# Fatty silver maple take down



## TreeJunkie (Nov 2, 2004)

Spent the day working on this beauty. 
What a pain in the arse. I'm pooped. 
We'll be back tommorrow to finish it up hopefully.


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 2, 2004)

taking out one of the leads over the house.


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 2, 2004)

Lunch time

I love it when people build decks around large trees!


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 2, 2004)

ropin a little piece down over the house


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 2, 2004)

Finished out this lead by the end of the day.


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 2, 2004)

the scene.


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## Florida16 (Nov 2, 2004)

Very nice, I like how you use alot of ropes, (I'm still new remember). I usually just half hitch them down, I think it's also known as baby hitching.


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## glens (Nov 2, 2004)

Building the deck around the tree sounds like a good idea at the time, but I question doing so around a silver maple...

Also, although you don't want to just wantonly tear up the deck, it's going to have to be at least partially disassembled and rebuilt anyway, so somewhat less care can be okay.

So after you get all the leads off, which way are you going to fell it?&nbsp; Hahaha!

Glen


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## treeman82 (Nov 2, 2004)

I was thinking for doing work on decks, to possibly put a couple good sheets of plywood down over the deck boards? Like that the minor scratches and what not will not actually be seen after the work is complete. Also like that you can put down your saws and other misc equipment without having to worry.


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## Florida16 (Nov 2, 2004)

> _Originally posted by glens _
> *
> 
> So after you get all the leads off, which way are you going to fell it?&nbsp; Hahaha!
> ...



True, I would like to see a picture of which way you fell it ^.^


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## glens (Nov 2, 2004)

*plywood*

Yes, that's a very good idea.&nbsp; The thicker the plywood the better.&nbsp; OSB might work fairly well too, but is much easier to puncture.

I'd imagine you could get many years of use from half a dozen sheets of &frac34;" treated plywood.

Glen


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## Florida16 (Nov 2, 2004)

I've never used a crane, are they really worth the money and time? 'Round here they are $200.oo an hour


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## Tree Machine (Nov 2, 2004)

*Yowza!*

Yea, that tree woulda been on my potential crane list.

Junkie has big balls. I believe you will get paid well for this one, or is the client your Mom's Sister, or something?

Geting that multi-ton trunk out of there is gonna be a quadruple suck. Good luck tomorrow. Got a 4' bar and chain? We'll be interested to know your approach on that lowest forking section (the single most massive part of the tree) and the trunk below it. Be safe.

This is the kind of tree where the last 10% of the tree can take 90% of the time. It would be bad enough _without_ the deck there. We're rootin for ya!


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## Nickrosis (Nov 2, 2004)

Thankfully our neighbor has a crane we can borrow from time to time. But to get big jobs, you have to be very price competitive, which usually means a slim margin.


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## pbtree (Nov 3, 2004)

The carving idea sounds pretty neat...

I want to see some pictures of how the last portion of the pole is removed without a crane!


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## Tree Machine (Nov 3, 2004)

Even if you crosscut a firewood length cookie, and then did a rip cut through, twice, creating 4 quarters, each if those quarters is STILL going to be hefty.

I could see mebbe a scaffold set to height, and slide the quarters off the trunk, onto the plank and off the end of the scaffold onto a waiting tire / plywood sheet in the yard just off the edge of the deck?

Gin pole setup?

Lull?

It's just going to be a son-of-a-gun. 

we eagerly anticipate your success.


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## Nathan Wreyford (Nov 3, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Nickrosis _
> *...... you have to be very price competitive, which usually means a slim margin.  *



That sums up removals in a nutshell. Slim margins. Tree care is where the ca$h is.  

Removals are such a commodity. Usually go to the lowest bidder or lowest bidder with insurance.

I assume Brandon is beavering away with the ms660 as I type. I can't wait to hear how it came out of there. Necessity is a mother......*&%ß....er, uh, I mean the mother of invention.


