It is not fun topping big trees. There is no place
to run when you are roped in, then there is the
whipping of the truck when the top falls.

"Peter Wiley" wrote

Climbing up a tree as high as you can get using an aluminium ladder,
because said tree sat back on the chainsaw bar, so you know there's not
a lot holding it up, to put a steel sling around the trunk as high up
as possible, so as to winch it over the direction it was *meant* to
fall. And it's windy. And there's a 415V 3 phase power line in the
direction it *wants* to fall. And last year you spent 2 weeks in
hospital being operated on numerous times after falling when a ladder
slipped.....

I've quit felling trees for the year. Especially near powerlines.

PDW

Bart Senior .@. wrote:

What scares me is going up the mast with
some guy I don't know and don't trust
tailing the halyard.

"Capt. JG" wrote
What scares me is totally incompetent sailors, the ones who pretend to
know
the rules of the road, but actually don't. Power boaters I can deal
with,
because I'm expecting the worst.

You have a point. Perhaps I should have waited
a day.
The dang boat was fractionally rigged, and I climbed
the mast hooked to the jib halyard so I didn't have
the reach to snag the main halyard. It was a real pain
because I had to hook the main halyard with a spinnaker
pole to retrieve it!


"Captain Joe Redcloud" wrote

"Bart Senior" .@. wrote:

What scares me is going up the mast with
some guy I don't know and don't trust
tailing the halyard.

In that case, you are scaring yourself. If you had a lick of sense you
would not
go up a mast under those conditions.

Captain Joe Redcloud
Moetwonn Detroyt

"Peter Wiley" wrote in message
. ..
In article , John
Cairns wrote:

"Peter Wiley" wrote in message
. ..

Climbing up a tree as high as you can get using an aluminium ladder,
because said tree sat back on the chainsaw bar, so you know there's not
a lot holding it up, to put a steel sling around the trunk as high up
as possible, so as to winch it over the direction it was *meant* to
fall. And it's windy. And there's a 415V 3 phase power line in the
direction it *wants* to fall. And last year you spent 2 weeks in
hospital being operated on numerous times after falling when a ladder
slipped.....

I've quit felling trees for the year. Especially near powerlines.

PDW
Management has mentioned on more than one occasion the possibility that
we
might have to use fall arresting gear when climbing more than 6' high.

Not a bad idea in general; we insist on it when working aloft on
commercial ships for example. However, dubious benefit IMO attaching
yourself to something that's going to fall over soon, you're just not
sure quite when or in which direction. My judgement error in cutting
it, my responsibility to deal with the consequences. I was going to try
jumping clear if neccesary and hope I didn't break the same bones as
last time.

Stupidity has its price. That time I got away with it but it was the
most scary thing I've done for a few years.

PDW

I'll admit it, back in the day we used to do some fairly unsafe things when
going up in the air, but they get ridiculous now. Have to wear a harness
when driving a boom lift, doesn't matter that the basket is about 8 inches
off the ground. Tried to point out to the safety lady that it was pointless,
she wouldn't listen.

John Cairns

Climbing up a tree as high as you can get using an aluminium ladder,
because said tree sat back on the chainsaw bar, so you know there's not
a lot holding it up, to put a steel sling around the trunk as high up
as possible, so as to winch it over the direction it was *meant* to
fall. And it's windy. And there's a 415V 3 phase power line in the
direction it *wants* to fall. And last year you spent 2 weeks in
hospital being operated on numerous times after falling when a ladder
slipped.....

I've quit felling trees for the year. Especially near powerlines.

PDW

In article , Bart Senior .@. wrote:

What scares me is going up the mast with
some guy I don't know and don't trust
tailing the halyard.

"Capt. JG" wrote
What scares me is totally incompetent sailors, the ones who pretend to
know
the rules of the road, but actually don't. Power boaters I can deal with,
because I'm expecting the worst.

In article , John
Cairns wrote:

"Peter Wiley" wrote in message
. ..

Climbing up a tree as high as you can get using an aluminium ladder,
because said tree sat back on the chainsaw bar, so you know there's not
a lot holding it up, to put a steel sling around the trunk as high up
as possible, so as to winch it over the direction it was *meant* to
fall. And it's windy. And there's a 415V 3 phase power line in the
direction it *wants* to fall. And last year you spent 2 weeks in
hospital being operated on numerous times after falling when a ladder
slipped.....

