big oak top threads the needle

[murphy4trees]

you gotta watch the first 60 seconds.. slow motion drop from 2 camera angles..

my first plunge cut with the 32" bar from the bucket..
tree brushed both trees on either side and the tips brushed the trees and shrubs across the street.. Kind of drop that makes you feel happy all day...

customer wants to save 10-12' for carving, which worked out perfect to get the top to fit in the LZ..

chip truck blew the tranny, so I was hoping that this oak would shatter on impact and chipper wouldn't be needed... come to find my buddy working two doors down the street, left the keys in his dump truck and chipper, which I borrowed..

I was very surprised at the minimal lawn damage... guessing the 60 degree open face allowed the main impact to be taken by the street from the tips...

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[murphy4trees]

Mom always told me "if you have nothing nice to say .... say nothing"

 

[SkwerI]

Perhaps if you were to participate in the rest of the forum once in a while instead of staring at your own reflection all the time, somebody might reply to your posts. We have an ongoing thread called the Official Work Pictures Thread where virtually all of your posts would fit nicely. Of course that would mean that you would have to actually participate in the forum instead of standing on top of your pillar looking down on us.

 

[stig]

Saint Daniel the stylite

 

[murphy4trees]

I'll cop to the narcisism Roc, that and getting bored with all the "man cuts branch... branch falls to ground" youtube videos..

And if having to explain how the techniques demonstrated are safe and effective .... OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.. makes me a stylite, looking dowm from my pillar, then I'll cop to that too.

 

[Old Monkey]

I have yet to read one of your responses to anything Murph where you understood what someone said and responded accordingly. Brian pointed out that you don't participate in this forum and that look down on us, not the hacks on youtube. You flaunt your stuff instead of sharing. You tell instead having a give and take dialog. Oh, and a lot of the stuff you are teaching the hacks on youtube will get them in even more trouble as you take a lot of unnecessary risks.

 

[SkwerI]

But why do you have to explain? We aren't homeowners and we aren't here to be educated by you. Stop explaining, please.

If you want to teach, go do it somewhere else. If you want to hang out with peers who completely understand what you do for a living, then grab a beer and kick your feet up.

 

[canadiantreeman]

If you think that its safe and effective and it works for you, then fine. I can live with that. Me, I don't happen to agree with all you say, but thats life. Don't tell us how we should think, some of us believe what you portray is unsafe in fact. For example; the dead top in that ash(?) you blew out with a special blacked out cut on which the tip hit first and showed the potential to come back towards you...in my opinion not safe which also means not effective. They call that cut a suicide cut for a reason.

But, you show some steel and clearly you've been at it a while. Watch out for complacency, its a killer.

And as Brian says, use the work pictures thread, its there for a reason. There are men on here who have posted more impressive pieces of work than anything you ever have, who have not felt the need to create their own thread. Ego's abound here, but a sense of humility and camaraderie goes a long way. You are FAR from the best. I'm not anything special either, don't get me wrong, but on this forum some are definitely elite.

My .02

 

[Old Monkey]

Speaking of egos, my stump grinder/firewood guy Chris keeps telling all the other tree services in town that I'm the best climber in town. Then he got busted by OSHA last year and tells them, I run the safest show in town(we wear hard hats). I think the guy is going to get me beat up and a thorough safety inspection. Its sort of flattering but I can't help but think he's going to get me in trouble

 

[canadiantreeman]

Tell him to reel it in and keep the sunshine blowing to potential customers rather than competition. Take him for lunch or something casual so you don't seem like a dinkus.

 

[murphy4trees]

Never said I was the best.. and would be happy to post future videos in the work pics thread, if that is the etiiquette here, though I don't understand why what is burdensome about a new thread on any subject..

As far as coming off like I AM trying to teach you all... that comes about in part when someone, who either lacks the knowledge or misinterprets the videos, makes some lame criticism, calling me lucky or unsafe or whatever, often totally missing the mark. THAT HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY!!! Then I want to explain the truth of the matter, which is often pretty basic stuff, and that makes me sound preachy. Especially when I have to do it over and over and over again.

