So Not Cool

Steve if you want some crane experience you could come up and work with us for a few days. We are in Charlotsville VA.

Crane some trees, make some loot, drink some beer!
 
I'm going to second (third?) what several people above said: Bigger saw, nylon chokers, and ditch the pie cuts. I usually go up with a 20" saw for all the brushy tops, then go up in bar length as needed for the wood. Nylon chokers are easier on the hands, don't twist, hockle and fight you the way steel will, and aren't stiff enough to push themselves up off the hook. (I'd always heard of that possibility, but had never actually seen it before your video) I love the round tubular slings, but most of my crane guys just have the flat nylon eye and eye ones, which still work fine. As for the pie cuts, if the piece is rigged to be a balanced pick and will be going straight up, try to figure out which way it wants to lean. Cut 1/4 to 1/3 of the way thru on the side that it's going to lean towards, move the saw to the opposite side of the wood and line up exactly with your first cut. As you cut thru, the slight lean will close the kerf of your first cut and will open the kerf of the cut you're in. Assuming your crane op has the right tension, when the cuts meet, the piece will gently rise up a 1/2" or so and stop, motionless. (Yes, I am know how fortunate I am in that I get to work with some truly skilled crane operators) The only time I use pie cuts is when I have a single choker attached to the outer end of a horizontal-ish branch. Put a pie cut in the top side of the branch, then slowly cut up thru the branch from the bottom while the crane op lifts until the piece is vertical.
 
Man I know. I'd love to come but can't make getting off the fire department at 6am and being to class by 8. No leave slots for the day before but I'd love to come to your class!!!
 
flyingsquirrel25 said:
we step back and rethink what we are doing. We agree if, as a crew, we cant operate safely the job is shut down. No tree is worth injury or worse. Money isn't worth it either
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Wow, FlyingSquirrel, you really earned my deepest respect with that comment. I've worked with and for some pretty good tree companies, most of whom wholeheartedly agree with "Safety First." That being said, none of them are EVER willing to put their money where their mouth is and take the loss of production to stop work for 45 minutes and talk things thru, especially when there's a $$$ crane sitting there. You set the standard that we should all aspire to!
 
So I read the tcia crane book in about an hour. Was really looking to get more out of the book. I did take some things away from it but I've surmised that experience is the best teacher. I'm taking pctree up on his offer and heading to Charlottesville VA for a few day to learn from a pro. I'm excited and hope I'm not a burden. He's gotta make money at the same time so it's very generous of him to take me under his wing for a few days.
 
Yeah, kinda like reading a book on "How to Swim". Interesting, but...

Let us know how it goes (good and bad). Looking forward to hearing about it! (Edit: Pictures too, if possible.)
 
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Steve, if you don't work with a crane very often or if you end up working with different operators a lot i strongly recommend getting a ropetek helmet comm and a crane operator headset. They're affordable and super useful outside of just crane work. It allows you to get the operator in on your decision making process in the tree and vice versa. It's an open conversation about the project throughout. Rather than both of you wondering what will happen next you can talk about it together and make the decision together. Even the lowliest crane operator knows a hell of a lot more about operating a crane than a seasoned tree removal expert, and that knowledge can be a real asset. Plus, if he sucks at it you can play him like a fiddle with your helmet comm.

I have to say it too. Coming from a guy who has one handed a saw more than he'd like to admit: that notching situation scared the SH!T out of me. I almost couldn't watch.
 
ABMaplemustdie said:
Steve, if you don't work with a crane very often or if you end up working with different operators a lot i strongly recommend getting a ropetek helmet comm and a crane operator headset. They're affordable and super useful outside of just crane work. It allows you to get the operator in on your decision making process in the tree and vice versa. It's an open conversation about the project throughout. Rather than both of you wondering what will happen next you can talk about it together and make the decision together. Even the lowliest crane operator knows a hell of a lot more about operating a crane than a seasoned tree removal expert, and that knowledge can be a real asset. Plus, if he sucks at it you can play him like a fiddle with your helmet comm.

I have to say it too. Coming from a guy who has one handed a saw more than he'd like to admit: that notching situation scared the SH!T out of me. I almost couldn't watch.
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if the crane operator sucks, you send him and the rig home. pretty dumb of a climber to"play the op like a fiddle" when he has your safety in his hands. quite a few climbers have no clue what happens when trees go up instead of down when you cut them, so its a two way street. the availability of cranes for tree removal allows novice climbers to tackle projects way above their skill levels and they get in trouble. very seldom do you see an experienced climber get in trouble working with a crane because they quickly understand what's going on.
 
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