# Plenty of work!



## MasterBlaster (Dec 18, 2003)

One of the clients I deal with just landed a $50,000 contract slated to kick off in January. Perfect timing, if I say so myself. But it is gonna be a totally royal PITA bee-otch to do.  

The job involves removing 18 trees that are encroaching/damaging a major drainage ditch. So far it appears all of the work is going to have to be done within the (concrete-lined) ditch.

The plan is to build a ramp for the 18ton, weasel that sucker down in the ditch, and then back the chipper/chipper truck down behind it. Hmmm.

Lemme tell ya, 10 or 12 of these trees are HUGE! And this is the guy that runs a 36" bar on a 044. Hmphhh! I told him he'd better but a 066 if he expects to see me ALAP any stumps. I'll let his top groundman handle that bs!  

The best part is there is gonna be an engineer there the entire time making sure we don't bust up the concrete. Maybe I'll give him my digcam to get some good shots!

This guy is cool. He just laid five bills on me for a xmas bonus. I CAN dig that. My other tree climbing buddy didn't get squat.

Bummer!

HEY ALLS YOUSE OWNERS!!!

DON'T FORGET YUR COTTEN PICKERS!! 

:angel:


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## jimmyq (Dec 18, 2003)

sounds like fun Butch!


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## SilverBlue (Dec 18, 2003)

Great! Time to skweek open that wallet and buy that new dig cam you want so much. And don't forget my new MS 200 Christmas present!!


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## MasterBlaster (Dec 19, 2003)

Uhhhh... MS who???


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## NeTree (Dec 19, 2003)

ya bought Butch a chainbrake?


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## Lumberjack (Dec 19, 2003)

> _Originally posted by netree _
> *ya bought Butch a chainbrake?
> *




Know the saying, "The only stupid question is the one you don't ask."

Well that was an exception to the rule. That, my friend was a stupid question. 

Just kidding netree.


Need some help Butch?


Carl


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## SilverBlue (Dec 19, 2003)

> _Originally posted by MasterBlaster _
> *Uhhhh... MS who???
> 
> 
> ...








Now wait a minute son, ya payin' no attention. Ya startin' too big son. Ya gotta walk before ya can run. MS200 son, look at me when I'm talking to ya son. I say start small and work up. Now try again boy. Kids nowadays they know it all. Now cu, I say cut that out, what's it all about boy, elucidate!


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## MasterBlaster (Dec 19, 2003)




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## MasterBlaster (Jan 25, 2004)

Well last thur and fri was spent building the ramp to allow the crane access into the ditch. It took a lot longer and was harder to build than anyone expected, but it got done. Tomorrow we were slated to start the job. But...

Sat we had a pretty good rain, and guess what? 3/4 of the ramp was torn loose and drifted downstream! Now the whole ramp has to be redone. That bites a big one!

The new ramp gonna have to be secured in some manner, we ain't quite figured that one out yet.

Oh well. Live and learn, I guess.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 25, 2004)




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## MasterBlaster (Jan 25, 2004)

After the rain...


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 25, 2004)




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## MasterBlaster (Jan 25, 2004)

I don't think their gonna find all these crossties.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 25, 2004)

Can ya believe seven guys to do this?


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## Guy Meilleur (Jan 26, 2004)

> _Originally posted by MasterBlaster _
> *Can ya believe seven guys to do this?  *


Nope, sure can't. What really blows my mind about this operation is that the equipment used to remove these trees may well do more damage to the waterway than the trees themselves were doing.

Why weren't the crossties secured in event of rain? Sounds like a government job.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 26, 2004)

Actually, I see there are eight guys in that pic. Four of the guys are with the crane crew, the other four are the groundies. And don't forget the owner, taking the picture.

He just called me and said that we were on for in the morning. They rebuilt it today and its ready to go. About 1/3 of the crossties are in the Red River by now. 

