A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits?

Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

It was a trick question KYlimb.

A 5K lb load after freefalling just 6 ft would need a rope rated at well over 40K lbs to handle it without snapping!

Catching logs over 1K lbs is scary enough!

The theme of this thread is how to safely CATCH bigwood.

jomoco
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

I'm very glad your sense of humor is safely intact and handled in a professionally co-ordinated manner KY!

jomoco
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

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I'm very glad your sense of humor is safely intact and handled in a professionally co-ordinated manner KY!

jomoco

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Sorry, it was too easy to pass up. I'll back out of this thread now.
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

Jomoco,

I like your idea and think it's a good one, but it seems that the frame would be a headache to attach and move down the tree as you work your way down. Each time it's moved down, the net/bag has to be rethreaded around the frame.

Rather than use the frame you described, wouldn't it be just as feasable to attach your block right below the biscuit, make your cut, slide the biscuit ablut 1/3 of the way off, (it wold have to be pushed off anyway to drop into the frame), then put the net/bag over the biscuit and cinch it tight before pushing it the rest of the way off? Just a thought, but it seems more user friendly.

I've always been able to bomb the biscuits out onto brush, but I'm sure there are places where that would not be feasable.
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

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I'm seriously considering buying a used industrial sewing machine and making my own nets out of rolls of nylon one inch tubular strapping.

A net that's 8-10 ft sq would be just about right with 3/8's steel rings along it's perimeter.

jomoco

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I've got a sailrite zig zag that could handle the job. Come on over!!!

love
nick
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

Thanks Nick, I've got a commercial helicopter cargo net manufacturer that's making me a custom net complete with forged steel rings for my first fullscale prototype.

If it works out like I expect it to in the tree, I may just take you up on your kind offer to keep my costs down.

My subscale testing thus far has already shown that the amount of rope necessary through the ringed perimeter of the net in it's open configuration equates to the amount of drop before it's caught/closed configuration, it will be a little under 20 feet from the block to the bottom of the net on the fullscale prototype. Definitely a big drawback in terms of shockloading and safe use at under 30 feet on the spar.

Bummer for sure, but it will still have it's uses at over 30 feet if it can take the loads without coming apart.

I should know more once it's tested in the field.

Do you know Gus Franklin at United Pacific Nick?

jomoco
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

We think along the same lines Born2climb.

The frame setup time and amount of rope needed around an open net are definitely limiting factors.

Like you I've been thinking about a midpoint rocker between the biscuit and spar that will allow the net to be put around the biscuit before push off. This would have definite advantages in terms of drop distance before the catch being minimized.

Thanks for the input B2C.

jomoco
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

I have no idea what the cost of the net is, but it might be worth considering to have different size nets for use on varying size biscuits. After all, we often start out with 1/2"-9/16" ropes up top, then progress to 5/8"-3/4" ropes as we get to larger/heavier wood.

You could figure out a proportion on your net sizes...say 24" deep x 36" diamemeter for the smallest, then progress on up to 30" deep x 48" diameter, and so on. That way, you'd have a prior knowledge of how "tall" the net would be when "full" of wood, and you'd know how much room it would need for fall arrest. Simply try the nets out on the ground on corresponding size biscuits.

Also, by placing the net over the biscuit rather than pushing the biscuit off into the net, you could cinch the net almost completely before pushoff, eliminating quite a bit of slack and the resulting shock load.
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

as far as pushing the big cookies off, once, when i was cutting down a real fat tree, I got so tired I could hardly lift the saw anymore, much less push those big rounds off. we didn't have to rig or catch them, but they had to come down in place.
Anyway, i gathered all the old, ruined, broken round files out of the truck and put them in my pocket when I went back up after break. As i'd saw through, i'd slip two or three into the kerf behind the saw, a couple on each side. They rolled off really easily, but i quickly ran out of files.
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

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as far as pushing the big cookies off, once, when i was cutting down a real fat tree, I got so tired I could hardly lift the saw anymore, much less push those big rounds off. we didn't have to rig or catch them, but they had to come down in place.
Anyway, i gathered all the old, ruined, broken round files out of the truck and put them in my pocket when I went back up after break. As i'd saw through, i'd slip two or three into the kerf behind the saw, a couple on each side. They rolled off really easily, but i quickly ran out of files.

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YOU ARE MY FREAKING HERO
thats really smart my friend.
Wouldnt be too expensive to use wooden dowels.

I fimly beleive the pyramids were not built by slaves or aliens but 3 smart arborists and a weekend to kill


old files...brilliant
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

Reg has a pretty cool biscuit scooting tool in a few of his vids. I just use a short carpenter's crowbar and wedges.

Working when exhausted is very dangerous in my opinion.

And all the sawing&rigging necessary to catch wood is very exhausting work. As soon as my arms start cramping I generally call it a day.

I firmly believe the world's first lumberjacks were sailors in search of a tall straight mast.

Almost every bit of our rigging and knots have a sailing heritage, including launching heavy loads with rolling logs, and moving loads around with cargo nets!

jomoco
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

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I just use a short carpenter's crowbar and wedges.



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Ditto
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

I was taking down a 33" dbh pine in a backyard a couple of years ago. There were targets everywhere and the only gate in the fence was severly overgrown with vines and ivy and couldn't be opened. We had to go in through the house and hand all of our gear over the fence. That how we had to get the tree out also. Anyhow, when i was blocking down the trunk I cut 4 to 6" biscuits and lowered them useing a small set of logging tongs. This worked really well.
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

man i bet you were covered in pine pitch
 
Re: A new way to catch and lower awkward biscuits

Sounds nasty(and it is!) But its the best thing I've found to get pitch off your skin and out of your hair. ps this does tend to make the mayo no longer good for sandwiches!
 
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