Tricky one to do.

RegC

RegC

TreeHouser
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
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Location
Victoria, BC
A awkward fir to take out next week. The owners are gonna build a house on the small lot there that you can see in the video. Theres another big fir to come out also...be that a much easier one, plus a collapsing arbutus over the wires which is a bucket job.

The owners only prepared to pay for 2 days work....which means I’ll be brought in on the second day to deal with the one on the edge of the cliff.

The video doesn’t really do the situation justice....in regards to the severity of the drop, or the angle the tree is leaning at. Hoping we can just fall it towards the beech which is about 250 ft below at a guess....and leave it there. Once the limbs and ivy are gone itll be a lot clearer.

Some big heavy low limbs probably a foot and a half a cross i’ll have to zipline in several pieces....but there above they get smaller and easier. Thereafter I want to fall the stick in its entirety to hold it together. Cant afford so have any smaller logs bouncing down the cliff or even lying there. Tree looks about four and a half feet across.....hopefully it'll look less when the ivy is removed.

Use HD setting on the video, although the phone is still not all that good at focusing when moving about.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wX4aisoKe9A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Wish you luck with that one. I don't like that little island it's on at all. The rest is gone around it, so it can't be all that stable(what's left). You're seeing it up close and you're the man to make the call but from what I saw I'd be stabilizing the tree somehow or find somewhere else to tie in. Can't wait to see the vid when you're done
 
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Big part of the problem is the the tree company has priced the work as a 2 day project, on a day rate basis, to level all the trees and chip the foliage (gaurenteed)....and make the best of the time in leaving the big wood in as favorable situation that is fees able in that time period. The developers have backed the tree company owner into a corner because he has so little work on at this present time and quite large overheads to meet to stay a float. Any other time of year it wouldn't happen this way. My personal anxiety is that I'm gonna arrive Thursday morning and it's gonna look like a bombs gone off....and I'll lose precious time and daylight sorting out the mess from the other trees before I can get going on the big leaner.
 
Do you have to guarantee your part of it? I know that you'll do what you gotta do in a timely manner, but being limited to two days on the job is his mistake. The situation is all too familiar to me. Getting pushed because of a low bid, that is. I always tell them I'll do what I can, but it takes what it takes.
 
Devil tree, I agree that bank doesnt look so solid.... Once you get going and have all the limbs off it'll be clearer as to your option of the trunk... But as you say making the falling cuts to bring it towards the road will be dicey. Good luck mate!
 
Underpricing can cause a lot of danger that wouldn't be there if priced adequately. Be careful, not worth getting hurt for.
 
Can the tree company get there to do day 1, then skip a day with you in on day 3, or vice versa. That shouldn't cost the tree company much, and gain a cushion of time/ safety. Is it remote or standard operating distance?

On my phone... Haven't seen video.

Not your fault, not your problem.
 
Just a thought, have a pull line set high towards the fall, then have a lower anchor line, static, tied to a truck or what not, just to keep it from rolling down the hill. Then even if it does roll, you have it hooked and can pull it out from two different lines.
Other than a crane, that's all I got.
 
Can you do a vertical speed line? Will there be equipment to boom or winch the branches and wood up from the base of the tree? If not equipment maybe set a line 20' up the trunk and when a piece crashes down it could be clipped to that line and tightened with a truck so it then slides slowly up onto the landing?
 
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Firstly, nothing bads gonna happen on my day. I don't take action without being sure of the outcome.

I'm not concerned about working on the tree where it is there hanging on the cliff....so long as they didn't damage the roots when they dumped all that landfill for us to drive on. That trees well anchored, and zip lining in the intended direction is almost guying it anyway.

Treebilly I will gaurentee my part so long as the other 2 workers are their before 8 and the site is reasonably orderly.

Ben, with the tree leaning back at least I don't have to worry about it falling before I'm out of the way....so, long as I can reach with my cuts it'll be ok.

Sawinredneck I could guy it for sure to stop it rolling. ...but then it'd be suspended by my rigging until god knows when. That's not my responsibility to secure the tree by ropes, my ropes. At the end if that day my gear is leaving on my truck.

Sean the budget is 3 men for 2 days. Nothing more or less. I'd rather do my part on day 1 but doubt it'll work out that way.

Willy, that's a good thought on some of the low heavy limbs. Just don't know what sort of pulling power we'll have at our disposal. I'll probably end up zipping the stuff small until I get a little higher then it'll be plain sailing anyway. I have the little Honda winch, but I would trust too many people to use it. They have a Lewis winch, which has good power....but all depends on how much time it eats up.
 
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gf beranek said:
It all makes me wonder if you miss the days in the big broad beeches, Reg. Versus the pitchy tall stems of your new working environment.
Click to expand...
Not at all Jerry. I was bored to death toward the end of my last stint in the UK. I do miss many of my old colleagues, because they were my friends too.
 
I wasn't suggesting leaving anything behind, Reg. Just using the two ropes to stabilize, then pull the spar to steady ground if needed. Once there, untie, grab your gear and leave it to the grubs to clean up. That's why I'd have a heavy vehicle hooked up to each of them, even the static line.
But again, it's just a suggestion.
 
If the big stubs of branches won't foul rigging, which it tends to do, they can help stabilize the log on the slope instead of the smooth spar becoming a land torpedo when felled.
 
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  • #18
sawinredneck said:
I wasn't suggesting leaving anything behind, Reg. Just using the two ropes to stabilize, then pull the spar to steady ground if needed. Once there, untie, grab your gear and leave it to the grubs to clean up. That's why I'd have a heavy vehicle hooked up to each of them, even the static line.
But again, it's just a suggestion.
Click to expand...
OK thanks. I just don't think we'll have the time, room, or capability to pull it up the hill. It's could be a 7 ton log if it holds together. we've crane out some of these slow growing sea front firs before and they've been heavy as fok.I don't think the truck would drag that up such a steep grade and keep traction....and there's not the room for 2 trucks. I think that log is destined towards the beech....unless they prepared to pay for more time. Otherwise they can haul it back up with an excavator at the next stage of the job If need be.
 
It's gotta suck knowing you're going in already on a under bid tree, I'm glad I don't do a great deal of contract climbing anymore.
 
Had a feeling you make good use of that machete.
Hired in a tow truck to pull out a hung up tree. It pulled so hard it ripped the tree out of the ground including the asphalt drive.
You could try running a doubled over or two or more lines horizontal from tree to the left and right of the intended and higher than the high side.
Horizontal lines should run perpendicular to the lay and lift and hold the tree in place to skid it out.
Done this a few times with good success. Once I dropped a tree on this type of rig to protect a fence.
Personally I think the tree should be maintained so as to maintain the bank/ soil. What up with that decision?
 
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  • #24
RopeArmour said:
Had a feeling you make good use of that machete.
Hired in a tow truck to pull out a hung up tree. It pulled so hard it ripped the tree out of the ground including the asphalt drive.
You could try running a doubled over or two or more lines horizontal from tree to the left and right of the intended and higher than the high side.
Horizontal lines should run perpendicular to the lay and lift and hold the tree in place to skid it out.
Done this a few times with good success. Once I dropped a tree on this type of rig to protect a fence.
Personally I think the tree should be maintained so as to maintain the bank/ soil. What up with that decision?
Click to expand...
The house is gonna come right up to where the tree is Tommy, apparently. They don't want the tree there with that in mind. There's lots of ways I could save the log....but not for free or without any appreciation. It's going down the cliff. They can pay to pull it back up if they want it that badly.
 
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