How'd it go today?

[lumberjack]

Ah, the perils of doing your own work LJ. Nice pictures widow shooter.

Hell the local dealer is the one that orders parts for me. Some DA at the distributer put the lifter part number sticker on the rear seal, and it was the same one that picked a valve instead of a lifter.

If this was getting done at the dealer it'd be next Wed before I got the grinder back, at the earliest.

 

[Blinky]

I f you get a sore throat with that stuffy nose Ranger, go see a doc. We've got lots of cases of H1N1 around here, mostly in schools.

One day on Cipro and I'm practically at full strength... amazing stuff. I've been working all day and I feel fine. Booked three jobs(one's a doozy), finished one off and bagged a cat... that's a good day no matter what.

And Brendon, payment on completion. If you see'em getting ready to leave right before you finish, run'em down and get a check. This is not a net 30 business, it's a service. The perceived value of a service drops like a rock a few hours after it's done.

I feel so much better!

 

[squisher]

Last three days I've been working on a overgrown fence. Not something I normally do, but when the call came I was not really that booked up. Crappy work but it pays ok, when I finish it up next week I'll try and remember to grab a few shots. I'm kind of doing this to get in with the property owner. Today I was guesstimating their lakefront estate to be worth around 10mil. They have alot of nice bigger older mature trees and will be needing real tree work done overtime, so I just knuckle down and brush back this wild rose infested fence.


Widow, I hear what you're saying, I usually try to steer people away from those kind of trims because imo they've just greatly increased their risk for damage from a failed lead. When the tree is close to the house it doesn't fall as far.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

That is usually how it will play out too Squish... DO the fence and I sorta mention my observations in standing with the HO..
Amazing how many trees end up being trimmed through the crap work

 

[squisher]

This fenceline has been brutal. Totally overgrown with wild rose, some of it 15'-20' high and atleast three inch DBH. My uncle man who's 62 has really laid the hammer down on this job, he's a bull. I can't beleive how hard that man can work at his age. His excuse is he doesn't want to have to do this job for a minute longer than possible. I made him take a couple of breaks today.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Sounds like my black berry work here. I totally relate.. And I hate wild rose too... lemme get some pics for ya my friend.... Show ya sumptin

 

[MasterBlaster]

Dad guesses he did too hard a pull because the stem hit on the top and flipped over, smashing the 361 with the butt end.

RD, it had nothing to do with the groundie other than he allowed equipment in the LZ.

Your Pops needs to review chapter 17 in G.F. Beranek's The Fundamentals Of General Tree Work. In that chapter the concepts of Ratio Values are discussed. That chapter has helped me immensely when pulling over long spars. I especially love the Ratio Of .50, and use it all the time.

 

[SkwerI]

I've never known the ratios, but I just sorta visualize the piece going over and can approximate the correct length to make it land flat. It's easier out of the bucket because I can push it with my free hand to speed up or slow down the flip. But I'm also normally cutting 6'-8' pieces, not 20' poles.

Gonna pull out my book and review chapter 17 tonight.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Here you go Squish..... Some of these may look very familiar... They work well on things with thorns.. Add a chainsaw and even a welders vest with sleeves and you will have less blood letting going on

McCloud, old style long tine potato fork and manure fork.. The first two are great for pulling the nasties back away from the saw man at a distance so he/she can cut.... Old fashioned means 8-10 inch sharp tine...

Couple of different blades for a brush cutter .... The hook tooth can be sharpened with a 5/32 file and will cut 3" if you are careful and persistent... The other blade on up to 1/2 for cutting your way in if needed...

Wand with a pole saw attachment for reaching in... Brush cutter for blade and string as necessary... Power hedge trimmer.. Slice and dice mang! Power scythe attachment for the brush cutter works well also.. will also cut fence if not careful Loppers .. pruners... and your handy dandy Silky or....

Used in combined effort.. you will save your marrow from having to make more red stuff

 

[squisher]

Cutting large pieces and getting them to land flat takes real talent. You need to know your lengths and your notchs. Jerry's book is the best reference I've ever read giving insight into the process.

