Video: Foam, foam foam ... and lovin it.

No foam here, mate. I woulda rigged her down.

That looks like an accident/lawsuit just waiting to happen.
 
i'd rig off the other palm and run load into foam / tires/ branches etc. Less built up force into foam, low pull on palm and potential runaway pieces are tethered by line.
 
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and im not criticizing you,

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Yea, that gets him worked up a bit...
 
Batman responding

Did you hear about the palm we blocked down onto the roof of a house? Some genius thought it would be smart to leave a palm growing thru the roof on a house which had an indoor terrarium then realised their mistake. Foams to the rescue. I got a whole garage full of the stuff ... a regular foam scab, I got foam for every situation.

Did you even notice in some of my felling vids we use foam to protect stuff.

You don't just grab some shmuck of the street and say "hey, stand ere mate and catch these" geez, snap out of it.

Foams, the way of the future you know, various densities, texture etc. In fact I'm working on the foam basket, ever hear of self inflating foam?

So what happens is the thing is like a 4' x 4' x 3' high box, all made of foam and you drop the log into it ... of course if you miss then your up foam creek. And when you're done you pull the bung and roll it away.

You all know the amount of work in roping blocks down and the unreliability of fagots* on the ground ... let alone the mess around a pool that a fagot* would make. It's not rocket science to also know that as the spar gets shorter the roping becomes more shock loaded ... i think that the ht where roping down on palm dia stuff becomes a BS exercise is right where the foam comes into play.

I'd rather a faggot free workzone, I think that is way more hazardous.

*fag·ot also fag·got ( P ) Pronunciation Key (fgt)
n.
A bundle of twigs, sticks, or branches bound together.
 
Good job Ekka. It looks like you've drawn the attention of a bound up bundle of sticks!

Using foam looks like a quick and safe method. Nice aim.

I don't see foam the size and shape you are using here in the states. What is the foam's main use? I'm assuming it's a waste product of some type.
 
Dan, next time you see an old sofa at the curb, stop and strip the covers off the cushions. Alternatively you can get fresh material at a sofa manufacturer.

That stuff is also quite effective for working on steep roof pitches. Just throw one down and jump onto it. I've seen guys shingle A-frames with it, obviating the need for roof brackets/planks. Can't say I've ever seen it used for fagot-protection, though I wouldn't know who to ask...
 
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Good job Ekka. It looks like you've drawn the attention of a bound up bundle of sticks!

Using foam looks like a quick and safe method. Nice aim.

I don't see foam the size and shape you are using here in the states. What is the foam's main use? I'm assuming it's a waste product of some type.

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The really good foam comes out of old lounge suites. The big piece you see the guy holding is just a superb score, now a piece that size in that density new would be close to $100 but at the tip recycle place I get it for about $10 but it's hard to come across it ... I have them keep an eye out for me.

They do get hacked up so you see us use the same one on top for a while then ditch it.

The high density stuff is about 8" to 10" thick. Now I weigh close to 220lb and if I stand on it with one foot I do not squash it to the ground ... it's that good. For the guy who stops the logs there's no way he'd cop it unless of course you throw the log on him.

When the guys start out they usually stand back a fair distance and get the jist of what's going on and as you come down the spar they get in closer coz there's less impact and more accuracy.

With those palms there we didn't bother putting a board underneath as they weren't tall enough ... with the bigger ones I'll put a sheet of ply underneath and bring the supersized foams ... single bed size. Now these foam blocks sit on the front of my trailer every day ... it's there permanently. Also you get very little bounce.

All the skeptics and die hard done it for 10 years plus type of blokes who come and work here have a good laugh about the foam ... then sooner or later out it comes for something and they can't believe how handy it is. You might be blocking down on a hill toward a fence etc so just foam it up. we also fell palms on pavers, tiles etc with boards and foams to take the impact ... providing you're sensible and aim well no worries.

If I worked without those foams I could easily double the time it would take to do my job ... I wonder if the client would be prepared to pay double?

Oh, and the cowboys ... they just bust and break stuff, like in that vid there would have been crap in the pool, the garden smashed etc ... I get a lot of the tough palms and referals coz of it.
 
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Using foam looks like a quick and safe method.

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You know, I think you're RIGHT! After reviewing the vid I've decided that bombing chunks onto foam inches away from a groundie is AWESOME! I can't imagine a safer, better, more efficient way to do it!

I seriously feel you should demonstrate this technique to training seminars, OSHA/ANSI, and potential sponsers. Heck, I bet you could sell Sherrill on it, and they could even start selling the foam! Sweet!

OSHA/ANSI will be amazed when the see it, and probably wonder why THEY didn't think of FOAM! I imagine they would probably give you a high five for being so ingenious! AWESOME!

You could sell the vid to some group like Arbormasters so they could incorporate the super safe, ingenious Foam Technique! I bet you could even go on a demo junket and make big bucks!

I'm gonna watch it over and over just so I can get the Amazingly Safe and Efficient Foam Technique down pat!

