Crane school

[Page]

I went to crane school this week with one of my employees. Not to operate but to learn the latest techniques and check out some iron. It was pretty cool. One of the few places where you have actual field experience. Riding the crane, setting straps, cutting, all of it. We were using the quantum x crane slings which I definitely prefer. Like any of these courses you get out of it what you take. Ive done countless crane jobs but I still learned things while I was there. Just having that many people to talk to and share experiences with was great. And for the guys who don?t have a lot of experience they got plenty of opportunities to get out there and do some real life stuff with instructors by there side. I?m lucky enough that my crane guy happens to be one of the guys who started and runs this class. Pete from the crane man Inc.
also heavily involved are Dave from wesspur and Mike from custom climber. There were of course many other people involved to make this happen and a lot of volunteers and donated equipment. Worth checking out. $500 for 3 days of classes and 20+ CEU?s toward the arborist cert iffin you have one. People came from all over the country for this and even from Canada.
Anyway thanks to everyone that made it possible. And thanks for doing it for the betterment of the industry and not for the $$

 

[Page]

Hey rich, I didn’t get any good pics unfortunately so if you did put them up

 

[cory]

Sounds awesome !

 

[treebilly]

Pics or picks?

Lawrence taking one of our groups larger brush picks. Came in at 5400lbs. Good for 7500lbs at our radius for that pick

I also posted a few in the work pic thread.
Class was definitely worth the money. I?m still going over everything in my head.

 

[brendonv]

Whose trees got cut?

 

[No_Bivy]

no spider legs?.....

 

[No_Bivy]

buy cheap range finder to KNOW how far away crane will be set up. this will help when bidding time.......big pics vs small pics

 

[Page]

Whose trees got cut?

We were cutting trees at the park. A lot of dead ash for sure but also maple and locust.

 

[Page]

 

[cory]

What did you use for comms, Sena?

 

[treebilly]

For the most part my group did. Last day my group wasn?t allowed. Basically we were on our own to communicate with the operator. Pick was chosen after a conversation on the ground and hand signals after that. There was still another instructor in the tree or close enough to intervene if necessary. My log pick I had no clear line of sight. I had to holler to the instructor to relay what I needed done. Just like a pic over a house before Paul helped us out

 

[treebilly]

Speaking of Paul, I wasn?t the only one rocking a HH

We were both telling guys how great the HH is for crane work

 

[cory]

It must give PC pride to see his well worn invention there.

 

[treebilly]

That’s why I took the pic. There is a rare chance I will wear mine out. I need to keep him making them.

 

[Page]

What do you like about the HH for crane work?

 

[treebilly]

Compactness while choking a spar and ease of switching srt to drt (ddrt,mrt, or whatever they want to call it these days). Also it?s bomb proof. No worries about side loading while leaning into it reaching around the trunk. Worst case scenario, I can beat the crane op pretty bad with it if he hits me with the pick

 

[treebilly]

https://www.facebook.com/TheCraneManInc/photos

 

[Ryan]

Lots of nice pictures in there. The only craned treejobs I've seen are on the internet so excuse my ignorance in asking about those "V" cuts. Is that a newer technique? Better or worse than a snap cut?

Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

 

[pantheraba]

Those are great pictures...weather looks perfect.

I bet that is the cut that Jay (Woodworking Boy) here introduced to me...he used it to help secure the base of the piece being lifted...contained the lateral movement as the piece was lifted.

Right, guys?

 

[pantheraba]

Here is one iteration of discussion:

https://www.masterblasterhome.com/showthread.php?12914-Crane-picks-cutting-style&highlight=cut+crane

It was also done as a "double V"...my words. Jerry B. referred to that as a "trap cut".

 

[MasterBlaster]

Not for me.

 

[Jed]

Yeah... no, me too Butch. Say, sir, could you elaborate by chance? Jake came back from crane-school all psyched on the stupid V-cut, and I was feakin pissed. Just can't imagine how it could be better than cutting all yer compression out first, and then releasing it from a tiny cut in the back.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I might use that cut with an inexperienced operator.

 

[Page]

The v cut is just one technique to be used when appropriate. Even the instructors would tell you 95% if the time your making 1 cut straight through

 

[MasterBlaster]

Sounds about right. Maybe 96%, even.