Guy, how do you figure the crane to damage the ditch? A city engineer is going to be on the jobsite for the duration, and he's not worried about that. He's there to make sure we don't damage the canal.


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## Guy Meilleur (Jan 26, 2004)

> _Originally posted by MasterBlaster _
> * About 1/3 of the crossties are in the Red River by now.
> *Fish gotta be lovin' that creosote. Yum yum.
> 
> Guy, how do you figure the crane to damage the ditch? A city engineer is going to be on the jobsite [/B]


I'm no engineer, I was just wondering. Concrete cracking is kinda unpredictable.


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## murphy4trees (Jan 26, 2004)

Seems like a wheel loader with forks would have done a better job of moving the lumber into place, if it could handle the grade????


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## Lumberjack (Jan 26, 2004)

Would it not make it easier to just have the guys hook the crane to its rear bumper, and just pick itself up and set the rear in the ditch, and then do the front the same way? That way you wouldn'y need the ramp, and you could get right to work. 

Sometimes the answer is right in your face, but you dont see it. Or maybe the crane is too heavy, as yall had already thought of that.

Carl





PS This post was a joke, lighten up


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## tjk (Jan 27, 2004)

Lumberjack, you are kidding right?


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## John Paul Sanborn (Jan 27, 2004)

How much do those big wheel, off off road cranes go for an hour?


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## tjk (Jan 27, 2004)

Depends on the size. Plus trasportation costs.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 27, 2004)

> _Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn _
> *How much do those big wheel, off off road cranes go for an hour? *



The 17T is $65 per hr with travel time both ways. 

The engineer is having us do the worst ones first. I got about 3/4 of the first biggest one today. We had to swing the jib, thats allways fun. We really need a 30 but getting it down the ramp or setting the outriggers is near about impossible.

Tommorows gonna be fun - 25* at 8 am.  

I might have some pics later tonight.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 27, 2004)

The pics are in the hizzhouse.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 27, 2004)




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## NeTree (Jan 27, 2004)

Looks like alot of fun!


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 27, 2004)

I don't know whats up, but I've been trying to post more pics but it ain't working.

I'll wait a minute, I guess.


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## Lumberjack (Jan 27, 2004)

I think that you can only post once a min.

Carl


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 27, 2004)

I think yur right!


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 27, 2004)




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## MasterBlaster (Jan 27, 2004)




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## Lumberjack (Jan 27, 2004)

Looks like you are gonna have fun for a while. Must be nice to not have to screw with all the little details, just to get it down (which is all a contract climber does, encase you didn't know).


Have fun!!

Carl


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 27, 2004)




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## MasterBlaster (Jan 27, 2004)




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## MasterBlaster (Jan 27, 2004)




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## MasterBlaster (Jan 27, 2004)

> _Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel _
> *OHMAGAWD! What a horrible landing zone! Glad I'm not there.  *




I cleared the way for the crane to manuver by first using the bucket attached to the crane, dropping the stuff.

You wouldn't believe the ricochets!


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## murphy4trees (Jan 28, 2004)

MB,
what kind of hitch are you using to tie into the hook???
DO you need to untie and retie it often throughout the day??
What a difference a spliced eye and biner could make....
Stay safe.....


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 28, 2004)

Daniel, you know the hitch I use. I probably retied a dozen times today, no biggie - I luvs my short rope.

Spliced eye? Biner? What is this madness you speak?


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## igetbisy (Jan 29, 2004)

Butch Ballowe
Outlaw Euc Man
Zen Climber 

"Life is hard. Stay focued!"
"Life is hard. Stay fa-Q'd!"


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## murphy4trees (Jan 29, 2004)

OK MB,
How long does it take, in seconds, to untie and retie your climbing hitch???


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 29, 2004)

I dunno, 4 or 5 seconds maybe.


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## rbtree (Jan 29, 2004)

So, MB, are you using a split tail yet?

