Dead Willow removal

[Steve Bullman]

Nice job Steve, 5 of the 12 we took down recently were that size, I quite like working on them actually, was there any stringyness left in the timber? ( appart from the felling cut at the end)

 

Got a big dead beech to do on friday, similar size I think.

 

nah it was all breaking off pretty good

[Mesterh]

I'm still looking at the first pic thinking that it aint that big! Sure its the same tree?

 

Looks like a nice big beasty of a job done well

[timtree81]

thats a big willow,you should wear ear protection steve ,you will regret it

[Steve Bullman]

i wear plugs mate

[Mark Bolam]

What?

[Dax]

Nice job, how long on site.

[Steve Bullman]

2 days with all the ringing and dicing

[skyhuck]

Dead trees in general are very hard to judge without seeing and feeling. Once you have done a few (hundred), you will get a feel for them.

 

If you arent sure, set an anchor from the ground and get your mates on the rope to guage what it will take. Avoid rigging if possible, unless you are sure, and be very wary of shockloading. As a general rule, you are better off climbing higher rather than rigging off bigger bits, even though its counter intuitive at first. Remember, you may weigh 60-90kg but you are a fairly static load. If you rig off even a smallish piece, once you've factored in the shock loading it will have generated many times more force.

 

Some species are usually better than others, but the cause of death is also a factor.

 

For instance, dutch elm disease killed elm is very strong, even stronger than the live tree.

I have also found chestnut killed by bleeding canker to be fairly strong.

Be wary of soft white rots though, I did a big chesnut once, then came down and practically pushed the stem over without a single cut.

 

There are very few trees that cant be climbed at all, but some of them will require specialist techniques such as ratchet strapping up splits, or a crane to avoid rigging. Some of the most dangerous trees the ones that look healthy at first but have major mechanical defects or internal decay. These are the trees you need to inspect carefully rather than just squirrelling up them. Dead trees are obviously dead, so instantly command the attention of the novice.

 

Your greatest asset is your own experience, so weigh up each tree carefully, decide how your are comfortable doing it, and dont let anyone pressure you into taking risks you are not comfortable with.

 

Have fun.

 

 

 

:congrats:

[Lee Winger]

big ole tree that mate , nice one

[Mark Bolam]

Just an add-on really.

 

Pair Rich and I did this week, mine dead for three years, looked menacing, bark coming off in sheets under my spikes, but the timber was strong, sound and heavy right up there.

 

Rich's tree still had leaf on this year, but massive heartwood decay in nearly every piece, incredibly light brittle timber.

 

You never can tell!