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RC0

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Posts posted by RC0

  1. 2 hours ago, Mark Bolam said:

    Reg, whenever I see you’ve posted a new vid I’m on it like a fat kid on a Smartie.

    I always learn something, however small.

    Might just be to do with weather, mood, attitude or whatever, but there’s always something there.

    Plus the scenery is a dream!

     

    I know what you mean about repetition, but I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re not bored yet.

    No two tree jobs are ever the same after all, even single stem connies.

    I think you could make topping a 25’ leylandii in a back garden watchable somehow.

     

    I really appreciate the effort you go to in putting these vids out.

    I’ve drawn on them for inspiration many a time when shitting myself up a 50 footer, ‘Come on Bolam, get it together, Reg was 4 times as high as this on a dodgy tree the other week’.

     

    It’s your call mate, but I’d be gutted if you didn’t make another vid.

     

    Goodbye for now.

     

    P.S. Shame about City, like.

    Youve always looked a bit fat. Dont try to blame me for it.

     

    Yeah thanks, and i know what youre saying. Theres just so much of the same bollox on YouTube now, with the channel or user going for quantity, clickbait images and titles. Same or similar bollox job each time. Doesn't seem sincere somehow. Sadly its becoming normal and lucrative for many. Im never going down that road. Ive even had to start watermarking the footage lately as it people keep taking and posting it as their own. Adding music usually stopped that situation but its not been enough more recently.

    • Like 1
  2. 3 hours ago, 5 shires said:

    Bigger harder trees come with the territory when you have more years under your belt but the years soon roll by,may be bit late for you this year but i’am sure you know all about the APF...May be when you can find the time you could come over at the beginning of a year when the APF & Arb Show is on in the same time there is also Cutters & Climbers which is usually around April time so there is 3 in April,May & September ...next time will be 2022.

    Ive always done  the tricky ones, went out to Oz on 92, NZ in 99, was a contract climber through and after those periods for over 20 years....but nothing quite of the size of that Ive tackled here.

     

    Having said that, these  particular jobs dont just land at your feet, you do have to build a rep and be able to back it up before youd ever get asked. For instance, theres nothing on this scale in and around Victoria, yet the region holds by far the highest number of Tree Experts, Industry Leaders, Certified Professionals among other paper titles that are so readily thrown around and self promoted. Yet they are nowhere to be seen on sites like this. When I hear "I could do what you do"...I say, well why haven't you ?  

    I did get actually get a pic one of the lads on site texted me 

     

     

     

     

     

    20200213_203106.jpg

    • Like 8
  3. 23 minutes ago, 5 shires said:

    Knowing all the facts of course helps and ya early starts and long hard climbs take it out of your body and we’re not 20 years old anymore,you need to get over here and have a chat with the lads over here you have so much to give and I for one would come to hear your experiences.

    Thanks mate. Id like to visit one of the annual trade shows again at some point, catch up with old and new faces but I just haven't gotten around to it. No it a long time since i was in my 20s, but am actually doing much harder stuff now than what I did then. So I cant reallly make a physical comparison in how I feel. There was in fact plenty other 20something year old climbers on that site, but this job wasnt for them. The other contractor who was climbing is called Ryan Murphy, mid-late 30s I think. Excellent climber. He had a shi.t of a tree to deal with also. 

    • Like 1
  4. 1 hour ago, MattyF said:

    Think you have a lot more to give us reg you probably have more experience of different trees and climates that only a few in the world have ...That is some thing else at that height , tallest conifers I’ve worked on where 41 metre silver firs and I probably dropped 15m out just because it was so bloody tiring and I was getting chicken and out of my comfort zone at around 25m dunno if I could of coped with that height!
    Your bloody right on the ropes as well , had too get in to the top of a wind blown beech a few weeks back so at around 70ft I had tried to transition in to the tree , the weight of two full climbing lines against you and the throw hook line felt like it was dislocating your hips with the weight!

    Hello mate. Theres a lot of fake people people and groups in our job, who've somehow maneuvered themselves into positions of Authority, whether their roles be in teaching, consulting, safety or whatever. Lots of experts on the net too. All spelling out the dos and don'ts. Out here in BC is no exception either. Youll often see them lit up like a Christmas tree in brand new looking, branded clothing each and every time. No rips or stains. Wagging their fingers and making up rules. Its always been a great incentive for me to offer an alternative to these T.wats. while I dont profess to be a teacher, I like to demonstrate, in particular to up and comers that the reality of how things are done on a worksite, for money, under pressure, can be very different than what you were told about in college, or on that refresher course. If by comparison I can just prick enough people's curiosity to question the credentials of these experts and rules, then it was a good thing. Other than that, Ive put up so much content on YouTube, Im just repeating myself. Did you happen to see big stem wobble from December, same site. Its a bit different: 

     

    • Like 8
    • Thanks 1
  5. 2 hours ago, 5 shires said:

    Listing to you talk Reg seems like you missing the buzz or just fed up with doing what you do? You sounded so down and dishearten with the whole thing or may be you were piss off waiting for the traffic to clear and wait 15mins..to us mear mortals who may be on occasions do 100ft May be 120ft watching you do what you do is fab to watch,but I know what you mean about posting stuff,there are only so many times you can film your self cutting a branch and or limb and rigging some difficult tree over a house. sometimes telling someone and explaining how it’s done and how you feel at the time is a good listen have you ever thought or have done seminars and lectures about your experiences? I must admit the only thing that I have watched and makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up is the Heliloggers and how they remove the trees once they have been processed to a standing stem....may be it’s because it’s something that I will never ever do.

