HOW TO BE AN EXCELLENT GROUNDMAN

[murphy4trees]

When raking, start at the outermost perimeter, and work in an ever-diminishing circle toward the chipper. Do not make 'little piles' of brush or rakings... employ advanced raking techniques. Do not bust the rake handle; either use your boots to advance larger piles toward the chipper, or place the brush on a tarp. Don't leave rakes lying on the ground to be stepped on. Prop them up against something. Do not rake an area under a roof that still has to be blown off. Strive to rake only once.

How about:
When raking, Strive to rake only once, start at the outermost perimeter, and rake in one direction, usually toward the truck. Do not make little piles. As the line of rakings gets too heavy to move easily with the rake, pull the line in to a small pile, pick it up by hand for big sticks or for smaller stuff, pull it onto the rake (tines up) and take it to the truck or put it on a tarp. Then keep moving in the same direction. This prevents cleaning up the last little bit of many piles. When the truck is up hill it is sometimes easier to rake downhill onto a tarp or can, then carry the load back up to the truck. Whatever you do , don't rake haphazardly over here and then over there, which will lead to raking the same area two or more times. Have a plan, start on the outside and move in one direction... The same basic principle of moving in one direction holds true for using a blower. Always blow away from the house. When using a rake and blower together, especially on pavement, the raker should work ahead of the blower, moving the bigger material that would slow down the blower, and not worry about getting the lighter material that the blower can quickly and easily move. Always pull hangers and blow off the roof, and pick up the big stcks and brush in any area before raking.
Copyright 2004 Daniel Murphy all rights reserved...

How's that????

That may sound a little wordy, but efficient raking is a huge part of the groundman's job, and is worth the time to explain it...

If you are serious about publishing this, and I think it is a good idea, then I think it ought to be a shared copyright for everyone that contributed..
then again if you ask me real nice I might let you have it.

 

[jkrueger]

publishing

..., the mag may be interested in publishing the small booklet for the industry. It would be good marketing $ and a strong show of deep interest in et'al.

I don't think you will have to DTP it your self. There are many companies who would like to have their name on it, especialy if it is going to be of value to everyone they do biz with. (hint)

Best,
Jack

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Originally posted by MasterBlaster

Concerning raking, I will challenge ANYONE ANYTIME to do it more efficiently than I have outlined.

We have several very large tough tarps. Remove the big limbs, drag the tarps to the chipper, dump the contents on the chute. You almost don't need a rake.

 

[murphy4trees]

You almost don't need a rake.

That's cause you don't work with big Jon.... he has a disorder.... something like excessive compulsive... he's gotta get EVERY little dead stick.. On friday we deadwooded two oaks that were in bad shape... I went back yesterday for the clean up and the lady actually complained about ALL THE LITTLE STICKS EVERYWHERE...
Until I explained to her.. the fact thast they were on the ground means that they are no longer in the tree and that required some amazing athletic abilities to walk every limb and reach them all.. There are probably only a couple of hundred climbers in the world that can do that...

Here's the after pic of the two trees.. I did the one on the left and Jon did the one on the right... Mine was actually in worse shape... tough to tell from the pic or even in person, but Jon walked to every tip of his tree, while I knocked out all the major deadwood and walked one limb and picked a few 2-4" limbs out with a polesaw... Took us each about the same time...

I have to admit that the only timew I feel intimidated while in a tree is while he's watching me... kinda funny after 23 years of climbing trees...

 

[a_lopa]

why no tower?all that technology

 

[MasterBlaster]

Alright, I've a brand-new 7/32 file to send to whoever can spot the TWO new sentences I've added.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Forgive this shameful bump...

Nick Araya sent me my first splittail, and I like it.

No more cutting my climbing line when my friction hitch gets worn.

Iz this progress???

 

[MasterBlaster]

So has anyone gotten any feedback from yur groundies about this?

 

[jkrueger]

Looking

... for a 'groundy' that can be willing to read and follow the job description. Seriously, looking for some one who is interested in tree pruning and not trimming. OK, an occasional TD, and not necessary.

Thought that the brillance of the DOC might even make things clear for me and it has. Now to find my kinda person.

Great work guys,
Jack

 

[MasterBlaster]

So who's gonna start the "How To Be an Excellent Climber" thread?

 

[TreeJunkie]

Can someone please translate the document to spanish. Most of my groundies can't read english very well.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Uhhhhhhh...

 

[Jumper]

Originally posted by MasterBlaster
So who's gonna start the "How To Be an Excellent Climber" thread? [

The most junior wanna be you can find, preferably one with an ego and mouth the size of Texas and the brain of an ant!

 

[Nickrosis]

Why is everyone e-mailing me to do this?

 

[Nickrosis]

Originally posted by TreeJunkie
Can someone please translate the document to spanish. Most of my groundies can't read english very well.

That's a lot to ask! Stumper could probably do a much better job, but here's a stab for the first point:

Llegue para el trabajo a la hora, descansado, y calme. Sea seguro. Si usted no puede venir, llama tan pronto como usted puede. No salga una tripulación sin ayuda sin alguna notificación previa. Empaque un almuerzo y sea preparado para el trabajo. Mantenga la higiene personal buena -- usted sudará, así que utiliza desodorante. Coma un desayuno bueno, y cuidar de su rutina de cuarto de baño antes usted llega. Traiga lo que usted necesita, y no depende de ir a una tienda.

 

[glens]

So shoot me.

Here's a version which is mostly just a re-format.  I took a few liberties with the text.

Glen

[edit: removed attachment as it was superseded and to clear up space on the server]

 

[glens]

Assuming it's okay, and maybe to facilitate looking it over in a mobile manner, here're the odd pages.

[edit: removed attachment as it was superseded and to clear up space on the server]

 

[glens]

And here're the even pages.

Just print out the odds first (the first page will be blank, so if you have your printer set up like I do mine, that blank page won't be ejected -- place one on the bottom of the output pile in that case).  Then, pick up the 3-page stack and place them back into the hopper, butt-end first, to be printed on the other side with the even pages file.

The result will be a pile of three pages, printed both sides, which can be folded in the middle, forming a little book.

Let me know what y'all think.

Glen

[edit: removed attachment as it was superseded and to clear up space on the server]

 

[MasterBlaster]

Hey Glen that's pretty cool. Thanks for taking the time to do it!

Is there a way you can do it where there will be a title on the cover page?

 

[jkrueger]

Originally posted by TreeJunkie
Can someone please translate the document to spanish. Most of my groundies can't read english very well.

Very important to have this in a Spanish version. Really. Nick are you the one. I don't know anyone who can translate. How about the rest of you?

I think that the 10 Commandments are all that is required for a climber.

And add the special 11th: Thou shalt not screw thyself.

Jack