How'd it go today?

[CurSedVoyce]

I wish we had a temp service here where I live just for needed bodies at times.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

How many working locals in your area? Slim pickings, eh?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Yup, slim pickens between the alcoholics, drug addicts and the ones that want to live off law suits and comp claims.

 

[Mick!]

I'll be interested to see some new labor saving solo rigging techniques devised from situational necessity, as with Reg's video with hitching like to a stationary line.

With a fixed bottom anchor, on a solo speed line job, a climber can just throw limbs into the line at a crotch, saving slings. Natural crouch speed line. This has worked when lower, heavier fir limbs on slings , slid to the ground first, weigh down and help keep tension on the line, allowing NCSLing, with less effective horizontal travel. A low stretch line is more valuable when you can't clear the line until you break from climbing.[/QUOTE

Solo lowering technique.
Pic 1. Place lowering line through natural fork then back to a stout point and tie off, the other end is to be wrapped round a stub as a friction device.
Pic 2. Cut branch and using the "friction device/stub" lower to the ground.
Pic 3. Pull rope through the natural fork in the lowered branch to release and repeat.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

A good illustration, Mick. What's your climber's name?

 

[Mick!]

Pompey the bear. Mascot of Portsmouth football club.
It has the advantage of allowing material to be lowered slowly.
Tbh Sean I'm against solo working. Especially whilst aloft.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Me, too, but...




Voice dialing through a helmet intercom is a deeper line of defense in an emergency. Staying out of an emergency in the first place is the best front line of defense.



The other day I ran into a removal with a vertical crack where a new top formed after a break-out. I bailed out of the tree. Reassessed. Measured. Came up with a new plan within safe parameters, then proceeded to scare the poop out of a free-standing light pole (dropped the top right next to it). I was not climbing over the crack. If I ended up breaking the light fixture, I would have fixed it. It was old. Either way, the groundie would have just stood there watching me do the same thing. I got lucky on the old light fixture. A tiny slap, no damage.

Better to have a groundie, though.

 

[RegC]

Thanks all for the well wishes

Reg, burnout has nothing to do with hard work or efficiency. It is the depression that can set in when you realize that you are trading your precious time in this life for dollars, doing something that gives you no joy and is leaving you so exhausted that you can't enjoy the things you love.
Just a straight forward explanation, not saying that working alone will cause this. In fact, I was glad when you mentioned you were striking out on your own, for all the reasons you mentioned above. You deserve the full rewards of your efforts not just their dollar value.

Thanks for the explanation Dave. As of right now though it feels more like unloading huge weights out of a backpack ive been carrying, as I say 'no more' to the tree companies I've been working with. I mean, I understand that works not just going to fall out of the sky on to my lap....I really have to put in the time to generate it over the next few years to get established. But just to have a new focus ar this stage feels like a reward in itself.

The trolley has proved a blessing so far....of which I've found a nice spot for it on the chipper (see pic). The Honda winch, another. There lots of other time savers I have to work on though.
My climbing skills and agility at 42 honestly feel as good as they've ever been. So, as long as I do my best and not anything significantly foolish, then I should be alright.

 

[Grendel]

Which honda winch do you use Reg?

 

[cory]

Are you dead set against hiring a groundie? Or you think it is better overall financially and simplicity-wise to work solo? How will you do removals with big wood? Just wondering, thanks.

 

[MasterBlaster]

You need at least one helper.

 

[Dave Shepard]

Last week I was pumping heat into the house. Tonight, I have to put the AC in the bedroom. Can't win. All I did today was some light carpentry, and I feel like I spent all day locked in hand to horn combat with an irate wildebeest.

 

[Al Smith]

I make a hitch for the front of Toms skid loader at work so he can move stuff around .Installed it after work .

 

[Fiddler]

Ground stumps in the rain 'til dark then came home...Dr. appt. tomorrow then back up for more excitement...

 

[MasterBlaster]

What? No headlights?

 

[RegC]

This one Grendel. Had it for years now:
http://www.portablewinch.com/en/products/PCW5000.html

Are you dead set against hiring a groundie? Or you think it is better overall financially and simplicity-wise to work solo? How will you do removals with big wood? Just wondering, thanks.

it's better for me starting out because if I had a helper every day, I would probably run out of work faster than it would come in. As is now Im about 2 weeks ahead. Plus the fact that the extra insurance and workers compensation would mean I'd have to charge significantly more to do well. Obviously there's a limit to what you can safely do solo....which is why for now pruning work suits me better. But whatever, Im still not going to turn anything away. I can hire a crane, or subcontractor if need be. I have a rotten oak removal in a week or so. Tight spot. It won't be pretty, but it'll get done and ill do ok out if it.