Speaking from 30 yrs of experience, it would take me 15-30seconds to untie my safety stopper 8, then the friction knot, then the saddle connection knot. And 30-45 seconds to tie back in for next rappel off the hook (or lift back up.) Assume a 30 pick crane day, that would add quite a few dollars to the bill.

With a split tail and spliced eye, it is more like 2 seconds. It does take me a few seconds to slide my Vt to the end, as I use it to choke the trunk as should be done for a bomb proof second tie in. Try doing that without a split tail....

Those of us that have been around as long as you and I have all used the old climbing methods. And those who like myself have eagerly tried the new skills and tools are much the better off for it. 

Hope you see Tom's TCI article. It, while not extremely detailed, is great. Doubt you'd ever need to put crampons on tho...as ice and Lousyanner go together like a fish and a bicycle.


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## murphy4trees (Jan 29, 2004)

MB.. 
Do us all a favor and put a watch on it.... your 4-5 seconds may in fact be 30- 40 seconds.. x 12= 6-8 minutes/day x 5= 30-40 minutes/week..... x 50 =25-30 hours/ year x $40= $1000-1200/ year in your lost productivity... When your working with a crane and crew its not only your time at stake, it could $150-500/hr at issue... That could make it as high as $15,000/year in lost productivity....
If it actually takes an average of 1 minute longer to untie and retie your hitch, than to unclip and reclip a spliced eye, that could be 20k/year in lost productivity.... 
And its not just money at stake... working faster and more efficiently also makes it safer, much safer.... 
Now how many other repeptitive actions could you tweak to increase speed and efficiency.... save a minute or two every time you gas and oil the saws... or a few seconds using loopies to tie off every limb to be lowerred, a minute every time you bag or box a rope rather than wrapping it up.... using a whoopie sling, or folding cube, or velcro climber pads etc.... All those seconds add up BIG TIME!!! 


PS.. After Isabel a little bitty 20 ton crane crew could easily pull in 8K/day for the first couple of weeks... That is $1,000/hr.

PPS... the day before I left Virginia, I referred a tree removal job to a guy I had talked to on the phone a while back... I stopped by the job to meet him, where he told me that a guy got killed when working for him. It was a new guy who shouldn't have been climbing.... The company used split tails with the blake hitch, no spliced eye..... The climber's anchor hitch to the biner failed and he fell backwards from 50' and landed on his head...
An $18 SPLICED EYE COULD HAVE SAVED A LOT MORE THAN A FEW SECONDS TO TIE AND UNTIE THAT ANCHOR HITCH!!!


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## NeTree (Jan 29, 2004)

Probably all moot... Butch is a contract climber.


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## Kneejerk Bombas (Jan 29, 2004)

Yeah, he gets paid by the hour. Any increase in efficiency costs him money.
Now, if you have tips to make his work go slower...


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## rborist1 (Jan 29, 2004)

:Eye:


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## igetbisy (Jan 29, 2004)

some of you guys act like you were born and raised on the osha handbook. don't insult me by assuming that I dont support working safely, but gimme a berak people! I'd work with butch any day.
On second thought, go for it, humor me.


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## blue (Jan 29, 2004)

i can't see what everyones problem is with the way MB climbs.i get the vibe that MB is real happy with the knots he uses and is very trusting in what he uses day in day out.until i was shown a blakes hitch i used to climb on a prussik.the blake's was a revalation.i would love someone to to show me some advanced hitches working but do not know anyone round near me who uses them to see if they could advance my knowledge.maybe they could but the blakes work's for me at the moment so each to thier own.


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## ccooperabbs (Jan 29, 2004)

Blue,

Why not get yourself down to Capel Manor College on the 23rd/24th April for the celebration of trees event, we will be running the tree climbers forum, this will give you an opportunity to try out all the latest hitches, have a play with some lowering kit and discuss really any asopect of the industry you want, whether it be Risk Assessment, LOLER, Pending working at height regs. etc. I think it is free to the trade to get in, and the forum wont cost you anything, we will be running over both days, just bring your harness, your helmet and any ideas you have and would like to share with others.

