Vertical speedline

  • Thread starter Thread starter pantheraba
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 55
  • Views Views 7K
I used a vertical speedline on a Silver Maple I was trimming the other day. I was working a lead off the house and had the perfect senario for it. After butt hitching the tops out I rigged up the vertical line to let some smaller branches zip down as to not bounce into the house. I already had the line from butt hitching so I told the groundman to hold it tight and watch his nutz.

I also used it before on a White Pine takedown, zipping branches down on the house side.

Nice video. Just let em' fly, the vertical speedline has almost no load on it aside from a little side pull.
 
I still don't understand the logic to it. Why does it have to "speedline" to the ground? If it already has a rope on it, why not control the descent?
 
Butch, it has to speedline to make sure it doesn't defy gravity or float away horizontally.

Other than keeping stuff from rolling down a slope, I can't see the logic.

.02
 
Looked like all kinds of fun Gary:\:
I don't think I could get my feet that far apart with gaffs on:lol: Jeez!!!!!!

As for the chain, also check the bearing on the clutch. If it's worn the sprocket can wobble and the chain will tighten and loosten up on it's own.
 
to stop a bad bounce or deflection on the root crown into a nearby structure. faster than roping and like gary, you can do it alone if need be
 
Thanks for sharing; This is another tool to keep in your bag of tricks for those special circumstances. ;)
 
This is a good trick for certain stuff, especially if you can set from air. i'd usually go with a near vertical, that took debris outside of plants around base of tree. Kinda call it a gravity bender(try getting guy that couldn't find sky hook to get gravity bender next day!) for that. This can help limit damage of certain hazards, and help on clean up and travel around said hazards too. Sometimes would lower a limb almost to laying flat on ground, with rope at an angle. A good branch's weight can set a tight line. Then (near) vertical speedline stiff down, over the hazard, and with some luck 'into the basket' /sled of first / heaviest branch to be ready to drag by truck etc.

Or, reverse to lower as protection bridge over danger zone and drop everything on that protection, can still fold back for fair sledding especially if last branch is fair size. Not lowering first branch all the way flat, keeps some tension on line. 2 good trix while doing a small job while crew is cleaning up primary etc. Also, to lower first branch to top of roof with bad ground access, where i'd lower to there, descend to roof and pitch debris off somewhere else etc.
 
MasterBlaster said:
When in doubt, rope it out.




I still don't get why it has to free fall like that. What's the rush? Lowering might add 10 seconds to it???
Click to expand...

No need to rope big wood if there's a good drop zone....but when there's a slope, and you're worried about the wood taking off, that's where the vert speed line shines. Just have to put a sling on the load, then clip that to the line with a beefy biner. The line will be relatively tight, as will take no load unless the log or branch decides to move against it.

It is easy to adjust with a portawrap, and the portawrap can usually be located where the log won't hit it.....and if it did, it would likely do no damage unless it really whacked one of the ears....
 
rbtree said:
No need to rope big wood if there's a good drop zone....but when there's a slope, and you're worried about the wood taking off, that's where the vert speed line shines. Just have to put a sling on the load, then clip that to the line with a beefy biner. The line will be relatively tight, as will take no load unless the log or branch decides to move against it.

It is easy to adjust with a portawrap, and the portawrap can usually be located where the log won't hit it.....and if it did, it would likely do no damage unless it really whacked one of the ears....
Click to expand...


Ok, I read all that and I still don't see a reason for letting it "speedline" to the LZ.

:what:
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #39
cutitup said:
Thanks for posting Gary. I always enjoy your vids.
Click to expand...

Thanks, cutitup....I appreciate the feedback folks give, I always learn something from you guys. 8)

MB, as close as the tree is to the house, I was not sure what limbs would do when I cut them free. I had folks nearby for emergencies but no one to be groundie and lower limbs...it was a way to control descent and landing from the tree. I do not always have the luxury of a ground person.

I bombed down some pretty big chunks (for me), some 4', some 6', 14" - 22" diameter, from about 50 feet up with no speedline. One of them bounced about 10 feet and cranged off a 55 gal. plastic barrel I had protecting the slide (had 3 of them there)...it's that kind of wood missile that I was worried about. The others just made a big "thud" and crater in the ground.
 
When I rope a limb, I don't let it burn my rope/fall uncontrolled. I regulate the rate of fall, the descent.

Lordy, I can't believe ya'll don't see it.
 
The rope doesn't burn because the rope is not moving. The rope is secured at both ends and the limb or chunk is attached with a sling and biner. The biner slides down the rope and doesn't burn it.
 
rbtree said:
Good thread.

I use a portawarap at the base of the tree to adjust the vert speed line.
Click to expand...

I was just thinking that the PW would be a good way to clean up what is happening up top.

I'll keep this one in mind. I could see a use for it around here every once in a while.

Thanks, dudes!

love
nick
 
This is the first time I've heard of such a thing, but I have used a version of this before to brush out and block down a tree that I really should have used a crane on. It was beginning to uproot and leaning toward a house, over a retaining wall and driveway/garage. I thought it was more of a conventional speedline, but I was trying to keep things up hill from the tree and trying not to load the tree in a way that would pull it toward the lean. So I set up a speedline going away from the lean, and I had the groundies leave it VERY slack so the pieces would just barely be guided up hill and pulling the tree counter to the lean if at all. Here is a pic. ...you can sort of make me out way up in the top. ...scary tree for me at the time...
 

Attachments

  • Tree Crew Training (3.1).jpg
    Tree Crew Training (3.1).jpg
    469.3 KB · Views: 8
MasterBlaster said:
When I rope a limb, I don't let it burn my rope/fall uncontrolled. I regulate the rate of fall, the descent.

Lordy, I can't believe ya'll don't see it.
Click to expand...

in order to rope it you need a groundie or you climb up and down for each piece as opposed to just clipping another biner and another....
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #50
Wagnaw said:
It was beginning to uproot and leaning toward a house, over a retaining wall and driveway/garage. ..... So I set up a speedline going away from the lean, and I had the groundies leave it VERY slack so the pieces would just barely be guided up hill and pulling the tree counter to the lean if at all. Here is a pic. ...you can sort of make me out way up in the top. ...scary tree for me at the time...
Click to expand...

And it looks like no other tall trees nearby to tie in to...did you guy the tree away from the lean? A similar tree I had recently I guyed back and put in a high line to work off of. Good deal with the minimal stress zipline.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

MasterBlaster
Thoughts?
Replies
24
Views
3K
pantheraba
pantheraba
Oxman
Climbing the nine foot Black Fox Sugar Pine
Replies
23
Views
4K
Oxman
Oxman
pantheraba
Rope climbing
Replies
18
Views
4K
pantheraba
pantheraba
pantheraba
Takedown - leaning ivy covered oak
Replies
18
Views
2K
sotc
sotc
pantheraba
Zipline - simple - bird sound?
Replies
14
Views
3K
Paul B
Paul B
Back
Top