thinnest diameter

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birddog

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plymouth,massachusetts
Have a couple of oaks to take down, 10' of a garage about 40' tall. One has a base of diameter little over 2', but tapers out real fast the last 20' from about 10" to nothing. The tree is solid. Most of the branches are at the last 10'. What is the thinnest diameter near the top that is acceptable to climb?

Climbing is the only option, no bucket available only spurs.
 
I'm 250# and crotch into 2in oak no problem. I've climbed 3 inch poles to do structural clearance. I had my line crotched into another tree tough.

If my line is at a good anlge so I can put mu load on it, I go out on some realy small stuff. standing with my foot in the crotch, I'll go on less then an inch.
 
John's Weight

Hey John, Hats off to ya.
the guy who taught me to climb 15 yrs or so ago is 6' 8" and 285#. I dragged brush under this guy and watched him go out on real skinny stuff.
When I got to go up in the tree and he said go out on a limb I knew without question it could be done cause he would'nt send me out on it if he would'nt do it himself.
I have seen climbers totally convinced that it was not possible to go out on limbs that were skinny- only after seeing a bigger guy do it are they (shamed?) into doing it themselves.
 
Whoa there you guys - I believe he mentioned spurs only. His weight won't be reduced by tying-in anywhere else although I've been spiking-up skinnies for awhile, angles and limb attachments dictate how heavy how far he'll be able to wander up and out.

Oaks - they vary in tensile but pecans can sure piss me off. Sycamore, birch, tallow, hackberry - god help us. Pines (southern yellow) can produce widows and rich lawyers. I can achieve a state of mental oneness with an oak when climbing them - assurances that it's stronger than we are. Maybe we should coach him on using a line and tie-saddle a sling?
 
I've done a lot of large removals without gaffs. Many times they just get in my way.

Naother thing to think of is to remove one side of the tree and then work form the top down so that you maintain the dampening effect of the other limbs.

I always called it inertial dampening, but found out at the Savanah conferance that it is called "Mass Dampening" in engineering. The mass at the end of the limb/stem moving in the opposet direction of the bodeys motion. The you cut everything off and it is moving all over on you.

You cut off only what is in your way of climbing and rigging and then work your way in/down.
 
JPS, i could remove all but 1 limb on my way up and thats the one that would catch everything i dropped. :mad: whats the longest sectionable pole pruner that can actually be productive?

Later,
David
 
The problem with sectional tools is that the joints is where most of the flex is. So if you haev tree sections you're becoming very ineffcient. get sections as long as you can. They will frieght 12 footers, UPS has an 8ft limit. I like the basswood hex poles, seem to give a better grip.

I always get better control by climbing to the cut, then toss little stuff.

Climb as much as you can, it is the only way you can get better.
 
JPS, i'd love to climb them but the ones i'm concerned with are Deader than a door nail should
have been dropped 3 yrs ago Sweet Gums 65' 3 lightning struck beasts The ones i Should have walked away from But yanno....... if i wasnt afraid i'd nail the house from falling branches i'd probably remove most of the limbs with a throw line and already did the ones i could!

Later,
David
 
Birddog, if you are not comfortable climbing these trees give me a call. I am out in Amherst during the week, but am always lookin for stuff to do on weekends. I will come out for $300 if you want and have em all or at least most of them on the ground, in a day. I would bring my own climbing gear, saws, insurance, etc. Cell number is (914) 490 - 6964. Try to let me know soon though as I am leaving for Mass again tomorow at about 3 pm or so, and would need to know if I should bring equipment or not.
 
Thanks for all the advice. All branches can be stan. drop cut or notch cut, but one has to be walked and speed lined. My main concern was when I get to the top it gets really thin and when I finally top it I'm going to be tied into about 5" main trunk and need to chunk all the way down. Is that to thin to support 225#.
 
birddog,

5" oak has a heck of a lot of strength. It only has to support your weight; you aren't lowering off it, correct? Even if you are, it should be no problem. I've topped out alder, pine, cottonwood and poplar (all low strength woods) at 5-8" many times with absolutely no problems. Have probably done some under four inch tops in stronger trees a few times.

Just move delicately, and keep yourself in close with your flip line.

With experience, comes confidence.....

But if you dont feel comfortable about something, dont be too proud to back away and defer to someone with more experience.

Safety first...!
 

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