 

[August Hunicke]

Reg, I recently cut out all climbing for other companies. I'm in a similar place but I envy your health. My back is giving me lots of trouble. I'm 47. It's probably only been about a year now that it's been giving me periodic significant trouble. I have been working on proper nutrition and exercise for some time now as well, but I've got to figure it out because it's a bit scary. The spine seems directly attached to my bank account. I'm sure it doesn't have to be though. I have always loved big removals and there are certain aspects of that, that are very difficult for me right now. I think that's really where the depression comes in for me. I've been thankful for the pruning jobs lately myself. I was working on a little topiary shaping the other day that was with in view of another scheduled job of mine. I was literally crawling around on my hands and knees working on this shrub and sort of dreading the work and pain and loads of sticky pitch on the 150 foot removal down the street. Part of me knows I need to be adjusting to the certainty of aging on a biological machine and another part of me thinks I should have a lot of good miles left. I almost wish I hadn't dedicated so much of my climbing years/skills to building other companies reputations, but like you I am enjoying the solid decisive move to focus on my own venture finally.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

More money with less equipment with pruning and small trees. Here, so much grows so fast, removals are a part of business I don't pass on. A local, long time in business, only does pruning. Another guy, pretty much the same.

 

[RegC]

I can appreciate the frustration of carrying injuries. Ive worked through my share of bad backs, lacerations, tendons and broken bones. But comparatively speaking, Ive had way worse things happen in the past for me to get depressed about. And to go one further, Im truly blessed to have lived the free and opportunistic life that I have than the trials of what perhaps millions of others have to endure or are born into. Im very quick to remind myself of other peoples realities, if I begin to lose heart in my own minor struggles. That kind of thinking doesn't work for everyone, but for the most part it does for me. I allow wear and tear injuries to become frustrating, but thats where I try to stop the rot. Interestingly, I always found removal work to be much less strenuous. Especially since moving out here to Victoria where its 70% single stem trees. Most of my repetitive strain injuries in the past came from spurless climbing/pruning, canopy reductions. Thousands of em. But on the upside result I have lots of good maneuverability and muscle memory. All that matched with the advancement of SRT options in more recent years, then Ive a lot to be thankful for right now....given that this is the trade Im in for my foreseeable working years that are ahead. I wish I was as optimistic about my personal life, but that's another story. Glad to hear your situation is progressing in the right direction August, better late than never is how I see it for us both. Best of luck.

 

[Mick!]

Removals are much less effort than reductions, dead wood etc.
So much less fussing around to the ends etc. I deadwooded a decent size oak recently and was aching and tired after.
If I have any regrets in hindsight about when I started on my own it was that I was too cautious, I should have borrowed a bit more a bit earlier.
My 2 cents as they say.

 

[No_Bivy]

Scored a snorkel tub yesterday. Client was tired of dealing with fire. Easy to move. Got nervous when I first filled because it leaked like sieve for about two hours until wood swelled. Not leaking now. Took the first dip in 58 degrees water.....quite invigorating . Fired up stove, went to 110 in two hours. Currently 95, after all night

Anyone here use one of these?

 

[woodworkingboy]

By stove, do you mean a built in firebox? If so I have used that type, a traditional style here. Whatever it is, that tub looks very nice.

Wonder how difficult it would be to hook up a jacuzzi jet inside?

 

[flushcut]

I want one so does the wife. I would think it's just a little plumbing and a pump Jay.

 

[August Hunicke]

Thanks for the reply Reg.
It's good to be thankful.

I agree on the pruning effort comparison except that with this particular back problem, it's the negative rigging down or chunking down with a big saw that is killing my back. Pruning is more of a whole body workout and gives me variety and even physical therapy.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[No_Bivy]

By stove, do you mean a built in firebox? If so I have used that type, a traditional style here. Whatever it is, that tub looks very nice.

Wonder how difficult it would be to hook up a jacuzzi jet inside?

I like the quiet of no jets.....

Scuba stove sits below water...