rig guy wirestops

[Tree Machine]

Who knows? I'm just surmising. I don't make claims and let me be clear, I do NOT THINK I am giving scientific evidence by comparisons (it is correctly called empirical evidence). I am showing pictures, helping build a body of information, making no judgements not choosing to be biassed. I'm evaluating a new cabling system, gaining experience and knowledge of it by direct trial.

I appreciate the opportunity to share here in this thread. I can only learn more from it.

 

[Tree Machine]

When do you decide to replace a cable Clark?

So far just when I come across old school methods that clearly haven't worked. Do you want to see more pictures?

I have to say the only broken cables I've come across are the regular grade, spliceable type of cable.

What kind of cable to you use with the thru-bolt system, Dave?

 

[treevet]

Like you I use both depending on the application. Most of the cables I put in will allow common grade (and even lags) (up to 10" dia limbs) and I will have my gm splice one end on the ground and leave one end spliced on the reel. I often drill the hole 1/16 smaller than recommended on lags. If the situation demands it I use EHS and dead ends.

After all this discussion I may try a rigguy installation just to be able to have a first hand opinion on it. It is like deja vu all over again, you and I on another cable thread. Truce for a while, I am done with one for now.

Any further discussion about the properties of metal and galvanization, etc. would be aided by Outofmytree. He is extremely knowledgeable on this subject.

 

[Tree Machine]

After all this discussion I may try a rigguy installation just to be able to have a first hand opinion on it.

Why bother? One cable system performs exactly the same function as another. Kinda like television in an analogous way. You get the same shows broadcast on either, why switch to the new hi-def TVs when the old-school analog TVs perform the same basic function. They're tried, trusted and true, 50 or so years strong. Why take the risk? Those new TVs, they could burn out your retinas, y'know? Stunt the growth on your grandkids. Turn your dog into a platypus.

 

[D Mc]

LOL, Certainly is interesting to read you guys "discuss" things.

I would also like to point out that all the old school or tried-and-true methods currently in use for cabling and bracing were developed through field trials first. And then science was applied to fine tune setups. But it required experimentation to determine hardware applications, size and placement.

Dave

 

[treeseer]

Thanks for posting those pics/empirical evidence/data from field trials. I remember pruning that hollowed out silver maple!

Cincy is not that far from Indy--maybe next time northwest in winter treevet can bring his binocs and :Eye: some installations.

 

[treevet]

Why bother? One cable system performs exactly the same function as another. Kinda like television in an analogous way. You get the same shows broadcast on either, why switch to the new hi-def TVs when the old-school analog TVs perform the same basic function. They're tried, trusted and true, 50 or so years strong. Why take the risk? Those new TVs, they could burn out your retinas, y'know? Stunt the growth on your grandkids. Turn your dog into a platypus.

Didn't say I'd change over to the dark side and go rigguy just said I'd try one out probably on a low importance application.

This look familiar to you Jim? Love to hear the metal experts discuss the density of hardware and resistance to failure to corrosion. If you, like me, are always looking for the weakest link in the system, These separated strands IMO (layman for sure) have much shorter life span when separated than as a tight unit (and way less than solid bolts)......

 

[treevet]

Thanks for posting those pics/empirical evidence/data from field trials. I remember pruning that hollowed out silver maple!

Cincy is not that far from Indy--maybe next time northwest in winter treevet can bring his binocs and :Eye: some installations.

Be glad to, even have a beer (root) with you guys. Might even bring one of my pickers down so you two can take a little journey out of the stone age.

 

[treeseer]

Might even bring one of my pickers down

Picker as in my favorite flavor, cherry red? Ride em cowboy, yeehah!

 

[treevet]

Picker as in my favorite flavor, cherry red? Ride em cowboy, yeehah!

!!

 

[treevet]

Ride em cowboy, yeehah!

The response was more in regards to this (also joking) Mr. Obvious.

 

[treeseer]

Translation: I like using bucket trucks aka cherry pickers.

The line was from the Stones' "Can't always Get What You Want", before your time I guess.

 

[treevet]

Translation: I like using bucket trucks aka cherry pickers.

The line was from the Stones' "Can't always Get What You Want", before your time I guess.

Ya can't always get whaaat ya want....

Ya can't always get whaaat ya need...

Ride 'em cowboy....yeeehaaa (?)

