# Pine - speedline



## Reg (Feb 5, 2009)

Andrew and Will (groundworkers) had never used a speedline before, so nothing too adventurous on this occasion. Andrew controls both lines from the base of the tree while Will unties each branch at the landing. Neither Andrew nor Will could see each other, so clear communication was imperative. A leaning Corsican pine, not a lot to it! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJEuhIwvgBA


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## jomoco (Feb 5, 2009)

Nicely done Reg!

A haul back and everythang!

What's all that white stuff?

Brrrrrrrrrrr!

jomoco


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## Reg (Feb 5, 2009)

jomoco said:


> Nicely done Reg!
> 
> A haul back and everythang!
> 
> ...



Thanks,

While the white stuff was neither help nor hindrance on that particular job, it sure did look pretty from up there!


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## ggttp (Feb 5, 2009)

There is one major error you made...................................... NO GLOVES. I don't know where you are from but that violates a huge safety guide line around here. Na I'm just kiddin, I bet your hands had icicles on them. 

AWESOME video and great job.

Could you tell me what helmet cam you used, I want to buy one and the quality was superb. :camera:


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## Reg (Feb 6, 2009)

ggttp said:


> There is one major error you made...................................... NO GLOVES. I don't know where you are from but that violates a huge safety guide line around here. Na I'm just kiddin, I bet your hands had icicles on them.
> 
> AWESOME video and great job.
> 
> Could you tell me what helmet cam you used, I want to buy one and the quality was superb. :camera:



Thanks, here is the camera: http://www.vio-pov.com/


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## Dadatwins (Feb 6, 2009)

Nice stuff, second the glove thing, my hands were cold watching the video.


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## rbtree (Feb 7, 2009)

Dadatwins said:


> Nice stuff, second the glove thing, my hands were cold watching the video.




ha, you and me both.


Nice to see such professional work, mate. 

Unlike some of us rookies who just let em fly, and don't bother with all those fancy pulleys....


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## Rickytree (Feb 7, 2009)

Great Job Reg! Don't know how you do it without the mitt's on but cheers. How tall was that pine because the pov gives a weird height view? Also the Vio pov how do you find the batteries lasting? and any problems with that unit? Do you just let the cam run then edit later on or do you stop and go?


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## Reg (Feb 7, 2009)

rbtree said:


> Unlike some of us rookies who just let em fly, and don't bother with all those fancy pulleys....



Your a bad man Roger!



> How tall was that pine because the pov gives a weird height view? Also the Vio pov how do you find the batteries lasting? and any problems with that unit? Do you just let the cam run then edit later on or do you stop and go?



Ricky, that tree was probably 65-70ft tops. I usually swap the batteries after 4-5 hours of having the unit switched on with the keypad locked, stop/starting the record button via the wrist-remote, as and when. To leave the unit on constant record would be wasteful of the memory card, drain the batteries quicker, as well as producing a huge single file that would then take ages to edit. Thanks


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## Nailsbeats (Feb 7, 2009)

Nice video Reg. Not to sound gay or anything, but I really enjoy watching your work. I like that you take the time to set up fancy rigging, it's fun to watch from a treeman's perspective.


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## treemandan (Feb 8, 2009)

Nailsbeats said:


> Nice video Reg. Not to sound gay or anything, but I really enjoy watching your work. I like that you take the time to set up fancy rigging, it's fun to watch from a treeman's perspective.



IF you think you sound gay to yourself imagine how you sound to us. chances are if you think you sound gay , you are. You are no dummy.:greenchainsaw:

It not gay to enjoy Reg's videos, I least I hopes its not. Real smooth work he does.


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## Blakesmaster (Feb 8, 2009)

Nice work, man. Keep posting.


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## Reg (Feb 9, 2009)

treemandan said:


> IF you think you sound gay to yourself imagine how you sound to us. chances are if you think you sound gay , you are. You are no dummy.:greenchainsaw:
> 
> It not gay to enjoy Reg's videos, I least I hopes its not. Real smooth work he does.



For the record, the preference or actual use of fancy rigging and pulleys ought not to imply any kinda gay tendencies on the part of the user either

What I'll also say is that while such techniques can take a little time to set up, in the long run they can often save time and effort....especially if you're short on man-power i.e. if we'd had an extra guy on the landing, I would have probably favoured the two of them on a simple tag-line and kept the rigging/lowering conventional....but we didn't, and the speedline proved to be a good way to compensate for this.


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## Adkpk (Feb 9, 2009)

I am not gay. And would like to see the vid but I am on dial-up which I hope is not gay. I am checking in and will watch it when I get back to the city on Valentine's Day to prove I'm not gay by jumping the GIRLfriend.

