Tree felling vids

[Marc-Antoine]

Teesmith, you had a pulley in the speedline for lowering the branches, why did you used just a biner for the logs ?

 

[treesmith]

Teesmith, you had a pulley in the speedline for lowering the branches, why did you used just a biner for the logs ?

I used the Petzl trolley for the lower stuff, simply because it yields less friction. I was advancing the speedline up the trunk as I went up. The low stuff had to run a really shallow angle, so the trolley allowed it to run a little more freely. I had a Petzl paw rigging plate hanging below the trolley. I would girth a loop runner on each limb and clip it to the rigging plate. I had my tagline/haulback simply stuck through one of the holes in the rigging plate and a figure-8 knot to hold it there. All it had to do was control the speed of descent, then haul the trolley back. The loop runner and trolley carried the load.

Once I got to the top and started cutting chunks, I had my daughter send up the medium porty so I could lower the chunks down while she held some tension in the speedline. I started to just lower each chunk and let her pull it out with a tagline, but since I already had my pickup across the street with a porty attached, it was simpler for her to tension and hold and just let the chunks follow it out. Once I got lower and the chunks got bigger, it was easy for her to catch the pieces with the porty up top with me, then I'd take over to lower them on down. I used the loop runner in a prussik configuration a couple of feet from the chunks and it would slide right down the speedline. The bottom 4 or 5 chunks had to be caught without running, and then pulled out with a tagline as they were too near the fence for the speedline to help.

I hope that made sense...

 

[vl2007]

I can see that !
It's embarrassing, but that's a good way to avoid the bystanders coming too close
Did those cannon balls caused some damages ?

No damage. I was trying it out in a safe area...I kinda thought it was going to happen.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Scott, I just tried out some of those video sunglasses Brian found one time on line. Sort of going the cheap route to see if I wanted to go the more expensive. Dang things pissed me off after a sort as I was trying to sort out head movement with them. They stopped working proper so I trashed em

 

[gf beranek]

There is a lot of cheap video gear out there. For now Go Pro seems to be top of the line for us blue collars to use. Even big pros are using it to some degree.

 

[treesmith]

Scott, I just tried out some of those video sunglasses Brian found one time on line. Sort of going the cheap route to see if I wanted to go the more expensive. Dang things pissed me off after a sort as I was trying to sort out head movement with them. They stopped working proper so I trashed em

I saw a pair at Wallyworld a while back, not sure if it was the same kind. Interesting concept for sure. A friend of mine tried to get me to go with a GoPro, but I figured it would take a beating with the entire camera unit sitting high up on the helmet. My wife got me the VIO for my birthday, and it's worked out nicely, aside from the speaker issue and it being hot to use it in the backpack in the summer.

I've had a hoot playing around with iMovie this last week. I've got a couple more vids up, but didn't want to burn anybody out on them. They're nothing special.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I'll probably end up with a go pro. Leaning that way and I really want a remote instead of trying to turn it on and off while it is attached on my helmet. Seems to me, once you dial in where you want it to point, touching it to turn it on could ruin a shot.

 

[bonner1040]

I think the Contour Roam is a better choice than the GoPro HD Hero for tree work .

Much sleeker, better mounting, all the essential features with a nice big wide angle lense, full 1080p HD.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Personally, I don't much like the distortion from a very wide angled lens, though it does capture a lot of information.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

The countour is my other consideration... Guys on here have had good luck with them and the quality of the vids looks good.

 

[treesmith]

My friend who wanted me to try the GoPro used one on a family white water trip. He got out of sync with it, turning it off once while thinking he was turning it on, and so missed nearly everything he wanted to film. That's one thing I like about the VIO. Separate on/off switches, so if I'm uncertain it's on, I just hit the record button again.

 

[mistahbenn]

I have the contour, and the latest two vids I made are utilizing it. They came out pretty good...

 

[bonner1040]

The Contour ships with a lockabke swivel mount and has a leveling laser. You hit the only button on it, on the back and the laser projects showing the level of the composition. The front of the lens tightly turns to tune it right (you could not bump it off accidentally, no way). The swivel mount turns vertically and has a tough pass through lock that is a button by the helmet. Usually you set it up ahead of time and never change it.

To turn it on and off you don't need a remote. The big slider on top does it all. Forward on and recording, backwards off. You could do it in ski mittens with your eyes shut. Nice loud beep confirms recording and shut off. The back checks status, all audible, and levels the laser.

Its way better than the GoPro

You can see the lock switch. Its tight and sure.



You cans see the on off slider on top, the large status button on back and the small thing is the lock slider for the memory card/usb compartment. Totally waterproof right out of the box

 

[bonner1040]

For reference Stephen... I film everything in 720p so my vids are not high quality and all the timelapse is done with 5mp pics that is downgrade to 480x600 so it uploads/edits/plays easy.

I watched some 1080 raw footage I shot on a TV, it was crystal clear, like awesome. My MAC is old and wont process the whole 1080 stuff hence I use lower res.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

cool. Once some dust settles around here I will be looking further into it. Have to deal with home issues first.
That and send Dave some final money on the KK devise.

 

[bonner1040]

Did you get that? How is it?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

No chance to use it yet. Heavy SOB! Should come in handy this fall though when our removal and rigging work usually gets busier again. Gonna do the first prune tomorrow (aside form basal ) I have had in a long while.

 

[treesmith]

Is yours slick on the back, Stephen? Mine is. Nothing at all to grip the tree. I've just started cutting a slot for mine first thing. Makes it much more stable, as well as easier for one guy to hold in place while another walks the strap around the tree. The GRCS has the pads, and as I understand, the Hobbs has teeth or some thing. Either would make it easier to hold the device stable while strapping it in place.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Slick in the back is affirmative. Going to cut a notch for it on removals. Pretty much what I have planned for it.
As far as hooking it up to the tree, I'll probably shoot a line in first thing as normal and hoist it up and hold it position that way to cinch it down.

 

[bonner1040]

Anytime you have to strap something heavy; GRCS, hobbs, or the KK bollard etc, take an eye sling and timber hitch it tight and high with just a few wraps. Grab the GRCS or like and hang it from the eye by one of the fairleads (certainly not a bomber attachment but certainly sufficient).

Strap it tight, loosen up that timber hitch and slide the eye sling off and out of the way. Usually take it down the same way.

 

[Burnham]

That works. Good idea.

 

[bonner1040]

I invented that idea. MINE. you are all welcome.

lol

 

[Burnham]

 

[Burnham]

By contrast, this one didn't go to the lay.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bU4laWWpZi8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[SoonerFan]

Sawyer sure stayed at the stump during the fiasco...