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## Lumberjack (Nov 3, 2004)

Without a crane, I think I would do it with a scaffold, long bar, and cut it into pizza cutters. Then use a splitter to bust them and hand them down.

I think I would have covered the deck with at least a tarp (and the house) to make the saw dust easier to clean up.


Waitin to hear your approach!


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 3, 2004)

*darn rain*

Well we spent 3 hrs this morning on it. Before being rained on. Have to love 45 degree rain. So we called it a day.

Took the final lead over the house out. .. Also took the remaining brush/deadwood out of the center lead. the top was really bad, dead as can be. 

Only log left and the base. Oh yeah that can be fun. 

This is actually not my job as i'm subbing for my brother. It was his call whether or not to get a crane. He opted to do it w/ out. For whatever reason. I tried to reason w/ him. But it's not my show. I just have the rigging gear and know how.

His plan on the trunk wook is to quarter and slice off cookies. Apparently using ladders to aid in this.

Finally after a lot of asking he began measuring off the distances and what not. Trying to see what size crane may be needed to get that bad boy out. 

Need to figure an approx. weight of that trunk though first. At first measure it is 4.5 feet across at the very base and 9 feet high up to the crown. I need to whip out the chart and see what that puppie weighs... Any guesses? It could always be taken in two pieces if need be.

I think the only reason my bro has probobally shyed away from the crane is b/c of his limited usage w/ one. The only time he's rented one before was when he used a 200 tonner. At 350 an hour plus drive time he figured it might get kind of expensive. I've tried telling him that all cranes will not run you that much. I think a 60 ton should do the job. Just need to check the reach on them first.


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## Tree Machine (Nov 3, 2004)

*The next decision is really important*

Sorta depends on just how close the crane can get in.

I have used a crane 4 times in the last 12 years, so when I use a crane, it is very, very necessary.

Junkie, your trunk is very, very VERY necessary. 

Have the crane in to do the lift. You've busted your butt on this monster. Dicing that trunk into quads, or pie wedges or whatever is going to KICK ANYONE'S tush. Pay the crane for the lift and be done.

Scenario:
If you were to remove some adjacent deck boards, you could cut the stump below the level of the deck. You could do this and cut 75% of the way through the base before the crane even shows up. Get power blown and cleaned up, and when the crane shows up, make the last 25% of the cut, and YOU GUYS WIN. Crane is in and out in an hour.

This is just me talking. I had a biggie last year that required a lull. I've had a number of big trunks where I shoulda had a crane, but didn't, and I usually got pounded on an hour for hour, dollar for dollar basis. But, you have the deck there, making the call to crane it out almost a decision easily made for you. 

You mention the crane at $200 an hour. What are the costs of your crew? Let's say $200 an hour for all of you, the trucks, insurances, rent a scaffold, blah blah. With the crane, in the span of two hours, (two hours for the crew, one hour with the crane) you're rollin off to the next job. Cost $600 and you have the rest of your day

If you get your a$$ whooped for six hours of cutting and moving wood, and another hour to clean up the 700 pounds of sawdust, 7 hours total, cost $1,400 and your day is eaten. 

Crane make you money on this one, AND will make the finishing of this beast smooth and swift.

That is all from me.


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## Tree Machine (Nov 3, 2004)

wait, here's the Lull pic I was looking for...


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## Tree Machine (Nov 3, 2004)

And one more for fun.


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## Tree Machine (Nov 3, 2004)

Oh, what the heck, here's one more.


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## Dadatwins (Nov 3, 2004)

Definitly looks like a bring in the crane to move that thing, maybe bring someone in with a prentice type grapple boom and cut it off in sections also. Considering the amount of cuts that will be needed with heavy equipment and most likely amount of debris that the chains will be hitting to make all those cuts crane or prentice makes $$$$ sense to me. Old silver maple that size probably has rocks and dirt halfway up the trunk. Good luck and be careful.


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## Al Smith (Nov 3, 2004)

*Plump maple*

Looks like the big old fat one,I took down in March.A fast growing tree,but can become a real hazard when this size.Picture of a 54"cookie".


