tree md
Addicted to ArboristSite
...Stay thirsty my friends...
Sharpening Gaffs
- Thread starter BlackenedTimber
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ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
Only if they kick out. I take them off soon as I touch down. I aways got a kick out of people wearing them around on the ground.
BlackenedTimber
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My pops has been climbing for almost 50 years now. He would kick my but into next millennium if he ever caught me walking around in my "galloping irons"...
I have been known to eat lunch, in a restaurant/deli/whatever with my saddle or chaps on though. I love the strange looks. Sometimes I'm too busy or tired to care, and I love the jingly jangly of my biners and D-rings making a racket as I walk through the door. I often get a few estimates out of it too.
The old man showed me how to touch them up with a file. I had never sharpened a pair of gaffs before, never had to. I've got the same pair of bucks that I had about 10 years ago (new pads though) and I thought they needed a little touch-up. I am definitely a member of the over 250 club. Hell, I could be the president. I'm 265 before lunch and probably 270 or better after lunch. But I get my big ass up in those trees or I wouldn't be able to show my face around my dad's house.
270 after a 5 pound lunch.. now that's a biggun!
Like a silver back or something.. :monkey:
Like a silver back or something.. :monkey:
squad143
Tree Guy
When I'm doing lots of work up north, I'll have to file them more often than when doing work in the city. Lots of rocks (ie: Canadian Shield) in the bush around cottage country, seem to wreak havoc on the spurs. The soft lush lawns of the city don't seem to bother them as much. 
Regarding weight, sharpening, kicking out, and pulling out the spurs:
How hard hard the spurs are to pull out is not a simple function of how hard you force the spurs into the wood. The force required to pull out the spur is related to how hard the wood fibers are squeezing on the sides of the spur. So...If your spur has a sharp edge with a profile that only gets wider on one side (the "bottom" of the spur point that angles toward your foot), the spur will cut a hole into the wood that it rests upon, but does not get pinched into.
If, on the other hand, your spur has been filed so many times that it tapers wider as it gets inserted into the wood, it will be caught on the sides as well as the bottom. Dangit! Can't pull out the spur! Obviously, in this situation, a dull spur will not sink as far into the tree and won't get as much wood pinching on the sides. Conversely, if the dull spur is not sunk as deep into the wood to avoid difficulty in pulling it out, it will not be supported by as much wood, and will have a greater tendency to kick out. Greater experience with spurs will be required to get just the right amount of penetration.
I think the secret to not getting your spurs stuck is having sharp spurs that cut a clean edge and tend to pull themselves into the tree as they get more weight put upon them. If you KNOW FOR CERTAIN that your spur will cut into the tree further before it "kicks out", you won't have the need to stomp quite so hard on the tree to set it, and you won't get stuck quite so badly pulling it out.
It is real helpful if your gaff only gets a wider profile on one axis, so that the hole cut into the tree still fits the spur as it sinks deeper into the wood. I think this is the secret to how easy the Gecko's are to pull out. For you guys that don't quite see my point, look how hard it is to pull a tapered peg out, after it has been pounded into a straight sided hole.
How hard hard the spurs are to pull out is not a simple function of how hard you force the spurs into the wood. The force required to pull out the spur is related to how hard the wood fibers are squeezing on the sides of the spur. So...If your spur has a sharp edge with a profile that only gets wider on one side (the "bottom" of the spur point that angles toward your foot), the spur will cut a hole into the wood that it rests upon, but does not get pinched into.
If, on the other hand, your spur has been filed so many times that it tapers wider as it gets inserted into the wood, it will be caught on the sides as well as the bottom. Dangit! Can't pull out the spur! Obviously, in this situation, a dull spur will not sink as far into the tree and won't get as much wood pinching on the sides. Conversely, if the dull spur is not sunk as deep into the wood to avoid difficulty in pulling it out, it will not be supported by as much wood, and will have a greater tendency to kick out. Greater experience with spurs will be required to get just the right amount of penetration.
I think the secret to not getting your spurs stuck is having sharp spurs that cut a clean edge and tend to pull themselves into the tree as they get more weight put upon them. If you KNOW FOR CERTAIN that your spur will cut into the tree further before it "kicks out", you won't have the need to stomp quite so hard on the tree to set it, and you won't get stuck quite so badly pulling it out.
