Dangerous Trees

[the Aerialist]

Bombs Away! OH I wished ...

Looking at the vid was too slow for my puter but it appeared to be a bomber as there was nothing around it...

There was nothing close enough or high enough to get a line on, but because of it's size it would have taken out a portion of the crowns of any of them. Ya sorta had to be there. Trust me, I eyeballed everything for a better way. John Boy would have climbed it for me, but I'd never send a man anywhere I wouldn't go.

 

[ropensaddle]

There was nothing close enough or high enough to get a line on, but because of it's size it would have taken out a portion of the crowns of any of them. Ya sorta had to be there. Trust me, I eyeballed everything for a better way. John Boy would have climbed it for me, but I'd never send a man anywhere I wouldn't go.

I finally got it on my laptop and I meant bombing limbs in stead of catching them on rope! Looked good I have to ask though why did you let the large limbs hinge all the way to the trunk shaking spar more than necessary. One other thing I noticed and it always happens in those spots looks as if the breezes began after entering canopy don't ya just hate that? It never fails for me calm as can be then the minute I am in the tree here come some wind.

 

[climberjones]

A thought!

I don't know about any body else but I've climbed my fare share of dangerous trees like the one in the video that my big mouth committed to before i thought it through but one thing i will do on one like that is walk away for a couple days and wait on a good very windy day and convince myself that if the tree made it through that day with out any new stress cracks or damage than ill probably be all right to climb it because the pressures it got on that day will far exceed what my butt will put on it......... or not!

 

[OLYMPYC]

so whats a spiker-trimmer? haha

im just tryin to get in on doin this, i love dropping trees and would love to learn how to climb,

im pretty crazy id try about everything once, but man trees like that would pri turn me away, id have pri found the smallest damage route for that tree and takin maybe an extra tree out just to stay on the ground.

 

[treemandan]

Well I believe I did say it would have been cheaper if I could have got the 30 ton crane in there. I bid that tree @ $1800 without it, I might have charged $1500 with it. I couldn't drop it over the neighbor's property line in back of it, or any other direction without collateral damage or a good chance of a hang up.

It was a danger I could see and judge, unlike some (hollow) that we can't. It was a calculated risk, one which proved doable. Although when I heard the base cracking as I dropped the top I had my doubts about my calculations.

Besides the customer was a hot chick and I was having a testosterone rush when I bid the job for her. Here she is at the end of this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa6F1q8cD0M

You freakin old timers get all the chicks, trust me I know. In fact I know everything! Like you climbing that tree for a couple of hundred. I could tell the numbers were going to be running high with what you have going on.
The one thing that I didn't think was good was the fact that you said you were a little scared to do it and we all know why. What I mean is that when an experianced arborist like yourself says he was scared and we can see why then we wonder. BUT! its not like we haven't been there too so #### it buddy.
Now another thing is IXT yapping like he would have dropped it . We take your word that someone had to climb it and if one can't realize it couldn't have been dropped when one saw a climber in it then the question is just standard to make sure the obvious wasn't overlooked which is sometimes the case.
And I have to say I would have put at least two guy wires in that thing before I hauled my ass up it no doubt about that and 18 hunge would have covered the hours ( I say hours cause that's what it feels like) to set them and bring them in plus some of the cost of all the gear you would need.
I say for your first video it was certainly fantastic. Welcome to the site.

 

[treemandan]

Well I believe I did say it would have been cheaper if I could have got the 30 ton crane in there. I bid that tree @ $1800 without it, I might have charged $1500 with it. I couldn't drop it over the neighbor's property line in back of it, or any other direction without collateral damage or a good chance of a hang up.

It was a danger I could see and judge, unlike some (hollow) that we can't. It was a calculated risk, one which proved doable. Although when I heard the base cracking as I dropped the top I had my doubts about my calculations.

Besides the customer was a hot chick and I was having a testosterone rush when I bid the job for her. Here she is at the end of this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa6F1q8cD0M

Oh ####! I hear the sirens allready! And see the damage! Dam dude! You better be REAL careful with that thing! I can see how that is cool but I don't think you need to be going around with that cannon. The other dude even said it was loud for a .22. CAn't figure out a Big Shot? ####, I 'll take that anyday over setting that thing off. I think you do need to buck up your safety standards. Whataya got there, a 4x4 astro van? This guy goes firing a rocket launcher over the winsheild? What exactly is going on over there? If anyone is havong to much fun its this guy.

 

[treemandan]

I would have to agree that tree was not safe to climb! No tree is worth your life! Those sirens I hear in the back ground will be coming to help you if you keep climbing trees like that.

I thought they were coming for the rocket launcher!

 

[OLYMPYC]

I thought they were coming for the rocket launcher!

i was amazed by that rocket launcher thing, i always wondered how the ropes got up there, if a climber had to do it first w/out ropes to hang the rope or something like that cannon.

 

[murphy4trees]

I liked the cannon too... only thing is do you have any control over the height.. too much of a good thing is not a good thing for setting lines..

How much does that puppy trainer cost? And how high will it shoot and how much weight does the projectile have?

If it has a lot of weight that could be better than the big shot for tall trees and thick bark..

 

[the Aerialist]

That is the Rope Gun.. This is the Air Canon...

i was amazed by that rocket launcher thing, i always wondered how the ropes got up there, if a climber had to do it first w/out ropes to hang the rope or something like that cannon.

