Speed line slings

[treeman82]

I am wondering about how many slings you guys carry with you on an average speed lining job. I carry about 6 or 7 with me, but sometimes that isn't enough, and other times its more than enough. What is a good number to keep around for use on an average deciduous tree removal?

 

[MasterBlaster]

8

 

[treeman82]

I really just did my first speed lining job last weekend. Little maple tree, inside a fenced in pool area over a bunch of shrubs. Usually I only carry 3 or so slings with me when I climb, but for that I felt like I needed a LOT more.

 

[MasterBlaster]

My magic number is eight.

 

[rbtree]

Depends on whether you're using a traveling block flying a control/lowering/ return line. If so, then you get the slings back every turn, so only need 6 or so. 1-3 (or more) for each turn, and three to be rigging while the crew is derigging.

For a conifer when I'm just letting branches fly, I'l carry up to 15 slings. And can usually do a few more limbs each trun by dropping smaller limbs onto the line and letting them slide all by themselves..or get pushed down by the next turn.

 

[Frans]

rbtree,
I like your speedline reply. It really shows that you do alot of it.
By the way I also will drop a branch or branches on a speed line using the crotch of the branch only. This kind of "out of the box" thinking really can get the job done.
I dont think the question of how many slings to carry is really valid. Each tree is different and how far apart the branches are spaced is also a factor. for example I reach up and place slings ahead of me at every chance i get so when the ground crew is ready I can cut and cut. But if the branches are spaced far apart I have to wait between each cut before moving up (or down)
Frans

 

[rbtree]

One thing that is good to learn, for intermediate speed liners, is use and control of line bend, aka bight.

Some examples:

If you have set the speed line high, then rapelled down to work, it is a good idea to sling a few branches on the way down. That way, you can limit the bight in the line. A line bend can be your friend or foe, depending on the situation. For instance, if the limb needs to be swung around, or lifted, a bight is great. But, if not, then a bight will mean the limb will drop, perhaps more than wanted, requiring the groundies to take up tension. Therefore, limit the rope bend by slinging a branch near and above the one being cut.

An extreme example of a using a high tie point and large bight is when the branch needs a lot of lfting before zipping. So now you'll tie it out a ways, and tension the speed line with a GRCS, chipper winch, chain saw winch, or Z-rig pulleys if a small branch. Alternatively, this lift can be done with a lowering line, but now you'll have to have the speed line also being tensioned, thus requiring two tension rigs. Or the speed line could be prerigged, but then the climber would have to go up to clip the branch to it. I usually like scenario number 1, which only needs a simple porta wrap for the lowering line...or sometimes nothing if the branch can be let fly after it is lifted/swung as needed.

One caveat, tensioning a speed line can highly stress the anchors, so bombproof anchors or guying are a must.

We did a lot of speed lining and lifting yesterday, while removing this triple trunked ponderosa pine, which produced about 24 yards of chips, and close to 1000 bf of marketable timber. Here's a video of the last top going over..warning 3.7 mb

 

[murphy4trees]

RB,
Thank you...
That is a nice tight bit of instruction... We on the east coast don't speedline often... there just isn't that much need out here.... I heard Mark Chisholm say he only speedlines a few times a year...

And when it is needed, IT COMES IN HANDY!.....
I do worry about the forces generated on the anchor and the line if the line is too straight though. That's why I like to leave a good bend in the line, which of course looses a lot in clearance. It gets especially hairy when the tree is in questionable condition...

 

[wiley_p]

I carry 7 on me in the tree and thhere is another 10-12 in the bucket at the z-rig anchor, the crew sends 3-4 back after a couple of turns, as RB said on a central leader tree controlling the bight is the key, I was not a big fan of speedlining until I worked a couple of jobs with him, very simple tricks just not super obvious, now speedlining is as basic as using a high line angle block.

 

[treebender]

awesome stuff rbtree. what a thrill it would be to drop a top of that magnitude. Nothing like that going on in my world.

I clip all my slings on an old rescue 8, it goes down with the last sling, ground guy clips em all back on, sends em back up in a neat package, ready to go again. works well for me.

 

[ORclimber]

$12 a biner hurts. Got a lot of climbing gear off Ebay a while back. $75 for 16 plain non-locking biners, 2 gibbs, 2 micropulleys, a few slings, and an ice anchor. The plain non-locking biners suite my needs for light speedlining. I'll usually rig up a haulback with locking biners to catch the heavier stuff.

 

[rbtree]

I make my own slings, at about .30 a foot, they're cheap. And use any old carabiner, or three dollar spring clip....works fine...will use a steel locker if the load is heavy, but an aluminum biner is just fine for any 100-200 lb branch where there will be little dynamic loading. Remember, aluminum non lockers have held countless thousands of factor two leader rock climbing falls, where peak loads can be up to 5000 lb.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ditto that. My snaps come from Home Depot.

 

[wiley_p]

I don't susscribe to the any old biner plan nor do I use Chinese rigging, Trango makes a nice inexpensive wire gate that goes for 5.00 a pop, pretty reasonable, plus reduced gate chatter, if thaty occurs. makes total cost for a sling around 8.00 depending on lentgh. I also am not afraid to retire those cheap .30 a foot slings, refuse to hang on to them with UV damage, saw cuts etc.