Fishing for oak

[CentaurG2]

We did a removal similar to this involving a big red oak that fell into a lake but we used a crane. To sever the trunk from the root ball, we used a 3120 and a long bar. Kept the power head above the water and she cut fine. The rooster tail off the saw was a site to behold. Oak gets real heavy when it sits underwater for any length of time and smells like used wine barrels. Chipping the brush was the worst. It was all slimey and full of fishing lures and line. Make sure you put enough money on the job to cover any loss of your equipment.

 

[tree MDS]

We did a removal similar to this involving a big red oak that fell into a lake but we used a crane. To sever the trunk from the root ball, we used a 3120 and a long bar. Kept the power head above the water and she cut fine. The rooster tail off the saw was a site to behold. Oak gets real heavy when it sits underwater for any length of time and smells like used wine barrels. Chipping the brush was the worst. It was all slimey and full of fishing lures and line. Make sure you put enough money on the job to cover any loss of your equipment.

This reminds me of working in Fort Lauderdale after hurricane Andrew. Cutting in the intercoastal waterway (probably spelled wrong), some of those trees were in there for weeks before we got to them...and that salt water stench - and the slime, and then there were water moccasins swimming around in the tops as we were cutting. This was before winches on chippers and all that. I remember I woke up one night and screamed a little as I dreamed there was a slimy Austrailian Pine branch in bed with me - no joke, lol.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Is the base totally under water, or could you stand on the flair and make a bypass cut that could be pulled apart?

 

[pdqdl]

Change the rules !

If water flow is low: is it possible to temporarily dam the upstream side of the tree? If possible, a 2" trash pump on the downstream side might make all the water go away, allowing for easy cutting.

Just a thought, it won't work unless the circumstances are right.

 

[KD57]

We did a removal in a lake once, and we used a crane also. It was for a marina, advised them the cost of the crane was 400.00 per hour, min. 4 hours, and he sd. sure, go ahead. So we snatched it out, dropped it on the bank, cut it up, got our check, and was gone. It was quick, but costly. Ours came out pretty easily, I would figure yours would too, w/ the root ball in muck.

 

[ropensaddle]

Is the base totally under water, or could you stand on the flair and make a bypass cut that could be pulled apart?

All wood except the far end of 25' log is submerged st at least a foot over the top of the wood. Yeah the crane would work but I don't figure he wants to spend 2000 he just does not want the debris to dam up and back the creek up. It is a deep pool of the creek not a big creek. I may give the grapple a try here in a few and take some pics. He is supposed to have a track hoe coming out soon I have five hrs in it, I may just cut my loss or set the rigging cheap. He may just blow the sob to kingdom come lol. I will do what I can and try to take pics if I go back tonight.

 

[KD57]

If he blows it we want a video posted.

 

[Metals406]

All wood except the far end of 25' log is submerged st at least a foot over the top of the wood. Yeah the crane would work but I don't figure he wants to spend 2000 he just does not want the debris to dam up and back the creek up. It is a deep pool of the creek not a big creek. I may give the grapple a try here in a few and take some pics. He is supposed to have a track hoe coming out soon I have five hrs in it, I may just cut my loss or set the rigging cheap. He may just blow the sob to kingdom come lol. I will do what I can and try to take pics if I go back tonight.

Hey rope! I vote det cord too... My old man used it to cut stuff all the time in the Army.

A local powder monkey I know, gets contracts to clear creek beds with det cord. He said it works really good.

Plus, who doesn't like blowing cr@p up!!?

 

[TreePointer]

If he blows it we want a video posted.

:agree2:

 

[TreeTopKid]

I was called over to a nice fellers house to cut a large oak out of the water. It uprooted into a deep creek and the huge root ball is submerged about a foot over the wood at the base. The tree is around 40 inch red oak and is turning into one hellova project. I have hip boot waders but it is deeper than their capacity. I cut it off at the other side to get weight off and tried to slide the puppy over to the side and that did not work. I then hooked a
snatch block behind the tree and up ten foot and tried to stand the sob up it was going fine then snap there goes a 5/8 steel cable that had bad spots in it so no great big deal. I am going to try chain and my grapple next I guess. This is all because I cant make a cut as the wood is under water! I was wondering if any of you ever snorkeled a saw to make a cut? I am not wanting to toast a saw but I am tired of wading this creek for no result. I have a canoe I thought I might put the long bar on my old 2101 and snorkel it make the cut but I am wondering if the cold water would crack the cylinder or if it would suck back and cause a meltdown. I wish I could borrow a saw

I wish I could see a picture. You remember that big Black Poplar I was telling you about we had to drop that in the lake, and there was no vehicular access so we ended up dragging it out with three Turfor winches. It was a struggle and we had to reposition them several times but it worked even though there were seven of us there for three days. You'll see what a pig it was when I upload the photos. I feel your pain!

We had to cut in the water at times but not with the engine! You probably could snorkel it but it sounds painful! Good luck.

