zip line use

[treemandan]

is this cool or what? Set up like this the guys on the ground can easily exert force to pull and lower from the same rope.

 

[lego1970]

In most applications the zip line has to very tight in order for the piece to slide good. In that illustration it looks like the zip line would not only sag but experience pretty good shock loading, plus no control over the speed if it did slide.

 

[treemandan]

In most applications the zip line has to very tight in order for the piece to slide good. In that illustration it looks like the zip line would not only sag but experience pretty good shock loading, plus no control over the speed if it did slide.

You might just be surprised. And a common misconception people have with a zip line is that the piece has to go zipping down the line which isn't true. I used this set up to pop the tops out of them birch trees I just topped. Not much weight or very high but use of the zip line flipped the limbs out and over and down. Not only that the the force the guys were putting on the line kept the whole tree from cracking from my weight.

 

[lego1970]

In the case of the Birch tree that you had posted where the limbs are under
5" dia, I could see that working fine. Based on the drawing I was thinking of large trunk pieces. Have you tried that method on large pieces?

 

[treemandan]

In the case of the Birch tree that you had posted where the limbs are under
5" dia, I could see that working fine. Based on the drawing I was thinking of large trunk pieces. Have you tried that method on large pieces?

You'd better belive it. Works very well, watch your limits.

 

[outofmytree]

You might just be surprised. And a common misconception people have with a zip line is that the piece has to go zipping down the line which isn't true. I used this set up to pop the tops out of them birch trees I just topped. Not much weight or very high but use of the zip line flipped the limbs out and over and down. Not only that the the force the guys were putting on the line kept the whole tree from cracking from my weight.

I must have missed that job Dan. Pulling by hand or through portawrap? I ask because I wonder if the load is more than planned exactly how far the shock would catapult your groundies and if you have any picture of em buried skull first in the trunk.

I wonder if I could con my crew into something like that.... Mwuhahahaha

 

[treemandan]

I must have missed that job Dan. Pulling by hand or through portawrap? I ask because I wonder if the load is more than planned exactly how far the shock would catapult your groundies and if you have any picture of em buried skull first in the trunk.

I wonder if I could con my crew into something like that.... Mwuhahahaha

Little stuff I had the guy hold bare handed. A zip line is pretty forgiving.

 

[Nailsbeats]

You bet Dan, it works good like that. I like your drawing too! Real easy to understand, you know, like on a real basic level........lol.

Reminds me of the time I told my groundie to tighten up that zip by hand but don't yank it to hard or it will, oh ####e (or Muslim Cleric, whichever you prefer to insult), it did,,,,,,done fired it right over the Triplex. Gotsta have the touch.

 

[treemandan]

You bet Dan, it works good like that. I like your drawing too! Real easy to understand, you know, like on a real basic level........lol.

Reminds me of the time I told my groundie to tighten up that zip by hand but don't yank it to hard or it will, oh ####e (or Muslim Cleric, whichever you prefer to insult), it did,,,,,,done fired it right over the Triplex. Gotsta have the touch.

Yes, start with the basics then add the touch.

 

[outofmytree]

I bid on a nice job yesterday where a zipline will be cool. I really really want this one. If it comes off I promise pics and video.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Yes, start with the basics then add the touch.

The beauty of it was that it was just a 5' chunk with no branches on it, he was able to let it down without us having to get it off the power. Then the guy starts backing up until he was dang near behind the shed and almost put one through the siding. Picture yourself cutting a limb, looking down and seeing a shed between you and your groundy who is tensioning the zipline . After that, I taught him a few things and told him to get a hardhat on to protect my investment.

 

[treemandan]

The beauty of it was that it was just a 5' chunk with no branches on it, he was able to let it down without us having to get it off the power. Then the guy starts backing up until he was dang near behind the shed and almost put one through the siding. Picture yourself cutting a limb, looking down and seeing a shed between you and your groundy who is tensioning the zipline . After that, I taught him a few things and told him to get a hardhat on to protect my investment.

The chunks run fast but with limbs your method of cut can slow it down.


In front

below

Big wires to my back.

 

[treemandan]

I was cuttin full limbs, easing them onto the steep line. Jesse pulled them off the rope like he was taking a 3 piece suit off an automatic drycleaning rack and put then in the chipper.

 

[southsoundtree]

wiggling a rope side to side will slow the descent of something sliding on a biner. Works for sending down equipments. Works for dropping a backpack down a slideline while scrambling/ hiking really steep areas. I imagine it would slow the descent of limbs/ wood, too.

 

[Tree Dr.]

pull/zip

could see the application. I would be very carefull of the side load on the spar and also aware that mid line loads exert more force on the anchor point.
I generally have used zipline with the anchor above the load only. The few times I have dropped pieces in the fashion you illustrate the slack caused problems for me. Do you see the main advantage is time saved verse 2 ropes or something else?

 

[Nailsbeats]

Your groundies really come prepared don't they Dan. I see athletic shorts all around, lol. Looks like the smartazz is giving you the finger too! Is that crocs on their feet too? lol.

Back to the cut, I like to bring the load down slowly onto the line then zip it off, many times just cutting straight through and letting the peel effect zap all the energy out.

I love a nice peel cut, that baby starts popping and you can feel the energy releasing, possibly getting a good barber chair going pivoting the limb straight down or even flipping it backwards laying flat the opposite way it was pointing, depending on when you release it.:greenchainsaw:

 

[southsoundtree]

Tree Dr.-

I believe you were cautioning about the side load from a limb falling directly on the speedline.

This certainly is a consideration, however, I believe it is well within the capability of live healthy douglas-firs to withstand this. The lower larger branches have less leverage when the rope is choked at the level of the whorl of branches which offset the side load. Douglas-fir limbs will have air resistant from the year round foliage that slows the drop speed, reducing the force as compared to a hardwood tree that is not in leaf.

As the whorls removed are higher, the speedline angle increase and limb size decreases, reducing the force, increasing the speed as well.

I would not drop the top onto the speedline unless it is very, very small, and dropped on a very steep speedline (almost no lateral force when using a vertical speedline-- I've used it for dropping logs that could be let to get away down the hill.

No large pieces should be dropped on to a speedline. An overhead speedline anchor can reduce the angle and force. Caution must always be used.