Tips of the Trade - Tools

[CoreyTMorine]

Tricks of the trade: Tools

We all have our own versions, but their roots are the same. Procedures and techniques that make our days easier. A hundred years ago men did more work than was humanely possible, it was not strength that allowed them to accomplish this, rather a turn of workday aikido. “Tarnaytion, this wood sure splits easier when the top is faced down.” Or “I’m sure a lot less tired if I flip these pulpwood bolts end over end rather than try to drag them.”

I think I’m going to do three of these threads, one each for procedures, technique, and tools; that should be about right. I don’t so much enjoy reading through threads that get over 3 or 4 pages, they get hard to follow and unwieldy. Also difficult to search through.

The previous two examples of work day aikido would fall under the heading of “technique” as defined by how you handle something, the exact placement of an object to be worked on in relation to your body.

“Procedures” are defined by the order in which we do things. Such as, it being a lot easier to drag brush if we first move the 3 tons of wood that landed on top of the brush pile.

“Tools” are just that, the odds and ends that we keep in the truck because they’re so darned handy when you need em. I’ve got lots of these J Toms DEDA lanyard, or a pulpwood hook would both be good examples.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

shin gaurds

Tricks of the trade: Tools

The single best purchase I have ever made is probably a pair of shin gaurds. They are light in weight, breath well enough, and cheap. I think I paid $15 USD for this pair. They can be found in most any sporting goods store, in the soccer section.

Not only do they keep the pads from eating away at my shins, they also hold the shank out enough that it doesn’t rub against my calf. And when I’m climbing without my hooks they are great if I need to place my shin into a branch or trunk for support.

The pair I use has a heavily padded ankle “brace” inherent to the design. At first I thought it would be uncomforatable, but really quite the opposite, the extra support for my ankles is great.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

throw bag attatchment

Tricks of the trade: Tools

Tying and untying my throw ball got to be a real PITA, so I tied a small carabineer to my throw line. This worked, metza metza (not good), the biner would clank and rattle on the throwball ring, and it threw the balance all off. So I cut the ring right off and clipped the biner directly to the throw ball, this works great. I haven’t purchased a throw bag in quite some time; do they even still come with the little steel ring?

 

[Stumper]

Really helpful tools that aren't the basics that everyone just automatically has.........
A canthook -Yeah you can cut logs up without one but a canthook not opnly rolls loigs and keeps you out of the dirt it will also help you wring a big stumpcut off when you had to walk the saw around to get the middle and didn't quite match up. It alos helps spin a hung up tree or large branch off another tree. Provides a lever to move a stuck chipper disk that packed up with chips etc.etc.

A big lawn bag-Not a cheappie trash sac but a big bag made of tarp material with handles-perfect for moving backyard rakings or hedge trimmings to the truck.

A nice heavy belt preloaded with handtools- Some pruning jobs are ground jobs-Orchard pruning, renovating overgrown shrubs etc. Keep a belt loaded with a handsaw and secateurs in a scabbard. when you have a bunch of ground level pruning strap it on and don't waste time looking for the hand saw you dropped a couple of minutes ago when you were trying to fish the snips out of your pocket.-Be Quickdraw Mcgraw with Silky and snips flying as dead wood and overgrowth falls in waves. and you march swiftly down the row.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

chain saw lanyard

My chainsaw lanyard kept getting all hockled up, every now and again I would have to take a few seconds to straighten it out, or worse, I wouldn’t take a few seconds and I would try and reach out to make a cut and my lanyard would be an inch to short. So I spliced this swivel into the lanyard. Works like a charm.

The lanyard is just home despot poly pro, cheap rope, but its light, doesn’t soak up water, and is easy enough to splice.

Wow that lanyard looks like hell! time for replacement, although structually its better than it looks.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

flip line adjustment

This little beauty is the ropeman ascender by wild country. Years ago on the original ISA boards some guy recommended it as a lanyard slack adjuster. Let me take a second or two to thank that dude, I love this set up.

When I pull in slack, its right there, well an inch or two, but not 5” or 6” of play before the cam starts taking it up.

And paying out a little line is so smooth; I kind of grab the flip line and push the cam forward with my index finger. You can sort of “feather” the cam to feed out line as fast or slow as you want.

Totally one-handed operation.

The down side is you can only use a ½” flip line. I buy the New England ropes HI-VEE, wire-core, with a swivel snap, 8’ long, this works pretty well. Also, they are aluminum; the teeth wear out every couple of years. But hey, it’s probably a good idea to replace your high use hardware every few years anyway.

Once the teeth on mine got full of pitch, they didn’t grab, and I slipped back a scary foot or two.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

The Ropeman's performance is based a lot on the right diameter rope and also the diameter of the biner/screwlink. If the rope and biner diameters aren't right the cam won't move over-center and grab tight enough. Cams are just curved levers after all. If you move the fulcrum too far out the lever won't work effeciently.

 

[Stumper]

That pic is of the original Ropeman-which had some rope cutting /slippage issues I'm told. The Ropeman II has a toothed cam instead of grooved. It is nifty little piece of machinery but mine says ropes up to 11mm. As Tom said-the 'biner used influences the fit and function. Personally, I love hitches for lanyard adjustment.

 

[pantheraba]

Hooker stick

This is one of the tools we used at Katrina. We call it a "hooker stick"...got the idea from a WWII veteran of Burma...they used them to help scale steep jungle hillsides. You can buy commercial versions of it but this one is very cheap, strong (good for a layout pull along a limb), lightweight, disposable, easily replaceable.

Bamboo, curved re-rod, parachute shroud line.

I'll often hook it on a nearby limb for use later...only forget it once in awhile.

The second picture is a takedown, pine top had been ripped out by Katrina. This was my son's first climb.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I think Sherrill has a telescoping thing like that hook-stick in the catalog now.

I have to say the GRCS, though won't go into detailsa, cuz y'all know where I stand on that.

Cannot forget a ball dolly for hauling big wod out of where trucks cannot go.

The beach rolly is on my future buy list being more compact then a wheelbarrel.

I use a softball shin/knee pad below my knee. The cut out for the knee gives my calf breathing room.

 

[Tree Machine]

I like the concept of that, but I think it needs a major design overhaul for our more industrial treeguy purposes.