jomoco

Yup! For pretty much my whole career.

I'm an orthopedic wreck due to thinking I could compete with pro motocross riders in the early 80's guys. Busted many bones and snapped the ACL in my right knee before accepting the truth that I couldn't. So in order to still climb trees I have to wear ergonomic knee braces as well.

Way back in the late 70's while workin in LA, one of the groundies had a Brown Recluse spider run up his legs and bite him in the family jewels and put him in the hospital in bad shape. It was then that I started wearing tall boots and tucking my trousers in them to make sure such a thing never happened to me, ever! Jomoco

I generally have enough lace left to do double duty if my 200's starter cord snaps up top! Jomoco:biggrin:

Yes, but i pretty much only do strategic removals. Wesco's rule for removals mate! Jomoco

Most guys who carry a knife constantly wear them on their waist belt, which sucks wearing a tree saddle over it. So for me it's a boot scabbard with a handsaw on my right boot, and scabbarded knife on my left boot. The important thing is to have a razor sharp knife on you somewhere capable of cutting a climbing in half quickly in an emergency, IMO. Jomoco

Carrying a knife while aloft is one of the most overlooked aspects of safety gear for climbers IMO. The ability to cut a climbing line in half, whether it's your own, or that of an injured climber you're performing an aerial rescue for, can be extremely vital. Now I know many of you may be thinking you don't need to carry a knife aloft because you carry a handsaw. But actually cutting a climbing line in half with a handsaw is easier said than actually done in my experience. Particularly a line that isn't taut. Knives have many other uses aloft as well. Like probing cavities to determine their actual depth before climbing above them for instance. This is my setup. Knife's a Kershaw Amphibian with a serrated blade on one side.

Just put a new fuel line on my oldest work saw today, a 394XP. Though this saw looks old and thrashed, it still runs nice and crisp with loads of low end torque.

Berry berry nice matey! Jomoco:001_smile:

There's a vital difference between knives that are sharpened professionally under a coolant bath, and those that are not. Mainly that professionally sharpened knives hold their edge much longer because they retain the steels original temper. Jomoco

The first wood chipper was invented in Germany in the late 19th century according to my research on them. They were not used a lot commercially until the 1950's when the first chuck n duck high speed drum chippers hit the markets. The production efficiencies gained by being able to shred brush and relatively small diameter wood up to ten inches into small chips blown into the back of a truck was a game changer, and their use really took off commercially. The sheer speed at which these drum chippers could grab and shred a branch was truly frightening and intimidating for the workers feeding them. If the operator didn't quickly move to the side and past the feed table after feeding a branch? The consequences were dire. Hence the nick name chuck n duck, or be whipped, slammed against the feed table, or be peppered by wood chips propelled backwards at the operator at extremely high speeds. Unwary operators of these high speed drum chippers lost fingers, hands, arms, teeth etc. but rarely their lives. However in the late 80's when the first hydraulically fed disc and drum chippers hit the markets that were capable of shredding large diameter brush and logs up to 18 inches plus at a much slower feed rate? Shortly thereafter the first woodchipper operator fatalities were reported and documented when operators became entangled in the branches being fed and dragged into the hydraulic feed wheels and dismembered. The vast majority of these woodchipper fatalities occurred when the operator was feeding the chipper alone with no one about to activate the safety feed control bar which stops or reverses the feed wheel mechanism. As these hydraulically fed woodchippers able to chip large diameter branches and logs became more numerous and widely used in this industry, operator fatalities on the job rose. This led to OSHA releasing the following bulletin in an attempt to reduce the rising number of on the job woodchipper fatalities in the US. https://www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib041608.html Note the number one recommendation. To always have two operators working in close proximity to the chipper, with one of them acting as the designated observer with their hand on the feed control bar in case the other operator gets into trouble. The now dated OSHA woodchipper safety bulletin does not reflect the fact that over 55 woodchipper fatalities have occurred on the job. IMO any hydraulically fed woodchipper over a ten inch capacity should never be fed by a solo operator, period. I hope you bear these grisly realities of this dangerous industry in mind when purchasing a woodchipper John. Work safe mate. Jomoco

Looks like a Hobbit's home! Great find Steve. Jomoco

Many years ago when the fire in my belly burned hot for all things ISA related, I suggested to the powers that be at TCIA that a monthly video highlighting the best firms on the job work practices would be far more beneficial than their current practice of glorifying the fastest climbers at TCC events. IMO the fastest climbers do not necessarily do the best work in this industry by any stretch of the imagination. But by highlighting actual on the job work of the best companies in monthly or weekly video format? They would be tangibly teaching and reaching a larger audience and leading by example. These vids do not need to be geared towards climbing alone either. They can run the gamut, climbing, groundwork, cabling, traffic control, stump grinding, diagnostics etc. Of course my suggestions went in one ear and right out the other of course. But IMO good quality treework is a team effort, therefor vids showing how the best teams working together provide the best means of teaching and leading by example. Glorify that and this industry will get better IMO. Jomoco

Nick did a good job on that hanger David. Glad you guys moved Rover when you did though! Nice vid and work mate. Jomoco

Adam, the very poor pic you posted is nowhere close to enough info to go on mate. But the description of the situation you've given is enough for me to suggest you pass the cabling of your client's trees along to an experienced cabler in your area. The job's too big for a beginner to tackle IMO. I don't think removal is warranted by any means though. A professional cabler can handle it easily. Pass the job along to a pro and pay close attention to how he goes about it mate. I learned how to cable back in the early 80's by assisting a pro cabler on the job myself. Do what's best for your client and their trees like you know you should Adam. Best regards mate. Jomoco

Nice to see you posting your excellent vids across the pond August! Keep up the good work mate. Jomoco

Yeah, the first thing that went through my simplistic mind after reading the study? Visions of portable generators powering electric blankets wrapped about an infected tree's base and roots for 72 hrs! But like Tony says, a bit unrealistic! Jomoco:001_smile:

I thought I'd share this study on the affects of temperature on A. mellea in invitro settings with you guys. I found it somewhat astonishing that heat at 39 degrees Celsius was lethal to the fungus, at least in an invitro setting. http://www.apsnet.org/publications/phytopathology/backissues/Documents/1976Articles/Phyto66n11_1363.pdf Jomoco

Definitely not a factor in urban areas? So house fires would not affect a synthetically cabled branch over that house? What about a car fire parked under a street tree synthetically cabled? Which begs the question of which cabling system your insurance carrier would recommend? Jomoco

You want limited dynamic throw? Been around longer than any of you have been alive! http://www.kencove.com/fence/Assets/documentation/HTSHD_StrainerInstallation.pdf Jomoco

How long do you think galvanized steel inline compression springs have been used in the utility industry mate? Jomoco

You my friend are dead wrong. EUROPA - PRESS RELEASES - Press release - Fighting forest fires in Europe ? how it works http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2370082/Britains-burning-heat-triggers-scores-fires--leaves-A-E-swamped.html Jomoco

So abrasion due to falling limbs across your synthetic cables, vulnerability to arboreal chewing rodents, vulnerability to UV degradation and fire, all of which galvanized steel can withstand far longer by a huge factor, doesn't faze you guys at all eh? I feel sorry for your clients that buy into your snake oil sales pitches. Jomoco

Oh I've no doubt you synthetic cabling enthusiasts can find ways to rationalize the absurd notion that fire's not a natural aspect of a tree's environment. Being dead wrong doesn't seem to faze you guys in the least! That a judge or jury in a court of law is highly unlikely to buy your absurd logic is something that should worry each one of you. But your honor, fire's not a natural component of a tree's environment! Jomoco:biggrin:

Grey squirrels in the UK? Unheard of! Damn these tree rats! | Mail Online Brown rats? Black rats? In the UK? What? http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20716625 Jomoco