How'd it go today?

[pigwot]

Today I am refinishing a newborn crib I made 38 years ago which our two youngest daughters each slept in for their first few months, then used by our oldest grandchild. Now readying it for our ‘second son*’ and his wife, who are expecting their first.

*(his father died when he was a teen and we sorta adopted him. I officiated at his wedding two years ago this coming April).

 

[Burnham]

Do you have any material moving machines there?

I don't have a machine of that nature. There are a couple of small tractors with front end loader buckets that neighbors own and that I have borrowed a time or two over the years. But this area is down in the riparian flat alongside the little creek we have, and is still fairly well treed with alders, western red cedars (mostly planted by us years ago) and willow. Too wet and too tight for most machines unless it was a tracked mini skid...even then, difficult to access.

So, we are doing it all by hand. The big wood will just stay in place for the most part. There are many, many branches to pick up, reduce in length, and pile for either wildlife habitat or future burning. Prime tools are MS200 rear handle, hand saw, loppers, hand pruners, and occasional pole saw.

The whole project is somewhat more of a mess to clean up since we had the ultra-high water a few weeks back that I posted a few pics of. That moved a lot of stuff around, covering much of the downed cottonwood tops in masses of soggy leaves.

Maybe I'll see about a few pictures at some point. We're taking it as it comes...plenty of time in our current schedule .

 

[davidwyby]

Looky what I got

 

[Burnham]

What is it?

 

[davidwyby]

What is it?

Some kind of fiberglass telescoping tool I think the power companies use. I’m thinking about using it to set pull lines.

 

[Cobleskill]

Hot stick. Pulls switches, fuses.

 

[SeanKroll]

Some kind of fiberglass telescoping tool I think the power companies use. I’m thinking about using it to set pull lines.

Throw lines are very worth learning to use. Highly advisable, imho.

Better to have a pole than nothing.

 

[Cobleskill]

He could easily make an APTA. Throwing and even the Big Shot take some time to learn. I would like to own an APTA.

 

[SeanKroll]

I think there are better valves than the APTA original ball valve, which seems worn on mineafter years of occasional/ regular use

 

[flushcut]

I think there are better valves than the APTA original ball valve, which seems worn on mineafter years of occasional/ regular use

I don’t know you are on TikTok but their shop/store has tire bead seaters for under $100 and have a push button release. Add a tube and you are golden. A lot of the videos are of spud guns but basically the same thing as a launcher.

 

[davidwyby]

Throw lines are very worth learning to use. Highly advisable, imho.

Better to have a pole than nothing.

When I’m pulling, I’m pulling with cable or 1.25”
Bullrope…usually have something to get me up there, and specific ways and places I need to attach to.

I wrapped this whole tree with the rope today half way up. Too branchy for a throw, no single stem strong enough.

I see maybe throwing for a climb line and then setting the pull rope while climbing.

 

[davidwyby]

About 48” dbh

The tree fell on the face cut wedge and squirted it back up into place on the stump. I was dumbfounded.



View attachment IMG_1053.mov
View attachment ScreenRecording_02-08-2026 18-41-53_1.mov



Soak the aches away…

 

[Burnham]

What you can do with a solid skillset in using a throwline (and multiple throwlines) is pretty much only limited by your imagination and doggedness.

What you describe is within that range, maybe not even much of a challenge @davidwyby.


Boy, you are really getting a lot of use out of that tele. Sweet. There is an example of my own imagination falling short...I wouldn't have thought it very useful, as a tree tool. Well done.

 

[davidwyby]

26,000lbs of iron is 26,000 lbs.

I broke all the canopy branches off and shoved to the side once down, no cutting.

Hard, brittle. Several breaks like this. 18-24” dia





Tree probably could have been mostly pieced down from a taller bucket or climber. The 38’ tele wasn’t nearly tall enough.

…but I’m a faller, not a climber.

 

[davidwyby]

Yesterday

Tree was a sketchy poop piñata