Dead elm rigging

[RobRainford]

Got some dead elms near a road to take out. Was considering rigging to save bits flying everywhere if they were smashed into the road/pavement. These are about 3 years dead. Bark falling off in big sheets.

 

Having never rigged dead elms what are they like? I know its pretty solid timber but how much more brittle is it? Wouldn't be anything big anyway as I don't want to be breaking rigging points out!

 

 

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[skyhuck]

Its has hard as iron and very strong, IME.

[htb]

Agree with huck ok to rig at that age, nice and solid

[geoff]

I'm with Huck on this, generally hard as, if your going to rig it, make sure the root plate is sound.

[JimM]

I know there's older and wiser than me on here... but anyway.

 

I've done a heap of the buggers this last few months and rigged a few. Rigged big bits down from a 3ft elm, final fell and there was 6 to 8 inches of holding wood all the way round, nothing inside, but it took it amazingly. All the rigging was done with the whoopie and block on the main stem though. Its hard stuff, but brittle as hell and I wouldn't trust the limbs at all.

I am happy as a sandboy spiking up the stems, but don't like straying outwards. Big limb at Dufftown last month about 10" and cracked with me barely on it. All seemed sound and no visible cracks. Puckered up so tight I produced a diamond.

Thing is, if you don't rig, the bits break on the way down and have amazing ground penetration.

Ex-monk who's a gardener friend of mine says the old term for elm was "enemy of man". I can quite believe it.

Best of luck with them.

 

Jim

[Stephen Blair]

Just crash it down and give the Groundie a spring rake and a dumpy bag:biggrin:

 

It's when they have been dead for years in amongst spruce plantations, covered in an inch of moss and never seen wind for 30 years you have to watch out, also of there is loads of surface burrs on the stem, then they seem to rot more compared to straight stem clean stuff, they crumble.

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Just be sure the root plate is solid and crack on. If not, Mewp or winch them over.

[MattyF]

I've heard many of the lads rave about how strong they are dead, that can be the case but equally as with any dead tree lignin breakdown happens especially if the tree or parts of the tree are in the shade or have ivy on so Work with caution.

From my own personal experience I had a 35-40" limb crack off and go through a wall setting it up to rig and the decay and lignin break down in the timber was some of the worse I have seen.... So examine for fungi and other weakness before climbing like any other tree as obviously not all if it can be like iron!

[Tom D]

Be careful, they can be very strong, but I have ripped the top off one with my climbing line, lucky I gave it a test pull. The real danger lies at the base, I once pulled one over with a turfor winch, the line never even went tight. Stevie's right about those in woodland environments, protected from the wind, and damp all the time...

[Stephen Blair]

Sus it as you go, I decide what I'm doing as I'm climbing. Lowering kits always there but very rarely used.