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

I've used the Big Shot and never got the hang of it so I came up with the Air Canon in the video above to shoot a shot bag into the tree. It was a pain to pump up so the Rope Gun was acquired after a neighbor fired it at me. I can shoot that over a 100' tree with no problem, and very accurate too compared to the Big Shot or even the Air Canon.

 

[ropensaddle]

I tried that I was always over doing it


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcc2flpSuwQ

 

[the Aerialist]

Let's see if it will fire a projectile...

I liked the cannon too... only thing is do you have any control over the height.. too much of a good thing is not a good thing for setting lines..

How much does that puppy trainer cost? And how high will it shoot and how much weight does the projectile have?

If it has a lot of weight that could be better than the big shot for tall trees and thick bark..

You can get blanks with different loads. I have 5's and 4's but both of them really launch it. I'm going to see how low the charges go, a 2 or 3 would probably be good for lower line placements.

Here is another innovation I'm planing to shoot with the Rope Gun. I'm going to make a sabot style holder for it and fire it up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5wejEqSE2w

What do you guys think of that thing? I worked their booth at the EXPO in Pittsburgh last month and sold every one they had. If you use a shot bag you should get one of these.

 

[the Aerialist]

Get one right here ...

... How much does that puppy trainer cost? And how high will it shoot and how much weight does the projectile have?...

I bought if from a neighbor for $50. Here is a whole kit for $350 :

http://www.tbicatalog.com/TBICatalog2/launchers_and_wingers/retriever_training_launcher_kit.html

I'm not sure of the weight, but it's pretty heavy more than a 16 oz shot bag. if you were trying for max height, I'd say at least 150' with a #5 charge and 100' with a #4 .22 blank charge. A redneck friend could probably make custom loads for you.

 

[treeclimber101]

Here's mine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1wfCGPNlC0

I'll admit this one scared me. If I could have gotten the crane in there I would have felt better about it. I would have been able to do it cheaper too.

Good job AA with that tough removal , #### those naysayers half of the fag climbers out there wouldn't have the nuts to climb that .... I say if your gonna be dumb you better be tough , and you may just be more tough than smart but for 63 your an inspiration ....

 

[the Aerialist]

I'd rather be Lucky than Good...

I guess it's dumb luck that has kept me going all these years.

Actually it's that attitude that other's complained about that allows me to still do this work. I've never turned down a job, but I've priced a few so high because of the clear and present danger that I didn't have to risk actually doing the work.

There's always the crane for really dangerous ones, that's if it can get to the work. It's big (30 ton). The Hemlock on the house, It wasn't even big, but I didn't trust it to stay under control, and the two standing portions were small and skinny, but I declined to climb them. It doesn't take a big tree to kill you.

Nothing beats a crane with a good operator to do tree work. I wish I could use it for trims (I wouldn't have to use my spikes).

 

[flushcut]

I bought if from a neighbor for $50. Here is a whole kit for $350 :

http://www.tbicatalog.com/TBICatalog2/launchers_and_wingers/retriever_training_launcher_kit.html

I'm not sure of the weight, but it's pretty heavy more than a 16 oz shot bag. if you were trying for max height, I'd say at least 150' with a #5 charge and 100' with a #4 .22 blank charge. A redneck friend could probably make custom loads for you.

So let me get this straight for me to get that system cost $350. Right! I think I will stick to the Big Shot, which I got for I think $119.

 

[ropensaddle]

So let me get this straight for me to get that system cost $350. Right! I think I will stick to the Big Shot, which I got for I think $119.

Yup me too and as far as accurate, hmmm; I can knock a cat out at seventy feet :monkey:

I use mine to hunt rabbit too

 

[flushcut]

Yup me too and as far as accurate, hmmm; I can knock a cat out at seventy feet :monkey:

I use mine to hunt rabbit too

I also admit to the rabbit shooting! I mean come on it's a huge slingshot.

 

[the Aerialist]

Since this is the dangerous tree thread ...

Here I am doing a trim, and yes, I have my gaffs on. There are exceptions to the rule, and this tree was one. Please note how lightfooted I am with them. Gaffs don't need to damage the tree. I can balance on the points without breaking through the Cambium Layer. Note how much time I don't use them, just hanging off my rope or wrapping around when I could easily drive them into the tree for a better hold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c33XgrUL6OE

There are situations where I will use my gaffs on a tree that stays. It's a judgement call I'll make if I feel my safety is involved, but when I do I go into my lightfooted mode. Flame me for this if you want, but that's how I roll when I feel I need to.

But all that aside, do you guys feel this tree qualifies for the Dangerous Tree thread? Or was that just a piece of cake?

 

[the Aerialist]

@ flushcut and Ropensaddle:

Yeah, I doubt if I'd shell out $350 for it. You can buy just the powerhead cheaper ~ use your Google-Fu to fihd it if anyone is interested. Ebay might have one for you if you are patient.

But you really ought to check out the RopeArmour, it works great with the BigShot and you could hunt deer with it, maybe Moose if you got a good reach and muscular arms. I wouldn't try it on Bears though, you probably just hurt 'um bad enough to really piss 'um off.

For tree work they blow away any shot bag you've ever used.

Disclaimer: I'm no longer getting any commissions on them. They just hired me to be a demo dolly at their EXPO booth. They couldn't afford a hot babe for the job so they had to settle for me.

http://www.ropearmour.com/