Chris - theabsolutearbcompany


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## NickfromWI (Jan 29, 2004)

> _Originally posted by blue _
> *i can't see what everyones problem is with the way MB climbs....until i was shown a blakes hitch i used to climb on a prussik.the blake's was a revalation. *



I think you answered your own question. The people here have seen the light, and they want to pass the torch. We don't want you guys walkng around the woods when it's this dark!!!:angel: 

love
nick


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 29, 2004)

Daniel, I was off on my timing. I checked it today to see. 4 or 5 secs to tie the hitch, another 4 or 5 to dress and set it.

Sooooo, 10 seconds, tops.

Thats quick enough for me.


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## Eagle1 (Jan 29, 2004)

MB nice work.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 29, 2004)

Thank you, sir.


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## murphy4trees (Jan 29, 2004)

MB and all,
Please don't take it the wrong way.... I ain't bustin on you or your techniques.... I've just taken it as a personal goal to give you a little push over the line... Just try it and I know you'll never look back....
I used to plow snow with old monster Dodge pick-ups, 4 speed beasts, flatbeds.... then I got a sweet little RAM Charger 2 door SUV, auto trans, armrest, turns on a dime.... I never looked back and wouldn't plow with a full sized pick-up if you gave me a new one.... That was an eye opener... So the next spring I demoed and bought a diesel self-feeding disc chipper... that machine changed my life.... removing the bottleneck... 
Since then I step back from time to time and look for the bottleneck... I Am just about to hire a consultant to revamp the computers/office system....
Anyhow back to MB and friction hitches :angel: 
jeremiah... That was my three year old son practiocing typing...7
85 (his three favorite numbers)
10 secs is pretty fast.... I'd actually like to see that!!! Do you back up that tautline with a figure 8?? They don't call it a rolling hitch for nothing!!! Do you wear gloves??? I Am closer to RB's estimate... However I didn't ask how long it takes you to tie it, I asked how long does it take to {untie and retie} your friction hitch... That would be as an average under normal working conditions.... which is different than how fast you CAN untie and retie it... 
In any case I think we would all agree that its a lot easier to break the ice if you have someone to show you... Blue said it and so did MB in an earlier thread on tautline appreciation... So I Am open to suggestions as to how we as a brother/sisterhood of arborists can help our bretheren into the modern age...


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 29, 2004)

Come to me and show me in a tree.


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## rborist1 (Jan 29, 2004)

:Eye:


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 29, 2004)

Uhh, no.

I'm the one whose happy with how I do things now.

Ya'll are the ones who want to 'show me the light'.

:angel:


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## SilverBlue (Jan 29, 2004)

Don’t worry guys, Butch will have plenty of new equipment to try this spring. Perhaps some SRT climbing too EH? Hey MB your ported 200T is almost ready! That will shave an hour off your take down time easily


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## TREETX (Jan 30, 2004)

I think many here would benefit by attending their local TCC.

Amazing and humbling to see efficiency in action.

.02


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 30, 2004)

Well it took 3 days to get the two biggest trees down. The job was calculated at one tree daily, but we can make up for this time with the 'smaller' trees' down the line.

So far, so good. The only setback was the ramp incident.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 30, 2004)

Man, that new 066 cuts! I wish he would let me open up the muffler!


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 30, 2004)




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## MasterBlaster (Jan 30, 2004)

It sucks all the boom that you lose when you're setup in a ditch.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 30, 2004)

> _Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel _
> *I'm amused by the guy standing underneath you with his hands in his pockets looking straight up at you as you're cutting that log.
> 
> "Ohhhh, that suuuuuure is a big log you're cutting!!"  *




Its hard to soar like an eagle...


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 30, 2004)

Heres where I watch them handle and load the log in the most inefficient manner possible.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 30, 2004)

You should have seen the one that got away!!!


