GRCS and timber salvage

[Roger_Barnett]

This tree failed in the Dec 2006 storm. It was a double codominate...We had installed a Cobra cable system in the canopy about 6 years ago.I hadn't pruned it, or if I did, not nearly enough. It failed below the cabled area, leaving about one branch. We left it at ~40 feet, as a wildlife snag and suggested having it carved into something. Ann decided to remove it, which we did Tuesday. We lowered a 12 foot section with the GRCS, which probably weighed 1500 pounds. It had broken 16 feet above the fork, so we used the smaller trunk to lift the larger one off. Thern we felled the bottom 26 feet, and cut 4 slabs from the butt. Two will make nice tables. I might be able to dig down and cut one more. Anyone want to buy a table? Given time, We should be able to come up with some suitable legs from large curved cedar branches....I bought some end grain wood sealant and need to go paint the slabs today., to keep them from checking and cracking. Then, in a few months Eric of GoGreen Design can help me get them planed and sanded. The holes will create some character for the table...something could be placed in them, like a glass candleholder...etc...

On either side of the tree, bigger and better cedars thrive. Ian Scott pruned one 6 years ago, and Dave Sturm and I just pruned the other, which is nearly 24 feet in circumference at ground level. 8 pics are here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rbtree/sets/72157605931833891/
After the lift off and lowering

the stump, the butt log, slabs, and the trunk of the standing big cedar:

the largest slab-that's a 43" bar on the 3120

the big cedar, pruned

 

[brendonv]

You lifted that big log with the GRCS?

 

[Roger_Barnett]

Aye aye sir! Cedar is light, and lighter still when dry...and the top broke out 18 months ago....I estimated its weight at 1250-1450 lb.

 

[brendonv]

GRCS never ceases to amaze me.

 

[Kevin]

I'm guessing 1600lbs. green.
Should be well inside the safe limits.

 

[Jamin_Mayer]

Future tables?

 

[Colin]

Great pics, Roger! I wish we had those suckers 'round these parts!


<font color="green">The TreeHouse</font>

 

[Roger_Barnett]

Kevin, the wood is pretty dry....when I go back to pick up the rounds, I'll remember to bring my log tape, and measure the section. My guess is, my estimate of 1450 lb is darned close.

Jamin, yup! See my first post...

Stand by for the video, which my puter is about done rendering

 

[Kevin]

I don't doubt that you're real close with that Roger, the green cedar boards I cut off the mill seem darn close to being dry before I can get them off the mill and over to the stack.
A pleasure to mill!

 

[Roger_Barnett]

Here's the video..no title, subtitles etc...and raw sound..customer wondering about the camera, and me blathering on about nothing.....

Click here to watch Hargis-Cedar

It's 75 mb....I put it on putfile, first time I've used them since the "Squeeze Play" first try....I see its taking a long time to buffer..

I'll try it on Google or U-Tube.......later.

I had to tie it down a ways to get lift...so it didn't hang as straight as I like.. but we managed to lift it off, after I got the saw unstuck and nipped the last of the holding wood.