nod

Hello Folks I'm sure there are many questions relating to this new guidance, unfortunately I've not read through it yet. I will, however, ask for all & one to comment on the issue of competance as has already been mentioned. I see this as an opportunity for our industry to discuss within itself & formulate a standard. Looking forward to hearing from yous all now! Nod

Hi Slicx Are you looking for native provenance plants or purely info about provenance in general? With regard native plants I believe that the UK is divided into geographical areas that are given a provenance number. If a planting spec states that native provenance plants must be used then they would need to be sourced from seed collected in that area. For the past five years I.ve been involved with a project that collects, propogates & grows seed from the Bedford region. This is area 42, so whenever we spec native stock I know it is from seed collect from ancient woodland within our locality. My feeling is that it promotes native genetis ==c stock. Cheers Nod

Hi Jason I think it's time you paid a viisit to the local barbar mate! Nod

Hi FOlks Just alittle history on the Pro Ascent boot. About a year ago Scarpa stopped producing the Pro Ascent for whatever reason, I don't know. So if you call a Scarpa dealer or even the Scarpa main importer you'll find that, unless thay hold old stock, they won't have any. Along comes Freeworker ( German arb dealer) to the rescue; they brokered a deal whereby Scarpa will produce a certain amount of pairs per year for them. At 224 euro per pair including tax they are rather expensive at the current exchange rate although I see that Honeys display a cost of £130 on their website. The original boot was known as Mescalito 10 odd years ago, long before they became popular in our field. AKU produce a boot that is almost identical to the Mescalito, which I feel was a better design for treework, which had a slightly stiffer vibram sole & last a good deal longer. It's difficult to not sound like this is an ad for AKU but they are more than worth a mention & they have a goretex lining for those not adverse to a little water resistance. Cheers Nod

Does anyone have any thoughts/comments as to the worthiness of single braid ropes as a main rigging line, i.e. Tenex, Yalex, Nerex etc? I'm keen to hear pros cons etc. Not used it myself. Cheers in anticipation Nod

Hey Mr. Mahuta I've mailed back & forth to Donagheys regarding the Armor prus & if anybody is prepared to pay in the region of £6 per metre then mail me off site & we'll make something happen. What do you folks who've used think about it characteristics, longevity etc. I've used it myself for the past couple of months (courtesy of Mr. Bullman). Cheers Nod

Hi Tim "Yale XTC rope is the only rope to be given the A grade standard under the new RTC banding system, everything else is either B or C. 3 Strand Nylon is F, Multiplait is Z. Beal Baobab didn't even register as it was so bad." Just wondered if you have any links to this new system/standard. I've not heard about it & would be very eager to find out more. Cheers Nod

Hello Folks Just a quick heads up on the splicing workshops. We now have a guaranteed workshop in place just outside Norwich on Friday 19th December. Many thanks to Alex for pulling that one together. I have also found a great venue close to home, which is north Buckinghamshire. Approximately 1 hours drive from Birmingham, London situated on the borders of Bucks, Oxon & Northants. I have made a booking to run another workshop here on 02/02/2009 for anyone who may be interested. We are well on our way to setting up a system whereby a splicers competancy can be proven over a period of time & should be okay in terms of AFAG guidance. Anyone who has attended a workshop in the past & is interested in finding out more info please mail me at [email protected] Also if your interested in hosting or attending a splicing workshop contact me at the same email. It's better than PMing as I'm not always hanging out here. Cheers Nod

Hi Jacko I deal with a guy who builds microphone/earmuff speaker systems to suit whichever radios you already have. I've tried the cheaper Motorola ones but am less than satisfied with the quality, which I feel is importaqnt when your trying to get a message to the driver that he needs to lift, sharpish! I plumbed for Alan radios in the end & am very pleased. They were about £140 + £120-140 for the mic/speaker built into a set of Sordin muffs.Total cost within £280 for 2 radios & 2 headsets. Well worth every penny, but it still feels like I'm talking to myself half the time, even though I know they can hear me downstairs. Obviously don't say much worth listening to. Good luck Nod

