My first crane job

[NebClimber]

I completed my first crane job today. Took out 44" dbh Elm. Removed it over a house in 9 picks. Used a 30 ton crane. Largest pick was 5,000 lbs. I climbed the whole thing with a steel-core lanyard and spikes. Crane operator was the key. He pretty much told me how to make every cut. When the job was over he told me I was the slowest climber he had ever seen.

Steven

 

[a_lopa]

hey bro at least you got it done congrats!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Cool beans there, Steven. What do you mean 'only a steelcore lanyard and spikes'? No climbing rope? No 2nd tie-in? Steel lanyards can still be cut.

Be safe, bro.

 

[geofore]

first crane

Don't feel bad at being slow the first time, getting it right is more important than fast and your craneman knows it. Low and slow to practice new things in tree work but you don't get the low part in a tree taking it from the top down. So take the time on the slow part to get it right. Try a second tie in next time.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Way to go, Whitebread!

Well Steven, don't worry about speed; you're doing the best you can with what you got. Safety comes first and you must have that going for you. Good you got up with a crane guy who could walk you through it.

 

[MasterBlaster]

So you didn't ride the ball, set the choker, rappel down, and cut?
You hooved it the whole way?

 

[NebClimber]

I actually used two lanyards. I strappd on the second lanyard when I made my cuts, and used it to get me past/around branches, limbs, etc, on my way up to set the pick. It was 90 degrees out with 90% humidity and by the time we were done I looked like I had just taken a shower with all my clothes on.

My methodology for attacking this tree was pretty unrefined. I bought the tape "Cranes and Modern Arboriculture" and watched it a few times. It proved almost worthless. Then of course I took up what knowledge I could from this site. I told the homeowner prior to the job that the crane would be on site for six hours, and we would be working until dark. The crane was on site for 3.5 hours, and the entire job was finished by 3 pm.

Steven

 

[rbtree]

Steven,

Congrats on your debut with a crane... The first few picks kinda scary, eh?

Would the operator not let you ride the ball to tie off the loads?

Also, since you didn't say you used a lifeline, were you? I can't imagine working an elm, and setting the necessary tie points way out, how you could accomplish the tasks well without a lifeline.

When I work a spreading tree, I have at least one lifeline set in a crotch, often more, so that I can have an overhead tie in when the crane does the pick. Then, if the next set is easy, I can be up there waiting by the time he brings the line back....or ride the ball back up, and rappel off it or the overhead line set in the tree. So two lifelines plus a lanyard are the ticket.

Another method can work, where one climber is hoisted to a way out set, raps to the ground, and another climber makes the cut. He can then lollygag, take pictures, have an MB style cancer stick or GATORADE D )
or maneuver to the next set.

As cuts can be good sized in a big excurrent tree, it works well to tie off a large chainsaw aloft, if there are multiple large cuts near each other.

 

[Stumper]

Stephen, You are only the slowest he has ever seen because he hasn't seem me!
I'm glad that you did use a second tie in but would suggest that the second be a climbing line in split tail configuration. You can use that just like a lanyard but you then have the option of unclipping the steel core lanyard and rappelling down on the climbing line if something goes wrong. It can also be handy when a short swing to a new lead would be easier and faster than gaffing down and back up.:angel:

P.S. Dexterous Digits(RB), beat me with more info, faster.

 

[NebClimber]

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

Now please help me understand it.

1) If you tie into the crane and are hoisted to the pick, what do you do once you hook up the load? Do you work you way down to the cut point while still tied to the crane (then re-tie by the cut point?). Or what??

2) When you talk about a "life line" do you mean a climbing line?
So some of you hang a few climbing lines in the tree, and switch over from one to the next while working the tree?

Probably the biggest surprise for me was much wood could be removed at a time. My original plan was to climb to the top of each main stem on this tree individaully, and work my way down each one, craning out wood as we went. That plan was immediately abandoned after the crane operator signaled me to make my first cut about 15' lower than I had planned. After that it became a bit of a race to gaff up the next lead, tie off the load, and gaff down the cut. All with a Husky 357XP hanging off my hip (I originally planned to use my Echo top-handle, but that idea just looked plain stuped 5 minutes into the job).

More advice, please.

Steven

 

[appalachianarbo]

I did my first crane job (climbing - I've been on the ground at crane jobs before) last week...26" white pine with a lot of basal rot. About 95' of tree, with a 22 ton crane with a max boom height w/ jib of 97'. The tip of the boom wouldn't quite reach the top, so I had to notch the whole top towards the boom while he picked up. Normally, he would have just cabled up and I would have used a thin snap cut, but he didn't have any cable left to reel in. The rest went very smoothly. He made it easy, even circling the choker around the tree for me sometimes so I wouldn't have to mess with it too much. I bid it for 5 hours, crew and crane, and we were out of there in 3. Cranes make it pretty easy...and where's Trees Company...he (and his dad) should be jumping all over everybody

 

[NebClimber]

Rocky:

As to the difference b/t a lifeline and a climbing line, a lifeline is defined commonly as:

"An anchored line thrown as a support to someone falling or drowning; A line shot to a ship in distress; One that is or is regarded as a source of salvation in a crisis."

If somone is hanging lifelines all over a tree, I want to know why. Maybe this means they secure lines in various areas for rescue purposes or as an escape route. On the other hand, if they are hanging multiple climbing lines in the tree, then the implication is that these lines are used to climb and work from.

I've read on this site of climbers placing "lifelines" in the tree. The lines are to assist areial rescue. They are NOT lines from which the climber works in the tree.

I also understand that some on this site interchange the terms "life line" and "climbing line".

If my life is indeed on the line, as it generally is in the removal of big trees, I want to be d*mn sure to know whether I am supposed to place extra climbing lines or extra lifelines in the tree.

Steven

 

[Toddppm]

I did my first crane job about 1 1/2 yrs. ago and got some good advice in this thread

http://arboristsite.com/showthread.php?threadid=6158&highlight=crane

Was raining most of the time we did our job and near the end I was in full view of the guy but couldn't tell if he was looking at me, so as I was cutting I was staring at him and to see if he was ready gave him a thumbs up forgot that meant raise it! Bounced the crane a little and scared me!

Glad yours went good but I'm still a little confused . Did you have a climbing line or just spike up and down the tree? Luckily the guy we had let us ride the ball , made it go alot faster.

 

[rbtree]

Steven,

Lifeline, climb line..same thing..and you should never be without one, in a tree, especially when craning...or two, for the reasons I gave earlier.

 

[arboromega]

yup life line on in the removal. maybe even 2 climbing line if theres a chance on could be caught up in a tree failure.
big elm to remove tomarrow. saturday is the best pay day of the week.