I Love My Porty!

[mikecross23]

I posted a few weeks ago about getting a port-a-wrap III, block and 5/8" bull rope. Yesterday I got to put these tools to the test and block down a 32" dbh 75' water oak. I set the block in the main lead as high as I could get it (bad tip die back and rot) and caught the large branches to be speed lined over a brick wall and a few dogwoods trees. That was fun stuff! I sent some of the smaller diameter top of the spar down on the zip too. Then roped down the rest to about 25 ft. I didn't measure the diameter of chunks I took, but guestimating the absolute possible largest to be 24" and 6' in lengh. I figured by the green log weight chart they would be between 900-1,200 lb. chunks and no heavier for sure. I know w/ out seeing the tree's condition you can't really make the call, but does that sound close?

The porty kicks butt!!! It is so much nicer than wraps on a tree and gives lots of control for lettin' er run!

Man, I'm hooked and I'm scratchin' my head wondering how I've gone w/ out the real deal rigging gear for so long.

-Mike-

 

[treeman82]

Mike, I remember when I picked up a block and porta-wrapIII myself... what an improvement over the natural crotch rigging, and taking wraps for lowering that I had been used to. The guy who taught me how to be a groundie still won't buy them, or use mine... but whatever.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Can I ask both of you a question?

How long has it been since the time that you first heard of a POW and lowering block and the day that you bought one?

Seriously, I'd like to get an idea to try and understand how long an idea takes to become a reality.

I know that I am a bit too much of a gear head and tech weenie but it took me exactly thirty minutes from awareness to purchase of my first lowering device. Now I have five different units. The FOS, Friction On Site from Vertical Pro is my fav!

http://www.verticalpro.net/


Tom

 

[Striker]

I used a pow for the first time last week. WOW! ( It took a while to convince the boss that we needed one ) Love it.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i still have the original Porty, it is a little big, but fantastic, deceptively simple invention. i've put an eye on the nose that points up when loaded, much like that part of the design now.

i'd suggest you'all try to maake a lil'3x1 or 5x1 tightening jig with small pulleys, clips and prusik. It pulls, compresses the line into the nose of the Porty for pretightening, it can make all the diffrence in the world. Falling short of that, tighten as well as you can by pointing Porty at pulley, tightening line, then impacting and sweating it into the nose of the Porty, can get pretty tight like that, especially with 2-3 men on it. i firmly beleive that line tension is an important, sometimes easily tweaked component of a rigging formulae.

Also, if you haven't tried it; with a pulley upstairs, and smooth metal friction downstairs (Porty), you can 'run the line'. Line will heat up a lot less if allowed to let partial freefall of laod as line shuffles through gloved hands after the Porty. This can get it away from the climber, but not let the load accelerate, gradually slow down (low impact), or snub out last force into the ground etc. Whatever percentage of the force freefalling (not pulling on system) taakes load off Porty, line etc. and 2x that force is off of the pulley and it's support sytem.

Always remember: the pulley hitching takes more load than the Porty hitching. The Porty has 1 leg of pull on it, the pulley 2. So if rigging line runs straight up from Porty to pulley, then load hangs straight down; there is maxxed as 2x as much pull on pulley than Porty. As the angle gets less than straight on leg from Porty to Pulley (load leg will have to plum bob straight, so must change angle of other leg, to alter angle between the 2 legs of line to pulley), the load on the pulley gets to less than the 2x, (1x load + {1xLoad per angle}).

:alien:

 

[mikecross23]

Originally posted by Tom Dunlap
How long has it been since the time that you first heard of a POW and lowering block and the day that you bought one?
Seriously, I'd like to get an idea to try and understand how long an idea takes to become a reality.
Tom

I haven't been climbing w/ advanced methods or even taking on jobs involving any sort of rigging for more than 7 mo's. Before that I was the average ignorant do it yourselfer most likely to kill himself hack that spiked to prune, but I loved the work. Trying to expand my knowledge and be safer/more efficient I found AS which has also led me to other sources and has changed my ways. I've had my eye on the block and POW for a good 4 mo's now, but I needed to pick up on some more elementary methods first and get my climbing tecnique developed. I guess the answer to your question is just over 3 months.

