Rope for guiding trees

[openloop]

NOT.
Why ? If you're throwing a challenge, don't start conditioning the technique such as "both feet" BS.
And, if you don't know how to drop leaners or aim falls with wedges and the right cuts don't start with "you can't"

Here's a plan for no rope felling. There's not much time in the woodlot to "throw ropes" for every fall :

1. Stop drinking Kool Aid ( Bud ).....it's like drinking H2O. Try a real beer or better, ale. Bud goes through you like a train.

2. Trim any weight bearing branches--climb. ( Forget the "no feet on the ground"; it's like making love blindfolded. Iowa technique ? :msp_scared

3. Open mouth cut of at at least 80 degrees well off where I want the tree to drop.( Called "aiming off" ). Can't just look at a pic of an ugly wolf tree to plan this.

4. Bore a backcut with holding tab of a couple of inches.

5. Set wedges toward the aiming point. They MUST be firm hammered. Keeping the 'tab' holding the fall.

6. When enough wedges are in place including stacking if needed, cut tab.

7. As tree leans toward your aim, hammer wedges further in and add more to push said tree over.

Been used, been done too often. There's at least 4 wedges on the belt. Try it. We go through a dozen Bailey wedges each year. No time on this end to enjoy Iowa. You may try the above like your conversion out of that magic furnace.

Thanks for the offer. Wedging along with ( along with ) other felling tricks do work....safely and accurately.
No BS. No ropes. No cable. No chain. No time to fuss with Mickey Mouse. :msp_w00t:

What if the tree is a tall pecker pole...i.e. 50ft tall but only 8" or so at the base? Where does one put the notch, wedges, holding wood, and tabs if there is barely room for little more than a single bar width? Wedging can be VERY effective on larger trees, but the effectiveness decreases with the tree diameter.

It takes 10 mins tops to put a line in the tree to pull it over. To not do it when dealing with leaners over hazards is downright negligent.

 

[logbutcher]

What if the tree is a tall pecker pole...i.e. 50ft tall but only 8" or so at the base? Where does one put the notch, wedges, holding wood, and tabs if there is barely room for little more than a single bar width? Wedging can be VERY effective on larger trees, but the effectiveness decreases with the tree diameter.

It takes 10 mins tops to put a line in the tree to pull it over. To not do it when dealing with leaners over hazards is downright negligent.

O myyyyyyy....they're out in force today.

"Negligent" . "Pecker Pole" . We do have some big A$$UMPTIONS here. You heard using tabs and wedges for your poles ? :msp_scared: BTW: we don't have no 50', 8" DBH trees hereabouts; never saw a mutant like that. You got one ?

This all in light humor boys and girls. We're discussing ( "you talkin' to me ? " ) one single, ugly, spidy tree somewhere on the plains of Iowi, not some "pecker pole"
( where are those word police mods when we need them ? ). Bud is not a real beer (are we off topic yet ? )

Wedges, boring, tabs, 90 deg open mouths are just some of many in any bag of felling tricks. And that Spidy tree 'looks like' a candidate for wedgies OL. You got wedges your way ? You need to use string to drop wood, fine. Most of us will cut and fell.:msp_sad:

Oh yeah: that kind of wolf tree is ideal for a top climb cut anyhow; it's how I'd do it HERE. Butt: Spidy set up some Iowa rules.

 

[Iska3]

opcorn:opcorn:

Don't think I would have opened that can of worms Spidey! lol

Ted

I think we take up a collection and buy both of them a puppy. How can one thread about a rope end up like this... Again!!

Someone one here needs a course in anger management

 

[flyboy553]

I think we take up a collection and buy both of them a puppy. How can one thread about a rope end up like this... Again!!

Someone one here needs a course in anger management

No puppies. Can you imagine all the new stuff to argue over if that were to happen? Mines better, faster smarter and can STILL cut a tree down using nothing but its claws. No, no puppies for these guys!

