Fir Zip-line

[RC0]

This job was undersold by the guy company I was working with. The proprietor had given a cheap price because it was supposedly a friend who didn’t want to pay but didn’t want any damage either. Our task was just to put the tree down without damaging anything, just the two of us.

 

Tree was about 130 ft and had been topped 25+ years ago by a local logger....who as it turns out sent the top straight through the neighbour’s kitchen. The owner didn’t volunteer that info though, insisting the trees had never been touched....and continued to play the job down and that we ought to be done in a couple of hours. Yeah whatever.

 

The zip line was the ticket. A single line tensioned at the base of the tree, up through a block and then terminated at the landing out yonder. No haul-back/control line. I had 3 loop slings that I would rig to 3 limbs at a time. We would leave each limb still attached at the landing so it would re-tension the line for the next limb....only untying after all 3 were down.

 

A little trickier nearer the top as the line angle got steeper and there was a high risk of the some of the limbs sweeping and breaking stuff out of the adjacent fir where they had grown through, around and above....which would have landed on the roof. So I had to be patient and re-direct the line a little higher and cut the limbs a little shorter.

 

The top still had a lean-back but was now sufficiently clear of the adjacent tree and I’d done as much as was practical in shifting the favour. We pre-loaded the top 50ft with the 5:1 and then further took aim with a pocket full wedges and axe. The 5:1 was un-manned at this point because being only two of us there is always a risk of somebody appearing from nowhere walking around the corner and into the kill zone....and the 5:1 was so far away to get a good angle that Scott would’ve been totally blind to what was happening.

 

Anyway, it straightened up as soon as the back-cut neared the finish-line and then stalled a little, so rather than cut any more I took the time to tap in the wedges before edging further towards the notch....away she went, jumped 15 ft and landed perfectly flat.

 

A lot of messing around setting up as it was pretty rough terrain at the far end of the rigging, but worth it to leave absolutely no doubt about the outcome. Photos are a poor because it was a damp gloomy day. Scott's the faller right at the end there.

[Tommy_B]

Interesting job Reg. Cheers for posting. Did you get any video at all or just the pics? Cheers

[Ewan Murray]

Cool photos Reg seemed like a challenging job.

[skyhuck]

Good stuff Reg!!!, looked real tricky!!

 

Don't you just love those customers who tell you how easy our job is:001_rolleyes:

[rowan lee]

Well done! Didn't look like the most fun job in the world that.

I don't understand this '5:1' term? Does it have something to do with a pull line or is the ratio of top you fell against the remaining standing wood.

[skyhuck]

Well done! Didn't look like the most fun job in the world that.

I don't understand this '5:1' term? Does it have something to do with a pull line or is the ratio of top you fell against the remaining standing wood.

 

Its a simple pulley setup that gives you a 5 to 1 mechanical advantage.

[morten]

... we ought to be done in a couple of hours.

 

How long time did it takie you to finish the job, in the end?

 

Last time I priced a fir tree speedline job, it ended up taking me twice my estimate. Painfully slow, even when tying on 3-4 branches at a time with loops. The tree was enclosed by buildings, garages and sheds with only 2-6 feet of space, and the speed line had to go over the shed roof, and the lower branches ended up being caught on the roof, having to be dragged past it.

[Nigel]

Well done! Didn't look like the most fun job in the world that.

I don't understand this '5:1' term? Does it have something to do with a pull line or is the ratio of top you fell against the remaining standing wood.

 

Hi Rowan, this helps explain the 5:1

 

[RC0]

Thanks

 

Morten, It was a day for 2 of us, although we probably spent 2 hours before-hand preping and clearing other trees. Conventional rigging would have taken at least twice that time with just one guy on the ground as some were about 30ft long of which he'd have had to draw then away from the roof on his own also which would have been difficult, slow and would've soon had a massive pile at the base of the tree. As it was Scot didn't have to do anything once the lines were set, and we were left with a nice clear area at the base of the tree.

 

I was getting depressed with it near the end as the risk of something breaking and falling on the roof increased from the back limbs....it was late afternoon now and we'd not stopped for even a drink of water. So it was a great relief to finally sink that back-cut in the top knowing we were on the home straight.

 

Tommy, I did switch the headcam on for the Top coming out.

 

Rowan, the 5:1 is the in fact the ISC version in Nigel video....but it was only used to pre-load the top when we came to cut it off. Our tightening of the zip-line was done at the base of the tree at the lowering device.

[rowan lee]

Its a simple pulley setup that gives you a 5 to 1 mechanical advantage.

 

Hi Rowan, this helps explain the 5:1

 

Thanks

Rowan, the 5:1 is the in fact the ISC version in Nigel video....but it was only used to pre-load the top when we came to cut it off. Our tightening of the zip-line was done at the base of the tree at the lowering device.

 

Thanks - I understand what you mean now. Is it called the same thing if you use a small hand winch as well.