Blocking down a stem

[RC0]

It must be because your trees are so huge. In over thirty years I've never had a block that I couldn't push off.

 

But I am amazingly powerful and bowed up! ;^}

 

 

Obviously because you work/cut within the boundaries of your capabilities, after 30 years only a fool would bite off more than he can chew. I'll tell you what, next time cut them twice as big and let me know how you got on.

 

A good analogy would be a winch v a guy with a pull rope. I know which one I'd pick.

 

As for the punt about our trees being so huge, what is that supposed to mean?

 

Goliath was amazingly powerful also, remember him?

 

Whats this really about Butch, is it personal? Please explain

[MasterBlaster]

Whats this really about Butch, is it personal? Please explain

 

Heck no brother, I don't know you from Adam. It's just an odd piece of gear that I don't have a use for.

 

Like I said, I just push. I'm a big believer in the KISS system. At the very least I wouldn't wanna pack that extra weight on my saddle.

 

But to each their own!

[tockmal]

At the very least I wouldn't wanna pack that extra weight on my saddle.

 

LOL! it sits on top of the section you subnut!

 

Ha ha ha

[MasterBlaster]

LOL! it sits on top of the section you subnut!

 

Ha ha ha

 

Don't amuse yourself prematurely. I'm talking about where you stash it between cuts.

[tockmal]

Don't amuse yourself prematurely, wingnut. I'm talking about where you stash it between cuts.

 

Ha! Think about it numbnuts! stash it for what?...lets say 10 secs. Thats really gonna hurt, lol!

 

Tough guy indeed! ho ho

 

Anyway, since when did you go all ergonomically correct on us? Bet Jerry B would'nt have a problem with stashing on his harness between cuts.

[Steve Bullman]

ok so moving on from that, is there any other techniques people are using that havent been discussed yet?

[John Shutler]

dependant on how big the tree is and how bigger blocks im taking off il get a felling bar with a chainsaw strop on it sent up

[tockmal]

ok so moving on from that, is there any other techniques people are using that havent been discussed yet?

 

What about using winches or Z-Rigs to pull big sections out?

 

Never actually used a hand winch for this but have used various 3:1/5:1 Z-Rigs and vehicle winches. used hand winches for felling spars - very good.

 

I always worry when the groundies are pulling the section their gonna slip and let go and piece comes back on itself and goes over the back of the tree onto the house below and the rope falls down between you and the tree and burns a line through your arms or waist.

 

With the winch and Z-Rig the section is held in place as it comes over thereby significantly reducing the risk of fall back.

[RC0]

Heck no brother, I don't know you from Adam. It's just an odd piece of gear that I don't have a use for.

 

Like I said, I just push. I'm a big believer in the KISS system. At the very least I wouldn't wanna pack that extra weight on my saddle.

 

But to each their own!

 

I’m glad to hear that.

 

Let me just clarify some things here. Firstly it was not my intention to get into this. In fact, I’ve never deliberately encouraged people to talk about the product on the forums, quite the opposite. However, I have dropped it in where I though it might be relevant, as I would with any other product/technique

 

To be honest, and contrary to what people might assume, I find it a little embarrassing to discuss the idea on these open forums, its hard to explain but that’s just how it feels, its kinda uncomfortable. I'm a climber with a few tricks up his sleeve, no more no less. I'm happy to share and discuss their individual working merits in an objective sense but that’s where I'd like to draw the line. Anything more is kinda irritating!

 

I'm well aware that I’ve not exactly invented the wheel, but at least it actually works as it’s supposed to, unlike some products out there.

 

My biggest concern as the designer of this product is that it might be misunderstood. For example:

 

I wouldn't want to pack that extra weight on my saddle!

 

Neither would I man, which is why I don’t. Hell I'll even leave the saw on top of the spar while I position myself for the next cut. Which is the same place that you leave the blockdriver while your cutting, like a work top. Make the cut drive the chunk off and just leave it there while you make the next one. It wouldn't matter if it weighed 3 times the amount because other than initially hauling it up the spar and inserting it, you never actually carry it on yourself. I think the hauling part is a minor inconvenience when you consider the pushing capacity you are gaining in return.

 

Its all in the manual and on the videos if you look carefully.

 

Here's another vid:

 

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-6400179171180263480&hl=en-GB

 

Obviously we were just fooling around here but there's still a lot of weight involved which I'm able to push with just one hand. I don't think it takes a great deal of imagination to see where the technique would have merit on a huge still-standing trunk.

 

The videos have always been difficult, even when they come out the chunks never look as big as in reality. And you wouldn't believe how many good shots got ruined because of our bad planning. Sean, bless him, was often pointing the camera in the wrong place or nearly falling off the ladder. But once the chunk has fallen that it is, the opportunity is lost.

 

The various footage that is going round on the internet is just ok, I realize it's not overly impressive but that is just the way it turned out.

 

Hey use whatever technique you're comfortable with, I'm not trying to force/sell anything here, credit me for having some integrity. But please, don't be so quick to judge people and their ideas until you have at least taken the time to fully investigate all of the facts and purposes behind them. No hard feelings.

[Andy Collins]

Having met Reg and seen the block-driver demo-ed, I think its a useful bit of kit. Not the sort of thing you would use every day maybe, but now and again it may just save you a lot of effort. I like that in kit. If we didnt have people like Reg out there, we'd still be felling trees with flint axes, oh, and we wouldnt have a novel idea such as the wheel either. Ok, maybe I've over exaggerrated here, but we need people to invent and innovate. I know how much time was taken to produce this piece of kit, and I for one, take my hat off to Reg for his efforts.