RC0

Never, and they've been fractured a many times also. Sound’s odd at your age. My wife suffererd very similar symptoms with 'carpel tunnel' , caused by the repetitive strain of clicking the mouse for years at work, it can also be hereditary. Other than that, could it be bad circulation? Are your hands cold at the same time?

Great little vid, just found in on youtube.

Has someone died in this thread? Where are all the entries? Come on now, most camera's and phone's have video as standard now days, 30 seconds is not excactly a huge chunk out of your day, surely! The photo comp was flooded with content, why not this one?

I avoid that kind of repetitive cutting like the plague, interesting technique though. Rigging does take practice and forethought but gives you the ability to cut and place huge sections where otherwise might not be possible. Although obviously not too big that the ground-staff can’t deal with. My strategy in a tree always starts like ‘how can I get this down with as little climbing and cutting as possible?’, whether by rigging or free-fall. You’d be surprised how many times rigging takes precedence, and I’m no slouch either.

How so?

A good policy when its your ass on the line. Retail including lever bar is around 275, although this may vary depending on who you purchase from. let me assure you that the price only reflects the good quality and estimated working life of the product, plus the fact that it is manufactured by our tradesmen in the west. At the AA trade show, Mr Ed could only shake his head when I told him how little the retailers and I make per tool. But we figured it would be better to still go with the product and make a little rather than bury it and have no product at all. I actually heard through the grapevine that certain potential retailers were put off, not only by the profit margin but also the fact that they couldn't see how they were going to make anything on replacement parts. I suppose the latter of the two points is a complement of sorts, but a pretty cynical way for them to look at the situation, I think you'd have to agree. Thankfully, 4 very reputable retailers stood by me Treeworker, Proclimber, Honeybrothers and Buxtons, such is there passion to sell good quality products that have a purpose. They're a couple of other's outside the UK but they have no relevance on this forum. Clearly, as a business-man I am sh-t, As a saleman I am a faliure, However, as a designer I'm encouraged, As a treeman, thankfully I'm still learning!

Roller Here's a close up of the head, this obviously carries the chunk, the driven-teeth are for traction on the under-surface. I think it weigh's aroung 6 kg, but just to clarify this point again: You do not carry it on your person up the tree, apart from insertion, it stays on the stump while your cutting But remember, this was not desinged for skinny pieces that are easy toppled anyway, it is for the fat ones lower down i.e. diam of 3 feet+ Tight spots with no crane access. Lots of the chunk- pushing pictures that I initially sent out are s-hit, (my fault) they dont do it justice. However, the picture below is a little more like it. As I recall, I cut the next piece just below the wound you can see. No way could I have pushed that sucker off without this device. I may still have a picture somewhere but I think it got deleted because I'd removed my hardhat.

Fanstatic Ed, I especially like the look of the piece to the right of the cooker.

Anyone ever have a go at making something from a tree they’d felled. Here was my sole effort, the wood part took me forever. The legs, which are attached to a steel frame underneath were made from rods that I bent around a large tube. The feet were cuts from a large solid bar. The whole thing is real heavy but solid as a rock. All in all, I think its ok.

Sorry Ron, I missed your post. The incentive is to get the thing on the floor as safely and effortlessly as possible. Cutting-up on the floor is far easier and less dangerous, I think you have to agree.

Here's couple from the archives. The first was straight forward enough, just winched off in 10ft sections, although the top was tricky as I recall. The second was a real sh-t. It had to be first sliced and then diced into 3 again while it was up there, such was the shortage of space on the floor. I think that stem took us the entire day to finish.

Yes I did Steve, it does work. However, the dynamic loads are frightening to watch, heart in your mouth stuff in a critical situation. I did manage to staighten a few of the un-welded lags out on impact, but suprisingly, non actually pulled out of the wood. Thankfully we did no damage. I'll capture/post some footage when I get it.

