RC0

Took out 5 grand firs today, all between 90 - 110. You see so many with broken/regrown tops around the place....they get really top heavy, and the wood is brittle. Not very tree-climber friendly.

Well done Steve Delighted for ya mate

Lol, good answer:thumbup:

Well I don't really know what I'll looking at for starters, or the personalities involved. I was pleased that Jo Hedger won it a couple of times previously,( same as Scott Forrest), but that's because she's nice to look at, and talk to (just being honest). The smashing part, I'll take your word for it. I've always been at the production side of things, not the rec or sprt climbing. Its all good:thumbup1:

Not suggesting you don't consider all the options at all....but consider too why things are the way they are. I don't give $hit who you give your money to. Pardon me for not being familiar with you or your situation....but I'll assume you're in treework. You must have saws and other related equipment ? Sthil, husky etc....did you buy them direct from the work shop that they were made, or was it from a retailer ? Like most equipment in the industry. Climbing, rigging equipment, do you own any ? Where did you buy it? Don't answer. Imagine, if I wanted to buy a petzl carabiner, just 1, or 2 maybe.....I'll call petzl in france. Let's say 1000 other climbers the world over want 2 carabiners that week also, but can only get em from the petzl factory in france (if that's where it is), because we don't like middle men. Do you think it'd be cheaper? Think again. The middle men ( as you call them) play a crucial role in marketing and supplying equipment as and when you need it. People like Justin, Martin, Nod, Eve etc. And they have to buy the products first out of their own pockets, in bulk, they aren't free. They even sponsor arbtalk...which would otherwise be relying on donations to keep up and running. I've never donated anything to Steve, have you ? Having a supply chain of several people is not exclusive to the stein trolley. Consider the bigger picture is all I am saying. People tend to slate the middle men, only when it suits them.

Really dont want to get into a debate of any kind here, but just to make a point that I've made before and what people dont seem to consider. The reason why the TCF cart is cheaper is because the guy makes and sells it directly. The stein cart on the other hand starts at the engineers, then to the wholesaler (Stein), then to the likes of Jonsie and Martin at Honeybros. They all have a mark-up. Same process as any other product that you buy from Jonsie or Martin....and the same reason why you cant get a TCF cart from either of those stores. Timbercutterdartmoor, a bit over the top there mate.

A little cocky with the title aren't you ? 'Kiwis rule the treeworld', what? Having attitude is good actually. Thanks for posting.

Stevie, with the type of trees in question you have to get a wedge in while your cutting to stop the whole thing rocking and potentially weakening the hinge as it takes shape....in which case you cant put a wedge in sideways because the bar is already taking up that space. Generating more lift is not the point. which you woulda know if you'd watched the whole thing

Thanks all. Burrell its the Drift HD Watch in HD: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jquP1x--f3o]Topping a skinny fir - YouTube[/ame] Same as you mate, its hard not to use the spare hand. That particular tree for example was about 130 to 140 and like a bean-pole. I had a house almost right under me, and only a little space to place a small top as there was a shrub just a meter to the right of where it landed. As you see i use the free hand to tip the top, but also to throw the butt further to get it where I wanted it to go. Ideally you would use a handsaw when pushing with the freehand....but that was one of those situations where I needed it to break clean and wasn't about to mess around handsawing. If you're just talking about getting the top to tip then take weight of the back where you can....sometimes a deep face can help undermine the balance too. Pry bars work to an extent but sometimes they just bent the wood at the kerf. I think in the absence of wind, if you take a good look at a top and try to envisage falling it from the ground....in which case most of them dont look that much which ought to put your mind at ease. When you're high up its easy to start pushing like hell way too soon and start panicking when nothing is happening. The whole time the reason its not happening is because the hinge is nowhere near ready to fold:biggrin:, but our fears and adrenalin are already in overdrive. Here's a tree about 170.....you should get a glimpse of where I took some of the backweight off as it falls....gives much piece of mind when you're up there: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEMIy9b3-vQ]Fir top 3 - YouTube[/ame]

Well it wouldn't bother me mate. No different than any other person who starts a thread on the forum. In that sense we are all trumpet blowers, but without there wouldn't be much discussion going on here. Look at Jonsie's show, and rec climb meets....they all seem to start here and do very well as a result. I'd be more offended if a person, or group of people perhaps thought that posting on AT was a little beneath them. Not saying thats the case here, but your thread begs the question as to why the whole scene seems so low key and exclusive.

