Liriodendron removal w/ climbing and rope rigging.

[theXman]

Here is a Tulip removal we did this week.

A fellow buzzer I talked to from far away on the phone tonight, said, why don't you post some of those good pictures elsewhere besides that Trees From a Distance. Well, alright then, lets see if anyone else cares to see a few of these.

Ground guys did a great job, tree had some defects so we especially didn't want to shock load anything.

Kevin took a lot of good pictures and some short videos in between helping to lower stuff, cut and chip.

Adam, a new groundman to us; did great on the LD, this was only like his 3rd day using it. He was used to wrapping tree trunks for the last 8 years.

A great groundcrew makes a great day for the climber too.

It was a pleasure.

I don't get to do to much heavy rope rigging since we got the crane, maybe only average 1 a week, instead of the old days of 4 or 5 a week.

This one was in a backyard; we couldn't get to with the k-boom and would have been much taller than the boom anyway.

 

[theXman]

lower limbs now gone here and going up a skinny leader, much higher to drop out the brush at the very tip.

some stuff i could peice out, top of this little leader I'm on, I hopped it out. the verticle part of it we cranked the tip over to the block and then lowered it.

 

[theXman]

ground zero, looking up.

our new guy Adam, (showing great potential these first 2 weeks of work with us). seeing that I let him lower stuff on the LD on a brittle specie with defects.

 

[theXman]

some log lowering, we cranked it over also, and had a control line on the butt temporarily; so butt couldn't slap the lowering leader. (might show those pics later).

 

[theXman]

I'm going to end this.

this takes forever

Last one I'll do, well, for now maybe. I did want to show the control line and some other stuff. Kevin took a lot of good pictures. But my new camera is so good I have to downsize them a lot to a managable file size. And the way I am, I have to put in arrows and text and stuff.


This one here is roping down the tippy tops.

The buzz seemed a little boring lately, so I sacrificed some of my precious time to give ya something to look at.

You better appreciate it.

 

[theXman]

I think Tom mentioned something about a website one could upload all the pictures to and then just post a link to the site.

here's my question, can I just highlight all those pictures and transfer all of them at one time? and would i need to downsize them first, or could the site handle it?

my original pictures range from 1.5MB to 7.5MB PER picture.

 

[chep]

x man
thanks for taking the time to post these pics. Did you take any pictures of the tree @ the scene of the crime i.e. the topping point? I am always curious to see what goes on inside these trees in the years that follow the mismanagement of their tops...

 

[Sylvia]

Is this the tree you were referring to in the Bradford Pear thread which was originally scheduled for trimming?

Great pictures. Were you able to get pictures of the defects you mentioned once removed and dissected? I always try to document the defect on a removal once down.

Sylvia

 

[treedimensional]

Thanks Xman for rising to the challenge!

Great pictures, and add-ons explaining them. I too have encounter tree issues that make plan changes essential. I, however, have been lucky enough to be able to bring in the big guns (crane) to assist in the removal.

Could you explain the thinking process of change in plan. I think we all know that when heart rot is found in the canopy that shock loading is a NO-NO. Some people also understand the biology of how reaction growth is attached to the main stem (no fibres to heartwood, normally known as protection zone wood). What I am asking is, did you rig the larger wood in a direction that the strength of the union with the main stem was as its maximum strength?

The forces of rigging can be figured in an office without a lot of trouble. In a tree, when the plan has changed, Plan "B" often comes into play. There are NO computers or calculators available to the climber in the top of the tree. I know what we do when we encounter a change of plan, I was wondering what others do!

 

[TLHamel]

[ QUOTE ]
I know what we do when we encounter a change of plan, I was wondering what others do!

[/ QUOTE ]

I just tie 'er off with a couple half-hitches and let 'er fly!

Good job X!

 

[Jamin_Mayer]

Re: Liriodendron removal w/ climbing and rope rigg

Them Tulips get tall in a hurry... You guys are lucky to get to work with such nice specimens!

