today's job "Step cut 3"

Daniel

Daniel

Carpal tunnel level member
Location
Suburban Philadelphia (Wayne)
today\'s job \"Step cut 3\"

Here's a job we did today.. this one is for you Chip. Its a perfect example of why I love to use the step cut.. Its a big time and energy saver. Stump was 40"+ at the cut. Took me less than 60 seconds to finish the flush cut and run the piece through the chipper. I left the saw's audio in for that cut only, so you all can tell that the flush cut was put up in real time and unedited.

Even though its gonna make me sound as arrogant as ever, here the details.. 85' tulip.. up and down in the hooks, lowered everything out to protect the lawn and make clean up easier. 24 or 25 cuts roped down. I threw the customer a bone and spent almost an hour in the bucket doing a bit of pruning on the two trees in the background (locust and maple) take all the wood and grind the stump (gridings backfilled) ... $2500.. I doubt customer got other prices as his landscaper refered me, though I bid it last summer and only got the green light last week.

Tree was on the ground in 2:45 after I stepped on the property. Alternator on the bucket went, so I had to go back to a vehicle left at the AM job to get jumper cables, then home to pick up the stump grinder, as my neighbor had borrowed the truck that pulls it, then picked up lunch. Even with all that this job grossed right around $100/man/hour, including travel both ways and lunch.

Moral of the story:
$$$ talks and BS walks...
Even with a nice number on the job, the only way to make that kind of coin in this business is by operating with efficiency in all areas, from setting lines to clean up.

Here it is, 3:43 :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ8syV5LVOE
 
Re: today\'s job \"Step cut 3\"

[ QUOTE ]
a perfect example of why I love to use the step cut.
"Its a big time and energy saver".

Stump was 40"+ at the cut. Took me less than 60 seconds to finish the flush cut and run the piece through the chipper.

[/ QUOTE ]







Daniel,

Notch and a back cut. Leave the wood on the log, that way you don't have to wrestle it to the chipper and risk throwing your back out.
(my version of less time and energy)
 
Re: today\'s job \"Step cut 3\"

I do plenty of low notches and backcuts.. showed a lot of them on video.. But when there is a house involved, or decay on the base, or a big wide nasty flare, I prefer to keep my hinges above the trunk flare. I also do less cutting with the step cut.. the flush cut has to be made one way or the other. In the step cut the back half of the backcut does not need to be made.. Its actually faster..
 
Re: today\'s job \"Step cut 3\"

I think what you have made is a time management style decision. The time saved taking big pieces or one less base cut is minimal compared to time spent telling jokes with the crew, long mornings leaving the shop, and making videos. When it comes to the actual work I still move as fast as I can but place that secondary to safety and quality.
 
Re: today\'s job \"Step cut 3\"

[ QUOTE ]
I think I'd have to beat up your ropeman if he was lowering for my arse.

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I was thinking the same thing.

But to the step cut, like anything else, has a time and place. In a year of tree work, I might use this cut once or twice IF the situation calls for it, and I wouldn't do it in the air. Also I think 99% of the time it takes longer and is less efficient than a traditional cut, but it could come in handy. Just another tool for the tool box.
 
Re: today\'s job \"Step cut 3\"

This technique is a huge time WASTER unless its absolutly needed.

[/ QUOTE ]

That was the point I was trying to make
 
Re: today\'s job \"Step cut 3\"

Kind of sounds like your ripping people off if you ask me.
2500 and you call a couple of hours for "extra" pruning "throwing them a bone"
I dont know man.
I think you just pissing people off
Dont yell at me
Im street rat crazy.
 
Re: today\'s job \"Step cut 3\"

a lot of guys do this in memphis for non critical spar/tree drops. depending on the saw used and the size of the wood it might save a little time. i use this cut in reverse for climber protection in the tree when lowering large limbs tied in the C.O.G. large notch low and trip the cut high. i use so the limb has something to pivot against instead of my chest. the guys i know doing this step cut swear it saves time. i've used it and dulled the big saw on a piece of concrete grown in to the tree. so did it save me time? no as i would have cut the spar up and then did the stump cut, instead i changed the chain three times trying to finish felling the spar and then had to buck up and clean up. all of which could have been done while i was dicking around with the stump cut.
 
Re: today\'s job \"Step cut 3\"

[ QUOTE ]
I think what you have made is a time management style decision. The time saved taking big pieces or one less base cut is minimal compared to time spent telling jokes with the crew, long mornings leaving the shop, and making videos. When it comes to the actual work I still move as fast as I can but place that secondary to safety and quality.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is a lot of truth to that.. especially getting late starts... To me the video and the joking around with the crew have their purposes, so I consider that time well spent.

Still, there is something about me. I JUST HATE inefficiency on the job, even down to the raking... I remember watching a climber bomb 2' pieces out of a monster tulip, while the whole back side LZ was a wild area where there was easily room for 6-8' pieces. Watching 3 or 4 guys stand around, looking up, while little 2' pieces kept falling out of the sky was like fingernails on the chalk board to me. He told me later that he "felt safer" cutting firewood up there..

BUT it wasn't safer. His slow inefficient technique took more time in the air and more time to clean up on the ground. Which at the end of the day leaves everybody pressed for time and more fatigued. Those are very real safety issue.

Maybe there is a relationship there.. Late starts create the need to do things more efficiently to finish on time. That and competing against drug dealers that are washing their cash through the tree business.

As far as the camera work goes, unless its a very cool shot, I won't interrupt the work flow much for the video. When there is an extra set of hands, they can grab the camera for the cut, and still be ready to help once the piece is on the ground.

As far as the ground man not letting the rope run, I know his limitations and work with or around them. I knew the ride was coming and was alright with it. If the pieces were much bigger, I would have made adjustments.

That said, I will take it under advisement and talk to him about it. See if he can step his game up. If you want to see a guy who can run the ropes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpwDNQwKzFo
 
Re: today\'s job \"Step cut 3\"

Too much line tension here, the limb just about takes him out.
I have had that happen to me usually when raising a tip with the GRCS.
For lowering like that a butt line would have been better.


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Re: today\'s job \"Step cut 3\"

good observation.. that one did actually look like it was going to come back at him for a second there, and you can see him flinch.. Most people miss that when watching the video.

I believe that was the one that he asked me to hold for a second, til it swung past some limb from an adjacent tree, and then let it run.. so it was by the climber's design. He needed to tie it out a ways from the cut to keep it from dropping straight. I just did what I was told..
 
Re: today\'s job \"Step cut 3\"

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think I'd have to beat up your ropeman if he was lowering for my arse.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was thinking the same thing.



[/ QUOTE ]

Exact thing I saw. Yea he let it run but then stopped it for no reason allowing for it to slam right into the trunk.
 
Re: today\'s job \"Step cut 3\"

I noticed he tied a couple of sticks up higher than he should have but the rest came down nice.
How was the belay set up on the climber?
 
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