About the only good anger management would be: send the puppy

Ted

 

[logbutcher]

Speaking of wedgies Ted, that's one hell of one in your avatar. You sending a message ? :computer2:

No anger in this exchange at least from the 2 major protangonists. All taken in fun. ( Bud is a weak, silly a$$ drink BTW )

However: We got ourselves some problems in thin-skinhood, a$$umptions, 2-bit analysis, and projections from the peanut gallery. It's a blog, not real world Ted.opcorn:

 

[flyboy553]

Speaking of wedgies Ted, that's one hell of one in your avatar. You sending a message ? :computer2:

No anger in this exchange at least from the 2 major protangonists. All taken in fun. ( Bud is a weak, silly a$$ drink BTW )

However: We got ourselves some problems in thin-skinhood, a$$umptions, 2-bit analysis, and projections from the peanut gallery. It's a blog, not real world Ted.opcorn:

What??:jawdrop: It's not real??? :msp_scared:
Ted

Oh yeah, Avatar is quite nice. No message intended. Just something nice to look at is all

 

[openloop]

O myyyyyyy....they're out in force today.

"Negligent" . "Pecker Pole" . We do have some big A$$UMPTIONS here. You heard using tabs and wedges for your poles ? :msp_scared: BTW: we don't have no 50', 8" DBH trees hereabouts; never saw a mutant like that. You got one ?

This all in light humor boys and girls. We're discussing ( "you talkin' to me ? " ) one single, ugly, spidy tree somewhere on the plains of Iowi, not some "pecker pole"
( where are those word police mods when we need them ? ). Bud is not a real beer (are we off topic yet ? )

Wedges, boring, tabs, 90 deg open mouths are just some of many in any bag of felling tricks. And that Spidy tree 'looks like' a candidate for wedgies OL. You got wedges your way ? You need to use string to drop wood, fine. Most of us will cut and fell.:msp_sad:

Oh yeah: that kind of wolf tree is ideal for a top climb cut anyhow; it's how I'd do it HERE. Butt: Spidy set up some Iowa rules.

What is easier? Climbing a tree and delimbing it, then climbing back down and bore cutting then wedging then swatting at it with an axe (and still risking it setting back on you). OR slinging a rope in the tree, applying tension, then making your notch and felling cuts with the assurance that the tree wont fall backwards?

Your ******* will still be in the tree telling everyone how badass you are when us string slingers would have the tree bucked and in the truck.

 

[logbutcher]

Just Say : "Wedge" Loopie

What is easier? Climbing a tree and delimbing it, then climbing back down and bore cutting then wedging then swatting at it with an axe (and still risking it setting back on you). OR slinging a rope in the tree, applying tension, then making your notch and felling cuts with the assurance that the tree wont fall backwards?
Your ******* will still be in the tree telling everyone how badass you are when us string slingers would have the tree bucked and in the truck.

Here's the drill boy ( "*******" ? Huh ? ) :

By the time you get your wimp string up the tree Loopie with that ladder and fat truck, unusable in most woodlands BTW, the real fellers will have the tree limbed, dropped, and removed from the non-truck accessible woods. And this with those wedges you're ascared of, or just know nothing how to use the beasts.:msp_scared:

*******---your a$$. :hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

Gees, with those ladders, truck, and strings you might try C-4; faster, easier, more exciting....... "Dumba$$". "Bada$$". Which ?

Will all those fellers who use string to fell, kindly raise their hands ?

Sorry Loop, forgot to tell you: any "pecker pole" like < 8" DBH, is normally back cut at an angle, leaving maybe a 1/2" hinge, and pushed over by powerful hands. Easy peasy. Now wedgies, no mouth (sic). Besides, who bothers with those ?

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot : an AXE ??? Sledge or stone hammer used; never an "axe" for wedges.

 

[openloop]

Here's the drill boy ( "*******" ? Huh ? ) :

By the time you get your wimp string up the tree Loopie with that ladder and fat truck, unusable in most woodlands BTW, the real fellers will have the tree limbed, dropped, and removed from the non-truck accessible woods. And this with those wedges you're ascared of, or just know nothing how to use the beasts.:msp_scared:

*******---your a$$. :hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

Gees, with those ladders, truck, and strings you might try C-4; faster, easier, more exciting....... "Dumba$$". "Bada$$". Which ?