It is also partly because I write in a style that is purposely unambiguous and complete, so that even a newbie can understand exactly what I mean. Riggs told me that comes off as talking down to an audience of experts... I think that is a self-centered interpretation. Though he may be an expert, and the stage here may be dominated by experts, there are plenty of others that quietly watch from the background, that are here to learn something.
When efort is not made to explain thoroughly, it leaves a lot of room for misinterpretation, which I don't like.

As far as that cut on the ash.... YOU ALL ARE GONNA FREAK OUT! if I ever get around to showing that cut.

 

[NeTree]

The suspense is killing me.

 

[sotc]

Well, it is almost halloween

 

[TreeDimensional]

Danny Boy, you said you "had to keep explaining" Umm no ya don't. Oh and BTW "Spell Checking" is your friend!

 

[woodworkingboy]

I can't think of any long standing treehouser who comes off as if they aren't here to learn something, as well as wanting to enjoy the other entertainment and company. The vastly experienced people do take the time and courtesy to interact with the lesser knowledgeable people (thinking of myself) in a very cordial and positive way, not coming off as condescending or elitist. It's an awesome privilege to be able to associate in such a relaxed way.

It isn't just one's intentions when it comes down to communicating, it is also very much the social skills that convey those intentions in a pleasing and positively stimulating way. That is what perpetuates the long term good feelings, instead of possibly causing resentment.

I dunno Murph, you never seem to want to take a hint, just pretty much always portray the need to be defensive. Personally, I find it very hard to understand how that can be enjoyable. There is such a thing as circumventing yourself for the sake of the group to a degree, even if it doesn't exactly fit in with your likes and dislikes....otherwise it just gets old for everybody else.

 

[rskybiz]

murphy, I'll give you a pat on the back for the quality of the videos.
I will also agree with skwerl's post and the rest, inovation is cool redundancy sucks! That is the reason I love what I do, every tree is different.

 

[SkwerI]

Jay, I don't believe Daniel is capable of interacting with the members of this forum in a positive manner.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I have to agree that he doesn't seem to want to learn how. Every discordance becomes a challenge.

 

[Altissimus]

... over all we are a pretty easy going group ....

 

[Newfie]

with a low tolerance for douchebaggery.....

 

[SouthSoundTree]

I think that there has been some constructive dialogue here, with many truths.

If we were all to try to get a fresh start, and see where it goes, it might be pretty successful.

Different forums have different cultures. One of the things going on in the TreeHouse is a lot of successful, competent people adding their 2 cents, and sharing camaraderie, and shooting the poop like we're sitting around someone's shop or a campfire. Lots of competent people here, lots of people of different skill levels, and everyone/ most everyone at least willing to learn if there is something new to learn.

Discussion of techniques, with their pro's and con's, forces us to question our thinking/ past learning. Sometimes reinforcing it, sometimes changing it, sometimes putting an idea in the bag of tricks for a later date for a special situation.

Can't we all just get along? Coom ba ya, my Lor... Just kidding.

 

[murphy4trees]

That is very well put Jay,
YES my social skills need a lot of improvement. But I have pretty much stopped trying to fit in anywhere. I just don't care anymore. And there is more to it than just a lack of social skills.

I put up a couple of videos and everybody freaks out.. this guy is a suicidal maniac, east coast nosak, and of course LUCKY.. Then I put up 10, and people are still freaked.. then 20 and they still go off. But now its over 30 and people should be able to start figuring it out by now. ITS NOT LUCK... EVERYTHING I'VE EVER SAID ON THESE BOARDS HAS BEEN THE TRUTH, put to the best of my ability!! I don't take chances, but people still think I AM full of it.. WHY???? For the most part becasue its over their heads. They can't imagine that the work I do can be done safely. Its beyond their level of experience.

When even world class arbos like Riggs and Rober B. call me lucky what does that tell you?

