a crane virgin

[Andy Collins]

There are a good many crane-experienced climbers available on this site, i'd recommend hiring one in, even if things go smoothly you are going to be less efficient than a more experienced person. Plus you get the advantage of looking and learning. maybe do one of the trees with his guidance if time permits.

[Buzz]

I'd agree with Andy *good god* I am an experienced climber but have never done a cran job. I'd be happy to do it but would want someone experienced on site. Ecspecially if the crane driver isn't switched on !

[gibbon]

I have done around 10 crane jobs but only had help with the 1st. I don't profess to be an expert but this is what I did.

 

As for weight, your driver should be able to tell you how much he can lift and once cut how much it weighed. Start small and get a feel for the weight.

 

Having the biggest crane you can get on the site will mean you can cut bigger sections, use less cuts and have a higher safety factor on the limits of the crane.

 

I have always used chains as they are come with the crane I use and I have not got around to buying long strong strops yet, but these could make balancing brash easier. You will need to be very carefull with the brash-especially vertical sections. You will need to take a larger piece of timber below the brash than you may think to avoid it swinging around on to you. However this may mean setting the chains on smaller branches so it is always your judgement, you may wish to use 4 chains on heavy verticle sections.

 

When you come to the timber. You will need to use a barrel hitch. This is wrapping each chain around the stem in different directions and set each chain 180 degrees from each other, hooks facing down. This can be hard on M.Pines as the chains are heavy and one can slip when your setting the next. If the chains are not at 180 degrees the but may kick out towards you.I have used 6 inch nails in the past just to hold the first chain in place while setting the second on these Pines. Mind your fingers as the crane tightens up the chains!

 

It is a good idea to set a rescue line on a pulley close to where you will be cutting each section as a rescue on a large pine pole could be tricky.

 

Good luck

[arnoldbuchsassinger]

Speak to a few crane companies, experience is better than none. Like everyone start small and get bigger. Operator will tell you how big stuff is by load sensor. Step cuts allow the crane operator to snap off the pieces. Just make sure you are out of the way when this takes place. We took a large diseased turkey oak out (80 ft to top of canopy leaning over house etc) Tree was completely down on the ground in under 3 hours. The operator even took the 35ft (4.5 tons) stem across the road to allow us to section it. Works really well when you have the space etc

[scotspine1]

absolute doddle easiest tree work you will ever do, let the machine do the work, just enjoy cutting!! You can get fat using a crane all the time!

 

Not the best advice I've heard heard about crane work.

 

Shilo, ideally, large tree crane work should not be attempted without an experienced person to guide you through your first attempt.

 

I used to work for a company and me and 2 other experienced climbers were sent to do a 110 foot Oak dismantle using a crane, all the timber had to be lifted over a £500,000 home - none of us had ever done crane work before and the crane operator had only done one tree removal 10 years previous. After one overstretched pick the back outriggers on the 50 ton crane were 3 ft off the deck, its not a good way to learn. After that near disaster we forced the boss(who had 15 years crane experience) to come and show us how to do it properly.

[conkers]

Have a look on You tube or here for Reg Coates. You can learn alot from there but I would have somebody on site who is experienced.

 

I have never done a crane job and would not do my first without help

[shillo]

wow guys thanks for all the advice, i have postponed the job until october now because the council want at least 12 wks notification of a road closure which would put us at the start of holiday season down here, was planning on just free falling most of the brash that i could down onto a bank that leads onto the small road below, lowering some where required and just using the crane for the stems, can only get a 20t crane in due to access and owners concerns about the tarmac.

 

i will post again nearer the time and see if any one fancies a trip down to sunny old devon to show me how its done.

 

thanks once again

[Buzzsurgeon]

common sense start small to get a feel, simple laws of physics. Bit like lowering as your confidence and experience grows you get to know what your kit and anchor points can handle. Once I had a few lifts under my belt, just easy, I would use a crane everyday if I could!!!

[Andy Gentle]

No one has mentioned having a qualified slinger banksman, something of a rarity as this is also the climber/cutter. You should also have an appointed person who is in charge of the job/lift on site. The crane company will be able to supply one but it costs and then becomes a contract lift as opposed to a crane hire and ALL the responsibility is theirs. If it goes wrong without having the above in place they will throw the book at you. You can gain the appointed persons qualification, 2/3 day course but not many companies run them, there is a co down here that does it if anyone is interested, I'll be organising a course this year.

[danroker1987]

have done about 5 crane jobs,with no help easiest work ever,find center of gravity it is all judgement,dont use felling or step cuts,the cranes look strong but they buckle if you shock load them!!

ive allways cut half way through ,put a wedge in and then cut right through ,and also check the tension from the crane driver,it should be a bit more than your lifting,enjoy its truly spooky the branches going up rather than down.