Will all those fellers who use string to fell, kindly raise their hands ?

Sorry Loop, forgot to tell you: any "pecker pole" like < 8" DBH, is normally back cut at an angle, leaving maybe a 1/2" hinge, and pushed over by powerful hands. Easy peasy. Now wedgies, no mouth (sic). Besides, who bothers with those ?

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot : an AXE ??? Sledge or stone hammer used; never an "axe" for wedges.

Who said anything about a ladder or a boom truck? Ever hear of a throw bag? Im not scared of wedges I just dont trust them to get the job done when the tree is hanging out over power lines or a house. You are not pushing a heavy leaner against its lean by hand homie. LOL what is wrong with using the back of a axe to drive a wedge?

 

[Arbonaut]

Wedgies, Homies, Pecker Poles! Pole Pilots!


Ow Ow Ow! Log Butcher getting his lunch Heated on a Saturday night!

WCTV is in the house now! Ow Ow! Thong Knots!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Arbonaut]

Way too much nonsense has been brought into this thread.

What about the free beer bet! The Yankee pukin' contest?! Who's gettin' cornholed? Haven't you seen, "The Music Man?"

 

[unclemoustache]

1. Stop drinking Kool Aid ( Bud ).....it's like drinking H2O. Try a real beer or better, ale. Bud goes through you like a train.

2. Trim any weight bearing branches--climb. ( Forget the "no feet on the ground"; it's like making love blindfolded. Iowa technique ? :msp_scared

3. Open mouth cut of at at least 80 degrees well off where I want the tree to drop.( Called "aiming off" ). Can't just look at a pic of an ugly wolf tree to plan this.

4. Bore a backcut with holding tab of a couple of inches.

5. Set wedges toward the aiming point. They MUST be firm hammered. Keeping the 'tab' holding the fall.

6. When enough wedges are in place including stacking if needed, cut tab.

7. As tree leans toward your aim, hammer wedges further in and add more to push said tree over.

How about posting a video? Next time you get a good leaner, grab a non-bud drinker and have him shoot a vid of you doing this. I'd like to see it, personally. Not that I'm in this debate at all - I'm just a firewood idiot, but this certainly looks interesting.

 

[Jakers]

another good point to add is that wedges work great if the wood is SOLID.... oak in my area likes to rot out in the middle leaving about 6-8" of good wood around a hollow core. just the other day i dropped a 32" ash that had 4" good wood around a rotten center and a big split about 2" wide and 15' high. adding to the mess, it was at about a 10 degree lean over a building. one chain and cable to another neer by tree to control the twist and swing when it fell and another cable hooked to a truck. i hate to even think what woulda happened with a bore cut and wedges.

dont get me wrong here, i have wedges and know how to use them but there are some trees that ya just cant wedge. not taking sides but like previously stated, ya cant judge a tree and how itll drop from a pic. oh and hollow trees (oak especially) like to explode when ya try to cut a notch... ask me how i know

 

[openloop]

I think anyone that is being reasonable would agree that wedges have their place, and ropes have their place. The problem we are seeing in this thread are a few are unreasonably stating that ropes are never needed, and all a person needs are wedges. It all comes down to doing the best job you can do whether its your profession or not. In a circumstance where a tree going the wrong way could cost a neighborhood its power, or a person a roof, I personally think a rope is part of "doing it right".

 

[flushcut]

To the OP, Samson Stable Braid is an excellent choice for a pull line when you sell your remaining cordage.

 

[flyboy553]

No puppies. Can you imagine all the new stuff to argue over if that were to happen? Mines better, faster smarter and can STILL cut a tree down using nothing but its claws. No, no puppies for these guys!