 

[ropensaddle]

Ok I spoke with him and were are going to use a dozer and a track hoe
I am going to be the frog man I guess but he said he was going to pay
me for my time. I hate being paid when I did not complete it on my own
so; I said we will shave some time off the bill and I did not want him to
pay too much for the job. I did cut a bunch of the top so I will charge
for that time and my frog man time lol. I told him I would have liked to
see it go kablooey he said he would have to alert too many people and
such dern it:monkey:

 

[Industry]

We cut holes in the Ice for smelt camps with our saws, so cold water doesn't hurt them; obviously don't submerg the powerhead. I would have gone with the Looooong bar and a boat or canoe. cut off 10' and winch it out, then repeat.

 

[sawinredneck]

You are a proud man Rope, and put yourself into a job. I respect that. But there comes a time you have to shake your head and walk away!!
Still would love to see some pics of this beast!

 

[ropensaddle]

You are a proud man Rope, and put yourself into a job. I respect that. But there comes a time you have to shake your head and walk away!!
Still would love to see some pics of this beast!

Ill try to remember the cam the dozer guy said he would pull it out but he ain't no frog so, I guess I will have to hook it up and supply the chain, I hope he don't stretch my 3/8 high test biggest I've got.

 

[pdqdl]

The very best 3/8ths chain won't begin to hold a dozer or pull a big tree.

If you broke your 5/8ths cable, the chain doesn't stand a chance.

 

[ropensaddle]

The very best 3/8ths chain won't begin to hold a dozer or pull a big tree.

If you broke your 5/8ths cable, the chain doesn't stand a chance.

I am thinking of re-spooling what is left of the cable and helping a little at
a time and am wondering if the cable was just bad but it did skid the truck with brakes set so it had serious pull to skid a 23000 lb truck!

 

[pdqdl]

Get a little more of that 5/8ths cable, hook a pulley to the tree, and one end to the bulldozer. If that ain't enough, get another pulley and take it back to the tree.

I would hook high on the tree, even if I had to swim for it. It's the stump that is holding you down. Dozer force on the top of a tree 1/2 uprooted: it'll come out.

Watch out for flying trees. My dad knocked himself out cold once, attaching a stuck bulldozer to a cottonwood tree with the winch on the back of the cable operated Cat D8. The tree moved and the dozer didn't. He apparently was underneath that tree for about 1/2 hour, dozer chugging placidly along in the mud, totally covered up by the tree. Naturally, he had no observers.

As you might guess, I grew up without any training whatsoever in safety procedures.

 

[ropensaddle]

Get a little more of that 5/8ths cable, hook a pulley to the tree, and one end to the bulldozer. If that ain't enough, get another pulley and take it back to the tree.

I would hook high on the tree, even if I had to swim for it. It's the stump that is holding you down. Dozer force on the top of a tree 1/2 uprooted: it'll come out.

Watch out for flying trees. My dad knocked himself out cold once, attaching a stuck bulldozer to a cottonwood tree with the winch on the back of the cable operated Cat D8. The tree moved and the dozer didn't. He apparently was underneath that tree for about 1/2 hour, dozer chugging placidly along in the mud, totally covered up by the tree. Naturally, he had no observers.

As you might guess, I grew up without any training whatsoever in safety procedures.

I had a 20 ton snatch block set ten foot up a huge oak, pulley's won't take
the pull I exerted and the cable was at the end of the log ,as it was the
only thing not completely submerged. The ball seems completely up rooted
but the surface area is extremely large due to the wet soil the dirt ball is
close to twenty foot long! I have already told the customer a crane would
be the best solution but It would take a monster crane I am only guessing
the weight of the 40 inch dbh red oak with twenty foot ball at ? 15 ton??
If my grapple would have got closer I could have squeezed the dirt off
on the ball and wiggled it around and likely helped. Before the winch cable broke I had the log almost out of water. The cable integrity is questionable
with several frays mostly fatigue but was used before I got the truck and I have used it five years without breaking it until now!

 

[ropensaddle]

Much higher than ten foot up and we likely would have two huge
oaks in the creek

 

[TreeTopKid]

Get a little more of that 5/8ths cable, hook a pulley to the tree, and one end to the bulldozer. If that ain't enough, get another pulley and take it back to the tree.

I would hook high on the tree, even if I had to swim for it. It's the stump that is holding you down. Dozer force on the top of a tree 1/2 uprooted: it'll come out.

Watch out for flying trees. My dad knocked himself out cold once, attaching a stuck bulldozer to a cottonwood tree with the winch on the back of the cable operated Cat D8. The tree moved and the dozer didn't. He apparently was underneath that tree for about 1/2 hour, dozer chugging placidly along in the mud, totally covered up by the tree. Naturally, he had no observers.

As you might guess, I grew up without any training whatsoever in safety procedures.

Sounds exactly like my childhood. My Dad was a great business man, and used to get stuff done but he was dangerous as hell. He has had to broken necks, a smashed pelvis and he walks with a lilt because one leg is two inches shorter than the other. he is a walking safety lesson.

That said I would not be in this game if it weren't for him. (Sorry for thread Jacking!)