Elm Removal Video, Lots of Rigging!

shankenstein

shankenstein

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Twin Cities

Here is a GoPro video edit from an elm removal we did recently. Lots of rigging, several different techniques. Some new for myself and my crew so you'll notice the lowering isn't quite as seamless as it could be. All in all, I was very happy with how the job went.

I enjoy watching the footage myself because I see things I would like to correct in the future. I won't point any of those things out yet though because I am very interested if any of you Buzzers have any thoughts or criticisms (regarding the tree work or th video editing). I'm experienced enough to be dangerous, but also young enough to realize that if I would like to continue doing this for a long time, I need to learn constantly.

Thanks for watching!
 
Looks pretty good.
Pointers that I see is play around with your facecuts. You can make swing cuts to direct the limb or log either into the rigging or away from the rigging depending on the objective. Larger faces will get the limb to move more before breaking into the ropes. I rather tip tie than balance if there is risk the limb will swing back into the tree (me). Some of the wood you had tied off in a near balance, when I would have put a marl or half hitch to top tie. This limits the helicoptering. If your not using friction make your face in the direction of the block, and as the wood tips the groundie can take the slack out. If using friction make your face greater than 90 but less than 180 to the block and the wood will lean into the rigging as the face closes.
Looks like you did good
 
I woulda done a lot different cuz of different styles but I doubt it would have been any more controlled, that all looked very smooth man.
You transferred some long pieces over the fence which was awesome. What made you decide to do it the way you did instead of conventional speedline?
 
evo said:
Looks pretty good.
Pointers that I see is play around with your facecuts. You can make swing cuts to direct the limb or log either into the rigging or away from the rigging depending on the objective. Larger faces will get the limb to move more before breaking into the ropes. I rather tip tie than balance if there is risk the limb will swing back into the tree (me). Some of the wood you had tied off in a near balance, when I would have put a marl or half hitch to top tie. This limits the helicoptering. If your not using friction make your face in the direction of the block, and as the wood tips the groundie can take the slack out. If using friction make your face greater than 90 but less than 180 to the block and the wood will lean into the rigging as the face closes.
Looks like you did good
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback! Those are good points you make and I will certainly take them into consideration. I wasn't terribly excited about the helicopter effect once the logs caught, especially as they're wrapping around the tree. I did intentionally attempt to balance some of the pieces because we were using friction and I thought that would enable the hinge to function a little better on its own, as opposed to tip tying. I think for me, probably mastering the perfect cut for those tip tie scenarios on multi-lead trees will make it a smoother operation. I have found that I like a humboldt style face cut to help those pieces roll off, but I'm not used to making one so I constantly have to remind myself to use it.

Thanks again!
 
CutHighnLetFly said:
I woulda done a lot different cuz of different styles but I doubt it would have been any more controlled, that all looked very smooth man.
You transferred some long pieces over the fence which was awesome. What made you decide to do it the way you did instead of conventional speedline?
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for the feedback. Honestly, a lot of trees around here are a little short so I don't encounter that many scenarios where I even have the opportunity to use a controlled speedline to move bigger pieces over a target. Also, for a controlled speedline, it seems like the best system is to be able to quickly tension the carrier-line after a piece is cut, before lowering it, with a GRCS or similar device. While we have a GRCS as of very recently, this removal pre-dated that purchase so we were only working with porto wraps for this job. One other thought is that once I had the retrievable lowering point set in the front yard tree (which we also pruned) and the primary rigging point set in the tree I was removing, those acted as the primary rigging points for the entire removal. Is there a formal name for this butt/tip line rigging system?

Do you think that I could have transported more of the tree into the front yard with the use of a controlled speedline? Now that we've got the GRCS that's definitely a rigging system I'd like to get more comfortable and efficient with.
 
shankenstein said:
Thanks a lot for the feedback. Honestly, a lot of trees around here are a little short so I don't encounter that many scenarios where I even have the opportunity to use a controlled speedline to move bigger pieces over a target. Also, for a controlled speedline, it seems like the best system is to be able to quickly tension the carrier-line after a piece is cut, before lowering it, with a GRCS or similar device. While we have a GRCS as of very recently, this removal pre-dated that purchase so we were only working with porto wraps for this job. One other thought is that once I had the retrievable lowering point set in the front yard tree (which we also pruned) and the primary rigging point set in the tree I was removing, those acted as the primary rigging points for the entire removal. Is there a formal name for this butt/tip line rigging system?