It is real helpful if your gaff only gets a wider profile on one axis, so that the hole cut into the tree still fits the spur as it sinks deeper into the wood. I think this is the secret to how easy the Gecko's are to pull out. For you guys that don't quite see my point, look how hard it is to pull a tapered peg out, after it has been pounded into a straight sided hole.
tree md
Addicted to ArboristSite
Personally, I haven't "stomped" my spurs into the tree since I was a green climber.
If you weigh enough you can get plenty of penetration and fluidly walk right up the tree without stomping or working to have to pull over sharpened pikes out of the tree on the way up.
If you weigh enough you can get plenty of penetration and fluidly walk right up the tree without stomping or working to have to pull over sharpened pikes out of the tree on the way up.
Of course! That's the experience thing I was talking about.
I touch mine up in the spring weather they need em or not. just to get rid of some side burs and such make sure the dove tail is good . when I do removals here they are mostly hard woods. I really notice there sharpness right away if I am in pines or live popple. sometimes they will dig in other wise I usually tread pretty lightly.
If you are having to "stomp" your gaffs into the tree, there is something fundamentally wrong with your technique. A climber should be able to walk up the tree in a fluid motion, wihtout forcing the gaffs into or out of the tree. This means the smaller guys will have to maintain a sharper edge to get enough bite, while us big 'uns wont need to.
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
Lol I got to kick off two inch of rot to get to the hard stuff sometimes, like to see you fluid motion there:monkey:
The "fluid motion" in that case is usually what happens when you don't kick the soft stuff off and gaff out on both sides... and you almost pee yourself...
Rope... you know what I mean!
I'm with you there on that PITA issue! I've had a few that were so bad that I had a small axe sent up to me to chop away the punky crap in order to get a stable base while chunking down a big spar. THAT ruins productivity!
There's a difference in kicking of the soft stuff (which REALLY doesn't need sharp gaffs) and "stomping in" to keep from gaffing out. My point was that there is a certain amount of penetration necessary to maintain a safe position in the tree. Smaller guys MIGHT not get that with normal climbing motion and MAY need to sharpen. Us bigger guys usually get plenty of penetration (sometimes too much!) just from increased weight on the gaffs.
Rope... you know what I mean!
I'm with you there on that PITA issue! I've had a few that were so bad that I had a small axe sent up to me to chop away the punky crap in order to get a stable base while chunking down a big spar. THAT ruins productivity!
There's a difference in kicking of the soft stuff (which REALLY doesn't need sharp gaffs) and "stomping in" to keep from gaffing out. My point was that there is a certain amount of penetration necessary to maintain a safe position in the tree. Smaller guys MIGHT not get that with normal climbing motion and MAY need to sharpen. Us bigger guys usually get plenty of penetration (sometimes too much!) just from increased weight on the gaffs.
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
Yeah I have that problem too lol
Surely you are not suggesting that bigger is better?
Should I add more beer to my diet?
Should I add more beer to my diet?
treeslayer
Addicted to ArboristSite
Uh, Duh, should I sharpen my gaffs? Uh, Duh?
Jeff
like you could even find em.........................
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
like you could even find em.........................
Lmao prolly rusted away.
beowulf343
Addicted to ArboristSite
Oddly enough, i'm 275 and my gaffs get touched up every morning. Nothing major, just a stroke or two with a flat file. PROPERLY sharpened spikes stick less for me.
tree md
Addicted to ArboristSite
Hey, whatever works for ya, knock yourself out. I know what works for me and I've managed to make a living at it for 20 years.
Touch up is key. keep your angles and you should be just fine. Razor sharp spikes is not the way to go IMO though.
Touch up is key. keep your angles and you should be just fine. Razor sharp spikes is not the way to go IMO though.
beowulf343
Addicted to ArboristSite
Jesus ####ing christ!! I don't give a rat's ass that you've been doing it for twenty years. I didn't call you out, i didn't say you were doing it wrong. I was just giving my opinion. Sorrrrrry. I'm ####ing done with this worthless site.
