Good Call

[Rupe]

Well, were the truck is in the first picture is as bad as the access gets but to get there you have to go round a tight corner, I tokk the chipper through with my car then the truck followed.

Some kind of platform may have got through but it would have to be a 70 footer and the ones we have available here wouldn't fit.

Little crane? Maybe but the corner might be a problem.

Ultimatly the Local Authority won't pay for crane setc unless absolutly necessary. They gave me this to climb because the drilled it etc and reckoned its was ok. Its still my choice though ultimatly.

Someone mentioned felling. The pic attached is the only space, so no. Also the LA want it left at 30 feet as "an eco stick"

 

[Rupe]

Going back to the original pic, the only real target to miss is the streetlamp, and the building. The branches only just overhang the building by a few inches and theres one window.

 

[Rupe]

The stuff growing behind the tree is not really that important, its mostly overgrown stuff and belongs to the LA not a homeowner or client as such. Still I'd rather not destroy the whole lot if I can help it. We took some small bushes out so we could have some space to work.

This is me at the TIP. Just above here the tree had been topped (or maybe wind damaged, and the broken bit trimmed off. Most like topped though!) it was very dead above here so this was far enough for me (wuss!)

 

[Rupe]

We rigged out the bigger branches towards the house, street light etc. Pretensioning lines with the GRCS to reduce shock loading as usual.

Due to my rubbish TIP my body position was not great and this branch (or side branch thereof) just clocked me on the noggin)

 

[Rupe]

Which I wasn't too impressed with!

 

[Rupe]

We took small ish peices and flat where possible. We had two anchor points for lowering the second one kept things away from the trunk to help stop them smashing into bits. So I think we did all we could to keep it safe as possible.

I know someone is going to mention stubs! As there was not much below these can be boshed of later with a bigger saw. Its all got to be loaded by hand so no need to keep it all together. I was mostly just doing all I could with a MS200T to start with.

 

[Rupe]

So all that was left was the top! I didn't fancy dropping that onto the rigging system (wuss again) so I sat on top of my TIP and had the polesaw sent up. I then brought each brach in bit by bit. Using top cuts only to fold the branches in so that they came crashing in at the base of the tree. (GRCS removed by then)

 

[Rupe]

A bit messy bit worked ok. Not sure what the HSE would say about using a polesaw in a tree, probably don't want to know either.

 

[Rupe]

So just the trunk to do the old fashioned way, crane would be nice now.

BTW I've still never used a crane! Maybe because I've got the GRCS we find away to go without it.

 

[Rupe]

The final stub below me is where we left it. Thats a bird perch if anyone asks! also good ropeguide attachment point for decent.

There was a woodpecker on the tree in the morning, in a few more years he might have more luck, its all very sound to this point anyway.

 

[Mr_Ed]

Nicely done job Rupe. I hate the really gritty sawdust you get off those moribund oaks, makes for an itchy day.

I sometimes find with those kind of trees that I end up with a TIP about 10ft lower than I intended to from the ground /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

as regards crane use, I guess I've been spoiled by having a crane co. on my doorstep with a selection of tight access 4 + 6 wheel steer cranes at really cheap rates!

 

[Rupe]

Yep you've been spoiled alright. Missed you at the show, but the show didn't miss you!!!

(Insert smiley thing here if I knew how and could be bothered)

 

[FTLTreeman]

Time and circumstance happens to us all, even trees.
That was a good call.

 

[Riggs]

Person : " can't you just climb up there and notch it ?" "why do you need a bucket ?"

ME: "huh ?"

Person : "seriously "

Me: " Wha? "

Person : " we're on a tight budget. "

Me : " just got tighter ! "

 

[Riggs]

It's Black Oak , about eighty feet tall . On a Golf Course , over a Gazeebo.

 

[Riggs]

The hangar was pretty nasty that fell off , it was all crunched in the turf .

 

[tod_k]

You sissy.

 

[Norm_Hall]

How in the world is that other piece still connected? Is that the part that's over the gazebo? Good luck!!

 

[Mahk_Adams]

[ QUOTE ]
With the research Bartlett did saying around 70% of tree failures happen at 4' above the ground or lower...

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you have a reference for that? I'd like to read it.

This is a pic of an area that was hit by a storm back in April. The vast majority of the damaged trees were either uprooted or broke at 10-25 feet. I found only one that broke at 3-4 feet.

 

[Mahk_Adams]

Here is another photo taken after some of the fallen stuff has been cleaned up. You can see the rootballs of fallen trees, and numerous standing, broken trunks in the background.