Please explain this technique

[miko0618]

skip to about 13:30 and watch as they notch the trunk as they go up. what is the purpose of this? is it safe?

 

[Westboastfaller]

They are just undercuts. The lower trunk is pretty big to be snap cutting. Especially at 2 metres (6' 8" ) Safer, you don't want to get hit with one of those chunks and they will be too big to 'throw' away from the stem.

whats you concern here? CLimbing above those small U'/C' ? There is a lot of wood left. A lot more chance breaking in the wind with a full crown that then.

 

[miko0618]

Yes. The climbing and shock loading above the cut. I know what the cuts are. Why not do them when you need them?

 

[Westboastfaller]

...lol....ok good,Sorry. I'm not a climber but because he felt it was safe, I believe its just faster as he dosen't have to readjust. Makes a lot of sense to me. Just a speed thing & easier . If thats what you're asking?..I think.
My two cents.

 

[miko0618]

That's all i could come up with too. I might be a little too "chicken" to try something like that. For the couple minutes he saved, i'd trade to have the tree at its strongest.

 

[Westboastfaller]

Definitely just a speed thing for sure.Thats cool Miko. Ive been up a few trees (very few) and I can't say I blame you. Its easy to understand the fibers of a species of trees you have worked on a lot.
But the fibers are not the same as they are at the bottom. Yes its a whole different story when you're the one up there. The ones in the lower trunk wouldn't bother me though but higher up the stem isn't my Idea of fun.

 

[JRoland]

It's a speed/ making it smoother and easier thing. It's easier to operate a larger saw like the one he's using and have everything match up the way you want when you can swing around off of your climb line instead of inching around on your flip line.

 

[137cc]

He didn't save any time doing it that way. IMO he made it take longer,and added danger to an already risky job.

Here's how to do the same part with the big saw job safer & faster:

Don't come down until the tree is finished, granted some trees might take more than one day. But it is much faster to lift a big saw up to yourself then it is to climb down and up.

Ok, so if it's a multiple day job and all you have left is a spar, don't do what the guy in the video did. He should of climbed up the spar without a big saw, then had his groundie lift it to him once he's at the top. Having a big saw in a tree is never easy work. But it's much easier climb down with a big saw then up. And you don't have to purposely weaken the tree multiple times below where you're working.

Not that I'm the biggest OSHA fan, but there is no way this can be considered a safe work practice.

 

[KenJax Tree]

He did it to save time, instead of make his notch and then swinging around the other side to make the back cut and then back around to make another notch and so on he just went up one side and back down the other. He obviously couldn't just work from one side making both cuts because of the size. The only real concern i see is the ground guys wearing shorts.

 

[miko0618]

Like I said, I personally would never weaken the tree beneath me. Even if the tree is plenty strong. You just never know. Keeping the odds in my favor is the best chance of me staying safe.

 

[jomoco]

There is a certain logic behind this technique IMO.

But I only use it on fat stemmed crane takedowns, staying tied onto the the ball/hook to facilitate making my pie cut and finish cut, only leaving a few inches of uncut hinge wood before pulling my bodyline from the ball/hook and tying onto the stem alone and cutting the trigger wood while on my upper D rings/lanyard.

This old vid has example of this technique used on a fair sized crane takedown.



jomoco

 

[137cc]

There is a certain logic behind this technique IMO.

But I only use it on fat stemmed crane takedowns, staying tied onto the the ball/hook to facilitate making my pie cut and finish cut, only leaving a few inches of uncut hinge wood before pulling my bodyline from the ball/hook and tying onto the stem alone and cutting the trigger wood while on my upper D rings/lanyard.

This old vid has example of this technique used on a fair sized crane takedown.



jomoco

That makes sense for a crane takedown, but they were blocking down big chunks with the main stem weakened multiple times below the climber.

 

[jomoco]

I'm not endorsing the technique shown in your vid, just explaining that it's easier to cut fat stem wood with a high TIP while suspended from your lower D rings.

jomoco

 

[BC WetCoast]

The tree is 30" + in diameter, even taking out the notch, it still has the equivalent of 16"+ in diameter. Anybody on here would climb a 16" stem any day of the week.

 

[miko0618]

It doesn't have 16" worth of weight sitting above it, it has 30" of weight. Plus the pieces are heavier. The whole job and someones life could go to shyt just to take a shortcut. That's how i see it.

 

[CanopyGorilla]

Yeah, I don't think I would be down with that. It really shouldn't take you that long as an experienced climber to put a face in and shimmy around the back.....