Rope Wrench Ruminations

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leafguy, it oughta work fine with vortex. On smaller trees i use arbormaster (another 1/2 in.) with the retractable pin and it works great, easy to grip. I have a little bushing that goes around the retractable pin for when I use the tachyon - that way I don't need to adjust the wrench every time I switch between ropes. I just have to keep from losing the bushing, hmmmm.
pete

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what size bushing are you using? did you have it made or buy it? thanks.
 
Vortex is great stuff to run with the Wrench. Not too much bounce, the thicker feel is great, plus it makes for a much smoother hitch action. And since its being used SRT style, you don't really notice the extra weight at all.
 
received a rope wrench last week. early christmas present. I have been playing with it on some bigger live oak pruning. Hands down the best system I have tried since a separate friction hitch.
so I was using a friction hitch and pulley set-up, with my lanyard as a tender. But then wanted to try the lock jack.
It works, and seemed to work really well. I attach the rope wrench to where the lead line normally goes. When limb walking back, I use the rope wrench to lead or keep tension to come back. I did experiment if the lock jack will catch if there was a slip, and yes it acted like a hitch would.
Either way this srt set up is the best, most versatile system. I have now become a srt climber. Thanks
 
[ QUOTE ]
received a rope wrench last week. early christmas present. I have been playing with it on some bigger live oak pruning. Hands down the best system I have tried since a separate friction hitch.
so I was using a friction hitch and pulley set-up, with my lanyard as a tender. But then wanted to try the lock jack.
It works, and seemed to work really well. I attach the rope wrench to where the lead line normally goes. When limb walking back, I use the rope wrench to lead or keep tension to come back. I did experiment if the lock jack will catch if there was a slip, and yes it acted like a hitch would.
Either way this srt set up is the best, most versatile system. I have now become a srt climber. Thanks

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soon we will be legion........
cool.gif
 
So you tried the lockjack with SRT and the wrench TreeBeard? I had a chance to try and lock jack when I worked with a climber in central park. The LJ wouldn't hold me unless the RW was fully engaged, but to me it sounds like it held you just fine. Interesting find.
 
Awesome thread folks. Background: here in northeast Texas, I get the pleasure of climbing a lot of different trees with just as many situational differences (yeah situational is probably a made up word, but I'm going with it).

I've been wrenching for a few months and yeah.....85% of the time, I'm on a single line. I still run in to occasions every now and then when I use DdRT, but it's becoming a rarity. Mainly the only time I'm DdRTin' it now is when I can do the entire climb with alternating lanyards. At the top I just throw on the FS and zip on down like the old days.

I too find myself climbing the tree more when I am climbing around in canopies that allow it. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about this. After all, I was under the impression (incorrectly) that the largest advantage of SRT was to be able to climb the rope more efficiently. The reduced strain on my time and body have convinced me that I'm ok with monkeying around (though I AM looking for a new stain remover for my clothes 'cause I come home filthy more often than I use to and shout just and cutting it anymore).

For the tall white/loblolly pines I wonder why I didn't switch over to SRT before now. It took the advent of the RW to convince me to give SRT a go, but when I think of how much time I could have been saving, I kick myself for not buying SRT gear 2 years ago. It truly is a game changer in every since of the word.

The single biggest, most pleasant surprise was the constant friction. I understood the idea before I started working SRT, but none the less....the sheer joy I experienced redirecting as often as I wanted, as many times as I wanted was priceless. My second time up on the wrench I was rec climbing a tree at a friend's house. I should have snapped a pic of all the redirects I took just because I COULD.

Regarding tie in methods: I won't limit myself. Now that I have experienced the liberation of not HAVING to isolate a crotch.....if it's gonna be a pain in the butt to do so, and it's safe to ascend on a base tie, you better believe I'm going to tie off at the base and let 'er rip, and if I feel like switching over once I'm up there? Well that's why I have a kite string handle of throw line on my saddle.

Regarding foot ascenders: am I the only one who prefers the CMI units? I really like the fact that I haven't been able to kick out of it.

If this is the future than the future is good. I don't think I'll ever completely get away from DdRT use (I use a long lanyard pretty frequently), but now that I have the RW in my bag 'o tools, I don't have to choke back as many four letter words on the job site. It's added to my enjoyment of the craft and for that, it's worth it's weight in gold as far as I am concerned.