About the only good anger management would be: send the puppy

Ted

On second thought, the argument would be this: Spidey says he uses a leash, and LB says nah, He just wedges 'em in a corner, maybe de-limb some if ya hafta.
Ted

 

[Iska3]

On second thought, the argument would be this: Spidey says he uses a leash, and LB says nah, He just wedges 'em in a corner, maybe de-limb some if ya hafta.
Ted

Hey Ted, Not is all lost from this tread; thanks to Steve I found a good deal on some Amsteel Blue: Super High Strength Rope. I had some real good cables on the ATV’s and over time the cables would get smashed and cut by the wraps in the winches and the rollers are all chewed up. I hate to admit how many times I secured the back of the ATV to a tree and used my winch and a snap strap to pull over a nasty leaner. Two good snach blocks and 50 ft of extra cable, makes for some good pulling power. When the fleet store had a sale on those wedges I picked up 10 of them. They sure come in handy. They saved my rear several times now.

Anyway, I was down in your neck of the woods this week clearing out some real nice Red Oaks that came down in the storm last year. I almost feel sorry for those people down there. They build all those hugs homes among the oaks and now when the high winds go through all that open space; those huge old oaks pop right out of that sand. I really didn’t want to go down there but the gal is trying to sell the house so they had someone with a small saw take out what they could and they left several big trunks. The one trunk was something like 40 – 45 ft long and 30 some inches at the base. I had to brush a path and pull the splitter with the wheeler in that mess just so I could split them is a few pieces. I think something like 5 rounds would will my 4x8 trailer. The one tree trunk will be around 4 or 5 loads. I can see how you could cut 100 cords down there. Are you about 5 miles South of P town and have a firewood sign on the road? Someone down there sure was busy.. Glad it’s not me stacking all that wood. I’d be taking a serious look at that pitt bull. I know where you can get a good deal on some good cable to make a leash for that rascal.

Hope all is well

John

 

[flyboy553]

Anyway, I was down in your neck of the woods this week clearing out some real nice Red Oaks that came down in the storm last year. I almost feel sorry for those people down there. They build all those hugs homes among the oaks and now when the high winds go through all that open space; those huge old oaks pop right out of that sand. Are you about 5 miles South of P town and have a firewood sign on the road? Someone down there sure was busy.. Glad it’s not me stacking all that wood. I’d be taking a serious look at that pitt bull. I know where you can get a good deal on some good cable to make a leash for that rascal.

Hope all is well

John

I am 5 miles wsw of P-town, with no sign on the road. When I did residential excavating I laughed at how they always wanted all the oak trees they could keep, even though they were a danger to the house. And then go by 5 yrs later and they have nearly cleaned all the trees out of the yard. They did not realize the amount of leaves these critters leave behind in the fall, I spose.

The pitbull. If you read that post with the pitbull story in it, you will see I divorced it and no longer have to leash it to anything- not even the bed!:hmm3grin2orange:
Ted

 

[Arbonaut]

Close falls near power lines or buildings need to be cherry picked.

Passed over this the first time. Spot on LogButcher.

Every tree and situation is different. If you are pulling a rope with a 4x4 pickup; taking out trees hanging over homes that probably have rot, you are too desparate for firewood. I'm more in favor of planning, rigging and doing jobs with a minimum amount of cutting than job security for arborists with throwbag skills in those situations. The sod and landscaping have value to customers, also. Most of these situations are caused by poor planning like what is described below. Why add to a bad situation with more poor planning. When I can, I get a crane, make one pruning cut and save the testosterone and Brewski for when it really counts.

When I did residential excavating I laughed at how they always wanted all the oak trees they could keep, even though they were a danger to the house.

We just did a 6' Ash. They squeezed 20 years of shade out of it. It was twice the tree, but the half leaning away from the house was dead and mostly long gone. $3500 removal instead of something which could have been done for nothing in advance. $500 for a crane. $200 for a couple rollback trucks to get it to my woodlot. $250 to grind the stump. You could hire the equipment, buy a new saw, do it in a day with no traffic in the yard and make a large profit. Cut up the five cords Ash without disturbing the residence, too.

Or could get skillbillies with throwbags. Pull it with some boat rope. Raise hell. Work their butt off and make a small profit with high risk.

 

[mitch95100]

Damn logbutcher you really think your going to fall that tree a 180? No way in hell its going to happen even with the best methods. without a cable it wont work. your going to need a D-9 and a 10,000 lb test cable to even attempt that. Id have to stick on Whitespiders side with this one LOL!! Id almost even bet that the trees in main are a little different than here also.