Do you think that I could have transported more of the tree into the front yard with the use of a controlled speedline? Now that we've got the GRCS that's definitely a rigging system I'd like to get more comfortable and efficient with.
Click to expand...
No I don't. I don't think I wpuld have don't a controlled one for that either from my couch perspective, which would have lead to more climbing and more cuts. Maybe control line on logs. I don't think I would have gotten more over the fence then you did, nor do I think it would have been faster, cuz that seemed to work well.
I use a 3:1 MA set up that allows the guy on the line to lift and bounce things around. I take off the progress capture so he can just dump the load whenever it's in the right spot.
Couldn't have moved pieces as big as you had cut tho doing it that way I don't think.
 
CutHighnLetFly said:
No I don't. I don't think I wpuld have don't a controlled one for that either from my couch perspective, which would have lead to more climbing and more cuts. Maybe control line on logs. I don't think I would have gotten more over the fence then you did, nor do I think it would have been faster, cuz that seemed to work well.
I use a 3:1 MA set up that allows the guy on the line to lift and bounce things around. I take off the progress capture so he can just dump the load whenever it's in the right spot.
Couldn't have moved pieces as big as you had cut tho doing it that way I don't think.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I didn't mean to ask about the controlled speedline in any sort of a competitive manner, Just curious about your thoughts because it wasn't a system i had really considered and you got me thinking.

That is nice to have a speedline system that can be bounced and manipulated by the groundie a bit because I've definitely seen (caused) some nasty hang-up mistakes with that system. I would like to find a nice, clear opportunity to use a controlled speedline system, tensioned by the GRCS, because I know you could static rig some big pieces and even transport them pretty far distances. Thanks again for the feedback.
 
Didn't feel you asked in a competitive manner, just was trying to reply in a way that compared the two methods.
The 3:1 deal without any progress capture removed is cool. Add a porti and homeboy tension up, hold, then quickly release a pretty heavy load. If it's a separate MA set up you just clip onto the rigging line, man it becomes a fast set up you can get out of the way, say if the rope was going to be in the way of dragging or chipping material.
Either way, I still enjoyed watching your footage, keep it coming!
 
You're sorta describing a drift-line scenario. Catch on the main rigging point
shankenstein said:
. Is there a formal name for this butt/tip line rigging system?

Do you think that I could have transported more of the tree into the front yard with the use of a controlled speedline? Now that we've got the GRCS that's definitely a rigging system I'd like to get more comfortable and efficient with.
Click to expand...

Drift lining is using two rigging points/ ropes so that when you lower out on the one (your backyard tree), gravity will swing the load toward the other tree (your front yard tree), on the taut rope of the front yard tree. Not exactly the tip/butt tie combo you specifically asked about, unless you meant it with the purpose of transferring loads to the front tree to advance the material.

If you have way to power-pull (GRCS, MA, machine) the front tree rigging line, you could easily pull in slack toward the front, as you let out slack on the backyard tree. This will definitely gain your horizontal ground.
 
southsoundtree said:
You're sorta describing a drift-line scenario. Catch on the main rigging point
Click to expand...

That's basically what I had in mind. Once my ground crew and I get used to using this system the lowering will become smoother and faster. Not a whole lot of drift going on in this removal, more of a catch then lower but it worked out because the shock load wasn't too excessive as a result of high rigging points. Didn't have access to a GRCS at the time but had we, I would have definitely mounted it on the front yard point and I'm sure we could have pulled more stuff into the front. Thanks!
 
southsoundtree said:
You're sorta describing a drift-line scenario. Catch on the main rigging point


Drift lining is using two rigging points/ ropes so that when you lower out on the one (your backyard tree), gravity will swing the load toward the other tree (your front yard tree), on the taut rope of the front yard tree. Not exactly the tip/butt tie combo you specifically asked about, unless you meant it with the purpose of transferring loads to the front tree to advance the material.

If you have way to power-pull (GRCS, MA, machine) the front tree rigging line, you could easily pull in slack toward the front, as you let out slack on the backyard tree. This will definitely gain your horizontal ground.
Click to expand...
That does work well. However you can gain more control. pick. and fly greater distances with a english reeve high line. Takes a crap load of rope but it can be a fun system, and works wonders on a bluff to get material up and over then down.
Some day I will post a simple way to set one up, with practice it can be easily deployed and run by a two person crew
 
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