How'd it go today?
- Thread starter MasterBlaster
- Start date
- Replies 86K
- Views 4M
stikine
Treehouser
Dinner tonight at the Shelter Cove Lodge in Craig, Alaska on Prince of Wales island. I'm here putting on some chainsaw training this week. A few pics from the outside dinning deck.
Craig is on the outer coast and is very beautiful with awesome fishing.
Craig is on the outer coast and is very beautiful with awesome fishing.
vharrison
Island Girl
That is beautiful,
Treebilly, when do you take the test?
Treebilly, when do you take the test?
treebilly
Student of the Jedi. OH-7106A
I test Friday.
One would think that with 26+ years in this industry that the ISA test would be easy. At least for me it’s not. A large portion of my career I’ve been a production climber / bucket operator doing mostly removals. A lot of the information is not new to me but is unfamiliar. I decided to take the prep course because when I became a CTSP several years ago I learned that I don’t retain information well just from reading.
@stikine I really enjoy your pics. Some day I will have to see them in person
One would think that with 26+ years in this industry that the ISA test would be easy. At least for me it’s not. A large portion of my career I’ve been a production climber / bucket operator doing mostly removals. A lot of the information is not new to me but is unfamiliar. I decided to take the prep course because when I became a CTSP several years ago I learned that I don’t retain information well just from reading.
@stikine I really enjoy your pics. Some day I will have to see them in person
vharrison
Island Girl
Good luck on the test!
treebilly
Student of the Jedi. OH-7106A
Thanks V
Today went much better. Todays speaker was much better at keeping attention and easier to follow. Also we recognized each other from The Paul Bunyan Show last October.
After class I had to meet with Rick (one of our sub crane operators) to go over a cemetery job. He’s confident we can get in using 4x8 road plates for the outriggers to sit on. Never doing a set up like this I wanted his opinion and approval before submitting a bid. It’s a removal that will take two hours with the crane but without would be an all day affair and risk of damages are quite high.
Now time to pick up my work truck from getting the a/c repaired and then back to the books
Today went much better. Todays speaker was much better at keeping attention and easier to follow. Also we recognized each other from The Paul Bunyan Show last October.
After class I had to meet with Rick (one of our sub crane operators) to go over a cemetery job. He’s confident we can get in using 4x8 road plates for the outriggers to sit on. Never doing a set up like this I wanted his opinion and approval before submitting a bid. It’s a removal that will take two hours with the crane but without would be an all day affair and risk of damages are quite high.
Now time to pick up my work truck from getting the a/c repaired and then back to the books
flushcut
TreeHouser
I was told by a cemetery caretaker "let me know if you sink in so I can bring in some dirt" lol
Knotorious
That Guy With The Face
@treebilly Good fortune on your test. I hope you do well. You definitely seem committed. I've looked over that testing for the certification and it does not look easy. It's about as comprehensive as they come. Literally a little bit of everything relevant to arboriculture. I doubt you're the first person to find the testing to be formidable after years of experience. So don't focus on that. Just do you're best.
In other news, I took notice of this large, dead limb which is partially separated from the stem on this large pine on my apartment complex's property. I borrowed some cones from maintenance (whom I am friendly with) to make a perimeter around the drop zone and climbed up this pine about halfway to the top where the branch was and used my hand saw to cut this hazard branch off.
The area this tree is in sees a lot of traffic from apartment owners and their dogs. This is one of the most popular bathroom spots for the dogs and I was worried that someone might get whacked by this branch on a windy day. I knocked off or cut a few more dead branches on my way down, basically doing some dead wood removal and some hazard pruning. There's some more above where my TIP was, but nothing big or life threatening. By the time I finished, I was soaked with sweat. It was 100 degrees. This was good experience. I don't often get a chance to do something like this. There are other trees on this complex that could use it it, but this one really stood out. It was a big, long limb that could have potentially decked someone and was totally dead.
Some of you guys are probably thinking: And? That's so lame. Well, yeah, it probably is, but I had a good time and it made my day.
In other news, I took notice of this large, dead limb which is partially separated from the stem on this large pine on my apartment complex's property. I borrowed some cones from maintenance (whom I am friendly with) to make a perimeter around the drop zone and climbed up this pine about halfway to the top where the branch was and used my hand saw to cut this hazard branch off.
The area this tree is in sees a lot of traffic from apartment owners and their dogs. This is one of the most popular bathroom spots for the dogs and I was worried that someone might get whacked by this branch on a windy day. I knocked off or cut a few more dead branches on my way down, basically doing some dead wood removal and some hazard pruning. There's some more above where my TIP was, but nothing big or life threatening. By the time I finished, I was soaked with sweat. It was 100 degrees. This was good experience. I don't often get a chance to do something like this. There are other trees on this complex that could use it it, but this one really stood out. It was a big, long limb that could have potentially decked someone and was totally dead.
Some of you guys are probably thinking: And? That's so lame. Well, yeah, it probably is, but I had a good time and it made my day.
Last edited:
did a small job taking 4 little trees down for my neighbor to get new internet line ran
also got my outrigger pads finished, thats 3" thick southern yellow pine pressure treated ply, 24" square
yeah its overkill, but not terribly heavy, made them 3" thick because these outriggers get stuck down, and/or break hydraulic fittings if you run them down too far, on level ground just touching is already at the orange "do not extend past this mark" line, cant even take weight with them without blocks or pads under them
also got my outrigger pads finished, thats 3" thick southern yellow pine pressure treated ply, 24" square
yeah its overkill, but not terribly heavy, made them 3" thick because these outriggers get stuck down, and/or break hydraulic fittings if you run them down too far, on level ground just touching is already at the orange "do not extend past this mark" line, cant even take weight with them without blocks or pads under them
thanks!
cheap too!, cost I think $70 total, vs around $100 each for plastic pads
Knotorious
That Guy With The Face
To quickly clarify something I said in post #81,769 (How'd it go today? - https://www.masterblasterhome.com/threads/howd-it-go-today.3840/post-1131003)...