Just my 2 cents for what it's worth.....which is probably 2 cents worth :P
 
Bushing:

I bought this:

5/16 Nom. I.D., 1/2 Nom. O.D., 1 1/2 Lg., Bunting Bearings, Cast Bronze Sleeve Bearings

http://www.amazon.com/Nom-Bunting-Bearin...4243&sr=1-3

They are 1.5 inches long. I cut them down to an appropriate size with a hacksaw, I forget if that width was 9/16 or 11/16, but you don't have to get very close on it anyhow. It doesn't matter so long as the rope has full contact. Deburr the edges after the cut. Order a few - they are cheaper than the shipping! - and you are bound to screw em up cutting them or to lose them. I noticed that the I.D. on them is a little larger than the pin I have, but the O.D. is exactly the same as the original RW piece. With the (only) slightly larger I.D. than the pin, they do spin a little (just like the pin does) but they do seem to lock in place (just like the pin) when fully engaged. In any case, even if they do spin, I don't notice any wear anywhere yet. And since they are bronze, the bushing will wear instead of the pin. I actually like the spin of the pin and the bushing as it releases a little bit easier on ascent.

they seem a pretty good solution to me. I have found that I like just the pin on the 1/2 rope and don't feel like i am missing anything without the bushing. PLus, makes it way easier to switch to the tachyon.
 
Rangerdanger, yes it held me, but i think the wear on the clutch will have everything to do if it will hold or not.
I actually did some tests today with that. It looks awkward the way lock jack tweeks. It seems that the way the lock jack is configured, it will put a serious bend in the line. But if the clutch is worn, it just ca not hold that tension
 
[ QUOTE ]
Reg,
I'm curious as to how you are tying in? Retrieval?

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I've tried it all ways now Derrick, although we've done nothing big in the last couple of weeks, 1 fir within a group was about 120 but they were all coming out anyway so retrieval wasn't an issue. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunity in the new year....but so far so good, the whole thing was a very quick and easy transition.
 
I know I am a newbie to SRT, here is a way I have been setting up TIP and retrieval. Isolate desired limb union. Choke of TIP by girth hitching a captive eye carabiner and a pulley. So far have been able to retrieve after I have redirected 3 times. After that I have to my friend Pat on it. As we say "put some Pat on it"
 
Deadwooded the first big tree with the wrench today....a Douglas fir we measured at 170. I used two climb-lines - Set the first with the Big-shot between 90-100 using the base anchor, and then brought out my second line to ascend and work the top 70.

I advanced up the the 70-part by throwing the climbline to overhead limbs and then choking via a R-bowline. I used the left footed pantin to advance and because the distances were relatively short I was able to get a pretty good purchase on the main stem with the right foot....so it was like walking if you can picture that.

The good thing about choking the overhead limb in such a way is that you can utilise the pantin almost all the way to the choker and then actually kneel on top of the limb and set your lanyard....with DdRT I'd have obvioiusly been stuck below the limb as in this case there was nothing there to stand on.

I used the long tail technique to pull the line down after completeing the top.....and 70ft is quite a long tail. I was super concious about where I choked that top tie-in and how it was routed down as I didn't what too much friction or run the risk of it snagging. Anyway, it worked fine, although probably next time I do something that tall and dense I'll mark the middle of my top line with a crayon or something as it was difficult to judge from above as to whether the two parts of the rope are equal lengths from the TIP downwards.

No problem with the bottom 100 as the line was already in place from earlier. Just some carefull cutting of some large dead and broken limbs around the base-line.

Still hard work though, SRT or not....and had to tip-toe through lots of big dead hangers and snags over that initial 100, as it was not save to cut/clear on the way up.

We took 200 photos, and near every dam one is blacked out....wrong setting, I didn't think to check when I gave the camera to my collegue.
 
Here is a silver maple I did with RW.

Hung line in pin oak and draped it into maple to start from bottom, on pink line #1,then over to #2 and so on. I had to remove deadwood and lighten ends. Tree was pretty much a pipe with very little heartwood through out tree.

It's some primitive art work but hope it is self explanatory. As you notice the angles change quite a bit as you move and redirect. Pay attention!!


I have been playing with RW since the Hartford show. Today
was first time going back to drt on one tree, it's like riding a bike. For now, not every tree can be efficiently run with RW,(removal/pruning). I'm still messing with different ropes, hitches and any combo that I can do.

The one thing I haven't dialed in was my ascent. I cant seem to go smooth with the technique that Rich has, foot/hand ascender. Tried different combos on that and I'm missing something cause I'm fighting it. If anyone has any updated videos for rope walk ascent, please post.

Anyway, I am liking it for sure. I just have more options to mess with now :)
 

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[ QUOTE ]
I used the left footed pantin to advance and because the distances were relatively short I was able to get a pretty good purchase on the main stem with the right foot....so it was like walking if you can picture that.

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Hey Reg, can i ask, are you left footed?

Just wondering if there is any other reason you are using the Left foot Pantin...
 
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