Hi, im new here, srt climber, and i have questions...

[TimBr]

http://www.sherrilltree.com/2-to-10-foot-Adjustable-Friction-Saver_2#.Ve7mskNZ7mt

 

[MikePowers321]

Im not using friction savers...
You mean like sling on the branch with carbiner, and the rope inside it?

You should be able to cut down on sap being a problem, simply by using Srt. No moving rope. I assume you are having your biggest sap problems when blocking down a spar? (ropes are contantly in contact with previously cut branches that are oozing). If that's the case, you could switch over to using a choked configuration with a figure 8 (locked off when not descending/cutting) and keep your hitch's free of pitch all together. I have had no problem using the bulldog on pine removals though. In fact, I prefer it over any other device for this application.

If pruning, you can always use a friction saver for an Srt canopy anchor. You can avoid all that rubbing when you retrieve your ropes by doing this, thus cutting down on sap issues. There are many ways to do this.

Like said by others, if you are using Ddrt at all, try using a friction saver in conifers. Without one, inevitable nightmares occur.

I think everyone here knows how frustrating sap can be. White pines around here are rough. Do everything you can to avoid it. Good luck : )

 

[TimBr]

Great post, Mike, just full of great information. I'm not even the guy who started this thread, and I thank you for it all.

I feel badly now at having caused Elad to halt the purchase of the Bulldog Bone. It's funny that Mike's experience with the Bulldog Bone is so different than Randy's (the guy who's post I referred Elad to over on the TreeHouse forum).

I tend to think that anyone who can afford it would probabably have no regrets over buying the Bulldog Bone, and in fact that the opposite would be true, that they'd be really happy they did buy it.

All I was trying to do was pass on what I'd read elsewhere about the possibility that the Bulldog Bone might not be a cure-all for the pitch problems.

I really like the idea of using the figure eight in the event of encountering huge amounts of sap.

I also wonder, being ignorant of all of these issues, if time itself could be used as an ally, or if it is always the enemy. What I mean by this is, would it be possible to one one day, with just a climber, groundy, chipper and chip truck, to completely limb the tree from bottom to top, chip it all up, and then leave it for a week or so. Would that allow the tree to drain itself of all of its sap, and would the sap then harden up and be more workable later on?

Or does it all just remain a giant, sticky mess, no matter how long it sits? If it did harden up over time, then it just becomes a logistics problem of planning to have the removal take two days. You could do the limb stripping for multiple trees on different sites on one day, and be set up to do the blocking down at the same set of sites when the trees are ready.

Please go easy on me with my harebrained scheme. I'm just brainstorming and trying to learn at the same time.

Thanks in advance for any comments anyone chooses to make on these thoughts of mine.

Tim

 

[TylerHoffman]

Hey, Tyler! I know folks love the Bulldog Bone, and I'd love to own one myself. I'm wondering if you own it and have used it in pitchy pine trees with few issues or not.

It would be nice to find out that someone has "The" Answer to this problem, because so far in all the reading I've done on the subject it just seems like a really tough problem for everyone.

Thanks in advance for any answer you choose to give, and please know that I mean no offense by my questions.

Tim

I did own one of the first models for a while and sold it to try a roperunner. I would gladly buy it back from the person I sold it to or whoever owns it! U can feel resistance when sap gets on ur rope but it's 10 times better than a hitch.

 

[Treetopflyer]

ould that allow the tree to drain itself of all of its sap, and would the sap then harden up and be more workable later on?

Or does it all just remain a giant, sticky mess, no matter how long it sits? If it did harden up over time, then it just becomes a logistics problem of planning to have the removal take two days.

I try to sell pine takedowns for the cold winter months if clients can wait that seems to help with the SAP running

 

[TimBr]

Thanks for this answer, Treetopflyer. I greatly appreciate it. Good tip about the winter takedowns.

Tim