RC0

Job from earlier this week. Took me and Dave all day. Shrubs and sprinklers underneath. The big fir behind lent a hand. Use HD setting

I was irritated, if you know what I mean. There was nothing about it that I didn't have the answer to, and it was pretty easy stuff, physically. But everything just seemed to be taking ages. Even packing up at the end, it was a windup.

Thanks. I didn't have a breakaway link on the lanyard. Didn't think it necessary after I got the feel of things from the top. I also wouldn't want it to break by accident, say, if a slab of bark went from under my feet and I fell into the lanyard. Didn't fancy the swing and crash. I honestly don't know why it was cut off in the past, and left standing. New owners now. Pete, these big conifers get sap rot....like heart rot but from the outside. So, the heartwood was going to be the best holding wood. On a smaller tree, without the back lean and surroundings I'd have probably tested the water a bit more....but, I wasn't feeling particularly lucky at that moment.

There you go

Yes mate. Just uploading now. I'll post it soon as.

Cheers. Wasn't that bad really. Just one of them jobs where time flys, and you don't feel like you're getting anywhere. Going backwards even.

Thanks Mark. Glad I wasn't the only one

That's actually a Stein Shirt Carl. Had it near 10 years now. Steve, the climbing and cutting wasn't so bad. It's all work at the end if the day. It was the realization of how rotten the tree was....and that the strategy would have to change, take twice as long for the same money. And then near the end when it wouldn't go over, I'm pounding wedges which aren't moving, boiling hot, dehydrated, eyes full of sawdust and I catch a glimpse of the homeowners in the green house behind me....completely oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. If any of the rigging had broke at that moment....and there they were, heads down within falling distance. Thankfully Joe lives only a short distance away and was able to bring his truck. After it was down I just wanted to be away from that site. Both 3/4 inch ropes were stuck....would've taken me 30 mins saw them free, but I just cut them off with a knife. Same as the ratchet strap, I just left it. The home owners were following me back and forth to the truck as I'm trying to pack up, asking me about cutting the stump lower, and a branch on a walnut tree etc The neighbors also joined in now mithering about his trees. I'm going, I said.

Thanks Pete, there was some good hingewood. I cut the face cut 3 times, starting small, then made it bigger, and so on, not wanting to cut too deep right away and realise I was into mush. With powerlines left and right, plus the house, it was a disaster waiting to happen. So, at 1/4 of the way in, I decided not to risk cutting deeper. The downside of this is the shallow face made it really difficult to pull over. The warn winch doubled-up couldn't do it alone, so I had to rig up Joes 7 litre diesel truck via a separate line. Still struggled, but went over in the end. Upon looking at the stump after, realised I could've cut deeper, but wasn't to know previous. Tommy, I tied into the red cedar beside. Threw the grapple hook to snag the top of the stump.

I priced this job to fall it in 3 sections. Didn't realise how rotten it was until cut away the branches from the adjacent cedar. That plan went out of the window then. We had to shorten it considerably before we could fall it in order to miss the septic field. Anyway, the whole process took ages. Back weighted, I maxed out the Warn winch on a 2:1....so I had to call a friend to bring a second truck to help pull it over. By that stage I didn't care about how much money Id lost, just wanted it down safely. The Bark on these old firs is upto 10 inches thick, and can come away in huge slabs on such a dead rotten specimen like this. Enough to kill a bloke, so you have to be switched on. Eventually it went, but not without a struggle.

Tree men are defiant and stubborn gits, ignorant even. Nicks no exception, I can personally vouch for that. But those same attributes we quite often use to our advantage each week. Whether that be lifting logs that are too heavy, working in rain, wind, sleet and snow....we often draw upon our inherent stubborness to get us through. So this deal backfired, but nobody died or went bankrupt. Nick will bounce back. In the grand scheme of his life and achievements, it's a hiccup. Nick, you silly (rhimes with hunt).

I understand the need to advertise, but I'll stop short at putting it on a worker. The website does ok. I get plenty word of mouth. No signs on the truck, because I just don't want people stopping me and talking all about their trees when Im in a car park, or having a day off.

Haha, thanks. That's why I didn't post it here. I talk slow, because it unscripted, I don't know what exactly I'm going to say next. If you think it's easy, try for yourself, 20 mins without a break. Trust me, I don't say or do anything without a good motive. Call it a cryptic video. As for that particular topic. Fair played to those who issue clothing and such with honerable intentions. But those that do it out of a sense of ownership or power....like branding cattle, I at least hope I got under their skin a little. That's all really. Cheers

Terrible news. Met Dave several times. Great bloke, just pulsated energy and enthusiasm. How did it happen, nobodies saying ?