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## Toddppm (Nov 3, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Tree Machine _
> *
> I could see mebbe a scaffold set to height, and slide the quarters off the trunk, onto the plank and off the end of the scaffold onto a waiting tire / plywood sheet in the yard just off the edge of the deck?
> *



Sounds like it could be a good idea, take it a little further and make an adjustable slide to push the cookies onto and into the yard?


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## glens (Nov 3, 2004)

Like maybe a good climbing deer stand modified to accept a couple of 2&times;12 planks?


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## Gord (Nov 3, 2004)

Crane it! I woulda shot my boss if he made us cookie this one... i'm 6'4"...odd pic i know...this wasn't quite the butt piece, the last cut was about 80" at the largest spot.


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## Gord (Nov 3, 2004)

ahh here is the pic


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## mikecross23 (Nov 3, 2004)

Crane it!!!!! W/ good access a super duper tree like that is screaming CRANE ME!!!!! I've only done 'bout 20 crane jobs but all within the last year maybe little more. I dream of crane jobs. $105 hr; $315 min. Trees come down fast w/ a crane and man what a rush when those pieces lift off and float away! 

Tree Junkie, YOU DA MANNN!!!!!

-Mike-

P.S. Give crane operator beer and it's more funner.


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 3, 2004)

LMFAO! mike i love that pick. And thanks!

Thanks for all of the advice guys. I think i'll print these posts and show my brother. Let him know i'm not the only one who thinks it will be darn near impossible to get that out of there w/ out a crane.


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## Nickrosis (Nov 4, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Gord _
> *ahh here is the pic *


I saved the pic to my hard drive and named it "gord smiling with big wood.jpg"


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## Gord (Nov 4, 2004)

HHeheeyyyyy that pic _is_ a bit odder than i previously noticed....


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## Florida16 (Nov 4, 2004)

i have a question, I have a 50 foot hickory tree to climb and remove today. I have never been 50 foot, any suggestions on getting used to the height?


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## underwor (Nov 4, 2004)

No different than 10 ft if you land on your head, except from fifty you might catch a limb or have time to learn to fly before you hit the ground. No time from 10 ft. 

Bob


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## Florida16 (Nov 4, 2004)

Wow, that helps a bunch...


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## Florida16 (Nov 4, 2004)

http://www.arbormaster.com/Articles/How Accidents Happen & Why.pdf


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## Scars2prove-it (Nov 4, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Florida16 _
> *i have a question, I have a 50 foot hickory tree to climb and remove today. I have never been 50 foot, any suggestions on getting used to the height? *



I don't think there are any good tips. Just trust your gear and enjoy the view. You'll get used to it. Taller trees are actually easier if you have to rope limbs out due to the higher crotches and more clearance.


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## Florida16 (Nov 4, 2004)

i have to baby hitch the top limbs out, but thanks for the helpful incite.


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 4, 2004)

"i have to baby hitch the top limbs out, but thanks for the helpful incite."

I'm not really sure what the heck a baby hitch is. 

My only advice to you would be to try and learn some real knots before you try climbing/rigging down 50 footers... Read a book, even a sherrill catalog could teach you something.


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## Scars2prove-it (Nov 4, 2004)

I believe he is referring to roping out on a half hitch instead of a block. One tip if you are roping out the top: put a pull line in it to make sure it goes the right way and hang on in case your ground man doesn't let it run.


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## Florida16 (Nov 4, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Scars2prove-it _
> *I believe he is referring to roping out on a half hitch instead of a block. One tip if you are roping out the top: put a pull line in it to make sure it goes the right way and hang on in case your ground man doesn't let it run. *



Yeah I think its also called a half hitch, its where you rope the limb out to itself instead of a croth up higher. Also what u said about the groundie letting it run is very true, I have been there before...


