Peter

Couldnt rightly say. Of course I am an evil criminal genius, so you wouldnt take anything I say too seriously anyway.

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.

Nice work. Are you doing a willow or two tomorrow perchance?

Huh

I heard you northern folk use it to beat your whippets and wives with.

I see you've found a chip truck to go with your new chipper then Stevie. (second pic)

By bracing did they mean guying? Nice chipper btw, is that what a Jo Beau turns into when it grows up? Also, are you chipping into a trailer, how does that work out for you, and is it an Atlas? cheers

Interesting thought Garth, I was at a stables the other day where they used chip on the menage, and it was covered with tiny birch. I think they were from seed rather than anything else. Just dont try it with japanese knotweed.................

If the weathers nice you can basque in the sunshine..........

And suspenders?

No, if it was Wythenshawe it would be on fire.......

A section that is split down to firewood diameter, but left in a longer length, typically 3-4', sometimes longer.

T'was the laurel I had in mind, the limes were a blast!

Nice site, better than some cemetery jobs we've done eh Liam?!

If its strong you want, get a cat walking lead. It doesnt bungee the saw back at you either, it just dangles until you're ready to retrieve it.

The foliage was sparse, but it was still alive. What I dont know is whether there were more Gano fbs that were removed, and the little ones were the last gasp, or maybe the ones I saw were it. The more I think about it the less likely honey fungus becomes....

Hmm, maybe the little brown ones are a red herring then... Do you think it could be the Gano making a solo performance?

Yes. Bit tenuous I know, and stupidly i forgot to look for bootlaces. Plus it was Friday, and I wanted an early finish. The Gano look to me like a bit player in this particular performance, given their size and the location of the decay.

If you are in a smoke control area, then the Dunsley Yorkshire is by far the best choice.

Alternatively, you could buy it with a 36" inch bar, ready set up with .404 sprocket, from the dealer, and buy a 28" .404 bar as well. I think I would go for 3/8s on a saw of that size for preference though.

If youre planning to run it with a 28" as well, then thats definately the route to take.

Easiest way would be to buy an oregon or other make of bar, in the length you require, but in a 3/8 size. That way the sprocket ect stays the same.

The slices are taken at approx 60 cm intervals. The last three pics are fruiting bodies from about 1.5 metres on the stem, and the last pic of all is fbs in the grass near the stem. There were several clumps of these in close proximity to the tree.

Slightly nerdy thread......... Felled a chestnut today, there was about 2 square inches of live wood at ground level, but it was all sound wood at around 2 metres. The hinge didnt so much break as the tree went over as just shear off. There were a few brackets on the stem, but I suspect honey fungus may have played a role too..........

Nice bit of mistletoe i spotted today in a crab apple.