Cool stuff as always mate

ben and others, thanks for airing your thoughts in a respectful manner. I made the vid because its honest, and I thought a relevant topic. To touch on your last point Ben. Ive been posting videos and pics for probably 10 years now. Through that time Ive posted many potentially dangerous situations i.e. dead and dangerous trees, big rigging, cranework, high climbing, topping and falling. Through all that time theres no evidence to suggest I've ever influenced anyone to go out and jump into deep water. I don't see this as any different. If I were to give some advice it would be to encourage aspiring tree workers to think for themselves, and take responsibility in that sense. Question the information they are being fed, and the credentials and motives of which ever expert or rule-maker is putting it out there. A little while back there was a video on AT showing a world renowned Corporation/Franchise Tree Company, losing control of a poplar on a road side. Not just that the actually felling was bad, but the whole management of that situation and site was just about as bad as it gets....in regards to the conditions, traffic and pedestrian management. Now I have every sympathy with the lads on site, because it was clearly the last outcome they wanted. But, consider....with all history, prestige, equipment, training/certification, safety policy, code of practice, not to mention number certified bodies on that site....a fat lot of good it did them. It begs the question, what are the workers being taught and by whom ? Incidentally, the thumbnail for the video is a pic of me knocking 40ft off a dead fir not long ago. Ill post it below. A 15 min task is all it was i.e. climb up, cut off some branches and then wedge the top over. But that's not quite the whole story. It took me 3 visits/attempts to make that cut, the first 2 times it was just too windy to take aim in the direction I needed it to go. It was somewhat annoying, but you cant fit a square peg into round hole. That's just common sense....not training, certification or having someone stood there with me on site. If you scroll through the 50,60 comments that have appeared on youtube since the vid was posted, you'll notice dozens of which run a similar set up and seem quite content at that. Are they all wrong for having that preference ? You have to appreciate that not everyone wants to be an employer....but that surely shouldn't mean they have no right to work for themselves. If a person want to be an employer, great, good for you But for me personally, the lifestyle and workstyle that goes with it doesn't appeal. Doesn't make me any less safe or worse at my job. To answer a couple other questions, sorry if Ive overlooked any. Re: the risk of third parties entering the jobsite. Well, firstly, without and invite they'd be trespassing. Second, I make it very clear and obvious that its a work site. Having said that, there are inevitably some locations where its just too risky to manage solo. One such job just came in tonight....really simple previously topped fir tree, about 40 ft, good money, probably 20 mins to flatten it. But, I just don't like the location, so, tempting as it is, Ill have to wait util I have help. Believe it or not, often the most risky and stressful situation I find myself in is backing the chipper across a busy road and in a driveway. With nobody to jump out and stop traffic, I have to plan and pick my moments with great care. Mark, I don't like the way the HASS was and still is marketed and managed in certain aspects. I wont go into detail, but I wont buy one for that reason. How did I get my rope down ? with my hands. cheers

Here's the thing Ben. I'm a very strong minded and confident person. I don't go through life worrying about all the things that could go wrong....quite the opposite. I could work every day until dark, climbing or dragging brush on my own and it wouldn't phase me. I wouldn't do it for nothing mate, but work is work and I very much appreciate the opportunity and reward. When you say I'm passing the risk onto the client....I'm not sure what risk you are talking about ? A task is only as dangerous as the man doing it. I could argue, having 10 workers on site increases the risk of an accident 10fold. You can either do the job, or you cant. Ive climbed trees out here well over 200ft....some dead. There was always ground support, but realistically, nobodies coming up there to save you if you get hurt. Does that mean I shouldn't climb the tree ? of course not....unless I felt its beyond my skills and experience. When I compare residential tree work to, say, BC Fallers or Commercial Fisherman....it reminds me how easy, safe and uncomplicated my job is....so long as I'm on top of my game. From a practical standpoint, clean up specifically. I use the trolley a lot, winching, skylines and other rigging techniques to separate and move stuff from A to B. Its often more enjoyable than the climbing....depending on whether your glass is half empty or full. And no, I'm not cheap by any means....its the big companies that are generally the cheapest.

Thanks all. It's not the ideal set up....but you have to have faith in yourself, ignore the naysayers, and take control of your life wherever you can. So easy now days to lose your moral and logical compass amidst the rats nest of red tape that has become normal.

Some thoughts and footage on working alone. Its about 25 mins. Cant remember what the deal is in the Uk regarding. Maybe some of you have a similar setup to mine ?

We were probably good to resist up to 12,000 KGF. Chains would work, sure....but I dont have any. And consider, those lines were also positioned in such a way so the log could be cut and lowered down the hill thereafter. Thanks.

Amongst other stuff. Use HD setting. Thanks

Good work and footage. A welcome change from climbing videos.

Good Work Tim

Thanks again Adam I don't really know how long it took. Felt like a couple hours past, but that included packing all the gear to the tree, setting up and getting out. Hauling the 372 up 180ft took an age....felt more like a 3120 by the time I got it up there. Yes, the handsaw. Always worth having in those situations. Paul Im not sure which log that second clip was out of the sequence of several. It was the only one that came out of the video, as I realised I had the camera tilted too far downwards when I played back the footage. At least I got the top.

It was Adam, but way past. Some vid of that top falling