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## Lumberjack (Jan 30, 2004)

In that last pic, is that a little gut pooching out ? Is your age finally catching up Butch?


Carl


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 30, 2004)

Now I have an idea of the problems west coast loggers have with working in steep terrain. I had to rig a rope so I wouldn't slid down that dam incline!


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 30, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Lumberjack _
> *In that last pic, is that a little gut pooching out ? Is your age finally catching up Butch?
> 
> 
> Carl *


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## Lumberjack (Jan 30, 2004)

Seems as tho there are plenty of people just standing around, getting paid, watching you at work. 


Carl


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 30, 2004)

Yeah, Brian.

Thanks.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Jan 30, 2004)

Hey! Send me a file while you'r taking your time down there!


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 30, 2004)

Now you gonna piss Brian off with that nasty imbedding!


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 30, 2004)

The trees behind me in the above shot are the next in line to go. Definitely easier than these first two! Its allways best to do the worst stuff first.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 30, 2004)

Feel free to use this as your desktop, I like to call it "Viewing the Carnage". Please do not try to use this for financial gain. And if you do, kick a little back to the Old Master.


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## wiley_p (Jan 30, 2004)

Cool, those ivy stalks are almost marketable size there, tho it doesnt look like its still alive. pray tell is there a malady that hurts ivy besides an 020?


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## Toddppm (Jan 31, 2004)

Do trees down there grow a lot faster? How old would you say that one is? 
Just wondering cause I would guess it's at least 60-75 yrs old and has been by that concrete canal for a long, long time without doing damage, since nefore they even built it maybe? Why do they think they need to take them out now?
Great job to have this time of year though.
Need more pics!
What's the number on the trees for, just in case you lose count? http://www.ilovewavs.com/TV/ChilShow/Sesame/Count/SSCnt01.wav


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## duckfever78 (Jan 31, 2004)

I am the project engineer on MB's current project. This project has been on the agenda for a long time. There are currently 15 trees in this section of the canal that are causing damage to the concrete panels. The concrete canal was built in 1969. This is the first project of this nature along the canal. I have to say that MB's work is exceptional. We had a good rain on Thursday night and Friday morning, but with the extra work done to the ramp, everything is fine.


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## MasterBlaster (Jan 31, 2004)

Well hello there Duckfever, and welcome to Arborist Site. So far so good on that job, the worst is over. I think. Next weeks rains ain't gonna help much, I hope the sandbagging they did does what its supposed to do. I think the next plan will be to doodle a couple of the smaller ones out of the backyards. Probably no crane at all next week.

Grab a cold one and read some threads. You might toss that engineering stuff to spend some quality time in the canopy!


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## John Paul Sanborn (Jan 31, 2004)

John Wayne is - going to war with a USO tour.


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## igetbisy (Feb 1, 2004)

"focused", Butch, stay focu"s"ed.


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 1, 2004)

> _Originally posted by igetbisy _
> *"focused", Butch, stay focu"s"ed. *



Trust me, its spelled just the way its supposed to be spelt'.


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## kowens (Feb 2, 2004)

mb in all your pics.i dont see a notch or front cut
what happens if the cut rips


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 2, 2004)

I rarely use any kind of a notch when working with a crane. On trees that have a potential for splitting (dead) I will make a kerf cut on the backside.

Cutting straight through gives the crane operator a hinge to work with to allow the limb to ease into the proper position before cutting thru.

When using two straps to lift the log the chance for splitting is eliminated.


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## kowens (Feb 2, 2004)

i just had a friend injured when one ripped pinning
him to the tree broke his leg myself we dont use the same op
on every tree so i dont trust them that much


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 2, 2004)

Sorry to hear about your friend, I'm trying to envision the scenerio. Maybe he slowed down cutting too soon, leaving too large a hinge? Maybe the crane operator had too much bind on the limb?