 

[Tree Machine]

I'd love to have a lift truck. Problem is, my love for climbing far exceeds the desire to not climb.

Here is a pic I took, where the customer sprung for the rental of a manlift. Climbing for removals and pruning, not much practical need for a lift device (for me, at this point in life), but when it comes to cabling, what an absolute joy.


This image that Treevet dropped in is of a rigguy install, partway through. It looks like a 4-stem install, but it is a 3-stem tree, and the cable coming through the hub directly at the camera guy is still on the coil.

The two terminations that are in have not been trimmed and the third, is just about to be started. The reason for terminating the stems at a center hub is that only three holes need to be drilled into the tree, rather than 6 holes (2 per stem) if you were triangulate stem-to-stem. The downside of this central hub termination is that you're very likely in open air, in the middle of the three stems with no tie-in point for the climber. This tree, the stems splayed outward from the triplet trunk in fine bouquet fashion. It was only the second time in 17 years I've used a manlift, and I was truly grateful to have it. This particular setup would have been nearly impossible to install without a lift.

 

[outofmytree]

What a fascinating thread.

Great information here for someone like me who has never cabled a tree.

A long time ago I worked with steel and some of the discussion here has sparked my metallurgical interest. I was particularly interested in the concept of complete consumption/donation of zinc in an electrical circuit prior to consumption/donation of iron. On a theoretical level this would be true, yet I have a wealth of empirical evidence which suggests it is not. How to establish which is correct? Firstly to observation. How many of you have seen a rusty "tin" roof? In most cases they would have been a rusty galvanised (zinc coated steel) roof. However there is almost always significant quantities of zinc remaining... hmm. If I had to guess I would suggest that there are MULTIPLE electrical "micro circuits" created within the sheets of galvanised steel, with multiple sites of donation where energy is flowing from points of high potential to points of low potential. If this is so, and I hasten to add that this is a guess, then the same would apply over a length of cable whether concealed or not. I imagine the relative variation of the cable materials, on a microscopic basis, would make uniform corrosion near impossible. All of which means only that, lacking long term investigation over the relative speed of corrosion of galvanised material in trees, it cannot be categorically stated that any through system would be safe to use without inspection involving a rated resistance test.

By the way, does anyone use stainless steel cable? Given that it would, under most circumstances, last longer than a tree, it seems a logical solution.

TV would you be kind enough to post a picture or two of a recent cabling job done either by yourself or at least as you would have done it? I am keenly interested in the method by which cable is attached to bolt.

 

[Greenstar]

I'd love to have a lift truck. Problem is, my love for climbing far exceeds the desire to not climb.

Here is a pic I took, where the customer sprung for the rental of a manlift. Climbing for removals and pruning, not much practical need for a lift device (for me, at this point in life), but when it comes to cabling, what an absolute joy.


This image that Treevet dropped in is of a rigguy install, partway through. It looks like a 4-stem install, but it is a 3-stem tree, and the cable coming through the hub directly at the camera guy is still on the coil.

The two terminations that are in have not been trimmed and the third, is just about to be started. The reason for terminating the stems at a center hub is that only three holes need to be drilled into the tree, rather than 6 holes (2 per stem) if you were triangulate stem-to-stem. The downside of this central hub termination is that you're very likely in open air, in the middle of the three stems with no tie-in point for the climber. This tree, the stems splayed outward from the triplet trunk in fine bouquet fashion. It was only the second time in 17 years I've used a manlift, and I was truly grateful to have it. This particular setup would have been nearly impossible to install without a lift.

It looks as if your central hub here in the picture is for larger diameter cable, and therefore the separation of the cable strands through to the other side.

That isn't 3/8" cable is it?

 

[Tree Machine]

It's 5/16" cable.

 

[pdqdl]

The Rigguys hub is designed to accommodate 3/8" EHS as well, so the holes look a little big for the 5/16" strand. Probably an issue of no great concern. If they were gentlemen, Rigguys would also make that hub with tapered holes so that you could reduce the bulkiness of the installation.

 

[Tree Machine]

That is a great idea.

 

[treevet]

The reason for terminating the stems at a center hub is that only three holes need to be drilled into the tree,

Technically we have 6 holes wounding conductive tissue and bark with a thru drill. You would have 6 as well with a boxed in system using lags and they would be much shallower, although a little wider.

http://www.rigguy.com/product-dvd-v-11.html

Here is a little vid I found on rigguy.