Dead Elm Climbed and Roped Down

[Nailsbeats]

Here are some pics of a dead Elm tree me and my dad took down the other day. The tree was hard as a rock and spike penetration felt like about 1/4", spiking and cutting was no cakewalk. Things could have been worse, at least it was dry and the wind was in our favor. I believe the DBH was around 36". The tree had a house on one side and a single phase 7200 volt distribution line on the other. Some free falls, but most leads came down on a rope from a nice high, strong, central crotch. My highlight was strapping 3 limbs together, cutting them in sequence, and sending them down on one rope. I like to be creative in my rigging. I think it took us about 2 1/2 hours, no cleanup. I am waiting on a few more pics, but this is what I have for now.

Here I am going up to tip tie a lead.

Yelling at my dad/ waiting for something/ buying time/ possibly even stalling.

Got out on this lead and quick cut the ends letting the wind bring them back away from the power.

Slacking the handline for the next rig.

Butt hitch over the house.

Digging in the doo-dad pouch.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Nice work, Nails. I'll still never understand how someone would let such a monstrosity right next to their house get THAT bad.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Thanks Blakes, this was one of those spike climbs that wasn't for sissies, lol.

As for the tree, I am sure they didn't notice it. (sarcasm)

We have so much work lined up, this is what the trees look like by the time we get to them, lol.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Thanks Blakes, this was one of those spike climbs that wasn't for sissies, lol.

As for the tree, I am sure they didn't notice it. (sarcasm)

We have so much work lined up, this is what the trees look like by the time we get to them, lol.

No sissies up there, that's for sure. Still waiting on my phone to ring here. I'm about ready to start planting trees. Nothing wrong with thinking 20-30 years down the road, is there?

 

[Nailsbeats]

No, there's no shame in that. I guess that would be the definition of progessive thinking. Go for it!

 

[oldirty]

go nails!


did you halhitch the 2 branches and then run'n bo'lin the 3rd on that advanced rig technique or was it the sling and biner method?

good stuff.

did the 2hunge like the taste of dead elm?

look at you way up there in that dead tree!

tell your old man to get it together or your gonna tell him to beat feet. lol

keep them pics coming. (and how do you get them to open up directly onto the page?)

 

[treemandan]

Yup. Thats hairy. How long dead? Look like long time. Did you happen to do a little probe around the base before you started?
I might talk #### but I stop quickly around power.

 

[Nailsbeats]

go nails!


did you halhitch the 2 branches and then run'n bo'lin the 3rd on that advanced rig technique or was it the sling and biner method?

good stuff.

did the 2hunge like the taste of dead elm?

look at you way up there in that dead tree!

tell your old man to get it together or your gonna tell him to beat feet. lol

keep them pics coming. (and how do you get them to open up directly onto the page?)

No half hitch, used the biners with slings. My dad calls them my doo-dads. Technically it would be the Double Half Hitch's with a Running Bow vs. the Doo-Dad method, lol. I can rig the doo-dads while I'm waitin for the old man to slack my rope back up. Plus they're different colors and that just looks cool to the spectators. Showmanship's gotta count for something. Heck, I even busted them out for a false crotch to rig to.

The 2hunge loved it. I got the spark arrester outta my way and she rips nice.

I think I am telling the old man to start looking for a new job in the second picture. Not shown is picture 2b where you will see me laying in a pile of piss on the ground after my dad ripped me outta the tree, and fed me some oldschool stew, lol.

I download all of my pictures into my Photobucket album on the web. Then I just copy and paste them into my posts, works out well.

Hey, I remember you saying something about a GB titanium bar on a 460. I just put a 20" one on my 460 yesterday, adjusted the carb with the dual port and she's eatin chips. Heck of a nice bar for $40, I would recommend one and the big dogs, for showmanship points.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Yup. Thats hairy. How long dead? Look like long time. Did you happen to do a little probe around the base before you started?
I might talk #### but I stop quickly around power.

No probe, just with the 2hunge's bar, lol. I don't know how long the tree was dead. I would guess 1 year, maybe a little more. Awesome firewood in that state. That's why they cleaned it up, everyone wants that stuff around here.

 

[oldirty]

Heck, I even busted them out for a false crotch to rig to.


