RPA

1 cut, 1 potentially knackered tree, 1 knackered wall, 1 knackered shed :asshole2: quality 2nd one just as big an :asshole2: as the rest!

Spot on. Also think its true with regards to the tree and what you are doing. The more complacent you get the easier it is to come down to ground the hard way:vollkommenauf: Keep double checking your gear, the tree and your next move. Soon it will become second nature as opposed to something you worry about

AFAG leaflet 805 will tell all. (http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/forindex.htm) Tried to link direct to the leaflet but the link is not working. From what I can remember 40/41 certification is required to carry out the operations, chipper etc certification just recomended, training required. Therefore chipper operator accidents will get away with it, 40/41 related accidents wont. I expect the insurer will have a very big grin on his face if you claim and he finds out you are not certified to carry out the work:thrasher:

What do you class as qualified Got 20 years on me

I know it nowt to do with our regs bt just had a look at A&S of Practical Rigging and it just says steel recomended due to dynamics etc.

Cant remember what our instructor said on 41 last year. Think it was advised steel only and check the working load. One thing he did say was that a lot of people use the wrong shaped crab on swing ch pullies. Use oval not D cos it spreads the load even onto both sides of the crab.

I’m interested to see all the replies in this thread because I am in a very similar situation. I currently have a ‘day job’ (not tree related) that pays £30K/year and the healthcare policy includes free double strength Prozac. Over a year ago I went to see a business advisor re setting up in tree work again after a 23 yr break. His advice was very simple – set up while you still have a day job. This way I can: • have a safety net for the majority of set up costs • learn about the marketplace • learn about business (costing/pricing etc) • develop a reputation • develop a client base • etc. During this set up period my safety net will be the monthly cheque from my day job. I am currently building up a good reputation and a small client base (one of which has just phoned up to thank me for this years work and put me forward to their land agent to do the majority of next years £20K grant work). I appreciate that this will be different for you as your boss would not be too happy if you did the same thing! One thing you should do is attend a free business start-up course. We have one being ran by our local business enterprise and I would advise you to do this – there is a lot more to it than us ‘employees’ realise! I have had an offer of partnership from someone who attended a course with me. I feel the same way as most of the comments in that partnerships will ultimately end in tears. I have however proposed a compromise. The lad in question has his own ground maintenance/grass cutting business so we may be going down the road of ‘association’. If he gets tree work it will go through me and I will pay him as a subby and visa versa with the groundwork etc. This could still work with a group of you doing tree work as opposed to forming a company that employs you all. Get the best kit you can afford. Any profit out of any of my jobs is going straight back into the business (saws/rigging equipment/blowers/etc). I did buy a cheap Toyota pickup for £450 but so far I have spent over £1000 on the barstuard, so that one is starting to back fire on me – literally! As far as land goes I believe in buying everything I can as any form of rent is money you will never see again. I am looking for a very small piece of land to buy. Even if thing don’t work out the chances of not getting my money back on it is very slim. Sorry I can’t offer any real advice bar what I am trying to do, hope it all works out for you:151:. I think the most important thing is to be happy. By being self employed you will stand chance of being rewarded for the effort and dedication you put into your job, but you must also balance this against the possibility of failure and what this will do to you, your family and those around you. Richard.

Just a thought- 1 Put in a horizontal cut (from the gob side) about 30% diam. 2 Cut out a gob (usd would save timber) 20-25% diam. 3 Start a felling cut from the back side 2-3 inch above gob level but only go through 20% so you still have 50% uncut. 4 Put in a wedge on each side where the hinge would normally be 5 Put in one or two HL wedges into your felling cut and **** hell out of them. 6 Go back into your horizontal cut (1) and cut back to 3. The wedges where the hinge would be should stop the front nipping down (you could add more as you go) and the HL wedges at the back should stop the back nipping down. The reason for hitting hell out of the HL wedges is to create a postive force. When cut 6 overlaps 3 it will give a step cut. If the tree does not fall then the HL wedges could be used as in a normal fell (with your saw out of the way!) with the wedges (4) hopefully acting as a pivot point. Like I said it is just a thought but could be worth trying on something like the final cut of a top down where there is no risk and you could have an experiment. Then again I might be a total :asshole2:

When I took some of the dying branches out to one of my instructors from collage he could not come up with a reason for the dieback. He could only confirm the dieback appeared to be rapid and would affect the trees safety within a short period of time. One interesting note was that on branch cross sections it was clear to see where he tree had tried to compartmentalise the decay but had failed.

Thanks

First sorry about the quality of the photos - camera. Asked to do a reduction on this last week. When I got there I noticed a big dif in leaf colour from one side of the tree to the other (multi stemed) but have seen this before this year. On closer inspection old pruning cuts (poor stub cuts) had produced dramatic regrowth and then the branches had died back. Looking round the base of the tree I found several fungus app the size of a 2p and golf ball shaped within 18" of the base of the tree, and to finish things of I couldnt id the bloody thing:015: I took some branch and fungus samples to an assessor who owed me a favour. He thinks the fungus is feeding on the decay rather than causing it. He also (eventually - so that made me feel a bit better) id'ed it as a black pop hybrid, linking the fast regowth and fast dieback as being typical. Anyone confirm etc this theory?

Going on another raid over the border into N.Yorkshir:driver: again in the morning (if my 2nd climber turns up:shot:) Local reduction Sunday.

Exactly. But what I mean is that bet nobody will stop you or tell you that you cant use type A until you have an accident. It will then be a double hit - incorrect risk ass and ppe.

I've read the same re type A OK for climbing provided it has been covered in your risk ass. etc but what do you think HSE will say if you have an accident:bash: Yet another one of those 'it will be OK until it happens' then sh1t will hit the fan

What is the position with VAT re boots? Some seem to charge it, others don't

Sup to do with the draw and to stop bleeding through the brickwork:confused:

Nice! Dealer I know has some 254's, MS460 and 4 stroke Honda brushcutter px's (all supposed to be top condition) arriving next week so I may be expanding my fleet! If I dont spend it at Saltex first:stupido2:

I’m thinking of getting a wood burner before winter sets in (for obvious reasons). Has anyone any advice on good/bad/ugly. It will just be a standard burner (no boiler – she will be sitting in front of it:jumping38:). Have also been told to get chimney fully lined, is it worth it? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

:dito:There is a bit of diff in price but it does not seem enough to take a gamble

http://justsaws.co.uk/index.html

Passed my certs by demonstrating the cuts and calling them by the right name. Now I try to use the right cut for a given circumstance, whatever its 'name'.

Does it really matter so long as you do the right one at the right time?

Def not a split level. Split level is where the tree is leaning back. Put gob as normal then do a felling cut but only 2/3 the diam of the tree. Wedge/felling bar in the back side on your felling cut in the direction of fell. Second felling from the opp side of the first cut at an angle (tip of bar to overlap under wedge/bar). When complete lever over in the desired direction. The two felling cuts will seperate (like a step cut). Stops sitting back etc.

OK either running on aspen/bio or not, make your own mind up. What gets me is how the can you do both without specific saws running on each? Local agent told me that most buy a can of aspen and bio and just keep filling them up with the cheap stuff:bootyshake: Yes I would use them if they were cheaper but dont see the point in doing something half-cocked.

We are travelling down on train Wednesday am. If we don’t get lost (very probable:stupido3:) hope to have a quick look round pm and spend most of Thursday there.