Tree felling vids

Frax said:
Yeah, he does.

I don't know these eastern pines, how they should feel dead or alive so he went up first to make sure. It was solid. In fact damn solid. The main thing was staying gaffed in. It was dead of pine beetle and there was no significant rot we could detect. I got up to about 85 feet to tie on the rope and it was full of holes but pretty solid even up there.
Click to expand...

Good job.

When I lived and worked in SE OK, most of the pines (Shortleaf) there were either stone solid or had heart rot.
 
This Cypress was added to the end of the Pine removal at the temple. I've had good luck with this cut when using a crane. A plunge cut generally towards the crane or in it's general direction, with the far side opened up more. The cut angled like that makes it easier to release when pulling the tree over, and less pressure on the bar. Cut down from the sides to release. A little more time to do than the conventional cut straight across the bottom, but I like it for ease in freeing up a stuck saw, and depending how the boom is positioned, you can tailor how the tree exits the cut. On the left here was a small delicate structure. With that much cut away, you can pull the tree around and the remaining attached fibers will stretch....even tear away sometimes. By leaving three ears requiring three slanting cuts to trip instead of two, you can hold the butt in place for a controlled vertical lift, helpful for trees up against buildings and such. I like the control it gives. Not such a good job here getting everything even, but I think you can get the idea. With an observant operator that knows what is being done, the coordination and shifting of the lean goes smooth and effortlessly, and the saw seldom gets stuck, as it did here, or a minor delay. Most guys think it is unnecessary effort, but I like the advantages it gives, and trying to get precision. A little novelty almost setting the tree on fire at our tea spot that the priest's wife had set up for us. The Hinoki leaves catch quickly. It could have been wild! :D

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2oLOu_3xoE8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Yeah, not really sure what the operator was thinking there. Pyromaniac? He did look cold in the cab, I saw him rubbing his hands. :lol:
 
but of course shortly there after, planning is everything! I was wondering what she had to chew on, why I looked in the basket. Some sweet bean thing they like. Not complaining....much. :)
 
Dried squid too! Tea is big, the world stops at 10 and 3. Lots of variations. Nice lady to stand out there in the cold and help where she could. Even untied some ropes, raked up, etc. I think a priest's wife is used to offering assistance of one kind or another They have a pretty good life thanks to the good graces of others.
 
Some jobs stick out in my memory where folks were especially kind and generous. One place in particular, a farmhouse, where great tasting food was abundant including ice cream, then when we left they had given us big bottles of apple juice made from their orchard. A hot day, during lunch break they brought out a large electric fan to blow cool air over us under a pavilion they had arranged, including some mats for a snooze. Kind of spoiling though, wasn't so keen to go back to work. Genuinely appreciative in a largely demonstrated way. The nicest people, visiting and becoming friends would be an easy thing to do. Being from another place, it is still interesting to snoop around a bit and see how people live.
 
Why did the operator let the load drop to the ground like that? Why did it swing so far?

It should have magically lifted up and floated away. I see a crushed body part in that swung and drop scenario.

I'd have been pissed.
 
A little pull to one side with where the boom is, and an accommodating cut, gets the tree away from anything that could be damaged, in this case, something quite valuable behind. Yes, it was a bit over emphasized, and I get your concern with it, Butch. I respect your take, know you have done mucho crane aided removals. I knew which way the thing was going to swing, the reason why the cut gets opened more in that direction, and away from me, set up between the operator and myself before hand, or I can generally just look at the boom and see if there is some directional thing going on that he has in mind and can orient the cut, or ask him to move the boom a bit myself. If there is some confusion, will always clear the plan to eliminate concern. We've done many hundreds of trees together, and pretty clear communication with a hand signal or whatever, as to what is planned. Sop here. As you point out, a gentler lift is generally preferred. Will use a rope sometimes too, to hold a pick until the lift is deemed safe. No way that I would be cutting on the other side in a situation like that. I've had trees swing by me close with crane picks, too quick and little room to respond, definitely not a good thing. He didn't need so much lift in that case, but not a worry. He did bounce it, I dunno, cold or tired at the end of the day...? All in all, things generally go a bit smoother with a straight up lift. No biggee imo.
 
Thanks, Gary. By the way, your sticks are heading out when the oil dries. Not sure the finish was required since they will get skuffed up, but it might help protect to some extent. Sorry about the delay.
 
No worry on the delay...I'll be glad to work with them. I have your video on standby to work on your associate's technique. There have been a few times lately when I thought about using the sticks; I used my bamboo sticks a week or so ago when Hayden and I were about 15 feet up playing on a limb...it gave him a place for his feet on the trunk of the tree.
 
They do seem to have a logical place in tree work. The fellow in that vid, he has them attached to his saddle almost full time.
 
I have been pruning a tree before and really wished I had spurs when at certain places on the trunk or a sweeping upthrust limb..they would be useful there.

I suspect that as they are worked with they will become more useful as ideas on ways to use them develop.
 
A person can get quick with them too, Gary. He is very fluid with them, attached to a tree or back on his saddle in two winks.
 
If you ever get a chance to get more video of him in action, not just in a teaching mode, that would be good to see.

I have not heard of or seen anything like it before.
 
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