interesting rigging configuration

[murphy4trees]

I thought this was a particularly interesting rigging configuration. I really don't like using a bull rope.. reserve the heavy lines for blocking down a big spar. Have taken a page out of Reg's book and begun using two lowering lines for heavier pieces... I was swinging everything from this tree out to the left using the large limb on the left to pendulum all the wood and brush from the right side... I already have one line set in the tree.. it's just easier to set up a second 1/2" line than it is to switch out to a bull rope...

ON this day we were short on blocks as the truck I carry rigging gear in was in the shop. and we only had two blocks... time was extremely tight as we got on site at 3:45 and had to get out of the backyard before all day rain the following morning... Two blocks and one shackle was all I had..... Was using one line to hang the pieces on the right and then using the other rope to swing them left into the DZ..... Bucket was maxed out and I had to take two fairly large tops, which would have probably been OK on one rope, but the second rope made me feel that much better.. USing the shackle as one high rigging point and going NC old school but hitch on the other..

Its easier to look at the wide pic (oak rig 4) on a big screen , zoom in and pan around to see the configuration. I went from the lower block out to a NC limb on the left, then up to the shackle in order to reduce the bend ratio at the shackle...

 

[murphy4trees]

Here it is after the cut. check out the rope angle at he shackle,...

 

[murphy4trees]

The top going.. 26 seconds

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6csrjUssmaI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Mick!]

I can never really understand what's going where on these things, big piece though.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Same here.

 

[Grendel]

Cool Video Murph. Nothing really crazy going on there, aside from the size of the piece eh? You were just using two lines to catch the weight. Looks like you really spread out the loading through the structure, and kept a lot of rope in the system. very cool.

Do you set your hinge and then scoot back and wait? How do you trigger the fall? Curious as I've never used a bucket.

Cheers

 

[murphy4trees]

I can never really understand what's going where on these things, big piece though.

Understandable, I was the one that set it up and sometimes its hard for me to see what's going in these pics...

 

[murphy4trees]

Do you set your hinge and then scoot back and wait? How do you trigger the fall? Curious as I've never used a bucket.

Cheers

That's the idea.. I was out of the way so there would have been no danger in finishing the cut right awy. I wanted to get it on video though, so I cut till it just started to move, backed the bucket off to get wide enough and pullled out the phone. I;ve tried this a umber of times in the past and they usually go as I fumble for the camera or record button.. BUT this one hung on just long enough to get the phone out.. there was a little head breeze, that stopped just as I started recording and a few seconds later she let go. The video is unedited.. perfect timing... that was just the way things were going that day...

Is there anyone out there that would take a piece like that on one 1/2" rope???

 

[PCTREE]

I would take that piece on one rope all day long.

As long as it was under your insurance obviously.

 

[Mick!]

Ha ha, on a separate note, I've had a few "issues" when a large piece slams into the trunk sending small roof piercing projectiles incredible distances after inpact.

 

[murphy4trees]

I would take that piece on one rope all day long.

As long as it was under your insurance obviously.

That's not the question... one "HALF INCH" rope???

 

[Altissimus]

Looked almost like the secret cut

 

[chris_girard]

Nice job Murph, using the gear that you had on hand. Good use of multiple rigging points to spread the reaction forces around the different rigging points. Using a 12 strand rigging line for the natural crotch rigging point. No big worry with the tighter than usual bend radius using the shackle, as the load is being shared with the other lowering line. All in all, seems fine to me. I would use this setup without any worries.

NO, I would not use a single 1/2" line on this particular setup though...unless I could really have let it run, which obviously you couldn't.

 

[mistahbenn]

Is there anyone out there that would take a piece like that on one 1/2" rope???

Yes Ive done big bits with 1/2, but for extra large bits I go to 5/8

 

[treesmith]

Is there anyone out there that would take a piece like that on one 1/2" rope???

Not without allowing it to run, for sure. I might have hung the medium portie at the cut, taken four wraps and let it go.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Hypothetically, with NO OTHER CHOICE but to rig it with that one shackle and a sling, and one 1/2" rope, right then, right there, I might have used a Double-whip tackle, attaching the wood to the 1/2" rigging rope with the sling and shackle, with the working portion of the rope run through the crown for dampening/ energy dispersal, and vector optimization.



If I had NO CHOICE, I might suicide cut it (top cut only), trying to hang the top on the tree itself, slowly peeling over.

I would put a "smiley face" kerf cut 180 degrees on the underside of the limb, above the rigging crotch, to separate the wood fiber on the underside of the limb, above and below the cut.

Then, to fight a barber chair, I'd tie off the rigging line with a long tail, allowing the excess tail to be used to wrap the stem many, many times, above the area for the top cut.

I'd back out with the bucket, and use a pole saw to cut from the top side only, on an angle, with the top of the bar "down grain/ down hill" and the bottom of the bar "up grain/ uphill". As it splits, absorbing energy, that bar orientation will avoid becoming pinched (at least in some species). The many wraps of the rope will spread the force of the piece wanting to barberchair.

 

[murphy4trees]

what's a pole saw??

 

[MasterBlaster]

The 'lil brother of a power pruner.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

I mean pole chainsaw, not a manual.

Not necessarily sticking with one top cut. Adjust as needed.

 

[RegC]

That's not the question... one "HALF INCH" rope???

Yep. Both ends. That count ?

 

[murphy4trees]

nice PIC Reg!

 

[18 stoner]

I realise this set up is hypothetical (or I hope so), but back in the real world, could we not just use a bigger rope or simply let it run?

 

[Chris E]

nice PIC Reg!

I realise this set up is hypothetical (or I hope so), but back in the real world, could we not just use a bigger rope or simply let it run?

I think it did happen IRL, I think so anyway

 

[mistahbenn]

IRL we all just cut down trees like normal, get paid and go home. If I showed you all my magic cuts and rigging then there wouldn't be any trees left

 

[Limbrat]

If I showed you all my magic cuts and rigging then there wouldn't be any trees left