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 4, 2004)

spoke w/ the crane co today, after talking w/ them a while. We decided they'll be bringing a 27ton crane. Would have liked a larger unit however do to fear of cracking the driveway we had to go lite. Hopefully the 100ft of stick will be enough to reach over the house. With this crane we'll be having to take that trunk in pieces, unfortunately. He said the biggest he can pick at full stick at a 70 foot radius would be 1500lbs, I'm sure what the radius will be, but I'm thinking that we may have to take it in 3 pieces. 
I tried to figure the weight of the log last night. Using the sherrill log guide it comes out about 3100 lbs. Anyone want to check my math for me? 4.5 ft dia X 9.5 tall. 

by the size of the house do you all think we might be able to get it w/ this size machine.?? Drive way backs all the way up to the house on the front side.


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## murphy4trees (Nov 4, 2004)

60' is a long stretch for that crane.... we don't like reaching over 50' with a 35 ton... 

Here's a link for the woodweb log weight calculator...

Good luck with the job and make sure house is not occupied while work is being performed...
http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/calculators/calc.pl?calculator=log_weight


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## glens (Nov 4, 2004)

151_ft<sup>3</sup> &times; 45_lb/ft<sup>3</sup> = 6800_lb is the math I come up with using your dimensions and Sherrill's chart.


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## Tree Machine (Nov 4, 2004)

Just looking at the stump, I would say closer to Glen's estimate. It would be so sweet to pop that mondo over top of the house in one cut. 

Here's your stretch. Get the bigger crane, take whatever precaution to not kill the driveway. Sell the log on e-bay to cover the cost of the crane.......

Fine then, call me crazy, but three cuts and three lifts is gonna double your crane time and give you three oddball size hunks too massive to do much of anything practical with. And a buncha sawdust.

Critical decisions to be made, and we will be curious to know how you will deal with the wood. Will it be firewood. Will it go into a tub grinder for mulch, and please don't say landfill.

You'll do the right thing. Take pics of the lift


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 4, 2004)

Thanks guys! Needed my math checked. Thanks for the link over to wood web, that's really sweet. I knew that 3100 didn't sound quite right. Thankfully the crane we spoke w/ earlier isn't a hard reservation. We'll make some phone calls around.

I wasn't too excited about the sm. crane myself. After making a few calls though that was all we were finding. My bro, wants it tomorrow. Thus limited notice/ limited availability. 

I'm thinking something in the 60 ton range. Do you think this size could make that in one pick. Even two would be alright.. I really don't want to make it three though. Still we'd better take both Ms660's tom. Sure wish i had a 3120 or 880 for that cut.

I'll make absolute sure no one is in that house when we lift off.


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## Dadatwins (Nov 4, 2004)

Make sure you you can keep good eye contact with crane operator and person cutting, Since crane will be in front and cutting in the yard out of sight line with crane operator this will be critical. Allow for swing after cutting while lifting and if that close tag line to hold away from house. Plan your steps and communicate them to crane operator before starting your saw and be careful.


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## Scars2prove-it (Nov 5, 2004)

You guys are talking about minimizing crane time and trying to keep it to one hour. Don't the crane companies in your area have a minimum hour charge? Around here it's four hours.


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## Al Smith (Nov 5, 2004)

*Nasty looking job*

Food for thought.First of all,it's a silver maple,most likely full of hollow spots,Secondly,that close to a house,probaley full of nails etc.Doubtful,anyone would chance cutting for lumber.Slice and dice,split quickly.This stuff doesn't weather well,if unprotected from the elements.If left in logs,or chunks,it will get punky in less that 1 year.Been there ,done that,learned the hard way.


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 5, 2004)

Unfortunately I don't think this thing is gonna be hollow. From all current indications it's solid as a rock. Nails well yes there are many. 
Crane has a 1 and1/2 hour minimum but that also includes a one way drive which is usually the half hour. 

The log is going to the tub grinder. Silver maple doesn't really fetch much around here. Only two or three milling operations in town. One is walnut only, and the other two are really small time.
I wouldn't hastle w/ splitting that junk for firewood either. 

