123, a dead stringy bark tree.

[Stihlmadd]

first climb back after my appendix op.
customer wanted the extremities reduced to make safe until they and their neighbours can arrange to
do a full crane removal.

 

[robinia]

Nice work. Thanks for the vid.

 

[Stihlmadd]

Thankyou Robinia it went down pretty well given the circumstances.

 

[Adkpk]

What is a stringy bark tree? And what do you think was the reason it died? Good stuff, thanks again Stihlmadd.

 

[Stihlmadd]

Adkpk the messmate obliqua. as wiki knows it -

Eucalyptus obliqua, commonly known as Australian Oak, Brown Top, Brown Top Stringbark, Messmate, Messmate Stringybark
It grows as a tree up to 90 metres tall, with a trunk up to three metres in diameter. It has a lignotuber, so burnt or coppiced trees sometimes recover in mallee form. It has thick, rough, stringy bark, and glossy green leaves from six to 22 centimetres long, and 1½ to 7 centimetres wide. Inflorescences consist of seven to 15 white flowers. The fruits are barrel-shaped.[2] Currently, the tallest known specimen is 86 m tall and located in Tasmania.[3] Historically, qualified surveyors have documented trees up to 98.8 m (324 ft).

The decline seems normal as all other trees native or introduced in the area surrounding this tree showed no signs of pest, disease or water shortage stress.
this one just went to the maker on it's own accord.
If you have seen Sherbrooke trees vid Lake Tahune in Tasmania? that is stringy's at their biggest and baddest - dead horrible monsters.

 

[BrendanG]

Stihlmadd, whilst you obviously know your way around a tree and how to rig one down, and I myself have absolutely no knowledge of how this species of tree reacts dead or alive, I cant help but wonder if there was a safer option here. The canopy of the other surrounding trees looked like there was a possibility to tie in somewhere else, maybe even setting a floating false crotch, perhaps the camera angle was deceiving ???

 

[Stihlmadd]

G'day BrendanG,
I think you are seeing the site correctly, midpoint/floating false crotch could have been employed without interfering till the end where I bombed down the remaining leaders, a tower was also doable given the space available in the neighbours yard. The timber was still sound and we checked the strength of the base and frame before ascending.
not saying that I couldn't have done this job any safer or employed a better style to accomplish the work but as a contract climber you end improvising strategy on the fly working within allocated time frame and resources available on site. I always have right of refusal if something deeply disturbs me about amy particular climb and we discuss between the crew before
starting any concerns raised about the techniques being practised on that site.
with that behind me I run a risk calculation based on experience and observation and have turned down this type of tree before when it has not been safe within a reasonable margin to
climb them and will do so again.
welcome to the Buzz
Ben.