I've quit felling trees for the year. Especially near powerlines.

PDW

Management has mentioned on more than one occasion the possibility that we
might have to use fall arresting gear when climbing more than 6' high.

Not a bad idea in general; we insist on it when working aloft on
commercial ships for example. However, dubious benefit IMO attaching
yourself to something that's going to fall over soon, you're just not
sure quite when or in which direction. My judgement error in cutting
it, my responsibility to deal with the consequences. I was going to try
jumping clear if neccesary and hope I didn't break the same bones as
last time.

Stupidity has its price. That time I got away with it but it was the
most scary thing I've done for a few years.

PDW

Pete, I usually put the cable on BEFORE I start cutting.

You may want to adopt this method.

Scotty


"Peter Wiley" wrote in message
. ..

Climbing up a tree as high as you can get using an aluminium
ladder,
because said tree sat back on the chainsaw bar, so you know
there's not
a lot holding it up, to put a steel sling around the trunk as
high up
as possible, so as to winch it over the direction it was
*meant* to
fall. And it's windy. And there's a 415V 3 phase power line in
the
direction it *wants* to fall. And last year you spent 2 weeks
in
hospital being operated on numerous times after falling when a
ladder
slipped.....

I've quit felling trees for the year. Especially near
powerlines.

PDW

In article , Bart Senior .@.
wrote:

What scares me is going up the mast with
some guy I don't know and don't trust
tailing the halyard.

"Capt. JG" wrote
What scares me is totally incompetent sailors, the ones who
pretend to
know
the rules of the road, but actually don't. Power boaters I
can deal with,
because I'm expecting the worst.

The thought of you anchoring within 5000' of me. What a
nightmare!!!!!!!

SBV

On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 13:05:38 +0000, Scotty wrote:

Pete, I usually put the cable on BEFORE I start cutting.

You may want to adopt this method.

Unnecessary, if you use a open face cut, and wedges. The hinge won't
break until the tree hits the ground. It's much safer and more accurate.

Checkout page 19.

www.stihl.co.uk/pdf/chainsaw.pdf

thunder wrote:

On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 13:05:38 +0000, Scotty wrote:

Pete, I usually put the cable on BEFORE I start cutting.

You may want to adopt this method.

Unnecessary, if you use a open face cut, and wedges. The hinge won't
break until the tree hits the ground. It's much safer and more accurate.

Unfortunately that doesn't always work, the tree may be leaning in a
direction away from that which you wish it to fall or there may be wind
pushing it in a direction you don't want it go. In these cases no amount
of wedges will make it fall where you want it to, it's cable time.

Cheers
Martin
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Oh.
I put a chain around the tree, then shackle a long length of
steel cable, through a turning block, strapped to a big tree,
then back to my tractor draw bar.


--
Scott Vernon
Plowville Pa _/)__/)_/)_

"Peter Wiley" wrote in message
. ..
I did, but made 2 mistakes.

1. I didn't put it high enough up the tree.

2. I didn't use steel cable initially even though I had it, and
the
braided line stretched enough (even tho I'd taken a really good
strain
using a 4WD) to let the tree sit back.

If I'd had my tractor, which is how I've done tricky trees in
the past,
it would have been ok, but the old monster is 2 states away on
one of
my other properties.

Anything you survive is a learning experience. I won't make
that
mistake again, especially as I *knew* I shouldn't have done it
in the
first place.

PDW

In article , Scotty
wrote:

Pete, I usually put the cable on BEFORE I start cutting.

You may want to adopt this method.

Scotty


"Peter Wiley" wrote in message
. ..

Climbing up a tree as high as you can get using an
aluminium
ladder,
because said tree sat back on the chainsaw bar, so you know
there's not
a lot holding it up, to put a steel sling around the trunk
as
high up
as possible, so as to winch it over the direction it was
*meant* to
fall. And it's windy. And there's a 415V 3 phase power line
in
the
direction it *wants* to fall. And last year you spent 2
weeks
in
hospital being operated on numerous times after falling
when a
ladder
slipped.....

I've quit felling trees for the year. Especially near
powerlines.

PDW

In article , Bart Senior
.@.
wrote:

What scares me is going up the mast with
some guy I don't know and don't trust
tailing the halyard.

"Capt. JG" wrote
What scares me is totally incompetent sailors, the ones
who
pretend to
know
the rules of the road, but actually don't. Power
boaters I
can deal with,
because I'm expecting the worst.