 

[squisher]

Awesome Stephen, althoug I hope not to become to well schooled in this procedure. I've been using saws and pitch forks.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

If you have the power hedge trimmer.. It will take all the nasty small stuff out of your way... I use mine like a machete... then I just rake the nasty up and move it with the pitchfork. Rather amazing in it's effectiveness.

What also surprises me is the actual efficiency of loppers and pruners.

 

[PCTREE]

One thing that I will do, which always frieks out the out the spectators, is if Im cutting a log out that you know isnt going to make a full revolution before it hits is cut it til its ready to be pulled (obviously groundie has to be on same page) then move around infront of notch and as piece is pulled over push up on but end to flip it over quicker. Everybody thinks this is crazy as you are going to get crushed but you dont.......

 

[Jonseredbred]

Are you serious?

 

[Al Smith]

I going to the rental place directly and get the big air compresser I reserved .

Time to blow the sand out of the well which should be interesting and has taken on a carnival atmosphere .Several people will be in attendance to watch this spectacle .I'll take some pictures which if all goes well should resemble "old Faithfull "

 

[vharrison]

We are going to see if the weather permits us to get out on the water. I am going to try and spear a fish this weekend! My goal is to pop a hogfish!

 

[MasterBlaster]

My goal is to pop a hogfish!

That sounds odd!

 

[PCTREE]

Are you serious?

Yup, it works great!

 

[MasterBlaster]

If I'm understanding right, I've done the same thing.

 

[Che]

Ask John to take some pictures for us, Gigi. Have fun!

 

[rangerdanger]

Had a decent day today. Had McDonalds for breakfest, and met Mike early to look at trees for the comp. By the time the others got there, we had a pretty good idea of what trees could be used for what. We ended up picking out all the trees today, and got 2 of the events ready. This is going to be one killer comp!!!

Also almost did my first work climb event. We set all the tape up for the stations, and one climber did it, and after lunch, as I was working my way up, I started getting sick. Ended up going up for nothing. Did not want to start puking 65 feet in a tree

But since its all set up, Mike and I are going back one day to try and run it before the comp.(hopefully when I get over this bug or whatever I've picked up)

 

[lumberjack]

Got as much of the engine back together as I can on the stand. Assuming it's not raining, I'm changing shirts and going to hang it back on the tractor so I can put the flywheel/adapter and pump back on to round out the work for today.

 

[SkwerI]

A long day here, but not difficult. I started out with what was supposed to be a quick 1 hour job safety pruning two big oaks about a mile away from my house. There were some issues not visible from the ground and I ended up spending just over 2 hours there.

Then I came home, hooked up my lil trailer and headed to Titusville with a buddy to go cut down a pine tree for an old customer. With driving and dumping and a quick lunch, we didn't get back until after 4pm. And I left my throwline bucket (with two throwbags and 3 carabiners) at the job. I may have to make another 95 mile round trip in order to retrieve the gear, or spend about $85 replacing it (add it up).

 

[stehansen]

89.4 cents per mile.

My stump grinding for one of my competitors fell through. He didn't get finished taking the tree down. So I'm supposed to do it tomorrow, or he offered to take my grinder and do it and then pay me the same money which is two hundred.

 

[Blinky]

Ranger... stay ahead of the hydration curve my man... and stop eating that shite from McDonalds before you climb. I thought you wanted to improve your physical condition?

Can they mail that stuff to you Brian? Seems like a no win otherwise.

I had one of those quickies that turned into 2 hours today too. Went up a monster Q. falcata... 60" dba, used to be a bit over 100'. A lightning hit collapsed most of the top 30' of central leader but left a 20' or 30' piece still attached but blown to hell... no high TIP for that. All the rest is in a twisted mess balanced on a couple of branches but definitely weight biased to one side. One disconnected hanger is 24" at the butt, tons of residual stresses and 5" diameter spring poles in the mix.
It's NOLA all over again but at 70' instead of 40'.

It was spooky trying to move around in all that, it only shifted a little once though. I originally figured an hour or so to drop the dead stuff and another one or two hours on the bark tracing. It's more like a full day or more cuz it's so sketchy.
It just didn't look that big from the deck.

Pics later.

LJ, I should have something say about that rebuild you're going through but I just don't remember jackshit about engines. Excellent pics though.