Nasty pine bid

[gf beranek]

"Recent dead" If I read Willie's first post right. It really shouldn't be too unsafe to climb within the first year. Lots of if's there, Was it a sound tree when it died? If so it's probably still safe enough to. A shake test, if permissible, could give clues to the soundness of the top to work in. If you have to go that high at all.

With the beetle kill here on the coast over the last 10 years I've climbed and wrecked out hundreds of dead pines and I walked away from many more than that. About 80 percent Bishop pine and the rest Monterey and lodge pole. With either species here they remain sound enough to fall or climb for at least 2 years after they die. The more mature ones anyway. And omitting any previous existing conditions.

Starting to sound like a damn insurance salesman.

Willie's smart, and either way he decides I am sure it will be a wise one.

 

[Old Monkey]

I trust Willie too.


Can a guy buy a life insurance policy on someone he's not related to? Just curious, no particular reason for asking.

 

[Newfie]

Only if you have a legitimate financial interest to protect. Cross your fingers when you joke like that.

 

[Old Monkey]

I'm more of a knock on wood kind of guy.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Here ya go Willie.....

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rWH3V6NUx7c?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rWH3V6NUx7c?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

 

[sotc]

I trust Willie too.


Can a guy buy a life insurance policy on someone he's not related to? Just curious, no particular reason for asking.

Haha, wanna loan me some dough?

 

[pete mctree]

I would gut the tree on the way up if I fealt the need. After that I would climb high as I dare and take it down in small pieces. Less stress & shock to the structure. Thinking about it I would leave the lower branches on if I could to reduce shake and excess oscillation

 

[Burnham]

Willie, you need to take the head off of a harvester and reengineer it to be a climbing robot. Wheels squeeze the trunk and the machine climbs the pole, limbing as it goes up, chunking as it comes down. 150' of hydraulic lines trailing from it might be hindrance though...

Back in the late 80's we were doing some experimentation with pruning conifer plantations to promote clear wood production. There was a powered tree climbing pruner that was developed in Europe, I think, that we had demoed for us. It had some problems, but the concept was cool. I think they are still being manufactured in Japan.

As I recall, it was called a Sachs Tree Monkey.

I found this link with Google.

http://www.chainsawcollectors.se/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4221&start=0

 

[sotc]

So the tree with the green arrow is 22"DBH and 105' tall. The tree with the yellow arrow is 21" and 120' tall. Red arrow is removal. Theres another tree they want down too but it has a much bigger tree beside it so should be easy. They are about 60' apart and would be pretty good anchors. I put in a verbal bid this AM and need to email off a formal quote. Only one other guy put in a bid and he "didn't want it" so mines healthy!

 

[Burnham]

That could well work, Willie. What about the lean in the yellow arrow tree...that any cause for concern?

When we set up the double tie in in that thread I started earlier this week, we also put a tag line on the climber and assigned one man to be responsible for pulling him out of the possible danger zone if he called for it. Our climber didn't use a lanyard to the leaner tree at all, but if you need one, make it a breakaway...I'm sure you thought of that already.

 

[Blinky]

Since it would take about 400' of rope I assume a highline is out but you could piece one together out of two climbing lines and a rigging line, if you have suitable anchor trees... cuz I'm liking the idea of climbing it and limbing on the way up and bombing a small top and little pieces... frisbees.

That's a nasty looking base though, how deep does the punky wood go? Around here pines will get triangular shaped decay columns that go all the way to the center but the rest of the tree is solid.

 

[sotc]

It is a serious lean but I think it is ok. I told them I would climb both with hooks to set my rigging, both have red turpentine pitch tubes at the bottom so will probably be fading out anyway ime. If they don't want to tear stuff up, i should make some good money. probably put one guyline or two on the way up. I have two hobbs I can borrow to tension guy lines, will buy a new grcs backing plate so I can have the winch on one and the bollard on the other for skyline

 

[woodworkingboy]

Yes, Burnham, those pruner machines are still made in Japan. To what extent they are used is unclear to me. There is a long history for growing straight clear conifers, Cypress in particular...Japanese Hinoki, a beautiful and sweet smelling wood for interior construction and baths, somewhat like Port Orford Cedar in appearance.

 

[Burnham]

I tried to find a video of the thing in operation...I know we were shown some vhs tapes before the demo. But no joy so far.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I've seen a video at a sight that sometimes auctions them. I'll try and find it.

 

[Burnham]

That would be great, Jay. Thanks.

 

[PCTREE]

Wonder if you could modify the "monkey gizmo" so it cuts the limbs on the way up and then the bar flips 90 and it cuts cookies on the way down

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Hope you can get some pics if you land the job Willie. Happy you sorted out the high line.

 

[murphy4trees]

Hope you get the job.. looks good.. you gonna tell the number once the check is in hand?

We deserve at least to listen to the jingle of your coins eh

Seems like the skyline is a good idea, so you can put the cash out for equipment that will keep working for you, rather than handing it to a crane op and watch it drive down the road permanently..

Even with the skyline though, you'll still be left with a big top if the tree is 160' and one of the skyline trees is only 105'.. I'd guess that you'll be using the skyline to set a couple back guys, and then heading a bit higher in the 160'er, before making taking the top out..

I'd be curious to know what Burnam or others think is the best kind of face and backcut to use to reduce force on a front leaner like that when taking out the top... Maybe better to cut a cos bay or simimlar rather than even bothering with a notch, which may casue the top to hold on longer than a cos bay, and thereby create the potential for more force on the base..

 

[SkwerI]

A Coos Bay cut doesn't make any sense at all here. That cut is for a completely different type of situation, a heavily loaded head leaner.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

You might get a long, thin drill bit to examine the insides of the base, and in case you come across some other compromised area up high?

Any thoughts on the cause of death of the tree, precipitating factors? Did you check the roots at all?

When do you think it might go down?

 

[sotc]

A Coos Bay cut doesn't make any sense at all here. That cut is for a completely different type of situation, a heavily loaded head leaner.

I agree, coos bay will tear down and stay attached far longer. The top swings back to where I want to fall it so I beleive I will face it up, and cut the back cut as fast as possible and a bit above, even cutting clear through the hinge once it is committed if it feels right.
I also intend to put a couple 4" ratchet straps at the base for grits and shiggles

 

[sotc]

Probed the roots, they must be deep. Assuming if it did die this year that beetles probably wintered over in it and it dried up as soon as things got warm. I imagine the top would come out of it in the next 2 years, never know how long the trunk will stand

 

[murphy4trees]

A Coos Bay cut doesn't make any sense at all here. That cut is for a completely different type of situation, a heavily loaded head leaner.

Ever use one to take out a top before? May not be what the cut was developed for, doesn't mean it won't work..

I have, and they can come off pretty smooth, though no guarentee. May depend on what type of wood fiber charactoristics. With dead pine, I'd expect it to let go with minimal pull.. the cut would just blow up.. might want to put some angle the cut as well, allowing the top to just drop with gravity. In any case it would be fun to guive it a try, when your life didn't depend on it working. A sharp saw tearing through the hinge before the face closes isn't a bad idea either...

 

[sotc]

So Dan, what would you charge me to come and do this tree if I get it?

Keeping this tidbit in mind of course

Nice to get the $$ when you can.. sometimes I bid a job like that a little low if needed, just to prove to myself that my way will work...