stainless steel dissipates heat worse than regular steel so i would stay away from LD‘s made from stainless.
If you could only have 3 lowering devices…
- Thread starter Friedrich
- Start date
Crimsonking
Been here a while
Interesting, I didn’t know that. Larger, multiple bollards should make it better at heat dissipation than the stainless portawraps, no?
Tony
Carpal tunnel level member
- Location
- Lancaster, PA
Stainless may dissipate heat slower, but I like the less wear and less corrosion factors over other metals.
I will manage heat through load and technique.
Tony
I will manage heat through load and technique.
Tony
Bendroctanus
Carpal tunnel level member
- Location
- Springfield
And don’t forget the Force.
evo
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- My Island, WA
Yup this is why SS pots and pans have a copper bottom or a air pocket.
flushcut
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Delavan, WI
I don’t know, but if your steel porty is growing rust you aren’t using it enough.
i don‘t know if two bollards make a big difference or sense but a bigger bollard helps. big, thick aluminium bollards..
whatever floats your boat. how are you managing large loads with long runs?
i‘ve heard that alot but is anybody really doing it? ask the customer for some icecubes? bring a cooler to work?
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
Freeze a chunk that is the size of the inner diameter!
evo
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- My Island, WA
I've used my GRCS bollard exactly 0 times
or just fill it up with water and keep it in the freezer maybe ad some lemon juice
Crimsonking
Been here a while
Two bollards allows less contact per bollard when incorporating both, splitting the heat if you will. Honestly, if heat problems from a stainless bollard are what you’re worrying about, I’d be looking at other parts of the rigging setup. Sure, big pieces can add a lot of heat, but a larger bollard of any type is an advantage over the standard portawrap size. Then, as I mentioned, using twin bollards allows for sharing the load and consequently the heat. Of course, smaller pieces is another option, one that we tree people seem to hate to consider.
Tried the big aluminum bollard and hated it. The friction was “off”, is the best way I can think to express it. Too grippy, not enough range.
Nope, not here either.
It's just a nice tool, to keep in the ice box so to speak.
Me too, but if I had to transition from the winch, to negative rigging. I may find it useful to switch over.
Also nice to know, if I was rigging out big wood, and letting it all run, that bollard will pack a lot of ice.... if I
picked that route. Again, another nice tool. Gotta have options....
flushcut
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Delavan, WI
Rig bigger chunks and you will want to use it.
evo
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- My Island, WA
Yup, I would if I needed to. But if I did more stuff i'd likely use a different tool
Tony
Carpal tunnel level member
- Location
- Lancaster, PA
In many years of rigging and lowering, having to worry about the lowering device heating up to the point of it being an issue has not happened.
In the early years, before mechanization, the cycle was slow enough to allow the device to cool. As in when we got to heavy wood, by the time it was rigged, cut, lowered, processed; moved out of the way, there was plenty of time for any residual heat to dissipate on any lower device. We also got real good at accurate bombing and vertical speedlines.
I can only speak to large and long runs in my work area of the Eastern US. For us, the two were almost mutually exclusive. A long run would be 80-90‘ (24-30 meters). At this height we were working on canopy pieces, as the trees were 100-120’ (30-35meters). most pieces would be relatively light < 200lb (100kg).
When the loads got heavy, >300lb (135kg) the runs were relatively short. Well under 50-60’ (15-18 meters)
For the past 20 years, we rarely lower large wood. All crane work if it needs to be rigged.
Having said all that, the difference in heat dissipation between stainless and aluminum is not really an issue for us. The wear and tear, the bouncing around in the tool box, the wet weather, the cold, the overall durability and ease of maintaining is a much bigger concern. So we opt for stainless and/or steel for port-a-wraps and bollards.
Your milage may vary…
Tony
flushcut
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Delavan, WI
Regional tree species and average height have a lot to do with rigging device choices IMO. Right tool for the job kinda thing.