David, did you say how long it took to finish? Do you have a mini loader of any kind?

 

[theXman]

Re: Liriodendron removal w/ climbing and rope rigg

I'll will respond better to everyones questions later. but quickly;

This tree took a WHOLE day. I was spiking up the tree right at 10:00am; took a little while for the travel and setting up the truck and chipper between the houses (tight).

Logs stayed on site though.

I don't use a mini-skid. I know someone before mis-stated that I had one once, on tree buzz. They meant to say skid-loader. We have a large ASV 4810 with implemax rotating grapple. In my area, I think a mini is a waste; things aren't that tight and a fence section can usually be taken out. The ASV can carry out some really big stuff.

see picture.

-----------
yes, this is the tree i mentioned during the bradford topping stupid thread.
-------------

When I saw the hole near the change in trees shape (past topping area, or possibly a natural top break off), I had then climbed it and inserted a stick to get an idea of the cavity size. After feeling it, I decided it was hazardous with that much top above that spot, and it went upwards into the right leader. Being Tulip Tree, I really thought the decay was going to continue much further than it did. After disection, it didn't travel very long, I was suprised, but still thought it was a good idea to do the removal. I have pictures of the disection and will try to post tonight (na, too late again, i have to get up early and run to a fishery tomorrow, buying fish for our pond)

I used two blocks due to the potential week leaders. The top block was on the most solid leader (sucked that it was almost placed over the shed though). The second block was near the base of the bad leader and placed low so that we didn't put leverage on it and it's position helped pull the number one leader in a good direction -down in line with it.

i can draw more on some more pictures if you wish.

plus, i don't know if i posted our control line on the butt of some logs we cranked over and didn't want them to have a chance to be violent or slap the rigging leader as they came off the cut.

now, let me see if i can find an asv picture carrying logs:
okay, small log here, but shows how it is "heeled". Instead of risking derailing this tulip job, if you want to see some maximum log weights with this asv i will start another thread if you care to see.

I kinda think the mini's are stupid to have in my area.

 

[Grais]

Re: Liriodendron removal w/ climbing and rope rigg

Nice take down X man, and thanks a lot for the thorough explanation and photos, makes for a very complete and informative package.
Stay safe buds,
-G.

 

[treelearnin]

Re: Liriodendron removal w/ climbing and rope rigg

Lets hear more about that ASV, looks like a beast

 

[theXman]

Re: Liriodendron removal w/ climbing and rope rigg

okay, thanks.

I'll post a few more of that job to finish this.

picture from up in the tree (looking down) at the start of the removal.

 

[theXman]

Re: Liriodendron removal w/ climbing and rope rigg

on the v-crotch leader. some of the logs were a little bit of distance away from the lowering leader and I wasn't taking them in really long lengths.

there was a chance that they might come off a little wild after the hinge wood let go. (plus if they went earlier before we had cranked them up enough) so, to be on the safe side, we just quickly added a loop runner with biner and a groundman to slow down the motion.

picture of this.

 

[theXman]

Re: Liriodendron removal w/ climbing and rope rigg

tree is almost done here, but this close up shows another simple thing i often do.

i take the tail from the snatch block sling, and tie that tail over to an opposite leader or trunk to give more stability to the lowering point.

i would have rather gone to the larger main trunk with this tail, but the tail wasn't quite long enough to reach it and tie it.

 

[TheDan]

Nice work. At any point did you think it just might have been easier to move the shed then put it back when done?

 

[theXman]

Re: Liriodendron removal w/ climbing and rope rigg

notifying groundmen of the drop the piece will take. and clarifying with them that they understand what to do next, that they understand a good run at first is really needed.

 

[theXman]

good point, and yes. we move plenty of things on jobs, I did think of it for a second. I didn't know it was there in that location until we showed up and therefor we didn't have the ASV skidloader.

but it was FULL of stuff from the old shed they destroyed, and i was looking forward to some roping anyway.

i did get to drop many logs from the last two leaders in the tree. (both that had the blocks on them).

picture of that decay area: