jomoco

Well, I've learned that there's a sizable number of my colleagues who believe that fire's not a natural and reoccurring element of a tree's environment. I respectfully disagree, and I seriously doubt the Insurance industry will buy into such a silly notion either. Tree's haven't evolved to resist fires destructive forces eh? Very interesting my friends. Jomoco

Why ignore the world around you lads? Does Cobra have some kinda disclaimer for usage in Australia, Canada or the US? Why so bloody obtuse n myopic lads. It's essentially arguing that fire's not an integral part of a tree's environment, regardless of whether it's a forest or suburban setting. Jomoco

Do you contend that branches over homes and structures should be supported by highly flammable tree support systems? You think insurance companies on the hook are gonna be down with that mate? Supporting trees with systems as flammable as fire starter logs? You think CDF hotshot smoke jumpers'll thank the folks at Cobra for dripping fire on their heads? Jomoco

Thanks for the feedback Marc, I appreciate it. Any signs of cambial engulfment of the termination straps on those ten year old's mate? Jomoco

The relevance is that in a court of law, replacing a non-flammable tree support system with a highly flammable system? Can and will be deemed as grossly negligent. The professional arborist associations who've given the thumbs up on these synthetic tree supports? Guilty of gross negligence as well in my professional opinion. Jomoco

Yes, British history's a long fascinating drawn out affair, no doubt. My favorite Brit's a toss up between Paine and Cromwell. A reasonably plausible case can be made that Brit's were the world's first international drug dealer round about the time Hong Kong was founded. What! Jomoco

Not good karma to spell a legend's first name wrong Mark! Very bad juju mate... Jomoco

If I were truly doubtful of any dead tree's structural integrity? Had that much open room around it? I'd fell it, or guy it with three guy lines. There's almost always some way to get it done safely, almost. Jomoco

A Dawn Redwood?(Metasequoia glyptostroboides) Jomoco

You will hardly be the first lot that pay a high price for ignoring Murphy's Law. The folks fleeing Fort Mac in Alberta might not agree... Best increase your liability coverage if you like to gamble lads. NFPA - Home Structure Fires Jomoco

The Brit's are notorious for pretending the world revolves around them! Not allowing yankee cousins like me to view their most excellent documentaries? Seems proof of their royal snobbishness! I don't doubt but that it's a cracking good bit of natural science tho Rich. Jomoco

The coastal oaks in California (Quercus agrifolia) are droppin dead like flies as phytopthora ramorum has spread state wide, and it's the oldest trees that succumb to S.O.D. first, unfortunately. I have been somewhat successful in slowing it down a bit for a few clients of mine using systemic basal trunk drenches of Agri-Fos fungicide mixed with Pentra-Bark surfactant. But it's been a year or so, however none have died that were treated, and each has put on new spring growth, and have thicker canopies than last year. My reading indicates that Ginko's are the recognized most ancient survivors. Jomoco

Mighty peculiar lookin cedar.... Jomoco

Sounds like a few of you are of the opinion that fires are not a natural component of the tree's environment! Surely you jest? Your honor I object! Jomoco

I hope my kindred Scott's Irish n English cousins are curious about the latest Panama Papers developments, as I am? I can see why Brexit's gaining popularity in the UK when stuff like this comes to light. https://theintercept.com/2016/05/06/panama-papers-source-wants-whistleblower-immunity-aid-law-enforcement/?comments=1#comments Cheerio! Jomoco

Thanks for the feedback B2T. But the reason I caution you about using synthetics is that your liability in a court of law is untenable from an Insurance representative lawyer succeeding in finding both you and Cobra mfg guilty of gross negligence. You be the judge. Your honor the prosecution's case for gross negligence rests on the fact that the injured party was never informed that the failed synthetic cabling system used in place of the traditional steel system did not meet the same resistance to heat trauma. Furthermore that the mfr of the failed synthetic cabling system, who sold that system on the basis of being superior to a traditional steel support system, gave no warning or precautions in any of their literature of their system's potential for catastrophic failure when exposed to high temperatures, such as occurred in my client's case when his garage caught fire and melted the synthetically cabled branch directly above it, triggering the failure of that branch, causing it to crash down onto my client's garage, exacerbating damage to the structure, and impeding the fire dept's efforts to extinguish the fire. Had my client known that the traditional steel cabling support systems he was professionally advised to replace with a flammable synthetic system, was magnitudes of order more fire resistant? My client would not have agreed to replacing a proven heat resistant steel support system with an inferior flammable system. The prosecution further puts forth that fires are an integral aspect of the natural and suburban environments that trees grow in, and that fire dept's exist for very good and self evident reasons. Thank you for your consideration on this important matter your honor. Jomoco

My mind is made up, about synthetic frailty, and Cobra's lame encircling termination method. I believe they'll land themselves and companies installing their systems in a court of law in time. However I like the idea of dynamic cabling with steel components and steel throughbolt attachment terminations, and inline compression springs, such as used to tension utility power lines for the last 75 years or so. Indeed I believe very large trees will someday soon be harnessed to generate clean electricity using such a system slaved to a hydraulic accumulator in close proximity to the tree. Jomoco

Scary stuff for sure! Reminds me of the Cedar Fire here in San Diego county in 03. Very surreal till the next day when picking through your melted and charred belongings, which of course can be replaced. My heart goes out to the affected residents, as well as my hopes for no fatalities resulting. Jomoco

Who's used them with good results? How long has your oldest installation lasted? Any failed installations? I've been cabling and bracing trees for 30 years now, the vast majority of it old school drop forged steel through bolt installations, using EHS 7 strand cable along with cable grips for the last twenty years. Not a fan of Cobra's encircling terminations, nor any synthetics durability over time compared to steel, particularly in terms of heat and abrasion resistance. Granted that static steel installations cause the tree to become dependent on the system's integrity quicker, and to a greater degree. But the frailty of synthetics, and inferior encircling termination attachment methods, of a system that also causes tree dependency, albeit at a slower rate, causes me to give Cobra cabling an emphatic thumbs down. In fact I'm such an old school luddite that I don't believe in cabling at all unless it compensates for a real identifiable, quantifiable fault/flaw in the trees structure, either above or below ground. Thanks for any feedback, both negative or positive. Jomoco

Yeah, speedlining's so dang handy, that it spoils groundies rotten! Jomoco

My cut n chuck to rigging percentages are probably 90% C n C to 10% rigged, excluding crane removals. Add them in and it jumps to 75-25 ratio. There's an undeniable skill set involved with cut n chuck removals. Building bedding out of brush to chuck the logs down onto n such. I became very fond of brushing small n medium removals with just my handsaw, then taking the wood down with my 200, anyone else hang their trimsaws in the tree using its pull cord and ropesnap to gain greater maneuverability and lightness brushing with your handsaw dealing with spindly skinny leaders? I see quite a few pros using their handsaws to trigger bigwood rigging catches, without a big chainsaw in their hands when the dynamics begin. I know I cut n chuck an awful lot of stuff that other climbers would rig. I guess knowing when to rig or not depends on too many variables to lay down any unbreakable rules about. Some clients don't mind a few divots in their lawns, some do. Milkin jobs to play with your fancy toys ain't cricket in my book tho. Jomoco

Nicely done Benn! I was wondering what you'd do once between those bldgs? You'd have needed a lot more tires without those long skinny dirt strips mate! I did those courtyard removals in the late 80's long before youtube n stuff! Always enjoy your vids Benn. Use Jimmy Cliff for the soundtrack of your next dredful removal. The harder they come, the harder they fall, one and all.... Jomoco

I distinctly remember some fat boy euc removals, tight up on the buildings of a quad courtyard, totally concreted in, maybe a foot of dirt around each tree. At 30 feet up the trunks were still 4 feet in diameter. Even quartered they'd bust the concrete, and stood an excellent chance of slapping the bldg if caught using a Hobbs. The solution was making a huge bed of stacked interwoven semi truck tires to catch the quarters pushed off at that height. Two big chiptruck loads of used tires, some of which were badly mangled upon the job's completion, zero damage to the courtyard. I'd love to have one of those huge Hollywood stuntman catch bags for an easier to transport means of catching fat trunk sections over concrete n such. Maybe with a Kevlar cover? Bombs away! Jomoco

I'm more amazed by how many "professional" removal experts I see working off the client's roof. A huge no go in my opinion as standard operating procedure. Storm work one of the few exceptions, and even then a signed liability waiver's a smart move. Jomoco

Few jobs are as satisfying to me than extremely strategic removals inaccessible by crane. Particularly when it's the owners of multiple tree companies asking you to safely accomplish what their climbers are sketching out on. While these nightmare removals may be few and relatively rare, they demand a journeyman's level of rigging finesse that's not easily found IME. It's been abouta year since I've performed such technical removal work that demanded two Hobbs devices and two expert rope men working together. Took almost 4 days with a 5 man crew to get 2 fair sized eucs down safely. The LZ was wide n deep enough for half the westernmost leaders of the first tree, but a helluva long way away from the second tree, 50-75 feet away. Meaning all the brush n wood from that second tree had to be walked/drifted sideways suspended between 2-3 rigging points. Very time consuming and tedious rigging work that demands relatively high set rigging points to move loads that far sideways.