Justifying crane use

They cant leave if you chain them to the chipper. Thats what we do. If they do a good job and keep up they'll get an extra wooden nickel at the end of the day.
 
Yes it works very well.
It does not matter if you are using a boom truck, 18 ton as is our case or a truck crane. Our "boom truck" is 18 ton we have owned a boom truck since 91'. We also rent truck cranes up to 200 tons. The most common is 40 ton. The level of risk is the same for all crane work, the size of the crane does not change the level of risk. 10 tons or 300 tons failing will rusult in a bad out come. Using spider legs reduces movment. Movment results in dynamics and dynamics is a bad word in crane work.On this cut, the load the tip and but are quite close to the home and required very little movment. All went well. With just using fixed slings this cut would have been 3 cuts in order to avoid the home. Equalizing a load that is not vertical with fixed slings is very difficult.
 

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On this cut, the load the tip and but are quite close to the home and required very little movment. All went well. With just using fixed slings this cut would have been 3 cuts in order to avoid the home. Equalizing a load that is not vertical with fixed slings is very difficult.

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Really, whats with all this extra rigging. Just put a tip strap, Notch the top and under cut it. Have the crane lift as you cut and stand the limb straight up. If you worried about the butt flying than put a line on it, then slip it off after it settles. Have 2 leads off by the time you set one.
 
"than put a line on it"

isn't that extra rigging ?
There is nothing sweeter in tree work than cutting a limb that just separates from the trunk and doesn't move .

Think outside the box !
 
That piece would never stand vertical with all of the lower limbs, it would off set to the heavy side then the butt would fly at the climber. On that particular tree the operator was blind. Being a climber and certified crane operator lifting limbs on there hinge is very difficult. It is very easy to put extra pull on the load. The technique showed works very well and if the climber has a solid skill set it is quite quick.
 
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Really, whats with all this extra rigging. Just put a tip strap, Notch the top and under cut it.

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Judging by the size and angle of that limb, a straight tip tie and lift (providing canopy space for said lift) would still cause a dramatic swing or shock which is not a great way to maintain crane company/tree work relations. You could certainly throw a butt line to control that, but why not balance tie from two points or spider leg it in the first place? I totally agree, there is nothing sweeter than watching large pieces sit totally still inches away from their original position in a rig.

Control is KING
 
I am no crane specialist but for some reason the least amount of boom movement as possible during the cut seems to be the way I like it. I have at one time or another employed almost every method talked about here. Not because I do a lot of crane work but because different scenarios call for different techniques. Using the "spider legs" with two or three tied points and minimal boom movement during the cut seem to be the optimal method. Even if I could not use the spider legs and had to use double eyed slings I would not pre-sling any areas that I would have to climb to again. Go there and center the boom and use shackles in the eye and around the strap.
 
bangtard.gif
 
hey i recommend a crane removal at least once its a trip.i have done it probally a hundred times.the old school way when i first started we used tongs on the top of logs and took huge pieces back in the 80's i wonder why i got stress headaches. i was climbing off of a crane in 96 that flipped over on almost the last cut. it ended my bosses career he was still climbing then on accasion at 63 yrs of age hes busted up now he tried to hold down the out rigger to save my [bad word]. i was on the stick the operator still had his witts to rotate the boom away from me it slid down the other side of stick brushed my lanyard.it was crane failure i was talked into going against my better judgement that was the first and last time.it took me a few months before i got back on a crane had bad dreams for a long time. but hey if your afraid of getting hit with the ball dont play the game. although the game has come along way since then risks are so low for the trained arborist . but as far as the fly by night stay out of the game.good luck and keep it safe. "BE LIKE A SPONGE LEARN FROM EVERYBODY EVEN IF ITS WHAT NOT TO DO KEEP WHAT YOU WANT AND DISCARD THE REST"
 
hey the best way to get no movement and to detach a piece with grace is with the rope rig off of crane everybody is using these slings ive been on a crane alot of times over the yrs. the way i found to do it is with 4 ropes hanging from the hook on a big cleavse hook i think they are 1inch ropes approx 10- 15 ft long you tie it at the tips atleast 2 times at different points even three is good and you tie one on the butt you pull each rope tight one at a time and wrap it like 3 times and finish it off with half hitches if you want it to drift away alittle you leave alittle slack on your butt tie. it is like a huge puzzle. i stay right there and cut it right off with no danger or ducking or near misses.i have watched alot of climbers and operators on cranes that look like each time is there first tearing stuff off shock loading the crane thats not right. the crane is suppossed to lift the the weight not rip it or to be a crotch replacment. on occasion you will have some cuts that will move around some times it has to be done that way then u just cut slow and let it rip slow and easy into the crane taking away the shock load.the use of slings on anything else but takeing the stick down is crazy im my opinion. you just cant get the same tension at all points. anyway just try it invision your piece and try to tie at different points so the piece comes off in the same postion you will find your crane experience to be an awesome memory not a scary one. not to sound full of myself but watching others with these cranes showed me how good we really are but i owe it all to about three teachers i had one was stan case SPARTA TREE SERVICE another lenny roe from paul bunyan tree service back in the day he died many yrs ago and carl from superior tree service.If you ever wanna see how graceful its suppossed to be go watch one of his jobs im sure there is alot of others to anyway i have typed enough good luck and keep it safe that way you will be around for the next one and dont work out of your means.
 
The tech. your describing is termed "spider Legs" Just a dead eye sling on the hook and the slings are quite long. You just tie it up. As you said works very well.
 
when you ride the crane up you are put right where the operator wants . you make the ties and then cut. i beat the piece to the ground and am hooked back on and gone. as far as putting slings all over the tree thats just plain stupid let alone unneccasary.the best way to take a tree down with crane is the spider leg. but i will agree there are sometimes just tieing in like you normally would will work also sometimes it is neccasary to take the center out first where are you tieing into then to get out where you have to a helicopter.you never ride the piece down thats stupid and unimagineable.its funny no matter who you are when you sit and listen to somebody talk it becomes quite obvious what they do or dont know. climbing for a hoddy and for a arborist is two different worlds that can be mixed with the proper traing talk to mark chisholm and take the class that will point you in the right direction. hey man hats off to the real climbers we all know who we are keep up the good work. the comp will die down to wheel chairs or tombstones or just plain sued out of the tree care industry.keep it safe
 
Yeah you pegged me. Im not a REAL climber.

And YOU know the BEST way to take a tree down with a crane?

Good for you!

Truth be told, Ive never even done a crane removal. Ever! But since Im a member here, Im as qualified on the matter as any other member.
 
hey cool i dont want to be a wise guy. but thats what i figured about crane. but hey its not to late get on a crane and try it at least once its cool exp
 
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