Hello Folks After my pleasant trip up to visit Bob & Pete McTree in Huddersfield during August to run the 'Introduction to Arborist Rope Splicing' workshop, I've decided that it's about time I got my act together in that department. I have run a few workshops close to home in the past, but for the past 18 months our venue has been going through refurbishment so I'd decide to just let it lay. I've now secured another venue at our local sailing club which has excellent domestic facilities & a great view out onto the lake. All they need from me now is dates! The shout goes out to any Arbtalkers who would be interested in attending a workshop or would like to be sent details of future events, please contact me off forum or PM me. If possible (numbers permitting) I'd like to run two workshops between mid November & mid February with additional workshops next year. Also, if the interest is there I'd like to put together workshops covering double braid climbing ropes as well as slings & ropes used in rigging. With many people talking about pros & cons of splicing over knots, & also hand splicing versus manufacturers splicing I think as an industry it is important that we get to grips with these issues & prove to the powers that be that we have the ability to lead the way in terms of standards, rather than being told how it will be. Anyway, if you'd like to hear more ramblings on the subject & learn a little rope stuff please ping a mail over to me. Best wishes to all Nod

Hi Tony Still interested in what folks use as a benchmark when deciding on what support system to use, but to answer. If you worked outside of our industry & required a contractor to install a support system for you exactly what meaningful information can be deduced from what the standard says apart from what materials to use? Crown support is a complex & rarely straight forward operation that should be guided by an understanding of tree growth patterns, timber strengths & weaknesses, topography of the site & no doubt a whole host of other factors including physics, we're not dealing with architectural structures where tolerances can refined to the enth degree but we can go some way down that path. I just feel that our choice of system should be dictated by these factors & not by factors that are based on lack of information , convenience & the say so of those interested in making a buck out of the sale. I've recently seen a 2ton polyproplene system with a shock absorber insert (cobra or boa) installed high in a Cedar of Lebanon where branch diameter is approx 40cm. My thoughts are, the weight below the installation point combined with small amounts of movements will more than likely snap that cord like it's a shoestring. The draft standards give no guidance & therefore no standard of what we should be installing only how we should install it. When push comes to shove & a court needs to refer to our BS standard, what is actually there of any worth? Then on the basis of 4.5:1 safety factor & the strength reduction of the system due to insertion of the shock absorber that system has a SWL of approx. 250kgs. Maybe I'm being unecessarily sensitive! Cheers Nod

Hi Chris Interesting comment that it knocks any other products for six. I'd be keen to hear what other products you've installed & why you rate it so highly against other non invasive systems. There are, after all, many systems available but in the UK we seem to be quite blind to what is available in this area of tree management. I personally don't feel that it's the be all & end all of non invasive systems & think that, as is the case for many things, it's horses for courses. Unfortunately we tend to err on the side of there being only one course! During my time climbing trees I've installed approx 200 crown support systems including steel cable with eyes & bolts, steel cable with belts, cobra, boa, gefa, treesave, nerex with belts & ratchets straps. I guess that some of them were probably unecessary but they were not necssarily my choice from the outset. Ultimately I think it's important to understand what's available to us & what, if anything, is best suited to the perceived support required within the tree. Did you check out the new BS3998 draft section on cabling & bracing. Considering the amount of research & information available on the subject I'm sure it will cause more problems than it will solve in the next 20years, if that's when the next revision might be! Cheers Nod

Hi Craig I'm sorry mate but I'm not clear on how a discussion at rules committee in July/August 2008 can justify a decision & action that happened in June 2007. Maybe you can explain? As you know, my thoughts & concerns were addressed to the right people at the right time & as a committee (or committees, ISA & EOC) there was not even the decency to acknowledge that any correspondance was ever received. I came to presume that I was either looked upon as being a trouble maker who was not worthy of listening to or that it was all dealt with behind close doors in much the same way as the decision was made in the first place. Whichever was right is fine by me, the message couldn't have been any clearer. When all was said & done, dealt with or otherwise, the issue was resolved or maybe it wasn't. Rules are exactly what they say on the booklet, rules, and if the game is run by those rules then nobody has a cause/right to complain. Rules are not always fair, they are also not always right but it doesn't mean that those concerned shouldn't try to change them for whatever reason so that they make more sense, are fairer or whatever. I guess that's why the rules committee exists, so that anomalies & concerns can be addressed in a democratic kind of a way & issues can be resolved & changes made. I'm sure it's not an enviable job but I guess someone has to volunteer for it. All that happened back then doesn't matter a jot cos the past is exactly where that episode exists. Take care Nod

