What Do You Guys Think of This Climbing Job?

climbingmonkey24

climbingmonkey24

Carpal tunnel level member
Location
United States
Did some work this past week in a town and client gave my info to his neighbor who wants me to do some pruning. Good job that won't take long. Pretty big oak, she just wants a little branch growing off the trunk sliced off and then a large limb that extends out towards the yard and driveway cut down. It's probably 20-30 ft up I wanna say. Not real high at all. And I think I can just let it drop. There's really nothing underneath it that could get damaged. So total in tree work time would not be long at all. It's a good straight forward job, she also wants me to do some basic pruning on another tree. But safety first.

And for the amount of work involved it wouldn't really be worth it to rent a lift or something because the job isn't worth that much to price in renting big equipment. It's a straight shot up climbing and I should be able to just cut it right at the trunk.

Here's my concerns:

The oak has this going, and I advised the lady and told her that the tree is a hazard but she isn't concerned. She said it's been like that for eleven years so she isn't worried. She's elderly, on oxygen, so it was kind of sad and I wasn't going to try and explain to her why she should remove the tree because she only wanted to talk about that large branch and the other pruning she wants done.

Based off the pictures would you guys feel safe climbing that only 20-30 ft to cut one limb off? My other question is the tree is right next to the power lines that run along the main rd. I'm not working near them, everything is on the opposite side of the lines but I was curious if anyone knows if electricity can jump if some of your equipment, like the saw for instance acts as a conductor? Is that possible? Is there any equipment you can think of that we use for climbing and working that could act as a conductor?

Here are pics:
image_67188225.JPGimage_67235585.JPG
 
I think that picture is not enough info to condemn the tree. Need more pictures and info.

Regarding the power lines. If you maintain the proper distance, electricity will not arc over to you. However if you don’t feel comfortable working near those lines, then don’t do it.
 
The rest of the trunk is solid there no split or anything. But I don’t know if there’s rot on the inside that I can’t see. There could be. I don’t have any more pictures unfortunately.
 
Without seeing more pictures I cannot say with absolute certainty, but if that is the only problem the tree has I would be comfortable climbing it. As long as you stay at least 10’ from the power lines, and as long as the tree is not actually touching them, you should be safe that way as well.
 
Reach said:
Without seeing more pictures I cannot say with absolute certainty, but if that is the only problem the tree has I would be comfortable climbing it. As long as you stay at least 10’ from the power lines, and as long as the tree is not actually touching them, you should be safe that way as well.
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I would climb it. To remove few limbs shouldn't be a problem. I would advise either taking the ISA TRAQ course or reading the material at least. Finally if YOU don't feel confident about the tree or the power lines don't do the job. Opps replied to the wrong post sorry fellas
 
climbingmonkey24 said:
The rest of the trunk is solid there no split or anything. But I don’t know if there’s rot on the inside that I can’t see. There could be. I don’t have any more pictures unfortunately.
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If that is the only obvious defect, then that tree has a great shot at standing for many years. It is doing its thing and reacting.
A substantial percentage of mature hardwood trees end up hollow. That one will.
Hollow doesn't necessarily mean hazardous.
 
Brocky said:
If you do the job, the big branch should have most of the weight cut off before making the final cut at the trunk.
Click to expand...

I was gonna cut a little out drop the whole thing and then clean it up at the trunk.

I usually never drop big stuff right at the trunk for obvious reasons in case it peels etc.

Were you thinking of something else that would be a concern or...?
 
From what can see, no problem climbing this, you ain't gonna break it sitting in it, anymore than displace it's CoG any with own.
surelly simple wind loading has been more than your meager fly weight!
>>and has survived storms of more harsher loadings
rule of thumb: can lose 50% of core; if w/o any other violations(which split is)
>>calc only 6% strength, but weakness advances strong from there.
Trees 'know' this already, so don't heal and replace lesser leverages
>>seal over to increase leverages by expanding BOTH sides at once around defect
>>NOT replace 1 position inside leveraged positions.
Raw food 'gathering' and 'cooking' to tree honey sucrose(common flexability of money rather than specific barter) all take precious energy by slow motion machine (tree growth)
>>strategically tree is king of jungle/lands as only uses resources to best positions
>>AND work in recycling harmony with those around it, sifitng out carbon dioxide CO2 and crack apart to return carbon as base of all life forms AND release the oxygen for all life in scales otherwise unknown>>and using process to draw and process raw nutrients and water to sucrose.
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Seen MUCH worse last for decades in good wood
>>Tree looks to have healthy, thick barking cambium
>>if spiraling bark even more better(except if you are the one running splitter and each piece cross grained like each is a tree crotch)..
>>VERY healthy sealing response, that probably shows in PROPER cuts

Is:
The defect on the primary axis of loading either forward or backward?
>>or on axis of unbuffered wind loading?
If not, is there lots of sideloading resistance needed?
>>root leveraged reach and thickness , also buttressing can help tell for both of these
ANY wind buffering structures or trees REMOVED recently or other history?
.
Removing low weight, pushes CoG higher ;
>>given same width structure for actually less stability in lean
Dang trees, can L-earn more from them, than teach'em!
 
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climbingmonkey24 said:
I was gonna cut a little out drop the whole thing and then clean it up at the trunk.

I usually never drop big stuff right at the trunk for obvious reasons in case it peels etc.

Were you thinking of something else that would be a concern or...?
Click to expand...
Peeling was the concern, which you are aware of already, wasn’t sure what knowledge you had.
 
CoG Center of Gravity.
>>higher is, is more potential leverage of tip over
>>vs. width of trunk/anchoring as anti-tip in all things, just amplified here
thus martial arts / pyramid squat drops CoG lower AND wider base
>>vs. fixed width light rowboat, suddenly stand up in, to raise CoG
>>w/o widening base to same magnification>>for less stability ratio
Raising tree CoG by removal of large low weight
>>raises CoG on fixed width like stand in light row boat>>upsets previous balance
Can effect taper disfavorably in long term etc. too.
.
Many bioMechanical arguments against trimming the best self-maximizing slow motion machine ever and impacting high speed compared to it's slow speed with your hits.
>>remove lower limb may allow higher limb to crash down with much higher velocity when otherwise might have been caught etc.
.
Any weakness/deformity/codominacy suspected in target limb?
 
The lower limb looks like there might be some decay on it. Not sure would have to see it again. I didn't take a pic of it. It's just a limb growing out of the tree. Nothing major in comparison with the size of the trunk. Grows horizontally and then droops downward quote a bit.
 
Everyone here has a bit of decay in them.


Don't bang up the buttress or roots with the falling material.

She might just want the tree to outlive her.
 
Even the trees themselves expect to have rot in them.
Structural position of rot to loading is key.
.
Benchmarks:
>>50% core loss and no external defects 6% loss
>>defect on loading axis (weight or wind) or not
are key starting points in good species wood with no wind buffers removed.
.
Fast growing, weaker in trade with thinner bark trees in rush to grow upward more problematic, but that is not what I think we have here.
 
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Not massive removal of low weight in ratio to tree to upset CoG model
>>but does function to limit movement on weighted side away from wires
Electric company will minimize weight towards wires continuously pushing towards branch
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Can't imagine why wants removed, but should be safe climb if no electric contact
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edit : now more pics see some lowness end of target maybe, msotly some end frazzle mite try to snip off
>>and very special telephone pole!
And gives gps of job
>>guess mite have to warn all, mite not want to do that to cx or for competition..
 
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