I go to arbor day and can't believe that most of these guys can make a living with the level of incompetence. $400/day contract climber booked for weeks, that fumbles around with a saw in a tree like a rookie. Even a world class climber like Pat Epps regularly cuts bypasses on his face cuts, and doesn't want to hear it when I politley suggest it is an inferior practice, that could be remedied by making his top cut first.

So do people lack an open mind, or just get rubbed wrong by the way I come off? I don't understand it. If it was me, I'd want to learn what I could. I first saw Chisholm footlock in 2001 or 2002, and it dropped my jaw. I realized there was a whole world of knowledge out there that I had no clue about and that I had wasted a lot of time and evergy over the past 20 years doing things the hard way.

I set about to change with a passionate desire to learn everything I could, from these boards and by trial and error and experimentation in the field.. I do crazy stuff all the time in non critical situations to see what works and what can be learned.. pushing the limimts.. its fun.. That has been my joy, and my peak experinces come from putting knowledge and skill creatively together to get jobs done in a way that 99.99% of other arbors wouldn't even consider trying.. When it makes a good video, all the better..

I can't think of any long standing treehouser who comes off as if they aren't here to learn something, as well as wanting to enjoy the other entertainment and company. The vastly experienced people do take the time and courtesy to interact with the lesser knowledgeable people (thinking of myself) in a very cordial and positive way, not coming off as condescending or elitist. It's an awesome privilege to be able to associate in such a relaxed way.

It isn't just one's intentions when it comes down to communicating, it is also very much the social skills that convey those intentions in a pleasing and positively stimulating way. That is what perpetuates the long term good feelings, instead of possibly causing resentment.

I dunno Murph, you never seem to want to take a hint, just pretty much always portray the need to be defensive. Personally, I find it very hard to understand how that can be enjoyable. There is such a thing as circumventing yourself for the sake of the group to a degree, even if it doesn't exactly fit in with your likes and dislikes....otherwise it just gets old for everybody else.

 

[Old Monkey]

Daniel, I don't hate you or have anything against you. I think you are too convinced of your own expertise and have become immune to the doubts and criticisms of your peers. I think that is a dangerous way to be. I share my mistakes here just as readily as my successes because folks here will let me know if there was a better way without beating me up(too badly). There are folks here that are peers and lot who I have no doubt are my betters. Good ideas come from all levels of experience and not just from the top. I think if there is anything that the internet illustrates best its the power and wisdom of the group. If you have a big enough pool of folks, there will always be someone with a good answer that works for you.

 

[NeTree]

Dan, what do you do when you're not doing tree work? Surely you have a hobby or two...?

 

[canadiantreeman]

When even world class arbos like Riggs and Rober B. call me lucky what does that tell you?

That you're lucky.

EVERYTHING I'VE EVER SAID ON THESE BOARDS HAS BEEN THE TRUTH

Oh, deliver us from the puppet show esteemed one!

that could be remedied by making his top cut first.

My bailey's and coffee came outta my nose on this one.

So do people lack an open mind, or just get rubbed wrong by the way I come off? I don't understand it. If it was me, I'd want to learn what I could.

I personally want to learn as much as I can. I am also capable of choosing who it is I learn from. I think for the most part you genuinely desire to share your experiences with the hope of teaching others. My problem with you is that you seem to think you have found a pinnacle and speak to us from this pinnacle, rather than speak with us as equals. This makes it difficult to learn from you, as those here I've learned the most from don't have this personality flaw.

That has been my joy, and my peak experinces come from putting knowledge and skill creatively together to get jobs done in a way that 99.99% of other arbors wouldn't even consider trying

Thats not exactly truth, now is it? Your problem is that you convey your subjective experience as an objective reality. No need to reinvent the wheel. It doesn't hurt to improve it, but bull ropes and skidsteers ain't groundbreaking. The low backstrap isn't breathtaking either and comes with risks you perhaps don't understand, or fail to recognize because you are jaded by your desire to be in the 0.01% of creative skill and knowledge of cutting technique.
:roll:

I think Newfie put it best. I am not freaked out, or angry or think you are suicidal. If you were here to learn and seek truth, the you might open your mind and get past your own ego.