I've never had one split in the manner you speak of. When the crane takes a bite on the limb, that is usually enough to eliminate/reduce the weight that was gonna cause the split in the first place.

Also, I allways leave myself a way out, whenever possible. And I make sure its ALLWAYS possible. Sometimes you HAVE to take evasive action, but 99% of the time the reason you are having to do that is because you, or the operator did something incorrectly.


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## wiley_p (Feb 2, 2004)

Butch, I have solved the operator problem. I only hire cranes that have a digital readout in the cab showing how much lift the crane has applied. This puts it off on me, I estimate my weight of the peice being cut, give it to the crane man, and he applies that much. It works great, have'nt been off more than 200# except on the las pick at around 2200 on a storm day, the crew had been doing crane ops since 0630 that morning. It really is nice though no lurching, pinching etc. The peice rises about 3" and the operator moves the load away with no worries.


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## kowens (Feb 2, 2004)

i take all evasive action befor i make my final cut


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## Lumberjack (Feb 2, 2004)

How could you take all actions before the cut? Sometimes I mess up and have to evade during or right after the cut. Not normally but every once in a long while. Most of the time the cut is what makes the action neccessary, so how do you get the effect before the cause?


Carl


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 2, 2004)

I'm guessing he gets it to the point where the crane can break it off.
I don't like doing that.


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## kowens (Feb 2, 2004)

lj. you just said it all (sometimes i mess up) what happens when
the op. messes up
just got back from va.doing 20 crane removals a day (dont like it at all) im not blasting you mb [n fact im old school myself been 
climbing for 30 yrs just think some kind of front cut would 
give you the added safey factor


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 2, 2004)

My experience has been that a back cut lends itself towards shock loading the crane.
I've never had a limb split once the crane had taken a bite on it.


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 2, 2004)

And I NEVER, EVER make a notch on a large chunk.



Never.


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 2, 2004)

I'd like to hear other's opinions on this.


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## kowens (Feb 2, 2004)

Life is hard. Stay focued!"
maybe need better glasses


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 2, 2004)




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## MasterBlaster (Feb 2, 2004)

This is an example of the holding wood I use to ease the log, employing a straight-thru cut. This allows the operator the chance to orient the load properly.
This particular example shows a unusually small strip, due to the smaller log that was being lifted at the time.

A kerf cut removes this option.

And I NEVER, NEVER UNDERBED.


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## Ax-man (Feb 2, 2004)

MB, you asked for other opinions so I'm going to come out of exile here. But I'm on Rocky's side.

Most crane operators in our area don't want to do trees, because it just isn't enough work for them to bother with trees.

I have worked with a 100 footer on two occasions to do some very large oaks. The rest of my crane experience has been with our Elliott which is nothing more than a light crane with a self-leveling basket on the end.

I will agree with you that operators are a big variable when it comes to crane work, some are some as silk, others are jerky and ramy.

It always seems to work smoother to notch limbs and let the hinge break when you lift limbs vertical, so they come down butt heavy.The situation is a little more controlable than rip cutting where a limb could pop and rip off unexpectantly. The same goes for tip heavy limbs, maybe not a notch every time, but some type of releif type under cut, unless I can saw through it real quick.

On spars I don't notch as a rule, but I do an off set Z cut with a "thin" hinge between the two cuts, then get out the way and let the crane break the piece off and lift it away, never a thru cut. 

Just my two cents for what ever it is worth.


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 2, 2004)

Thanks for the feedback, Axe-man!


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## Lumberjack (Feb 2, 2004)

IMO which noon should care seein as how I havent used a crane yet:

The operator makes all the difference. With a good operator and good communication I would have him preload to right under estamated weight of pick ( on chunking) cut through till the saw starts to bind and have him lift till it is balanced and cut it all the way through.

The easier the shift from weight on the tree to the crane the better. 

On limbs I think I would use a hinge but cut it instead of breaking it.