Thanks Ekka! Keep those vids coming!
beerchug.gif
 
MB are you beating up on Ekka because this video is not posted at the TH?

Rhetorical question BTW.
 
I'm on dial up so I don't want to take the time to download the vid. In one other vid I saw a groundie using a piece of foam though. I'd be pretty reluctant to count on my groundie to dodge a dropped piece. We're not playing baseball here...the pitcher up in the tree isn't that accurate!

It does make sense to use foam, plywood, tires or brush to protect property. Why not use some kind of prop or stick as a handle to keep the groundie out of the drop zone? A pole pruner could be used since it can hold up a corner.

BTW...let's take the jabs and cross-site chatter off-line :)
 
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MB are you beating up on Ekka because this video is not posted at the TH?

Rhetorical question BTW.

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Talk sense man your talking rubbish anyone including YOU knows that dropping heavy rings inches from a groundsmans head is a recipe for a disaster.. /forum/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

And as for butt licking Ekka it makes you look even more silly than you already are!!.. /forum/images/graemlins/9lame.gif
 
Horses for courses.
It works well for you Eric. I think the vid shows that. However, I think if you were to demonstrate that process to any safety inspector from HSE, OSHA, or the equivalent Aus body, they would have a fit.
I also think if you tried that on a real sized tree, it would be disastrous. those little palm lumps are ok, but I should like to see the piece of foam that could catch a 2' poplar or pine log...And the groundie that could smother it!

like I said, horses for courses.
 
Now lets see, coz it's not a tree we'll skip the first part of hangers and cutting a path from bottom up.

(1)Eliminate trip hazards. Keep the traveled path clear of obstructions. Fulfilled and foam is much better then faggots

i)Move limb wood to a central spot or outside of the drop zone. Done, every log is quickly whisked away

j)Clean up as you go. Get all material, large and small. done

k)Anything you can do to keep stuff out from under foot reduces risk on the work site. Done, and no ropes to trip on besides faggot remnants

(1)Personal protective equipment, such as hard hats and safety glasses. (Emergency, last ditch mechanism for accident prevention.) Done, all PPE is worn and we have a large block of foam too

2.Communication Controls
(2)Advance rapport with client, utilities, and agencies such as a city’s street department. Yeah yeah.

(3)A clearly communicated work plan involving all staff on site. Well if you haven't noticed this you may want to see an optometrist

4)Eye contact and hand signals or VOX activated radio equipment. All of these methods provide a mechanism for clear communication and confirmation of message received and understood.

l)“Eye contact” means: eye to eye contact with mutual acknowledgment. No worries, every block is called and acknowledged.

m)Signals used should be standardized for continuity from crew to crew. Yep

n)Signals used should be clear and distict from other natural body movements. Yep

o)The meaning of signals must be clearly defined. At the proximinty we are clear verbal is acknowledged

(1)High visibility apparel items. sure, we dont wear wife beaters and dirty ole t-shirts like cowboys

(2)Audible emergency signals such as voice, whistle, horn, etc. (Emergency, last ditch mechanism for accident prevention.)I think you've seen the whistles and me talking

3. Mental Awareness Controls

(3)Knowledge of the work habits of fellow staff. Oh a very important factor like a pair on a trapeze, no worries.

(4)Knowledge of the physical location and activity of fellow staff at all times. Oh for sure, easy to count and spot those fluro shirts

(5)Knowledge of the work plan and progress within that plan. yes another little beauty, even the customers get the drill

(6)Alertness, awareness and action to exclude passers by and other non-staff from entering the work site. Ha, you mean to say some people dont do this!

So, looks like a pretty good line up to me ...

Now here's a 21 sec video (1.29MB)of guys in public going 80' with no safety ... I believe some have fallen and been seriously injured. These are commercial events and in public arenas just like the saw racing. Hmmmm

www.palmtreeservices.com.au/video/yankspoleclimb.wmv

I suppose when a yank does something like this they're a hero?
 
I watched the video and don't really see much risk there for the groundies, really. If it were a tall tree, sure, but it's only 25'? Not that big of a deal. Seems like a buch of guys here only chime in to make fun of the video and that's all. Am I wrong here or is there a pattern?

I have never used foam or such for a job before, but why not watch the vid and say "interesting concept or solution"? I like when people do things in a unique manner. That's how great ideas are born. Sorry Eric, but I wouldn't say that this is one of those mind blowing ideas, but good for you to try doing a unique thing. It seemed to work alright from what I saw.
 
I had a Siberian Elm tre removal that was in a tight area. The truck was 3' from a house on one side and all flagstone patio on the other. I had to rig every thing. For the final falling of the tree I pulled a Ekka!

I took my son's mattress and placed it on the flagstone in the direction of the fall of the tree. I then placed cross sections of logs (not fagots) on the mattress to aid with distributing the force of the fall.

It worked! Not a flagstone cracked!

See illustration of how I did this.
 

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