    I didnt get to sleep the night before until around 1am, and had to leave my house at 5am to be on site at 7:30....so wasnt a great start to the day. The tree in the video was the second big one that day, the first was lifting at the root plate due to all the rain we've just had. Climbing old growth firs is physically very demanding....especially spurring/fliplining up the first 100ft or so. Wide stems consisting of 6-10inch soggy, crumbling mossy bark. A second growth fir of similar proportions is literally half the battle of climbing old growth. That tree was mentally taxing also, because of the split, the lean, the traffic and signals underneath, and the grim weather prediction. But, I knew id done worse in the past so if I just put one foot in front of the other itd be ok. Looking down from the top, and talking in the vid at the end I knew I had about 220 feet of logs to cut, in probably 15ft sections. Im aware that Ill have to drag the 372 up at about 170ft, and then the 390 at about 100. Murder on the hips towards the end. I got home about 8pm that night. If I sounded a bit despondant it was probably i mix of all those factors.

     

    I have been asked in the past to go out the the East coast of the US to speak at some of the ISA seminars, but theres nothing I want to say to them really. And most if the time they dont know when Im being serious and when Im joking. Different culture

     

    • Like 19
    • Thanks 1
  6. 5 hours ago, Rough Hewn said:

    That's scary just on a screen Reg emoji106.png

    Maybe I'm missing something,
    But why did it have to be climbed?
    Could it not have been felled? Or winched over?
    Genuine question.
    emoji106.png

    I wish. But no. They wanted it cut to 10m. It was hard leaning towards the traffic signals down below, and trying to steer it either side wouldn't smashed lots of other similar tall trees in the process. I looked long and hard at it beforehand and it just wasn't happening

    • Like 2
  7. On 07/01/2020 at 12:47, Mark Bolam said:

    It’s an extremely valid point mate, and I think a few of us should print some hard copies of Lane/HSE 2004 before the website is ‘currently unavailable’.

     

    HSE, go and make yourselves useful by sorting the door-knockers out instead of pursuing this madness, you spineless twats.

    You tell em mate. Tell the spineless twats

    • Like 8
    • Thanks 1
    • Haha 1
  8. 7 hours ago, patrickgalloway3 said:

    As an individual who does a mixture of tree work and IRATA rope access work it is perhaps time for a change. Rope access companies can work to British standards which are generally a lower level of training and competency than IRATA. Tree surgery has managed to stay incredibly unregulated for a long time. I have to renew my level 3 IRATA competency every 3years. I did my nptc38 and 39 in 2000 and as far as I am aware it is still valid. If the industry wants to be taken seriously continued training and assessment should be incouraged. 

    Well you're still here Patrick, 19 years after your NPTC thingys. So Im assuming you've managed just fine without being re-trained, refreshed or whatever ?

     

    The things that may have changed in that time is the average trees are probably smaller and easier, and the equipment and availability of has improved. Other than that, the principles of general tree work are largely the same. I can see the merit in training where something novel and beneficial is being taught. But often is the case that these training companies and individuals are just moving the furniture around in the living room. Ultimately though, its the same furniture in the same room. Smoke and mirrors comes to mind, at your expense.

     

    You mentioned also, and this is something Ive heard several times but dont understand....you said " if the industry wants to be taken seriously". Taken seriously by whom ? Thanks. The customer ? I think most find reassurance in reputation and experience of that individual or company. We are all individuals after all. No amount of practical training courses is the equivalent to experience on site, under pressure. Nor does even an equal amount of training in such a varied and subjective field result in an equal outcome between 2 or more competitors. I doubt that telling potential customers that you have to be retrained or refreshed on a job you've already been doing daily for years is going to impress them or that they will take you more or less seriously. Unless its theoretical plant and tree science education, but thats not what this is about.

     

    If a handful of people are too mentally lazy or undisciplined to tie knots properly resulting in falling injuries, its their own fault. Nobody elses. Not the hardware or technique. So should knots be banned and replaced by spliced eyes too or instead ? And the massive majority who tie their knots safely every day, which is a simple enough task, be penalized because of the actions of a few ? Because thats whats happening here with this 2 rope nonsense. Although I suppose the enforcement of 2 ropes by all those who conjured up this scheme holds a lot more profitable potential than just banning knots. Dont get me wrong, 2 ropes can be an invaluable option in the right circumstances that everyone can benefit from at times, its been around forever.....but it should remain just an option. 

     

    Amazing how this stuff always goes on behind closed doors and then only gets announced when its already a done deal. And Im not having that this decision was taken independently by the HSE. Its a collective scheme, a betrayal, yet another one to take money off people. 