I agree with part of what you say Mark, but at the same time are the competitors actually asking for recognition? It doesn't seem so. Do any of them post here on the forum? I'd be interested to hear about the whats involved, the preparation and the event itself....how it feels etc. But its surely up to the people invovled to take the lead and throw some light on the whole thing....if thats what 'they' truly want. I just dropped in on a climbing competition here in Victoria last month, the BC chapter or something. Just for an hour, me and the kid. First one ever. I found out about in because they had a photo in the paper. Apart from Bartlets and Davey, it seemed nobody else knew about it....certainly none of the contractors I'm involved with, nor any other tree people or sponsors from what I could see. Very low key, for some reason. Like a secret club. Why was that? Not sure what I was looking at, so whether I'd come at a bad time or perhaps just beyond my appreciation, but it wasn't much to look at as a spectator nor particularly informative whatsoever. I'll go so far as to say it was boring as ...., and a waste of an hour. But it could have been so much better, as an event, with better marketing, and information and public facilities on the day. Congrats to the UK participants and all that, but if you dont let us in and publicize the whole thing then Ive got way better things to care about, personally. Im actually glad the Kwis won. They seem to really make a big deal of their competitions before, during and after.

I prefer a 16in Steve, thats the only reason for ts absence. Thanks

Thanks all. Its not exactly a mainstream tree-climber topic, but glad I was able to get the points across it seems. Thanks Matty One of my best attributes has always been my ignorance. Mainly the ability to switch it on and off when needed. If you ever make out this way I'll gladly lend you some....there's more than enough to go around. Seriously, you'd be fine mate I'm sure:thumbup1:

If you don’t top dead firs, or are not likely to then you probably wont take much from this….but then you might, I don’t know. Be warned, its 25 mins and a lot of talking….but hopefully it’ll make sense. Thanks Use HD setting

Its taken 117 views for somebody to say it, but good work as always Tim. Thanks for making an sharing your vid mate:thumbup1:

Hey Adam, you clearly do good work mate, and figure out whatevers put in front of you, you cant ask more than that. Same as the video, I've made a few and know that wasn't just thrown together. Although, I almost didn't watch it because you were near undermining it in your initial post. Why? I'll tell you what, put it out there, with attitude. Only thing I didn't like was the song, because its like the fourth treework vid (that I know of) thats included it. And after seeing the original Jeb Corliss 'wing-suit' vid, not even Acemaster's hook-cam effort comes close. But no matter, thats just me. Look forward to the next one:thumbup1:

Me neither if Im honest. A few updates on the net if I can be bothered, and boxing if there's a good fight on in the US. Hockeys the big thing here, and Im not about to get into that.

Lol, noticed there's a Tommy Hutchinson on the forum now. Did anyone else watch that spurs game live, scoring at both ends? I dont want to fit in with anyone BTW.

Will do mate. I dont give Jared too much credit to his face, because thats just the way it is. But the truth is he's quite a talent and has a great ability pick things up. A faller by trade, and only a couple years into residential work....but you show him something once, and hes got it....if he hasn't figured it out by himself already. As well as running a 4 man strong Tree business, Scott's also a full time fire fighter for the city of Victoria. Plus he has a wife and 4 kids, and Lymes. Busy guy.

Yeah, thats what he assumes, working out in the bush on the mainland. Its a pretty nasty disease. He's forever suffering from cramp and memory loss.

Scott's a solid climber, and was a faller for many years before getting into residential treework, so yes I dont have a problem with that. The big thing for him is that he's been battling with limes disease for several years now. Other than that, top bloke to work with.

Good point Ben, I'll ask him. Thanks:thumbup1:

Couldn't agree more, Tim always makes a good vid:thumbup1:

Thanks again Some climbing and cutting from the job. And Scott taking a wobble yesterday, thrown in for good measure. Trees were around 140, one was a little taller than the other.

Thanks alot. David, I tried to cover a bees nest, but it didn't work, just made more mad. They were able to get out after, but none too happy and understandably so. The sky above was still bright enough for so late, but it was dark down below. The holding wood at the bottom was good Pete, just higher up where it got bad. The dust that comes off from shaving the bark is pretty horrific....so fine its like working through smoke. Cant be good for you. A tough tree to get up on spurs alone Mark, especially with stubs and spikes everywhere, snagging the lanyard all the way....but the bark was really the issue, for each time you spur it sounds like a drum, because its detached from the wood throughout and is basically supporting itself. Not very reassuring. See the attached pic where just one roll and a skid completely stripped it bare. Thanks again.