New to me way of chocking a log

[No_Bivy]

I would try them for log picks..... But spider legs can't be beat IMO. Fast, precise....no shock loading . Our crane operators love the way we do it. Most dudes here use single sling. Shit gets wild like that

Recent crane accident here involved single choker. Dead sycamore collapsed under it own weight. Landed on climber....lots of broken bones but got to live...


That's where spider legs excel. On really delicate stuff load is spread out. Ive picked VERY dead sections that seemed to float off tree.....when set down they collapsed under their own weight.

 

[Limbrat]

So are you using wire rope chokers on beams and pipe?

They are used on pipe and beams, double wrapped when they could slide

 

[BlackSmith]

If we have to use two chokers we'll place a short piece of 2x4 under the choker to get a bite, never double wrap it. I'm not trying to tell anybody how to do their job, just relating how I do mine. Some times I should just keep my mouth shut, ok, most of the time. The slightest accident on construction site any more is a big deal. It takes me a half hour every morning to fill out all the paper work before I even get out of the truck. Got a better chance of getting writers cramp that anything. The Feds have taken all the fun out of working, glad I'm about done.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Thanks. Interesting.

 

[DMc]

What do you guys think about these chains? http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=528&item=3456

 

[PCTREE]

They look like good chains but cost 2X the price of the ones I use, I would like to pick up that adjuster though. Also my chain has a higher rating for the same 5/16

 

[woodworkingboy]

Looks promising Paul, at least as far as the type of chain. Only two types of chain are graded for lifting, grade 80 and 100, and the 100 is considered a better one, as those are in your link. 100 is a newer type I believe, probably why they cost so much.

 

[old irish]

Chains aren't normally used in the woods. They may be rated but are only as strong as the weakest link. If you do careful inspections probably ok. One interesting thing about terminology: the picture shows a "bridle" not a "swede". A Swede is when you use two chokers, but place the nubbin in the opposite bell. This distributes the weight evenly so that one cable isn't being stressed more than the other making it stronger. Some old logger a lot smarter than me figured that out a long time ago, interesting.

 

[BlackSmith]

chain is a pita to inspect

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Chains aren't normally used in the woods. They may be rated but are only as strong as the weakest link. If you do careful inspections probably ok. One interesting thing about terminology: the picture shows a "bridle" not a "swede". A Swede is when you use two chokers, but place the nubbin in the opposite bell. This distributes the weight evenly so that one cable isn't being stressed more than the other making it stronger. Some old logger a lot smarter than me figured that out a long time ago, interesting.

Old Irish, are you saying that chain makes a bridle and choker's make a swede?

 

[old irish]

No, you can make a bridle with a chocker also. We used this method commonly in big wood. You could use chains to make a Swede as long as the hook is able to slip on the chain. So for the guys out there that are using chains you can in theory insure your strength rating better by using two chains attaching the slip hook to the opposite chain. That way you are pulling evenly with both. Make sense?

 

[sotc]

The chain is set up with running hooks in the picture...

 

[old irish]

Yes and that is a good thing. It isn't a true "Sweede" configuration, but I believe that a bridle is stronger than a single chain also. A Swede would have both slip hooks on the same side of the chunk, but that wouldn't work well in this application for picking straight up, a Swede is more for pulling.

 

[GrappleYarder]

They look like good chains but cost 2X the price of the ones I use, I would like to pick up that adjuster though. Also my chain has a higher rating for the same 5/16

Those are the chains we are using. Looking at the tags I think the rating is related to the 90 degree sling angle used. All the 5/16, Grade 100 components are rated to the same maximum load the sling is just derated for a very conservative lift angle.

I have tried looking for the sling components and priced them out, total price is reasonable. The website on the sling tag has the components for the adjusters, which in this style, I couldn't find in my searching.

 

[gf beranek]

A bridal setup can loose its strength whenever the angle of pull is not square to the configuration. It puts more strain on just one of the chokers. I've seen that happen when pulling big logs out of binds from bad angles. In such a situation a swede would be better, but with the swede strength can lost if one of the chokers is shorter than the other. There again more strain is put on just one choker in the configuration.

A side note about the bridal, the shorter the chokers are the more strain they put on a finger hook, as the eye of each choker bears opposite forces on the hook, trying to spread it apart, and those forces can break the hook. Again, I've seen it happen a few times on hard pulls out in the woods. Those forged and hardened steel finger hooks, when they break.. their tail ends fly through the air like speeding bullets. Would most surely kill a man. I've never found the part that breaks off.

At that time a finger hook for a D6 logging Cat cost about $400 bugs. That was 30 years ago. They are a bit more expensive today.

 

[PCTREE]

Just ordered one of these to try....

http://www.lift-it.com/products_detail.asp?product=424&category=31

 

[Reddog]

Looks easy to use than the old two method.

 

[old irish]

Cool. Wonder what they cost. Probably want the heaviest capacity.

 

[No_Bivy]

How do you avoid dropping them?

 

[Reddog]

Leave one of the thumb screws turned in, locking it to the chain.

 

[No_Bivy]

For sprawling pics, how do you rig chains? We always worry about the " flipper" with single leg. Spider legs seems to dominate. I tried the swede today with nyLon slings......didn't seem secure. Did I do something wrong?

 

[gf beranek]

Nice.

 

[PCTREE]

Nice looking picks John. I made a spider leg last night out of 3/4" tenex. Didn't get to use it yet.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Spider legs seem wicked when you need stability.

I think I'll have some pretty horizontal cottonwood to lift out. What are recommendations on spider leg slings? Are you clove hitching with two half hitches?

 

[MasterBlaster]

No way I would use those.

One sling, one cut.

Rinse and repeat...