Well i'm out to go get er done in a few minutes assuming the proper crane can be had. Later!


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## Tree Machine (Nov 5, 2004)

*one cut, one lift*

Pay a teenager to inoculate it with king oyster mushroom _(pleurotus eryngii)_ it will crop for 8 to ten years. The mushrooms can be sold fresh to Japanese markets or restaurants. You could sell the 6,000 lb (2,675 Kg) mushroom 'Garden'.

The spawn you need will cost 40 bucks. The teenager will need a drill and a hammer and about three hours because he's gonna drill a thousand holes and whack in 1000 wood dowels. The log must be kept in shade. 

C'mon, you can sell ANYTHING on e-bay. Be weird, make a thousand bucks on 'disposing' of the log and have a good laugh. A ha, a ha ha ha ha !


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## Oxman (Nov 5, 2004)

Why the heck didn't the crane get ordered before, instead of lowering all those miserable logs with ropes over the deck?

Some people are just gluttons for punishment.


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 5, 2004)

Your telling me!

I'm the one who had to do all of the climbing/cutting. Some people just don't get it though. 

Today's progress: Well we couldn't get the crane we needed today. I guess it's gonna be monday now. However we went over and took out the remaining ropeable log and did a good cleanup. I'm figuring we'll have 3 pieces to take out come monday. One piece will be in the range of about 1100lbs, and the others probobally closer to 3k each. 

I'll post a couple of pics from today.


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 5, 2004)

a little closer


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 5, 2004)

Here is what we started w/ today when we got there.


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 5, 2004)

this was the end of the day


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## Scars2prove-it (Nov 6, 2004)

Is your brother still making money on this job?


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 6, 2004)

Probobally not like he thought he would. He thought we'd have this thing down to the trunk in one day. That didn't happen. 


He still going to do alright though, there's plenty of $ on the job.


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 6, 2004)

Mike,
Thankyou. I appreciate the kind words. I just have to thank my uncle for training me properly. And of coarse a lot of people on the boards for alot of knowledge which i couldn't get elsewhere.

Thankyou everyone.


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## Ax-man (Nov 8, 2004)

Did you finish the job today ?? Any more pics???

Larry


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 10, 2004)

Finished the job yesterday. Took 3 of us 7 hours to get that bastage out of there. Ended up having to use the scaffolding idea. It worked pretty well actually, however i'm sure it was a little hard on the saws. 
The crane idea was axed in the long run. After talking w/ a couple crane ops. it was decided we would need at minimum a 50 ton unit, this was in order to pick the trunk in three pieces. That would have been fine except the only place to put it would have been right on the concrete drive. Too much risk of cracking the drive! Oh well scaffolding was alot cheaper, more $ in my pocket. Just a bit more work though.

I'll post the final picks tonight.


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## pbtree (Nov 11, 2004)

Glad to hear that the tree is finally down. I would like to see the pictures of the scaffolding in use - sounds like a good soultion to a weighty problem.


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## Florida16 (Nov 13, 2004)

I would have just got a wood carver in there and carved a bear out of the stump. Good solution to a difficult problem.


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## Florida16 (Nov 13, 2004)

I would have just got a wood carver in there and carved a bear out of the stump. Good solution to a difficult problem.


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 15, 2004)

great solutions guys!

Mike that's sort of irronic,,,that's actually what the husband wanted. Just the 6 rug rats would have had been seriously disturbed.

Any ways here's some of the final pics


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 15, 2004)

Uno mas


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 15, 2004)

What are mules made for...


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 15, 2004)

getting closer


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 15, 2004)

a day in the life of the 660


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 15, 2004)

thats about all folks... a successful removal. No one hurt, no property damaged and everyone goes home w/ a few bucks...


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## pbtree (Nov 15, 2004)

TreeJunkie,

Nice job!


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 15, 2004)

wish i could have been in a few of the pics.. too bad my bro's so bent on the dollar. You know he thinks pic taking is a waste of time. 