Sorry to ruin any of your guys hopes. :greenchainsaw:


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## Nailsbeats (Feb 10, 2009)

treemandan said:


> IF you think you sound gay to yourself imagine how you sound to us. chances are if you think you sound gay , you are. You are no dummy.:greenchainsaw:
> 
> It not gay to enjoy Reg's videos, I least I hopes its not. Real smooth work he does.



Ya, you like that! (Happy Gilmore voice) :wave:


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## polexie (Feb 12, 2009)

Good job, Reg!

Lex


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## Adkpk (Feb 12, 2009)

Wow that was something. Not to much trunk up there at the top. Glad I got down from there. I mean glad you made it back down. :greenchainsaw:


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## masiman (Feb 18, 2009)

As always, good stuff Reg!

One question about the gear lowering the firewood. What block was that? It looked really small.

When I first started out I bought some larger pulleys for lowering. After a little while I started hearing squeaking. I realized that my pulleys were way underrated for what I was dropping and I had bent the axle on 2 of the pulleys. After that I bought 5/8" spring block.


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## Reg (Feb 20, 2009)

masiman said:


> As always, good stuff Reg!
> 
> One question about the gear lowering the firewood. What block was that? It looked really small.
> 
> When I first started out I bought some larger pulleys for lowering. After a little while I started hearing squeaking. I realized that my pulleys were way underrated for what I was dropping and I had bent the axle on 2 of the pulleys. After that I bought 5/8" spring block.



Those pulleys are made by ISC and rated at 3500kg, so plenty strong enough for those little logs. Thanks


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## Rickytree (Feb 20, 2009)

Reg I had been thinking about getting set up for a speed line and was wondering how would you go about speedlining the trunk wood? I have lots of rope, cmi pulley, loopie sling, one block, one eyed sling, and a micro pulley( if that could be used) also have the grcs. Should I get a small pulley with a swivel and a bunch of slings and clips? I also just work with one guy so having a haulback I think is a good idea


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## Reg (Feb 21, 2009)

Rickytree said:


> Reg I had been thinking about getting set up for a speed line and was wondering how would you go about speedlining the trunk wood? I have lots of rope, cmi pulley, loopie sling, one block, one eyed sling, and a micro pulley( if that could be used) also have the grcs. Should I get a small pulley with a swivel and a bunch of slings and clips? I also just work with one guy so having a haulback I think is a good idea



Ricky, the pine video highlighted relatively light branches conveyed out of a pretty sturdy tree. Assuming you can’t run the line down from an adjacent tree, then the set-up for working a spar would be similar, except the equipment would have to be more heavy-duty to deal with the extra fall-forces incurred....also, the control line would be be directly tied to the logs as in conventional blocking. The speed-line-pulley-sling is also attached to the log

Obviously you need to keep the log-size to a minimal. The speed-line ought to be loose but to the side of the logs fall path, while the control-line arrests the log over some distance, same as in conventional blocking. After the log is brought to a halt, the speed-line is tensioned to raise the load above the obstacles you’re trying to clear. The control line is then gradually released so the log is conveyed down to the landing. 

While Speed-lines can be a great labour saving technique, they can also be a momentous gear-intensive waste of time, where little or no advantage is gained by their application. You need height, a strong rigging-point and the need to convey a load considerably further than what could otherwise be achieved with a pull line….otherwise it’s probably not worth messing with! Thanks


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## Rickytree (Feb 21, 2009)

WOW!! That's alot of pic's. I'm kickin myself because I should keep a cam with me all the time. Looks like you got a great crew and a crane op that know's his $hit. Don't like that line on the side of the boom though. Is the crane op scaling the logs or going by experience? That's a beautiful crane. What is it a 25ton? We always used steel line chokers and not chains. but that is the crane to have cuz you can get it into places. Especially if you got some pieces of half inch plate. What is the helmet cam your using and what would you suggest? appreciate it and cheers to you if I come to England I would like to grab a couple dozen pints and a couple hussies.


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## Reg (Feb 22, 2009)

Rickytree said:


> WOW!! That's alot of pic's. I'm kickin myself because I should keep a cam with me all the time. Looks like you got a great crew and a crane op that know's his $hit. Don't like that line on the side of the boom though. Is the crane op scaling the logs or going by experience? That's a beautiful crane. What is it a 25ton? We always used steel line chokers and not chains. but that is the crane to have cuz you can get it into places. Especially if you got some pieces of half inch plate. What is the helmet cam your using and what would you suggest? appreciate it and cheers to you if I come to England I would like to grab a couple dozen pints and a couple hussies.



Are you talking about the photo album? If so, then I also spent years neglecting to use a camera, but have started doing more over the last couple.

The crews are not mine, they are invariably from different companies….I’m a freelance climber you see!