Hey Folks Just found out that Philippa came in 3rd & Jon was fifth. I guess that it's a shame for them that there is the rule about numbers of preliminary competitors dictating the number of masters climbers. So there were 14 women, had there been 15 then Philippa would have spotted in the masters also!! Hey ho! Cheers Nod PS Rupe, the only flying I'll be doing in Newport is if someone chooses to kick me hard enough in the butt!

Hi Peter Isn't that just the best news for the UK&I representatives. To my knowledge we've only ever had one climber at ITCC reaching the masters & that was Sam Robinson who finished in 4th place if memory serves (correct me if that's wrong). Those guys & girls are a real credit to the industry with Jon & Philippa taking the Euro titles last month, outstanding. I'm so looking forward to whipping the lot of you at the Welsh Open! Less of the laughter please' I've been training! Them pints get heavier the older one gets! Well done folks. Nod

Hey Jeepster There's nothing wrong with the splice that you've shown, in fact of all the tenex eye splices this is the strongest but requires a bury of 2 fid lengths. Generally speaking a fid length is 21 times the rope diameter, so 9mm tenex with a locking brummel would stilll require 1fid buried (i.e. 180mm). For some folk making eye to eye slings this has been a problem for some reason (which I'm not sure why) so they have halved the length of the bury making a less bulky sling. Obviously this runs against the manufacturers instructions so if there were ever a problem then I would suspect the splicer to be, potentially, in a rather compromised position. I personally found the Selma fids that you have from Norway to be a pain to use. We're using a mix of hollow braid & Swedish fids along with wire fids & occasionally splicing wand. The hollow braid fid are by far the easiest for tenex all round. Cheers Nod PS When I finally get my head out of my thingy we'll have an area on the website for all manner of splicing tools & sundries. We have good stock now but I just have to get around to furnishing the webman with images etc.

Hi Andy Goddard I see you got a GRCS then. I took one down to Cardiff last August for you. Called you up 1001 times, thought that Torchwood must have locked you up in one of them there vaults. Glad to see that you made it out anyways. Rob @ Treeworker

I'm going to be booking flights for our visit to this years ETCC in Turin this evening. Just wondered if anyone is heading over as we'll be flying into Milan, then getting a Hire car before wombling through the morning down to Turin. If last years is anyhting to go by, we'll then spend three hours driving round in circles looking for the competition site. Let me know asap 01296 738459 Nod:001_smile:

Hello Ed!

I'll try that again!!! Numpty! Hello Folks Here's a heads up for the Friday evening at the AA Show at Cirencester. I've long been a believer that it's all very well having a show that runs from 10am - 5pm but what happens after that? Generally there are many people who stay behind to camp/caravan on the show ground but there is little if anything to keep the masses entertained into the wee hours, besides falling over tents & wandering the estate in a drunken state. These are things that I'm sure won't stop in a hurry & why should they?! Anyhows, this year I have organised a couple of evening sessions to run from 6.30- 8.00pm on the friday evening, these will finish early enough that the hungry & thirsty have plenty of time to run into town to stock up. Many of you will know of Treemagineers (Mark Bridge, Chris Cowell & Beddes Strasser), bringers to the table of arboricultural delight a feast of interesting presentations, lectures & by no means least various bits of shiney kit. Well, Mark has kindly translated a presentation, made in Germany earlier in the year, into English specially for us relating to attitudes & approach to treework. This will be followed by a presentation & open forum on carabiners & climbing system configuration. An interesting & thought provoking subject to many, & if not why not? I hope that this free presentation will be well supported by Arbtalk forum members as well as anyone else who is remotely interested. I might be bold enough to suggest that we have a whip round collection at the end of the evening, to offer our thanks to Steve for administering & creating this excellent forum, in aid of his chosen charity 'The Childrens Trust'. I hope to create a space within one of our marquees for the presentations but I will also try to organise a contingency in case the numbers are too great & we have to move into a larger area. If anyone has any queries then please direct them either through the forum or to my PM. Many thanks [email protected]

