scaffolding setup. Species is lodge pole, so straight trunk. Carvings will be totems. I built my own scaffolding out of lodge poles previously and worked fine strapped to tree with a couple ratchet straps, but have to build or buy new to get to 20' mark.
> 
> Appreciate any advice.





Ask The Bear Man - he's done as much as 60', that I know of.


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## carvinmark (Feb 15, 2010)

BlueRidgeMark said:


> Ask The Bear Man - he's done as much as 60', that I know of.



Holy cow. 60' is crazy! I don't like going over 20'.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Feb 15, 2010)

When you use real scaffolding, 60' is pretty much like 6'. If you are using makeshift scaffolding, well, I wouldn't go 6'.


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## MostShady1 (Feb 16, 2010)

Anybody done any cool totem poles? I'd love to see some pics!


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## BlueRidgeMark (Feb 16, 2010)

Check the link I posted above for The Bear Man.


Totems galore!


Here's my favorite:

http://www.jonathanbearman.com/images/memorial/treemon.jpg


See the Indian (uh, EXCUSE me! Native American!) chief on the bottom? It's supposed to be just a generic Indian chief to represent the chief of the local tribe (this was in Idlywild, California) of bygone day. There's an inside joke there. The face is Jon's father-in-law, who is a retired fire chief, and of course, we all call him "Chief". 


Alas, this one is no longer standing. It was Jon's first, and he didn't know much about wood preservation then. It got unsafe, so was finally taken down.


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## bulldoglover (Feb 16, 2010)

Very cool looking


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## MostShady1 (Feb 17, 2010)

BlueRidgeMark said:


> Check the link I posted above for The Bear Man.
> 
> 
> Totems galore!
> ...



That is sweet. Love the eagle on top. It's always nice when you can sneak a little inside joke into your work, too!


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## TreeTarget (Mar 4, 2010)

*Elevated Art...*

Have fun with all that...I don't do heights...that is why grunt-work on the ground is so rewarding--being able to watch the tree coming at the target (hence the handle, for those in the dark) is better than being the projectile (don't ask, but yes, I have had that p.o.v. as well).
You can't miss the ground.
I know, I know...safety...yeah, I watch my boss monkey himself up trees all the time, rigged up and secured. I feel very confident that he knows his stuff, but the ground is my friend. I may not feel the tree's pain, but I am firmly rooted just the same.
If I ever get a chance to employ the methods they used in the movie "The Ten Commandments," to erect their obilisks, then I will engage in some serious "elevated" carving.

2 Rules:
TreeTarget no do cold...
TreeTarget no do heights...


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