I meant to say that I looked over the ISA requirements and what they test people for...I didnt look over the actual test. I edited my message to hopefully reflect that more clearly. Obviously there are mutliple phases of testing as well. Some tests are written and some are practical. Anyways, at the risk of sounding like someone who claimed to have insider information, I just wanted to clarify haha Most of you probably understood what I meant. I'm obsessed with specificity and accuracy which, overall, is never a bad thing.
I meant to say that I looked over the ISA requirements and what they test people for...I didnt look over the actual test. I edited my message to hopefully reflect that more clearly. Obviously there are mutliple phases of testing as well. Some tests are written and some are practical. Anyways, at the risk of sounding like someone who claimed to have insider information, I just wanted to clarify haha Most of you probably understood what I meant. I'm obsessed with specificity and accuracy which, overall, is never a bad thing.
flushcut
TreeHouser
The goal is to get up the tree, hang around for a minute, get down, and drink some beer.
Treeaddict
Treehouser
When’s your test date?
There’s an ISA Facebook study group that you may find beneficial.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
So, working the neighborhood up the street from me over the next couple weeks. Started at a lady that had a ton of storm damage including the wood awning over her deck. The neighbor of hers I was sliding over to work next came over to dismantle the awning and clear the deck. Turns out, the dude that built the deck sandwiched two 2x6s for support beams with some 1/4" plate inbetween. I just scored 3x 20' x 6" 1/4 plate. Sweet! I just need to go cut it in half and haul it off.
my newly rebuild outrigger has sprung a leak around the wiper seal again, FML
same issue as the other one, "fixed" cylinder is installed, lasts a few weeks and leaks, they fix in 20 minutes, blame me and never have another issue
im not taking it back for them to fix this time, im going to let the damn thing piss out as much fluid as it wants, im sick of paying for it to be fixed again when the shop messed it up and wants to blame me for not bleeding it right, even followed the instructions of the mechanic saying to bleed it with one hose off so it cant build pressure, turns out my system pressurizes both sides at the same time, soaking me and my equipment in oil once again
IF I ever do decide its worth fixing again, I sure as hell wont take it to the same shop ive been going to, after hours of digging I found another local ish shop that will do it, same guys that came out and replaced the return line from the basket, started pulling the old one out within 45 minutes of me calling to have them take a look at it!
rant over, I gotta be up at 5AM to meet with my stump guy, load his grinder up on my truck with my mini, get to the job and knock down 7 trees, ride around the corner and bid another tree or two, then back to the job to meet the chip truck and crane, should be 2 loads of chips and one load of logs tomorrow, crane out by noon im hoping for
same issue as the other one, "fixed" cylinder is installed, lasts a few weeks and leaks, they fix in 20 minutes, blame me and never have another issue
im not taking it back for them to fix this time, im going to let the damn thing piss out as much fluid as it wants, im sick of paying for it to be fixed again when the shop messed it up and wants to blame me for not bleeding it right, even followed the instructions of the mechanic saying to bleed it with one hose off so it cant build pressure, turns out my system pressurizes both sides at the same time, soaking me and my equipment in oil once again
IF I ever do decide its worth fixing again, I sure as hell wont take it to the same shop ive been going to, after hours of digging I found another local ish shop that will do it, same guys that came out and replaced the return line from the basket, started pulling the old one out within 45 minutes of me calling to have them take a look at it!
rant over, I gotta be up at 5AM to meet with my stump guy, load his grinder up on my truck with my mini, get to the job and knock down 7 trees, ride around the corner and bid another tree or two, then back to the job to meet the chip truck and crane, should be 2 loads of chips and one load of logs tomorrow, crane out by noon im hoping for
treebilly
Student of the Jedi. OH-7106A
Test tomorrow. I should have been studying tonight but I had ringside seats at the micro wrestling bout tonight. It was entertaining. I’m about halfway through a practice test now and think I’ll do the rest in the morning. Trying not to stress too much. After the test I’m gonna forget about it till after the holiday weekend.
At the job right now waiting for the crane and start getting lit up with lightning, crane is sitting here parked in the road on the clock and we can't work for atleast another hour
Meh, once this rain clears up we will be hauling ass to finish today and go home, sorry about the yard, gonna be some ruts
Meh, once this rain clears up we will be hauling ass to finish today and go home, sorry about the yard, gonna be some ruts
Nutball
TreeHouser
I wonder if there is something else wrong like side loading, or incorrect tolerances? The big cylinder on my dad's backhoe rarely gets used, but it's not long after the previous repacking until it starts leaking again.
I doubt it, it had a VERY slow drip (both did) hence me deciding to rebuild them, no drip for a week or so then it starts pissing fluid out
passenger side had to come out and get fixed, they said nothing was wrong but I demanded they pull it apart and check, they put a new rod seal in and it hasnt leaked since
im betting its the same issue as the last one, they put a seal in backwards or something
big oil spot under it at work today, I should see if my buddy hasnt filled in the hole we used to pull the outrigger out before
Treeaddict
Treehouser
Went to a minor league baseball game for our nephew’s birthday party. It was fun in spite of the 1.5hr rain delay and the home team won. Great fireworks display afterwards.
Tomorrow starts the week at the beech. 50% of me is excited to go and the remainder of my outlook is dreading all the work a vacation with 3 young children entails.
Tomorrow starts the week at the beech. 50% of me is excited to go and the remainder of my outlook is dreading all the work a vacation with 3 young children entails.
Last edited:
Similar threads