     

     

     

     

    • Like 17
    • Thanks 1
  9. 18 minutes ago, Arboricultured said:

     


    It was about 12 years ago but when I was a college it was taught only for pole climbing. It was two ends of your rope end over end to get an anchor and then down and bottom up from there. Since leaving college progressively I have done much more spur work on the access to trees on dismantles. It’s often quicker and easier to spike up knocking off bits on the way up, as you say. Not sure about now but I can’t imagine it’s changed much.

     

    What Im getting at is this pre set line thing....even if the tree is coming down. Is this being taught as a 'must' now ?

  10. Some people just have more ability than others. Some just shouldn't do tree work at all....I dont see why that so difficult to accept for what it is. Sad to see those who can and do being forcibly dragged down to this level without even having any say in the matter. Makes you wonder what will they think of next. Have many fond memories doing tree work in England, but the job has since been invaded by parasitic individuals and groups off, making up, then changing rules to create work and revenue for themselves. Glad I left.

    • Like 16
  11. 10 hours ago, Dan Maynard said:

    Looks like fun.

    Somebody needs to ask that man at the HSE if we need two ropes or three when carrying dynamite up a tree. Otherwise not sure it would catch on here.

    Dan I was actually thinking 3 ropes. 2 to the tree, and then tie another between you and your colleague incase he trips on his shoelaces. Makes sense to me

    • Like 1
    • Haha 1
  12. 10 hours ago, Tom D said:

    Nice Reg! Why you blowing them up?

     

    Dealing with dangerous trees? safety works? 

    Tom, there was 2 trees in particular that would've been particularly dangerous to put a saw into. To get some context of scale, the big rotten cedar that I set the explosives part way up was about 160-170 ft tall. At that size they have a tendency to just sink on the saw when you try to make a face cut for starters. Not a good start mate. But still doable. We certainly felled trees as big and as rotten on that job, but the favor of the lean and slope of the landing on this one presented a particularly high risk of cartwheeling a huge length off the edge of the cliff and through the powerlines down below....which would've put 2 entire towns out of electricity. The stem didn't get any sounder or safer for even topping until about 120 feet....and then we'd have still been left with that long section to deal with. The thing with explosives is that it just separates the wood instantly, so the severed section just falls with its weight. There were 2 trees that presented that exact same predicament....the other was a dead Douglas fir, the third explosion in the vid I believe. Really difficult to appreciate the terrain or size of the trees through a gopro. The other trees were not quite as precarious, but they were within the budget to be blasted too, so why not. Being able to eliminate a rotten, dangerous tree in such a way, at no risk to a faller or climber is a pretty good option.

    • Like 3
  13. 9 hours ago, Wedgebanger said:

    I thought I’ve seen that before.  That’s a reg coats vid, he looks a bit younger there. 11yrs and a bit to be precise    @RC0 

     

    ?

    Thanks. Yes, a few less wrinkles back then. We did that tree over 2 Saturday mornings, to give the ground crew at the Golf course time to clean up without burying all the brush with big logs. Huge tree, shame it spit up the way it did. They weren't interested in trying to save, so down she came. Too bad.

    Picture 196.jpg

    • Like 4
    • Thanks 1
  14. If you've never seen a madrone, they are a lot like Eucalyptus. Strong, hard wood. Over here often leaning and rotted at the base. Lots of sway for a climber. This was actually 2 leaners intertwined....one resting on the other. 

     

    • Like 2
  15. 4 minutes ago, TIMON said:

     


    Nice one Reg. would like to see a demo of you do that, as I’m always concerned about getting the bar caught in the kerf when it starts to tip.
    How big a diameter can you go with that method?
    emoji106.png

     

    It depends on how heavy the wood is. It can be hard to break the step cut the wider they are. The logs in the vid were 8-10ft or thereabouts. Which is ok, so long as theres no lean to them. Conifers ideally. If you go that big on anything with a slight lean theyll break and fall before you are ready. Try. 5 footer and get the feel if it. 

    • Like 1
  16. 2 hours ago, AJStrees said:

    Great work indeed. 

     

    What boots are you using?

     

    Did you have the whole tree prepared with the speed line before you got going fully or did you do it bit by bit?

    Some boots I got over here. Made from ballistic nylon. Super light. Great boots. Dakota is the brand. I answered your second question to Matty F

  17. 14 hours ago, MattyF said:

    Quality as always ,How many branches will you prep up for the speed line reg before you start cutting looks like you had the whole tree slung ! and how many battery’s will a tree that size use on the husky ?
    Cheers

    10 slings at a time, leaving the highest, no 11 attached to stop the rope drifting out. 11 then becomes no1 of the next set. As Im re-setting Dave chips whats down.

    • Like 2
  18. 13 hours ago, TIMON said:

    Very enjoyable video Reg. liked how you sent all the sticks down flat. Did you use a humbolt or an undermining cut to get them to fall like that?

    A step cut Timon. And as the log starts to tip over, push hard to get the bottom off the stump to stop it rotating

    • Like 1

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