Carl


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 2, 2004)

Well, today was fun. No crane, I just dropped what I could outta three of them, and backed out of the 4th one. It was a huge pecan completely hollow, starting at 20' and stopping about 10' higher.
I didn't think I could side trim it cause I could see the hollow spot from the ground. But I climbed up to give it the old college try, and decided against it.
I'm too young to die from tree failure!


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## murphy4trees (Feb 2, 2004)

The Jan '04 TCI mag has an insert for the spring expo coming up in Sacramneto Ca. There is a two hour session on "Industry best practices for crane safety"... Seems like cranes are making a big change in the indusrty with a lot of small companies moving from hiring crane companies to owning and operating their own cranes...
Perhaps another thread on crane use is in order... I've heard some nasty stories... very nasty... 
We've got a master operator here in Phily.... some say he's a little wild, but I've seen him do some things that I could hardly put into words... I beleive you could learn ten times as much in working with him for a day than in a 2.5 hour seminar... 

PS... that was actually my 4 year old son posting..


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## Lumberjack (Feb 2, 2004)

You may want to repost


Carl


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 5, 2004)

*I look like Erik*

It must be the winter gear...


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## Lumberjack (Feb 5, 2004)

Are those stubs? 


Hahaha 

Carl


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 5, 2004)

Those were the exception to the rule.

The crane will be used to finish it.

:angel:


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## rahtreelimbs (Feb 5, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Lumberjack _
> *Are those stubs?
> 
> 
> ...




Stubs yes...........not two foot branches!!!


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## NeTree (Feb 5, 2004)

It's the winter fat, Butch. I stepped on the scale last nite and it said ONE AT A TIME PLEASE...


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## Lumberjack (Feb 5, 2004)

I know... I was just makin fun... I already said that wasn't the norm, just the fastest on that job.


Carl


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## John Paul Sanborn (Feb 5, 2004)

Butch, are you saying that you will never do a snap, or mismatch cut on big wood?

If so, why not?


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 6, 2004)

To my way of thinking, a snapcut would be the type of cut one would use so the climber could get out of the way so the crane operator could bust it loose. Not a good idea, IMO.

Instead of doing that, I would rig the limb in a different manner so I would be in control of the lift, instead of the other way around.

I allways strive for a nice, smooth lift with no shock loading. The snap cut technique sounds like its a little rough on the crane.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Feb 6, 2004)

I use snapcut for chunking wood off. if the curfs are close together, then very little force is needed to release.

In crane operations, if this is done then the crane can pick it off with very little overload and still go up.

Or do it as you do with the peel, but undercut it so that the relesase is cleaner.


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 17, 2004)

Mother Nature sure is making it hard to put a crane in a drainage ditch!


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## xtremetrees (Feb 17, 2004)

Master Blaster you are the GOd of all tree crane work!
We all are minsecule ants and grovel beneath your feet .
The CRANE GOD!

I owrked off a 21.5 ton for about a year drove it to every job site. We always rigged opposite side or direction of our notches which we always cut. Years later I worked with a veteran climber of many years. Smoked them trees he did. almost always he cut the same way you do . I have scence taken up his policy of not notching . Those trees are huge!
Good decision on that dead pecan. Thou I love it when I shouldnt be alive but am!
Most impressive sir!


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## xtremetrees (Feb 17, 2004)

By the way I do agree with Murp on the split tail. 
i just like not having to untie my knot.
Cheers and great job! Thanks for the pics.
Behind the wire and Soldiering for the USA i sure miss all that fun your having. Do you ever get tired of people looking up to you ...LOL


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 17, 2004)

Yes, Mike Mass calls me a Crane God all the time!

To tell you the truth, I wish I had more pics with rigging in them. But this particular job is pretty much dependent on the crane.

Feel free to post some pics!


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## xtremetrees (Feb 17, 2004)

Here is a small cherry I did years ago. I still have the echo, but the pole strap got burned into.


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