Removal technique suggestions?

AW4130

AW4130

Location
Asheville N.C.
image.webp
Big, tall, Red Oak a friend of mine wants me to remove. Probly 20 ish more feet of trunk not pictured below. It's got a decent bit of weight over his cabin and he wants it gone. No crane access. Nothing really reasonably close to rig out of either. It's a lot taller and skinnier especially up to than what the photo Probly gives justice. Any suggestions from the well seasoned guys on this one?
 
take each lowest piece in sections and rope it down? working your way up to the tallest center most lead , which should be your tie in , until you are ready to remove it, then switch your climbing line to a second lanyard and buck the logs on you way down. good times
 
I love climbing/ rigging red oaks. What was already said, and look for other nearby trees to possible rig from. Set a false crotch with a block in a near by tree if tall enough. It's awesome to pretension the other tree with the rigging line so when your cut lets go the piece flies away. Helps with the spar blocking too, especially if the trunk has a back lean over the structure.

The taller the tree over a structure the easier, due to having more swing clearance. Allows longer pieces to be rigged with out "sweeping" the roof.
 
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Is it possible for you to set a rope in the lead of the tree coming into the top right of the picture. Maybe double crotch in that tree so you dont break out that leader. May be to far away can't tell. If so climb up to the top of the removal tie in set up your rigging take your time and small pieces
 
familytreeman said:
take each lowest piece in sections and rope it down? working your way up to the tallest center most lead , which should be your tie in , until you are ready to remove it, then switch your climbing line to a second lanyard and buck the logs on you way down. good times
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Haha! I like this response. You're just looking at me saying... Duh dude, haha!
 
no way man. if you have the nerve to handle tree work , i give U the utmost respect@!

was just sayin , take it a bite size piece at a time! if it can support your body weight and some light riggin just take er down nice and slow and it will end up being easier than u think most likely. just study it and determine what loads it can handle. cheers mate
 
Robert21157 said:
Is it possible for you to set a rope in the lead of the tree coming into the top right of the picture. Maybe double crotch in that tree so you dont break out that leader. May be to far away can't tell. If so climb up to the top of the removal tie in set up your rigging take your time and small pieces[/QUOT
Robert21157 said:
Is it possible for you to set a rope in the lead of the tree coming into the top right of the picture. Maybe double crotch in that tree so you dont break out that leader. May be to far away can't tell. If so climb up to the top of the removal tie in set up your rigging take your time and small pieces
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I was thinking that as a possibility. It's quite tall though. Pretty much equal or taller than surrounding trees within reach. So most spots your line from another tree would just be horizontal. :/
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familytreeman said:
no way man. if you have the nerve to handle tree work , i give U the utmost respect@!

was just sayin , take it a bite size piece at a time! if it can support your body weight and some light riggin just take er down nice and slow and it will end up being easier than u think most likely. just study it and determine what loads it can handle. cheers mate
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Haha, I took no offense. Just made me chuckle. :) And I guess the question of how much it can support is what has me a little psyched out about it you know? It's just so tall and skinny in spots. But yeah taking it small and slow was my best solution. I've just not yet dealt with a tree that tall and thin over a structure. :/
 
As long as it pulls away from the cabin you should be good because the tree is so tall there is plenty of room for the swing between you and the roof. Is there an opportunity to use a neighboring tree to tie into if your uncomfortable roping to the tree itself
 
You could set a rope in that leader to the right and one in your removal tie both ropes to the piece you are cutting and slowly let the rope in your tree out to make sure it clears the roof while hold the other rope a tight as possible. Sorry for the ramble just thinking. It is hard to say what I would do from a picture
 
say you had been there mid summer , full foliage during a windy event and view the tree during FULL FLEX

you would feel much more confident on a calm winter day. that thing is standing there for a reason . its pretty strong. its up to you to determine if you would like to enter the subject and dismantle it without disturbing.

is it so skinny it can barely support itself? use a spider lift or weigh in some help from another spotter.

is it at least fat enough you can get in there comfortably? if not dont do it , just do what you know is safe and sound beyond a reasonable doubt. too many people take unneeded risk.

take the time to cruise over there and study the tree like you had to do it then. Go home and reconsider all angles. Go back ready!
 
familytreeman said:
say you had been there mid summer , full foliage during a windy event and view the tree during FULL FLEX

you would feel much more confident on a calm winter day. that thing is standing there for a reason . its pretty strong. its up to you to determine if you would like to enter the subject and dismantle it without disturbing.

is it so skinny it can barely support itself? use a spider lift or weigh in some help from another spotter.

is it at least fat enough you can get in there comfortably? if not dont do it , just do what you know is safe and sound beyond a reasonable doubt. too many people take unneeded risk.

take the time to cruise over there and study the tree like you had to do it then. Go home and reconsider all angles. Go back ready!
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Super sound advice my friend. Thanks for that!
 
AW4130 said:
Haha, I took no offense. Just made me chuckle. :) And I guess the question of how much it can support is what has me a little psyched out about it you know? It's just so tall and skinny in spots. But yeah taking it small and slow was my best solution. I've just not yet dealt with a tree that tall and thin over a structure. :/
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Yo red oak is Strong! Shoot a line up there on to some thing you think you could break, bet you can't break it...unless it's dead, even then some dead wood holds on forever in oaks.
 
Is your friend dead set on removal? In my neck of the woods oaks are one of the sturdiest trees around; very unlikely to fail even in snow/ice load/high wind.

Any chance he'd compromise by leaving the tree and just reducing the weight over the cabin?
 
Boomslang said:
Is your friend dead set on removal? In my neck of the woods oaks are one of the sturdiest trees around; very unlikely to fail even in snow/ice load/high wind.

Any chance he'd compromise by leaving the tree and just reducing the weight over the cabin?
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It's possible. He is a friend of trees just like me. :) He's just super concerned about his long term investment. I personally probly wouldn't be as worried about it. But it is a legitimate enough concern I suppose haha.
 
all trees are pretty strong in some regard- you can tip a birch on its hinge parallel to the ground and walk on it, without it bending down and touching the ground. just a few fibers held you easily just then!

a simple sturdy walking stick can support a lot of weight

i always take the safest approach, and will never climb anything too dangeroso , but i like to reassure myself how strong trees actually are so I can perform my work with confidence
 
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