Had it been my job i would have had enough money on it to put a charlie pottorff in the tree for some decent shots.


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## glens (Nov 16, 2004)

I believe I would have had the customer call me when the deck was dismantled, <i>then</i> remove the tree.&nbsp; They're going to have to do it anyway to grind the stump...

Good job, though.&nbsp; Way to earn a few cents!&nbsp; Few people would have stuck it out like that.

Glen


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 16, 2004)

*Thanks to some: thanks for nothing to others:*

I believe if you start something you finish it. You keep your word! Whether you lose your ass or not at least you kept your word. 

I've heard about enough impractical suggestions now to write a book. Lets get to the real situation though.

By the way tearing the deck apart was not an option,,,,it had just been built as of late, and as far as i'm concerned any half way skilled climber/ rigging team could have completed the task at hand w/ out damaged it. 
If I'd told them to tear the deck apart they'd have had someone else do it. 

Do you turn work done just because it's challenging. This is the kind of shiiiiiitttttt I live for....I get so tired of the day to day easy peasy b/s/.....Why not put your back into it and work for your money. 
Money doesn't come easy and occasionally you should have to work for it.

So thanks for all of the great suggestions from those of you who would just tear the deck apart and notch and drop. Obviously your not giving the kind of input i was asking for or needing. Let me know when you can actually get one done which requires more than the one cut prune. 
I love hearing such remarks from people who have actually never posted a pic of themselves even in a tree.


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## glens (Nov 16, 2004)

Send me a camera and I'll post a pic of myself in a tree.&nbsp; I'll even include some fancy rigging, if you like.

I'd posted only twice in this thread regarding the specific topic up 'til last night and my story hasn't changed.&nbsp; How is the stump going to get ground?&nbsp; They can't leave it like it is.&nbsp; They have to rebuild the deck in at least that area even if they <i>wanted</i> to leave some stump under the deck, and that's no minor undertaking in itself.

Yes, I'm confident in saying I would have turned the job down or not even bid on it knowing what I do about residential construction.&nbsp; It would really piss me off busting my back and balls that way only to see them dismantle even <i>any</i> of the deck afterwards to do the rest of the required work.&nbsp; Trust me, they will.

But I still congratulate you for being honorable and tenacious, as I did in my most previous post, and which you somehow seem to have overlooked in your rage.

Glen


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 16, 2004)

Good question about the stump. Well obviously these people aren't the brightest. They even think they're gonna be able to replant in the same spot...LOL My suggestion would be to leave the stump alone and build a large planter box over it. If you want a tree then,,, maybe a dwarf or ornamental. My brother has already told them he wants nothing to do w/ the stump removal. It would be a huge hastle, and it would take one hell of a machine to dig it as deep as these people want. 

I say planter or something similar.

Glens i didn't mean to jump on ya like that.. I've just heard several times now how to do it. I think we'd have torn the deck apart if that was an option.

Why would you pass on a high dollar removal? If you have the skill and the equip to get it done, then go for it. Not all of us get our rocks off by doing some injections/consulting.


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## TreeJunkie (Nov 16, 2004)

> _Originally posted by glens _
> *Good job, though.&nbsp; Way to earn a few cents!&nbsp; Few people would have stuck it out like that.
> 
> Glen *



You call this a congratulations? Seems more derogitory than anything. I don't think anyone walked feeling shorted.


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## glens (Nov 16, 2004)

Does it sound any better if I make it "a few cents per hour"?&nbsp; :-<tt></tt>)

Glen


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## John Paul Sanborn (Nov 16, 2004)

I think you should hollow the center of the stump out and then make a planter out of it. Just a few more cuts down the axis of the grain.

I actually did it once, with a chiansaw and adz, and prybar, and...


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## Chucky (Nov 16, 2004)

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by glens 
Good job, though. Way to earn a few cents! Few people would have stuck it out like that.

Glen 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



_"You call this a congratulations? Seems more derogitory than anything. I don't think anyone walked feeling shorted."_

I don't think Glen was being sarcastic, and don't feel bad, TreeJunkie. I did the same thing (underbid) on the "I walked from the job" thread. But I went back and finished it today because I _could_, even though I maybe made only $100 from all the trouble. It was simply a matter of principle.

Beautiful job, BTW.

Whadja do today


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## John Paul Sanborn (Nov 16, 2004)

I helped on a similar sized tree last week, Dave (Gopher) Ryan borught a 60 ton in and we laid it out in the barnyard. Sean G. was up in the tree and I was sling-boy.

There were a few more leads on that one.

The farmers had there"little" 100 hp tractors there to drag the leads away. in one piece.

Our angle and extention left us with a 7000# max so we left the but section 9 ft high since we would ahev been able to just take 3 ft cookies sections with multiple chokers. 

Too bad it was cold and windy, I don't know if Dave took any pictures.

Oh that was in the afternoon, we did four big dead oaks in the am.

There I had more purpose, running back and forth to unsling and cut. Road up to set a sling a few times too.

Cranes are great when you can utilize them.

Oh, BTW great work Brandon, you'll get a lot of miles from the story too. "I remeber the time in oh-four when we got a scaffold to get this butt section out...."


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## Ax-man (Nov 16, 2004)

If you can stand another pat on the back I'll give you one, too, Very good job.

I've run into few like that over the years only I never got the oppurtunity to do them like that and wondered how we would do it. I've done some smaller ones but nothing quite that big, usually the decks were in such bad shape the owners took the decks out or we could get our Elliott in close enough to lift the big sections.

I liked the ramp idea that was mentioned and the use of the scaffolding you pictured.

Personally, after getting that last lead down with the scaffolding and whittling the main crotch down a little, I would have ripped the main stem like a vertical milling job, if no garbage in the tree could be detected. I've ripped a lot of big firewood logs over the years and even made some benches out of some. 

Again, good job done, Brandon

Larry


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## Tree Machine (Nov 18, 2004)

Me sez the same thing. Honorable, no injuries and DONE. 

I am so glad for you that you didn't hit metal, or anything. Trunks that size, when you go through a tank of gas every two or so cuts, are challenging enough to both man and saw. Hit metal, and it has such an impact on team morale. Plus, there is little way of knowing, then, what you're gonna hit next. It can add a lot of down time. You were spared that, thank goodness.

As far as the stump, one suggestion (off the cuff), might be to frame-in the circle down to the earth, then just fill it in with pea gravel. Park the umbrella table over top. I doubt this is your responsibility, but passing the suggestion on, it might be appealing.

That stump could be inoculated with gourmet mushrooms, also. The spawn comes in a form on 1" long, 5/16" diameter wooden dowel pins. Great father/son project. Dad drills the holes, and the kids whack the dowels into the holes with a hammer. It's that easy. THEN fill the zone in with pea gravel as the mushrooms will fruit up through. The umbrella table will keep the site shaded. My suggestion would be the yummy and highly prolific _Pleurotus columbinus_, the blue oyster, possibly available at www.mushroompeople.com or definitely at Fungi Perfecti, www.fungi.com. It is known as 'plug spawn'. 300 dowels will be needed.


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## MasterBlaster (Nov 18, 2004)

So, how do ya get the cow to take a dump on the log?


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## geofore (Nov 18, 2004)

*remove deck?*

Glens, I had a customer, this year, change his mind on saving/remodeling an old Victorian home. After I busted my butt clearing the trees around/over top the old house he changed his mind and removed the house, didn't tell me. Then he called me a few months later to remove couple more trees so he could put in the above ground septic. I went back to remove the trees for the septic to go in and the house was gone and a nearly finished log home twice the size of the old home that used to be there was up. I could have bombed those trees right through the old house and saved him the price of the bulldozer work. Some folks change their minds after they make the job hard. After a year or two what do you want to bet that deck isn't gone and a family room added on?


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