, for showmanship points.

one of my go to moves is the double sling to steel biner for false crotching. the only problem with doing that is that you have to go back up the tree to get them if you forgot about them. (i'm not dumping my gear to the ground with the wood.)

and its all about the showmanship! lol


thanks for the photo info.

 

[ropensaddle]

Good job what is really fun is rigging all the limbs and lowering them
all at once showmanship at its best but check swl on the bull rope

 

[treemandan]

one of my go to moves is the double sling to steel biner for false crotching. the only problem with doing that is that you have to go back up the tree to get them if you forgot about them. (i'm not dumping my gear to the ground with the wood.)

and its all about the showmanship! lol


thanks for the photo info.

And you tell me not to worry about you. I have to. Screw those straps and biners, send it down on the next piece you lower( not bomb). I'll send you another, got tons, to many I think. Just make them out of half decent climbing line or something. Just as strong and can take more abuse but I use the webs too.
I did the triple sling on the oak but I was not up there on some dead elm roping like you Nails. I have to tell you again of its hairyness. What kind of weight where you sending out and what the heck is up with you and your dad? Picture 2b? well now you have to post it.

 

[Mitchell]

nice job

looks like you earned your pay Nails. hard dead wood is so much fun aint it! Whos running your show; dad? or have you pu ton the bullbucker lid!

 

[rbtree]

nice work.....looks like a DED kill? The beetles get after the tree and the bark all falls off, but the wood still has plenty of strength....

at least that was my experience from the only DED elm job I've done....I posted that job up here a few years back.....my wood contact got two full long log truck loads of wood..for free...and have made or will make a ton of expensive furniture from it!

Most municipalities want the bark off the wood and burned or buried...or everything chipped up....so it won't attract more beetles. Around here, with few elms, and not much DED as yet, most towns besides Seattle have little experience with the problem.

 

[oldirty]

the old man points and he cuts. quite a team.

and the on the ground ,again, the old man points and he drags. lol

 

[oldirty]

And you tell me not to worry about you. I have to. Screw those straps and biners, send it down on the next piece you lower( not bomb). I'll send you another, got tons, to many I think. Just make them out of half decent climbing line or something. Just as strong and can take more abuse but I use the webs too.
I did the triple sling on the oak but I was not up there on some dead elm roping like you Nails. I have to tell you again of its hairyness. What kind of weight where you sending out and what the heck is up with you and your dad? Picture 2b? well now you have to post it.

on big wood i use the whoopie sling with an arborist block. anything smaller than big i dont want to carry that set up into the tree with me.

 

[ropensaddle]

on big wood i use the whoopie sling with an arborist block. anything smaller than big i dont want to carry that set up into the tree with me.

+1 whoopie whoopie and sometimes eye sling with cow hitch

 

[masterarbor]

the proof is in the puddin'. good job beats.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

one of my go to moves is the double sling to steel biner for false crotching. the only problem with doing that is that you have to go back up the tree to get them if you forgot about them.

Are you using a sling on 2 separate branches to get a higher rig point?

One way I'll do it is to run a retrievable line in two smaller crotches so one will back the other up, then I do not have to haul my lardass up to clean gear.

Though I have used older sling carabiner combos for a high tie and then left them up when the spar will be rigged down.

 

[Nailsbeats]

And you tell me not to worry about you. I have to. Screw those straps and biners, send it down on the next piece you lower( not bomb). I'll send you another, got tons, to many I think. Just make them out of half decent climbing line or something. Just as strong and can take more abuse but I use the webs too.
I did the triple sling on the oak but I was not up there on some dead elm roping like you Nails. I have to tell you again of its hairyness. What kind of weight where you sending out and what the heck is up with you and your dad? Picture 2b? well now you have to post it.

Most limbs were 500-700 pounds. That dead Elm is quite strong, as long as it hasn't been dead too long. I work for my dad. We pretty much do everything together along with my brother. We all kind of own our tree business together like a partnership, kind of like working to take over the family farm type of deal. I have a lot of my own equipment and so does my brother, but dad gets most of the work and writes the checks, sends us to jobs and is still the boss. I take over whenever I can cause I like to be the boss too, "shut up and get to work" is my favorite motivating tool.

Picture 2b is the hypothetical picture that would have to be posted if I told my dad to beat feet as Oldirty suggested.