Think you've rigged big wood?

rbtree

Climbing Up
Joined
Jun 22, 2005
Messages
1,924
Sure, if you're Reg or Graeme.. Look for more images and video sometime soon.

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Thanks to a new full static dyneema 9/16 Plasma core rigging line by Puget Sound Ropes---- forget Samson, this $800 line rules) rated at 29000 tensile, and a well place fir for a gin pole, we were able to rig two 17 foot logs, and a 21 footer, tip tied, running through a Hobbs style 7/8th 5-6" sheave block, slung with a 5/8th inch spectra sling, rated at 58,000 lb, tip tied, tensioned, held and lowered via the venerable GRCS, and butt hitched with a 5/8th Samson, rigged through a 3/4" ISC block and handled by a portawrap, sllung with a 7/8th Tenex 20 foot loopie. The largest log could well have weighed 3000 lb, and is close to 300 board feet. Will scale it out tomorrow. I have to chunk down the gin pole tree to about 48 feet, at which point I can fell the butt onto a slight side slope. The log truck will load it and the four sticks on the ground, and then I'll fell the big stick, which is about 30 feet long.... the good wood in it looks to be close to 750 board feet. The job was underbid a bit, and I hate to cut firewood when there's an alternative. Well, this rigging was risky and the GRCS barely held, but I hope to net $600-750 for the wood, which will help the job to be somewhat profitable.

We had brushed out three quarters of the limbs close to two weeks ago, had to quit due to the wind picking up, and a worker having to leave. Patrick finishing the brushing in 1.5 hours, after Wraptoring up--- had a throw line in the block we'd left...then coming down and he and Robert cleaned up the scads of duff and gazillion cones, while I got the truck and chipper out of the way, dumped, left the chipper and came back for the duff and cones. Then Pat Wraptor'd back up--that tool is so BOSS and a major energy saver--for the real work--- then we got to work on the rigging, which was a challenge... the line is stiff and slippery and the GRCS capstan's rough surface has smoothed after 12 years of use....(I want the new longer capstan) and, as will be seen in the video, we almost lost it on the first log when it came up and barely held. I'n not sure how much exactly, but these two monsters likely produced 40 yards of chips!
 
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  • #12
Nope. Not Pat! And I've never considered anything that big, aloft anyhow, until I got the new rope. And Pat isn't very good at facing up big cuts, especially direction wise. It was critical that the logs, especially the first one, not hit the rig tree. so, he had to re-position his face cut, and ended up with close to a 70% face. Frustrating....and he had a couple more problems lower down so he got quite frustrated. And concerned that the work wasn't safe...which, due to the early problem with the GRCS slipping, was right...And, I'd mistakenly not brought my 200 foot 7/8th line, as I thought Pat's 5/8 would be easier to manage. It was, but it was too short for the first rig, and I had to knot it to another line...which wouldn't pass the portawrap of course, so I had to cut it. Thankfully I had a safe position to stand when doing that. See the first image below:

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Ghostlogger?
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Pics look a lot better when the sun comes out, eh?
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Some big rigging there !

What do you use for the dead eye slings for the rigging blocks? They must have been under immense strain
 
Great photo Roger. Big logs. So long as you resist the temptation to draw the logs out too far from the spar tree when they're still hanging....at which point disaster might be just the next few feet pulled on the tag line. Look forward to seeing the rest.... don't get waylaid now, wouldn't be the first time.
 
That is sure enough big rigging, nice going Roger...I'm sure I would have been a bit spooked doing that size bits :).
 
Nice pics but pardon my ignorance as I don't know beans about west coast trees.What kind of trees are those.
 
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  • #23
Douglas-fir.... the four rigged logs scaled out at 680 board feet.... betcha over 7500 pounds! Yikes. The butt logs netted another 1600. So, while the rigging was time consuming, and dicey, it saved us cutting what would have been close to six cords of freakin firewood.... And, saved the bid, as I think we'll be at about $85 per manhour.... mind you, it was the two dead alders, that saved us, which, while sketchy, went fast, that made us over $225/manhr....

More drama and sketchy felling of that big butt log, which had a tad of favor the wrong way. We yarded it over, delicately with the log truck.... rigging through a block on the base of a 9" apple. When it wasn't moving forward when I had the hinge down to about 3 inches, I got very concerned..Went and checked the apple and saw the ground heaving slightly. Luckily Rick was able to back off the tension, and the stick stayed put, while I moved the block to a big cedar and added a doubled 1/2 line to the rigging to make the length... and she eventually came over. But Rick was yarding from right along side the tree and below it. He had set one log on the load at an angle which guaranteed the butt would not kiss his truck. But I was concerned about the end of the log. He said he'd move his boom down as a shield. He did, but the log slammed down against it and pushed a five foot section under his gas tank. The boom missed his gas tank and running board by inches, so I guess it did its job. I'm not so sure it kept the log from doing damage. Perhaps it was stopping anyhow. Either way, we dodged a bullet. You can see the truck rock a bit in the video......

Before Rick arrived, I'd Wraptor'd up the gin pole tree and chunked it down to 46 feet. Set fiddle blocks for a 5-1 pull around that same apple and over she came with ease and aplomb. I had told the way chill customer it might kick downhill and take out a plum and an old brick fireplace. I missed my aim by a couple feet and it did. Got that and the second near disaster on video... So, I reckon you cretins are gonna tell me to shut the frig up and get to editing the video.
 
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  • #24
I don't know beans about west coast trees.

Al I just bid $1900 on a wide spreading, and hazardous tree you do know about, catalpa.. Hope we get the job, it will be a bit challenging.... maybe we can slam it out, but think it will be close to a day's work.
 
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