redwood dismantle

[testcricket01]

Ok. Why would you chain it to one side? Doesn't that make it more unpredictable causing the logs to roll and pinch the saw?

 

I'm not criticising, it's how I see the situation. You have the control of a crane to make every piece float away like a cloud but make it risky by unbalancing the load.

 

Hi rob i had a chain on each side as reg told me but instead of dead level you have it slightly unlevel so you place the chains say like 8o clock and the other at 4o clock and start cutting from 6 0 clock till your all the way through at 12o clock if that makes sense. Thats what i got from reg if i remember right. You do it slightly off center so it tilts opening the cut in the direction your cutting but doesnt tilt the load alot unlike the single choker.

[RobRainford]

Hi rob i had a chain on each side as reg told me but instead of dead level you have it slightly unlevel so you place the chains say like 8o clock and the other at 4o clock and start cutting from 6 0 clock till your all the way through at 12o clock if that makes sense. Thats what i got from reg if i remember right. You do it slightly off center so it tilts opening the cut in the direction your cutting but doesnt tilt the load alot unlike the single choker.

 

I get you. Personally I would have chained at 6 and 12 I clock and cut from 3 to 9 to keep it level. However not having been in the situation it's just how I would think I would do it.

 

Good job

[RC0]

I get you. Personally I would have chained at 6 and 12 I clock and cut from 3 to 9 to keep it level. However not having been in the situation it's just how I would think I would do it.

 

Good job

Having the chains or slings slightly favoured to one side (tipping the log) makes it easy to read whether or not you've pre-loaded too much or too little by the time you get to 3/4 of the way through. If you get it wrong where the chains or dead opposite the log cam pop off and bounce....really bad time to have your hand in the kerf The shorter the log the more significant having 2 slings becomes. Long sections, one sling or chain is just fine - see 16:40 in the vid below. I think the bark hanging on the way its was is what was causing an issue with James' logs.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZZB_FTDnwg]Treework, Spring, 2012, Victoria BC - YouTube[/ame]

[RobRainford]

Having the chains or slings slightly favoured to one side (tipping the log) makes it easy to read whether or not you've pre-loaded too much or too little by the time you get to 3/4 of the way through. If you get it wrong where the chains or dead opposite the log cam pop off and bounce....really bad time to have your hand in the kerf The shorter the log the more significant having 2 slings becomes. Long sections, one sling or chain is just fine - see 16:40 in the vid below. I think the bark hanging on the way its was is what was causing an issue with James' logs.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZZB_FTDnwg]Treework, Spring, 2012, Victoria BC - YouTube[/ame]

 

I see what you mean. You are looking for the cut to open slightly as you get to the end and if it starts tipping too much there's too much tension and closes there's not enough. Are there situations where having a shorter piece tied opposite is the better choice? Is swinging ever an issue if its tied to one side? Does that depend on the size of the piece?

[RC0]

I see what you mean. You are looking for the cut to open slightly as you get to the end and if it starts tipping too much there's too much tension and closes there's not enough. Are there situations where having a shorter piece tied opposite is the better choice? Is swinging ever an issue if its tied to one side? Does that depend on the size of the piece?

 

Just remember, I speak from my own experience, this is not advice as such....but if it helps someone out, great. Know what I'm saying Rob!

 

The shorter the log, the harder it is to make it bottom heavy while having the slings adequately low enough to choke the log securely. If its not bottom heavy its obviously gonna level up, or worse still turn right over.....you dont want that. A single choker in this instance would make it tip more severely, 2 opposites are gonna stabilize it, hence 2 opposites is better for short logs.... and then by slightly setting the slings to one side at this point can still give you that little tilt that you want without too much of an inbalance.

 

Swinging most often occurs if either the boom is offset from where the log is....so its always better to let the slings or chains settle above the log before you attach them....if they;re swinging around above your head dont be tempted to grab them and start hooking them up without knowing exactly where the tip of the boom is positioned. Deflection is the other one, certain cranes or one at full reach is gonna be for bendy.

[RC0]

Lots of lifts in this vid but the 2 especially starting 11:55, where the slinging, boom position and pre-loading has to be just right.

 

You can probably guess ive got too much time on my hands at the moment

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLoZxsalHKg]Winter Tree Work 2010-11 part 3 - YouTube[/ame]

[mistahbenn]

How's the tooth more importantly Reg?

[silky fox]

Great instructional video:thumbup:

[tommytopsoil]

James, great job, great pics, great vid and great thread, well done! I am sure you have a very bright future.

 

As regards craning, far better to give a slight tilt as Reg says. The most important aspect of this is allowing the weight to be gently transferred to the crane in a controlled manner by it's operator.

 

The problems with this not happening are that the weight will be transferred rapidly onto the crane with the potential to cause momentary overload.

Something that few people fully understand or take account for is deflection - a huge characteristic of the modern crane boom - and forgetting about it can cause a further host of problems.

Obviously, any sudden movements will also dramatically increase the potential for the load to swing outside it's rated radius, again causing overload and the consequences of that...

 

I could probably post one incident per week of a crane going over somewhere in the world whilst involved in tree work - and that is no exaggeration. It is inherently dangerous due to the generally unknown quantities being dealt with and I have a great deal of respect for those who take the time to minimise the high level of risk involved.

 

Another thing to consider is that however you want to do it, if the driver or AP isn't happy then it's not getting lifted. Their life and £££££££ crane will always come first.

 

Sorry if this sounds a little opinionated!

Good luck for the future James, I look forward to seeing your next job

[Dan Curtis]

A few pics for David and James. Stripped the butt log down today ready for its next incarnation.

 

The first couple show the mycelial felts that covered the entire log just beneath the bark.

 

After stripping and pressure washing, I found an area of cambial dieback, with an attempt at occlusion. The area with die back has a few soft spots, I'll find out more when i start making some cuts.

 

Lastly, spalted redwood?