The line on the side of the boom gives the operator a reading of how much weight he is lifting. Before we start a job I have the operator reach out and around as far as will be needed over the tree, he then tells me how much weight he will be able to lift at those given points. From there on its up to me to decide how big-a lift we’ll get away with each time, although these decisions are usually influenced more by how easy the limbs are for me to balance and stay out of harms way.

The cranes on those pictures range from 25-50 ton.

I hope to move to BC Canada before the end of the year, so more chance those couple of dozen pints will be consumed over your way. I cant get the hussies like I used to either!


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## JTinaTree (Feb 24, 2009)

Reg, you must really like the feel of the tree/climbing line in his hands, I have never seen you wear gloves in any of you vids.. Wish I could be more like that, my hands are sore if I dont wear them especially in the Winter..

Enjoyed the video as always, keep them coming...........


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## Reg (Feb 25, 2009)

JTinaTree said:


> Reg, you must really like the feel of the tree/climbing line in his hands, I have never seen you wear gloves in any of you vids.. Wish I could be more like that, my hands are sore if I dont wear them especially in the Winter..
> 
> Enjoyed the video as always, keep them coming...........



I do wear gloves, especially when either sawing on the ground or perhaps if I have to haul myself a long way up a rope. Its just hard to find a pair that doesn't get dragged into the friction hitch.....I also hate tying/untying rigging-knots with gloves on. Thanks


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## Kunes (Apr 5, 2009)

Im not one that climbs trees but props to you that do climb them. 
i'd get the willies when the top or branch falls off the tree and the whole tree started shaking. Good Work!


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## Rubicashrama (Apr 10, 2009)

Ya thanks for the URL you given please if you have another URL share 
here 




Thanks and nice to meet you!


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## deerman (Apr 23, 2009)

Nice vid as always Reg!


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## ForTheArborist (Nov 14, 2009)

Reg, I'm sure your guy below was using a rigging device with a tensioner on this tree, right? If I don't have any sort of tensioner in the rigging at the base of the tree, what would you suggest to use as one to keep the rope tightened enough? Is speed lining even possible without a tensioner at the base?

The thing is I'd by a $1,000+ rigging with tensioner, but that's just what I would do. It's not what I can do, so I'm looking for a more inexpensive way to manage a speed line properly.


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## Reg (Nov 14, 2009)

ForTheAction said:


> Reg, I'm sure your guy below was using a rigging device with a tensioner on this tree, right? If I don't have any sort of tensioner in the rigging at the base of the tree, what would you suggest to use as one to keep the rope tightened enough? Is speed lining even possible without a tensioner at the base?
> 
> The thing is I'd by a $1,000+ rigging with tensioner, but that's just what I would do. It's not what I can do, so I'm looking for a more inexpensive way to manage a speed line properly.



A fiddle-block, whether purchased as a package or devised yourself, work’s fine for applying any necessary line-tension. How much tension depends on how far you want to run the loads’….obviously the distance between your ground-anchor (landing) and the tree determine your limitations….furthermore, whether your ground anchor is elevated. Consider also that the further out the ground anchor – the more force is applied to the tree, so regulate your loads accordingly. Speed-lines can be very effective, but can also be a waste of time….without a proportionally high rigging point they are more often the latter. Good luck.


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## ForTheArborist (Nov 14, 2009)

Reg said:


> A fiddle-block, whether purchased as a package or devised yourself, work’s fine for applying any necessary line-tension. How much tension depends on how far you want to run the loads’….obviously the distance between your ground-anchor (landing) and the tree determine your limitations….furthermore, whether your ground anchor is elevated. Consider also that the further out the ground anchor – the more force is applied to the tree, so regulate your loads accordingly. Speed-lines can be very effective, but can also be a waste of time….without a proportionally high rigging point they are more often the latter. Good luck.





The fiddle blocks work fine because there is a 4:1 advantage to the one pulling it. I see. Thanks for the advice.


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## Treetom (Nov 14, 2009)

Nice lesson in speedlining, Reg.


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## outofmytree (Nov 15, 2009)

Nice video Reg. Reminds me why I don't work wherever it is cold enough to snow!

About 9.05 you release a block with one branch attached to the side. It appears to become entangled close to the ground but that may well be illusion. Was there a reason why you didn't remove the limb prior to speedlining the block? I ask because having a branch flip over a speedline is a right royal pain and something I try to avoid.


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## Reg (Nov 15, 2009)

outofmytree said:


> Nice video Reg. Reminds me why I don't work wherever it is cold enough to snow!
> 
> About 9.05 you release a block with one branch attached to the side. It appears to become entangled close to the ground but that may well be illusion. Was there a reason why you didn't remove the limb prior to speedlining the block? I ask because having a branch flip over a speedline is a right royal pain and something I try to avoid.



It only stopped because Andrew put the brakes on. You're right though, crossing lines should be avoided.


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