Hello Folks

Hey Guys Have any of you have come across the Edelrid pulley called 'Easy'? A few years back there was various levels of concern over the issue being discussed, i.e. whether or nor not the becket on the Petzl PO5 Fixe pulley was suitable as an attachement point for hitch cord. All sorts came out of the bag including someone saying that Petzl themselves had okayed this becket tie in as being good to go. The product itself was never stamped with this as a rated component although many folks still tied in there & I've not heard of any incidents with failure of this point, but that obviously doesn't mean it's all clear. Anyway, the 'Easy' has a steel pin across the lower portion of the pulley which was rated to 13kN many moons ago. We started to supply them as a fair alternative but they never seemed to take in the manner that the PO5 had. We maintain a stock but I guess the colour or shape doesn't fit everyones bill. There is also the the small matter of the hitch climber which has taken out of the equation any need to be tying into the wrong part of the device, with the added bonus of all the other stuff that can be done with it. I moved away from tying into the becket & opted for the double fisherman as a stopper threaded between the becket & the pulley. I think that this spreads the loading in that area between the becket & the pulley sheave & even with 8mm cord the stopper is plenty big enough to not come free. This completely removed any concern over bend ratios & keeps the configuration in cleaner alignment. Pictures speak a thousand words & now I'm rambling. Have a good day out in the sun. Cheers Nod On a different note, if it's cool with Steve & the other site moderators I'd like to let you know of a blogsite that I've just started to keep folks informed about what's been happening treewise in my day to day excursions. Hopefully it will be an informative sidekick to our website which I can update myself with whatever guff I deem suitable. Many thanks Nod treeworker.blogspot.com Just delete if it's inappropriate Steve!!

Hello Jim The A327 is exactly the kiddie, but is not available as a locksafe barrel at the moment. DMM are probably the sexiest (!*?) carabiners on the planet at this point in time & I'm forever amazed at how few people actually run with them. Especially when one starts to look seriously into system configuration & how different shaped carabiners are designed to be used relative to how we do use them. A sweeping generalisation I know; but colour does count for quite a lot;-) If you can't find exactly what you need then cast you net a bit further & in a different direction. You'll find what you need. Cheers Nod

Hi Matty I used the Selma fids for many years before being fortunate enough to discover both the splicing wand & also the wire fids as already mentioned. I use both when splicing double braid although just wire are required. Depending on which rope names you intend splicing, or rather how tight or loose the construction is the wand can be used on its own but this is not easy with small diameters or tight weaves. I'm hoping to create an area on our website for splicing tools in the near future. I think the tides are slowly turning back to more people wanting to be able to splice their own ropes. Which will, hopefully, encourage many more equipment inspectors(LOLER) to get a grasp on splice anatomy as it does so frustrate me when I hear of climbers gear being failed because it's been self spliced. The principal behind it being that a self spliced rope cannot possibly have met or meet CE/EN standards. I feel that the truth behind it is that the inspectors knowledge lacks & the competancy to inspect rope splices is surely questionable. Cheers Nod

Good Evening Good People Firstly I'd like to give my thanks to all who have shown their concern & help here in writing & verbally at the Capel Manor gig this weekend. It is the first time I've experienced this aspect of the society within which we live so for a few days it was quite a hard stone to swallow. It's not been completely digested but being the way that I am & what I believe in, I'm sure that the way of wyrrd & the web of life will have the last laugh, it usually does! Interestingly I met a few old mates at the show on Saturday who have both suffered horrific accidents in the past year. I took time out to sit & discuss what happened & the aftermath. It put things into perspective for me. The thieving was a glich & nothing more, it won't change my life dramatically just alter my perception of security at our lockup. Me & my family still have our health, I can't ask for any more than that. Many thanks for your support Best wishes Nod