I’m glad to hear that. Let me just clarify some things here. Firstly it was not my intention to get into this. In fact, I’ve never deliberately encouraged people to talk about the product on the forums, quite the opposite. However, I have dropped it in where I though it might be relevant, as I would with any other product/technique To be honest, and contrary to what people might assume, I find it a little embarrassing to discuss the idea on these open forums, its hard to explain but that’s just how it feels, its kinda uncomfortable. I'm a climber with a few tricks up his sleeve, no more no less. I'm happy to share and discuss their individual working merits in an objective sense but that’s where I'd like to draw the line. Anything more is kinda irritating! I'm well aware that I’ve not exactly invented the wheel, but at least it actually works as it’s supposed to, unlike some products out there. My biggest concern as the designer of this product is that it might be misunderstood. For example: I wouldn't want to pack that extra weight on my saddle! Neither would I man, which is why I don’t. Hell I'll even leave the saw on top of the spar while I position myself for the next cut. Which is the same place that you leave the blockdriver while your cutting, like a work top. Make the cut drive the chunk off and just leave it there while you make the next one. It wouldn't matter if it weighed 3 times the amount because other than initially hauling it up the spar and inserting it, you never actually carry it on yourself. I think the hauling part is a minor inconvenience when you consider the pushing capacity you are gaining in return. Its all in the manual and on the videos if you look carefully. Here's another vid: http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-6400179171180263480&hl=en-GB Obviously we were just fooling around here but there's still a lot of weight involved which I'm able to push with just one hand. I don't think it takes a great deal of imagination to see where the technique would have merit on a huge still-standing trunk. The videos have always been difficult, even when they come out the chunks never look as big as in reality. And you wouldn't believe how many good shots got ruined because of our bad planning. Sean, bless him, was often pointing the camera in the wrong place or nearly falling off the ladder. But once the chunk has fallen that it is, the opportunity is lost. The various footage that is going round on the internet is just ok, I realize it's not overly impressive but that is just the way it turned out. Hey use whatever technique you're comfortable with, I'm not trying to force/sell anything here, credit me for having some integrity. But please, don't be so quick to judge people and their ideas until you have at least taken the time to fully investigate all of the facts and purposes behind them. No hard feelings.

Obviously because you work/cut within the boundaries of your capabilities, after 30 years only a fool would bite off more than he can chew. I'll tell you what, next time cut them twice as big and let me know how you got on. A good analogy would be a winch v a guy with a pull rope. I know which one I'd pick. As for the punt about our trees being so huge, what is that supposed to mean? Goliath was amazingly powerful also, remember him? Whats this really about Butch, is it personal? Please explain

the Blockdriver works exactly like your wedge/pushing technique but with a 15:1 drive mechanism. So what you can push with your arms, I could push with 15 times less effort i.e. if we were to have a chunk pushing contest you would lose every time, and that is a fact. I'd say its pretty staight forward.

Good pictures, what kind of tree on the first one?

Whether rigging or free-falling I prefer to do as little cutting as possible, so just within the boundry of what the groundstaff can deal with. I hate cutting lots of little bits. I'll avoid notching the big stuff if I can get away with it, here's a short vid from the other day. http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=5919664296897929985&hl=en-GB No need to comment on this particular method but is just another example, like Eds pull rope, of how straight-through cuts can be favourable

:icon14:I think the article has some merit. It does go on a little but so what, the message is about being pro-active and responsible, like a mind-set. Climbers should take it on board also. Think about it, most new empoyees need time to grow into their role while they gradually learn what is expected of them. Reading an article like this before they start the job gives them a huge head-start in settling in. If they're still hanging around waiting to be told what needs doing, then you'll know at a very early stage that you're onto a loser.

:biggerGrin:Ed, buddy.....Is there something you'd like to share with the group?......I sense you might be surpressing something......You can talk to me Ed, but please don't blame me for these feelings your having. Let it out Mr Ed...LET IT OUT:cussing:

Well I won't be buying one, thats for sure. I mean, what kind of an unrealistic fantasist would ever dream up such a dumb idea? I don't know, there are some strange people out there!

Its just a standard one Ed, that straps around my chest. Nice pruning on that Oak Steve, just what it needed:proud:

30 seconds just isn't long enough Why does that sound so familiar to me? hmmmmm.....my wife may have grunted it out on occasion.....I dont know what she's on about, never mind! Very original Highscale:icon14: Last 3 branches on a Beech. http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-5630300259262888969&hl=en-GB

C'mon Big A, I waiting to go out here!

Tough guy!