Peter

Yes, that is a lot of holes, but I would say pretty much any poplar in East Anglia will have some present. I have anecdotal evidence that smaller trees affected by boring have failed due to white rot at the same level as the boring, this is exactly what happened to the tree I found today. Whether to rot is co-incidental or not remains to be seen.

Came across this beauty today.

Vosa have said there is no requirement to put vehicles of less than 3500 mam onto an o license, regardless of what they are towing. Can't reference that off the top my head but I did look into it a little while ago.

Robert, have a look at Oxford welders, they are made in the uk, heavy duty, and not ridiculously expensive. Think I paid under a grand for mine, single phase 280 amp, branded as portamig. There are several companies on t'interweb selling them under different brand names.

Same here Rich, had mine about 5 years and it has been an animal straight out the box. Even ran a 25" for 2 weeks felling big pops when it was my only saw.

Bit more info here, pages 6-9. http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/FR0102pests.pdf/$FILE/FR0102pests.pdf

Lots of pops been felled round here due to boring, theory is that as all the boring activity happens in the lowest 300mm of the stem, enough material can be removed to compromise the tree. I would like to see some evidence/research though.

Anyone got any info or links relating to tree hazard assessment and management of poplars affected by hornet moth larvae?

Nick, are hand splices ok provided they have a current loler?

Proclimber training is excellent, but I wouldnt blow that amount of money in one go unless you are really sure its the right career for you. I also wouldnt recommend going straight into rigging without getting some practical experience under your belt first.

Still suicide. As soon as the bar was one third through the tree, the splits would have opened and it would have sat down hard on the bar. Tom's method worked because removing the weight and sail area of the crown stabilised the splits and prevented the scenario detailed above.

Yup, replacement handle is by far the cheapest option. I put a pickaxe handle on my splitting maul, needed a bit of work to make it fit but lasted ages. Don't forget to get some little wedges to hold the head on tight.

Nice work. From the first vid I was imagining a multi stemmed tree for some reason, having seen the second one felling in 2 halves obviously wouldnt have worked.

So how did you tackle it?

Yes, it would just sit down on your saw. Same with a coos bay, can't think of a less suitable tree for that.

Totally leftfield idea, fell it in two halves, so gob one side up and start the back cut by boring through the centre of the stem, then once the first half is on the ground do the same with the other half but in the opposite direction. Winch would be handy as you couldnt use wedges. I would probably strap then climb, once the weight was off the cracks would close up.

Also, low fat crisps can cause anal leakage.

Saturated fat is not bad for you per se, but eating too much of it is. Mostly found in meat and dairy, so less of those and more fish and veg is a good idea. I try to avoid processed foods where possible, as you dont really know what you are eating unless you read every single label thoroughly.

What's the optician going to do, give you new glasses?! Go to a&e or see a gp, you need to get referred to an opthamologist, there will be one on call at a&e or your gp can give you an emergency referral.

Can't remember which I used but it was a very similar system.

I'v used resin in a crumbly block wall, sleeve anchors were just bursting the blocks. Amazing stuff, but the holes have to be scrupulously clean and dust free.

Good work, the standing fir must have been stronger than it looked.

Not randomly, in the ISA comps it follows some basic rules, although there is room for creativity. Start Bell: Usually first bell, at top of tree nearish anchor point. Handsaw Station: Usually first bell, nearish top. Pole Pruner Station: Usually 2nd or 3rd, can be anywhere. Limb Toss: Usually 3rd, usually in lower third of canopy to allow clearish throw to target area. Limb Walk: Usually 4th, nearly always fairly low down, bell set out in the tips with a challenging route to lanyard point. Last bell is at about 4 metres off ground, this has to be rung before making final descent to ensure no long fast burn out type descents to landing zone. Mostly the whole climb will be in one side of a tree for good rope routing and to allow climbers to ascend while someone is doing the work climb. The whole climb should take around 5-6 minutes from start bell to landing zone for an average climber at that event, so the top 10% will be able to do it really quickly, and only the few slowest will time out.

Full wrap or three quarter?

Trees can also be protected by conditions attached to planning consent.