Thanks for all the help AS members!
-Mike-

 

[treeman82]

Tom- I think I had seen a PWI used by a friend of mine in December or January. That February or March I went and bought one of my own, along with a block.

 

[kf_tree]

whats this porta thing-a-majig you guys keep talking about? pow.....i thought that was a prisoner of war...i've heard of a porta john....i know it gives relief, but how does that relate to tree work?

what are these block's treeman 82 is talking about? i stopped playing with blocks years ago.

 

[NickfromWI]

almost there......

I borrowed a Porty3 and brought it to work one day. My boss quickly saw it's value and went and bought one for me to rig down bigger pieces. However, he has not, and seemingly will not splurge for a block. This means I am stuck throwing the rope over a branch, and where no crotch exists, the rope runs over a steel carabiner. Yeeeouch! What a sharp angle for the rope to run across when it's holding 1,000lbs!

I keep bringing it up...maybe he'll break down soon and get one.

love
nick

 

[Tom Dunlap]

KF you da funny guy!

I'm glad that both of you have bought into modern rigging. It constantly amazes me how skeptical climbers are about new gear for work and then they rattle on about the newest fishing reel, gun, snowmobile, etc.

Tom

 

[Froggy]

Reply

I have to say Blocks and lowering devices are the best thing since ice cream. There are old school ways to do it, but why when you've got access to such great equipment. For removals you've got to have them. My boss has tought me the old school ways, but the block and the POW are the answer. I think if a piece of equipment makes your life easier as a climber then why not get your money saved up and get one. New isn't always better, but not changing because of lack of interest in advanced products should be a no no. Climb hard and hit the ground running.
BB

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i believe in a tight line too, sometimes do the same trick with truck too, carefully of course.

Sometimes, we have even placed a block pulley low as a middle-line-man, so that pulling to tighten, sweep sideways or lift etc., doesn't place a lifting/ friction breaking force on the rear of the truck (that might not be loaded with wood).

Even been known to "RedNeck Crane" some stuff out with a 1 Ton powering a 3/1 lift upwards (have plenty of lowering line) on a hinge a few times with good sized spars, then lower through Porty on back of truck. Like Chocking truck, turning wheels so that if it started to slide, it would kinda power a curving away from pull of line! All the overkill just in case! Engineer was showing his kids all the steps as we did the 3rd one at his house one day. Even had a safety caath line guys were keeping fairly taut during lift and lower......

:alien:

 

[Froggy]

Reply

TreeSpyder-> Man that's a pretty cool system. I'd like to try it out. Can you e-mail me the details? Thanks, BB:blob6:

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Aaahhh, the port-a-wrap.

Wouldn't be without it. Great, great device.

I made a couple mini versions for myself and a few friends, works great with 1/2" rope!

 

[Dave]

Tom, I noticed the FOS is advertised at a 4:1 safety factor, with a 20,000# breaking strength 2,000# seems a safer SWL- wouldn't you agree?

 

[Tom Dunlap]

20 k# breadking with 4:1 safety means a 5 k# SWL. Thats a pretty hefty slam dunk!

Tom

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I've had a porty for years, but the poor thing sits lonely in my truck now that I have The Winch.

I'll get it out for a little light rigging off small poles, but I can set my GRCS up almost as fast as tightening up a cow hitch. Still can beat a 10 second timber hitch though.

 

[Stumper]

I used my wench for lowering once but she retired after 1 job due to a nervous condition.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

For what they can do, they are pricey. My mantra is that if they save you an average of an hour per job, they pay off in 25 jobs (that is if you are only billing 100/crew hour). And I can truthfully say mine has cut jobs in half.

I was saying the smae thing till I started working with them, and I've used a hobbs too. One man can pull a tree over against it's lean without having to climb it.

It can take the fun out of some jobs, but I'm not just doing this for the fun of it.