falling logs

[clearance]

When doing climbing removals do any of you push big pieces like 16ft 20ft or longer logs out of the tree? Myself and some other guys subscibe to the "use up all the room" idea. Big top, then pieces a big as you have the jam or muscle to do. Undercut, backcut release the hounds! Sometimes we cut of a christmass tree and block it down firewood style if there is little room. Some other guys I have worked with have the motto "big top-big problem". They always take a little top and then snap cut the tree down. I can appreciate that too but you have to have a little fun. What is your favorite?

 

[Ekka]

Man, 16' to 20' logs, I'd be using a tag line for sure with either a snap cut for a straight section or a scarf & back cut for a leaner.

I usually stick my hands on the top of the stump and come down till I'm stretched then block them off, say 4' to 5' range for a push off, any bigger I tag them.

And the art is to get them to land flat. So get ready to tumble them just nice.

 

[jason j ladue]

i love a big top. but most of the time i only take as biga piece as i think can be predictable. if theres any kind of lean in the direction i need it to go let er fly. the bigger the better-generally. wind spooks me. if i can get a pull line (way up in it as i can) it helps my confidence. i was just wondering today if its faster to block a pole out or let it down in 8'ers or bigger and cut it up on the floor. i do most (90%) of the saw work my self and so i dont think it makes any diff. i guess what it really boils down to for me is- get it on the ground asap. the less time you spend off the ground the less chance there is for something to go wrong. at the same time i dont like when that big top snaps off and shakes the spar and you go bouncing back and forth. this is an un natural motion for the tree to sustain- the violent back and forth (you get when there are no limbs, just a pole.) as you get further down the spar there is obviously less rocking then you can start rocking ie droping bigger pieces.
i know i might catch some static for this, but sometimes when i anticipate popping a big top, ill leave as many of the lower limbs as possible instead of removing them on the way up. this has an overall stablizing effect for when the top snaps off instead of gently hinging over. usually though if you can get a pull line well-set, you're o.k.- so to answer your question... i say cut off as big a chunk as you feel you can get away w/. a pull line is a tremendous benefit. (to make a short story long :angel

 

[jason j ladue]

ekka, we're on different sides of the globe yet still on the same page. i know another dorky post-but i couldnt resist

 

[NeTree]

I like to take as big a piece as I safely can. Sooner down, sooner done.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

ill leave as many of the lower limbs as possible instead of removing them on the way up. this has an overall stablizing effect for when the top snaps off instead of gently hinging over. (to make a short story long :angel: )

i think that low branches left on help by giving lower Center of Gravity and also some air friction against shaking. The lower CG, means that when the whole spar shakes/moves, it does so from a lower point, thus lower leverage on spar to root connection/total support. The air friction like feathers to stabilize and slow down/reduce. i think the weight low and feathers high is best.

Logs coming out hitting solid wood (weight for lower CG) below though; can be dangerous for bounce, whereby hitting soft feathers can help buffer fall. The other risk is line of sight between ground and air, to be planned for.

Guy lines against lean and drops hlep stabilize and buffer too i think; use especially in compromised structure; choke attatchment of which can give fortifying compression at area it grabs spar. Don't want to drop nothing hard /heavy/fast on that 'speed line' formed though!

i think less shake from release when spar moves away from me, still close to vertical, so release force goes down spar, rather than across. i think there is a point of rotation that you can feel, where spar about lifts off, rather than pushes back across or pulls forward for lots less cowboy ride.

High back weight, 180 degrees from pull forward of rigs, can help stabilize though too. Taking that high back weight off opposing lean, then rigging heavy into lean can give much more un buffered force i think.



i got angel at end, by spacing between the last colon in angel smiley and the close parenthesis. With the colon and parenthesis together, the basic smiley was coded, that computer read and displayed

:angel: ) or :angel

 

[ORclimber]

I like to take as big a piece as I safely can. Sooner down, sooner done.

Ditto that. It's easy to "plant" a log into the customers prized turf, or brake an underground water line.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

It all depends on how the debris is being moved. If I'm being paid to do it like Erik states then, I'll; knotch, pry, pull, rig, push, or toss as big as safety requires.

If I have a crew dragging under me, I allso concider the efficiency of the people on the ground. Just piling up a bunch of brush for someoen else to muscle apart is for the prima donna, not a good team player.

 

[OutOnaLimb]

Everything is situational dependant, If I have a big DZ and no obsticles I will send a huge top down, but only if I have a tag line in it. The same goes with the logs, I wouldnt feel comfortable trying to push over a 20ft log. Anything over 8 ft I like to have a tag line in. If Im roping a top down I like it to be as small as possible so I dont get the teeth rattled out of my head, and if I have to rope down a big top I will have my groundie give it a soft catch on the portie.

Kenn

 

[jason j ladue]

cool thread! we all seem to be saying the same thing. very nice. i wonder about the evolution of treework/climbing techniques. how did they all develop. whole nother thread i guess... whers mb? and the crane?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Not far!

 

[clearance]

Some of what I hear reminds me of what a former coworker who is isa certified told me, that some people actually rig off (hang&lower) logs to the tree they are in. I have a hard time believing that some one would be crazy enough to play around with those kind of forces. Is it true? What I was talking about must sound kind of primitive. When I get someone to pull of a top or log because of an adverse lean, that rope goes with it. Cant imagine otherwise

 

[jason j ladue]

Not far!

rock the house!

 

[MasterBlaster]

That is possible!

 

[treeman82]

I take into consideration how big of a piece I can fit into the area, as well as how well my groundies are prepared to handle it. It doesn't make much sense to just put down a bunch of BIG pieces if they can't handle them until you get down.

 

[woodshop]

I take into consideration how big of a piece I can fit into the area, as well as how well my groundies are prepared to handle it. It doesn't make much sense to just put down a bunch of BIG pieces if they can't handle them until you get down.

I know ZERO about climbing... but this is interesting thread, and I'm just curious, why can't the groundies grab a saw and cut up the big stuff you drop? Why do they have to wait till you come down? Pardon if its a really stupid question

 

[NeTree]

Who said they can't? It depends on the how the job is going.

Sometimes it's just faster overall to let the climber drop all the big stuff, and then come down and everybody can pile onto the task of getting the big stuff cut up and out.

 

[Big A]

I know ZERO about climbing... but this is interesting thread, and I'm just curious, why can't the groundies grab a saw and cut up the big stuff you drop? Why do they have to wait till you come down? Pardon if its a really stupid question

Depends how long the climber takes to set himself up to knock out the next piece, I usually nip in and start ringing up into moveable bits keeping an eye on the climber, then get clear when he is ready to go again, TEAM-WORK!!

 

[Newfie]

I know ZERO about climbing... but this is interesting thread, and I'm just curious, why can't the groundies grab a saw and cut up the big stuff you drop? Why do they have to wait till you come down? Pardon if its a really stupid question

It really depends on whether or not they can work safely in the drop zone w/o impeding the progress. Some jobs I've grounded for Erik, I've worked the zone while always watching for his signals and movements. Others, I've done what I could but it was faster for all involved to let the sh!t come down and then clean it up together.

 

[Big A]

Surely a discussion on the best procedure for the job in hand while your kitting up isnt out of the question so you all know what's going on? Does'nt have to be rigid, but gives everyone an idea of what's needed.