intentional barber chair

I have done some intentional barber chairs. Making trees look like they had broken naturally was the point of it. Long story but ridiculous situation we were in working for yuppies.


aug
 
Hang on a few there, Rico. Murphy will probably explain to you all the things you don't understand, that he does. Then you will have the gift of his wisdom. Lucky fellow that you are :).
Gee, thanks for the amazingly witty post Burnham. I got all the "wisdom" I can handle right now, so I'm gonna have to pass. And yep, I'm am a truly lucky/blessed man!
 
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Intentional barber chair? I saw thread this and felt I should chime in. As someone who has actually been on job-sites were men have died from barber chairs, this sounds insane to me. No timber faller or logger I've ever known would consider doing something like this. I recently got a phone call from buddy of mine who was falling a good size dead Lodgepole that barber-chaired on him. He made a split second decision to stay in the pocket, and continue cutting his hinge as fast as possible. He was pretty sure that decision saved his life. This guy is a great logger with years of experience, who has seen his fair share of crazy shit happen. He was pretty rattled by the close call. Sure hope you reconsider this experiment.

Appreciate your input..... And as Dr B suggests, I can;t help but respond ;)

I think we often fail to recognize the differences between logging and suburban arboriculture... One well known trainer for arbs around here once said "if he wants to learn how to drive he'd do it from a professional race car driver and if he wants to learn how to fall trees, he'd do it from pro loggers"... I think that's a good analogy.. the dangers faced by a race car driver are not faced by average drivers... We don't need helmets, fireproof body suits and hand restraints, removable steering wheels, roll cages, pit crew etc.... It may look like both are driving cars, but the purposes and therefore the best means of accomplishing them are far different. So it is with suburabn arbs and loggers... It looks like we are both doing the same thing (putting trees on the ground), but the huge differences make it an entirely different game....

Some of the problems in the way arboriculture has been taught, come directly from trying to emulate loggers... So one example of the differences is that I put a rope in most trees over 15" diameter.... If a logger did that, you'd think he was crazy. But don't tell me I AM crazy for doing that.. IN 90% of the big trees I fall there is no one standing at the tree or in the DZ.... A BBC can't kill you if there is no one near the tree..

On the other hand I will never develop the expertise of using wedges that your average logger has... It's not going to happen... WHile I'd like to become more comfortable with using wedges, I just accept it as a limitation.. I feel more comfortable using a high rope, pulled with equipment and therefore able to leave a fat hinge... That probably seems crazy to a logger.... BUT I AM an arb, not a logger, so PLEASE don't judge me by a loggers standards... If you do then you;re stuck in a box, unable to see things from another viewpoint.

ANother important distinction between logging and arboriculture is the mass of the trees we deal with... These big old trees you fall have so MUCH MASS, they can do things ( very dangerous things) that we rarely if ever have to deal with... I would guess that the majority of suburban arbs have never even seen a tree BBC... ME, I AM going to keep trying :)
 
Really good post. Except for your thoughts on trying to create a BBC. Like with lightning, we may not know everything there is to know about it, but we know enough to give it respect.
 
Great, thoughtful post murphy4trees! Really refreshing after yet another dumb-ass comment from the peanut gallery. I appreciate it. I am no arborist, and I understand that things that work in my world will not in the arbor world (and vis-versa). Hope the experiment works out for you!
 
I'm trying to follow. So because murph identifies that he's not a logger and writes a thoughtful post about it. Expirementing with intentional barber chairs is a good thing?

Have at it, but count me out of the group hug.
 
Aw come on mang.

Lemme hug ya!

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Gee, thanks for the amazingly witty post Burnham. I got all the "wisdom" I can handle right now, so I'm gonna have to pass. And yep, I'm am a truly lucky/blessed man!

Great, thoughtful post murphy4trees! Really refreshing after yet another dumb-ass comment from the peanut gallery. I appreciate it. I am no arborist, and I understand that things that work in my world will not in the arbor world (and vis-versa). Hope the experiment works out for you!

Dumb-ass comment from the peanut gallery?

Rico, I make a post supporting your objections to Murphy's BBC ideas and you see that as an attack?

I don't think I'm following, either.
 
I'm trying to follow. So because murph identifies that he's not a logger and writes a thoughtful post about it. Expirementing with intentional barber chairs is a good thing?

Have at it, but count me out of the group hug.
Nope. Im am still very anti barber chair, and believe messing with it is insane. Just appreciated the effort and thoughtful explanation. Murph's a grown man and if he what to hurt himself, he should be allowed to do so. Let freedom reign!
 
Dumb-ass comment from the peanut gallery?

Rico, I make a post supporting your objections to Murphy's BBC ideas and you see that as an attack?

I don't think I'm following, either.
I'm sorry, as I clearly mis-understood your post. I sincerely apologize. Man, I can sure be an asshole sometimes! I've been doing baby goat bikram yoga to help with my anger issues, but it clearly ain't working yet.
 
Cool.8)

To me expirementing with BBC's is like poking a bear. Bad juju.

August, I've made many a wildlife snag with what I refer to as fracture pruning or 'jag' cutting the remaining spar. I just did it with a saw to emulate a broken out snag. Never actually pulled stuff apart to do it. I always felt silly doing it to be honest.
 
Cool.8)

To me expirementing with BBC's is like poking a bear. Bad juju.

August, I've made many a wildlife snag with what I refer to as fracture pruning or 'jag' cutting the remaining spar. I just did it with a saw to emulate a broken out snag. Never actually pulled stuff apart to do it. I always felt silly doing it to be honest.

I've left many wildlife spars over the years. Never once did I try to make jagged cuts or torn stubs. The birds and bugs don't seem to notice much.
 
I've left many wildlife spars over the years. Never once did I try to make jagged cuts or torn stubs. The birds and bugs don't seem to notice much.

I would concur. But I've had it spec'd more than once. Mostly when working near waterways in publicly viewable areas. I will say it's more natural looking, but as I mentioned it feels goofy doing it. It would always be good for some ribbing whenever it did come up.
 
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