The Official Work Pictures Thread

[MasterBlaster]

I had fun there!

 

[woodworkingboy]

Stephen, you could come to Japan anytime as the dead Pine specialist. Probably quite a reception at the airport!

Correct, Jed, often close to the ground is where the weakest part is from decay from water caused rot. Higher might just be dead and very dried out. It's a slight point of disagreement between myself and my partner at these sights, he wants to take on riskier jobs, and also brings in more work, having a connection to the maintenance company that contacts the owners.

Willie, Rich, kind of an abnormal thing sometimes going on with budgets. The justifiable higher tree removal fees is a good thought, but I'd say that around half the vacation homes in the area don't get used at all any longer, the generation that built them is old or past on, and their children aren't interested in coming out to clean and upkeep the places. You can sometimes smell the mold inside. The only reason that many of the owners even know about the tree situations, is that they get informed by a maintenance association that checks out the properties from time to time, or a neighbour might complain to the town office or something. After the home owner being informed, there might not ever be a reply. People who more readily use the homes will often go for a greater expense for upkeep, like the sometimes better method of craning out trees. Otherwise at best, instead of the possibility of a tree crashing even their unused home that they still pay property tax on, two guys making a couple hundred bucks each for a day or two is all that the owners will consider, doubling that or more with a crane charge makes for not getting hired. My buddy and i want the work, try to figure out ways to accommodate and get those bad boys down. Very few around who want to tackle it.

 

[treebilly]

Completely understand Jay. If I didn't need the money I sure wouldn't be out in this.

 

[Gallagher]

With three different wires running through it

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Jay, what have you figured out about fast pulling, like a vehicle with many redirects, or the mini-excavator arm?

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

A big cottonwood fell, snapping off on the roof, with the top flopping over backward, both pieces barely, barely clearing the back wall of the house. Two bbq's lost. The CW tipped over an alder.

I chained the base, marked the top and bottom of the cracks with a kerf, and drew some kerf across the open crack to monitor relative movement by seeing the two sides becoming offset from the original line.

Two SRT lines kept me above this alder which had a trunk laid up on both sides of hemlock trunk.


AFTER shot, note the moved kerfs on the two sides of the crack.

BEFORE shot.


This was a tall spindly forest alder, reasonably tall, as alders go. 90' maybe.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Honestly, Sean, haven't explored fast pulling yet. Both my partner and I have small trucks and light in the rear end. At least if one were a Honda model they have their engines under the bed way in back. You figure an excavator as a fast puller. I'm not clear trying to picture that. Certainly faster than the Tirfors or Maasdam that we utilise (bless 'em). You are right though, there are cases where a fast pull would be a big asset. It isn't uncommon to have two pullers working in different directions, and it can be a pull a little more on one and release a little more on the other scenario going. It's a widening bag of tricks by trying to stay ahead of failure.

 

[cory]

I'd say it's not your problem they haven't budgeted, bid it for what it takes, you might be surprised.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Well, one thing is for certain, it's easier to not feel sorry for someone when they have rejected a modest estimate without even considering a full blown one with a crane, and their house gets smashed when a big wind comes up.

 

[Jed]

Completely understand Jay. If I didn't need the money I sure wouldn't be out in this.View attachment 64793

Looks like you were in the truck to me dude.

 

[treebilly]

Change of gloves and a sip of coffee while jimmy gased up the 201.

 

[treebilly]

Only pics I got of today's removal. It went well but slow once we got to big wood. Had to hang some big chunks and then float them over the ditch with the winch and bobcat. Cleaned up in the dark again
Sorry forgot to edit the photos before loading

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Jay, from my armchair, I would imagine that an operator can start out extended toward a redirectional block, and swing the whole operation 180 degrees. If there isn't space to swing wide-open, I imagine that starting out fully extended toward the block, a good operator could pull the boom in, swing, then extend the boom out, smoothly. Also, they can continue with the tracks to continue pulling, or vice versa.

How much "throw" do you think you need to flip these trees? A mini might have a 12-15' boom extension, right? Not quite that far to an anchor-able point on the boom, I'd think.

 

[Jed]

Dark-thirty Rich what the heck, man... I'd a drug up on you boys by then. You guys are some hard workers. Nasty day.

Sean: Nasty Alder.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Sean, getting handy with an excavator could likely help as you describe. One thing though, the big eight thousand dollar mistake was when pulling and not sufficiently taking into account the lack of speed to cover side drift from a big limb. Obviously a not repeatable offence. With these chaotic woods growth about, missing your mark by much can change your karma. The old dominoes theory.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Pictures got screwed up. First picture is 'after'. You can see the movement of the kerf across the crack. When a crack closes, you don't have the same visual reference point. I just tried it for the first time, helping Gary to monitor the stump.

I was able to whittle off the left trunk, first. Since I couldn't take a big top, due to the fence and landscaping, I wanted to be sure to get up really close to the High TIP in the hemlock, and be sure the top wasn't supporting more than I might expect, so I was wobbling up a 2.5-3" alder stem, on tree spurs (should have put on my pole spurs for sure).

I realized that having a Pantin on to advance my main climb line, while on tree spurs, in a wobbly/ leaning situation, was dicey. I couldn't simply keep my feet apart if I were to fall.

Also, two bridges would have been better on this occasion. Normally, I fly a double bridge ring. I'm hoping to find out the right size ring that Dave uses with the Petzl Fixe pulley before buying two. I think the MCRS might have come with a DMM bridge ring, stock, but was switched out by the original purchaser.

 

[treebilly]

We're just racking up the OT lately Jed. The big push before winter hits. My crew will work steady through winter but there is always a few under 40 hour weeks. Just adding a bit of cushion. That and we are slammed right now
Jay I agree that speed when pulling can help but it's nearly impossible to beat gravity. You've got a tough scenario out in the woods. Setting guy lines would help but with all the other trees in the way it's not easy.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Jay, did you see the Tight Lining, P 359 (my edition at least) FOGT?

 

[Fiddler]

Little bit of fire-wooding from yesterday


And a crappy pic of this afternoons crappy Conifer
.

 

[Jed]

What kind of Firewood is that Dave?

 

[Fiddler]

Jed, It's Ash that we took down for a farmer earlier this Summer. He had knee surgery and couldn't cut it up so I volunteered...grand kids will load split and stack it for him.

 

[Fiddler]

Customer sent me a few pics from last week.

 

[treebilly]

My two poplar removals today. Well the logs and stumps any how. thats my elevator in action. Not me in it though. The ground man thought it funny to send me a pic. Off to Pittsburg now

 

[Mick!]

Even if there are no comments, the WPT is the mutt's nuts. Keep 'em coming.

 

[Fiddler]

and a few more...last one is my "one cut to go for the day" look