Keeping hold of the lowering rope

[MattyF]

I prefere the marlin spike, not liking my climbing line any were near a lowered lump... Tried one of those stein hooks after having it in the cab and forgetting about it for months last week ,it had snapped by the end of the day!

[Le Sanglier]

Yesterday I had a large Oak to rig down, I decided to re-try the friction lowering device, telling my groundies that we were going to perservere with it despite their misgivings.

Then I pulled up my large pulley and strop and did it all the 21st century way.

I have to say it worked very well I am a convert.Less effort, smoother, fewer tears.

If I only had one or two pieces I would have stuck with the Flintstones method.

 

so remember " There is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who have no need of..........."

[MattyF]

I recon the best thing is you don't glaze and wreck a £150 rope like you could on one big lump of big crutch lowered timber, the rest is a benefit once every body's used to it .. Far more predictable and flowing.. In some cases easyer to set up a crane point with a pulley if you throw the block through the crutch you would of used, then put the lowering rope in the pulley then pull it up and tie the pulley strop off with a timber hitch lower down on a thicker diameter stem.... This makes it safer if the higher point breaks and the final

pulley far more manoverable for the whole operation.

[Pedroski]

We had a laff today. Huge (hundreds of kg) massive long heavy branch of a poplar, 50ft above a 5 bar gate in field entrance. Tied it off close to trunk, lowering rope over crutch, twice round trunk, across to another tree and twice round that. I was just looking at the branch, and the gate, and the branch again. Thinking all would be good and gate would be fine when branch was swung down. But then I stopped the bloke up the tree. Decided to get my spanner out and remove the gate just in case the branch swung and swiped the top of it. Gate off, bloke back on the saw, branch starts to go, me and other groundy heaving on rope...... no movement at all but CRASH.... branch fell straight down and hit the deck. Right where the gate would have been. The frickin' pop split at the cut and the branch came straight down leaving the rope securely tied to a stub at the trunk.... Soooo glad I took that gate off at the last moment!

[carlos]

cant quiet picture what happened there to be honest but goes to show if you get a sudden feeling or second thought act on it.

[David Goss]

I have taken some time to consider everything that has been said, and have to admit: “I know when I'm beaten”, I'll try to keep quiet when such subjects come up again. What I was trying to say, not very successfully was: “Keep It Simple, whenever possible”.

 

You have all convinced me that the new methods are better, particularly true was the one about ropes damaging the bark, it does depend on the tree and the weights being lowered, but as a general principle, avoiding damage to the tree is paramount.

 

Mike, I really didn't intend to offend you and offer my sincerest apologies for any offence caused.

 

I am a great believer in that grandad, you are correct in many ways about people over complicating things to a point where its getting silly.

I will however point out that these rigging devices really do make our job easier and safer. The pully is used as the crotch, with the added advantage that it can also be used when there isnt a crotch. The friction device (whichever one you prefer) is used instead of wrapping the rope round the trunk, with the added advantage that it can be controlled easier and the groundie has more options of where to stand. Both of these devices also let the rope run smoothly and with little wear and tear so in a way saving you money in the long run with replacing worn out ropes. It takes very little time to set up both these devices and used as they are its not complicated at all.

 

Keep throwing in the questions grandad its good to hear your views on these things:thumbup1:

[Grandad]

We had a laff today. Huge (hundreds of kg) massive long heavy branch of a poplar, 50ft above a 5 bar gate in field entrance. Tied it off close to trunk, lowering rope over crutch, twice round trunk, across to another tree and twice round that. I was just looking at the branch, and the gate, and the branch again. Thinking all would be good and gate would be fine when branch was swung down. But then I stopped the bloke up the tree. Decided to get my spanner out and remove the gate just in case the branch swung and swiped the top of it. Gate off, bloke back on the saw, branch starts to go, me and other groundy heaving on rope...... no movement at all but CRASH.... branch fell straight down and hit the deck. Right where the gate would have been. The frickin' pop split at the cut and the branch came straight down leaving the rope securely tied to a stub at the trunk.... Soooo glad I took that gate off at the last moment!

 

Had a similar experience: this time snatching the top out of a Lombardy pop... Rigged it with a half-hitch below the cut and a killick hitch above, made a couple of little notches in the trunk for the killick hitch to sit in as additional security to stop the rope slipping off the trunk. Pulling rope up much higher. Made the mouth and shouted down to boss on the ground that I was ready to cut and NOT to pull until I said to. "Ok" shouts boss. So no sooner had I started cutting than he started HEEEEAVING on the pulling rope, a 16 stone bloke... All I could do was keep cutting as fast as I could and hope for the best. Well, next thing I know is the top of this tree cracked off and fell onto the ground leaving my killick hitch still there attached to the tree. What was worse, the top fell at the feet of the lady owner of the tree, who was taking a picture and who shouldn't have been anywhere near anyway.

Boss fixes me with an accusing stare and demands: "What happened there?" I was still in shock, "I don't know" I said. "Well look then, analyse what happened" he retorts.

I pulled myself together and looked... I had got about half way through the felling cut when the trunk had split due to the strain put on it by boss pulling before I was ready. The split travelled up through the killick hitch and the trunk snapped at the notches I had cut to hold the rope.

I explained this to boss... He replied, "So it was my fault..." his voice trailed off and he suddenly remembered something he hadn't done elsewhere...

Everything would have worked properly if he had waited until I had made the felling cut before pulling and the best thing was he never learned from the experience, I never could wean him off pulling before I was ready.

Edited December 15, 2011 by Grandad

[dexta]

Great video