jomoco

Can a giant decurrent beech or oak be harnessed to produce electric power? Yup! Using good old traditional steel hardware attachment points, but utilizing inline hydraulic cylinders as one way pumps. Compressed nitrogen on the opposing side of each cylinder act as return springs to hold the branch in a neutral, or no wind position. Each cylinder is hydraulically plumbed to charge a 30 gallon nitrogen bladder accumulator and hydraulic reservoir. When a set amount pressure's been reached? Bang! Three full minutes of sustained power generation! Now this is obviously not applicable to making money in an economically viable sense. But from a Symbiotic scientific research point of view? All hydraulic systems develop leaks in due time, so type of oil used and regular maintenance of the system are musts. But who has the money or inclination to conduct such fanciful magical forest didneyland stuff? Jomoco

So how does one go about shakin a huge excurrent conifer by the main trunk via wind power? [ame] [/ame] I developed the Tree Slave as a means of generating clean renewable electricity by harnessing it to huge coastal redwoods here in CA. And because its motion that's exposed to the elements is a simple yet extremely powerful back and forth reciprocation? It would function buried in the snow and ice,IMO. Use the power generated as you wish. The only drawback is that it's a burst generator that essentially functions like a ratcheting Jack in the box toy. But even intermittent bursts of power can be put to many uses these days. From a strictly academic and scientific point of view? Putting all that generated power to use for the tree and its immediate environs in the forms of pumped water, generated warmth or light? Clearing it of snow every hour by shakin it free of snow? How about a magical forest that's digitally enhanced to teach children visitors it's wonders and mysteries? United States Patent: 6825574 Jomo

So a bit of wind today really got BB2 spinning at a fair clip. Which intensified the eccentric cam's effect from a bounce into a vibration, like a badly unbalanced tire on a car. It was at that point that I began to wonder whether vibrating a long lateral on a conifer during sporadic wind events, would be an effective means of clearing snow loads from them in deep winter? Particularly appealing perhaps for trees within proximity to power line corridors? Perhaps wind powered branch shakers are the more apt name for this silly idea?

Give it a class one pruning already yu rookie! Yu know, lots n lots of little cuts with a handsaw! Jomoco

The secret to both my 365 Specials lasting me 10 years on their original top ends, and still going strong? Every time I fuel them, or any of my saws, they get a thorough cleaning, both caps and air cleaners using Co2 bottles in my tooltruck like compressed air. That and using only the highest octane fuels I can buy in my mix makes for excellent increased saw life in my experience.

Testing..

Looks between 65-70 feet tall to my eye. Does someone know its actual height? Jomoco

There are two vids of this accident, one of which made it clear this poor bloke was being instructed by an unseen, but heard boss on the ground, who's either an idiot in terms of proper rigging methods, or was intentionally trying to kill the amateurish, and seemingly well equipped climber? Borderline criminal conduct by the instructor IMO. Be interesting to see how long the vids stay functional on YT? Jomoco

Cobra's the system with give. Whereas traditional cabling is static, and meant to compensate for a structural flaw. An old traditional cable that's still intact fits the criteria of a structural flaw IMO. Asking for advice on specific cabling problems without pics tends to limit my recs though. Post up some pics of the situation if you can and I'll try to be of more help mate. Jomoco

In a long term sense? I don't recommend it unless the ground anchoring hardware is the same used by utility pole setters, which is kinda cost prohibitive. I guyed a few leaning Torrey pines with galvanized steel ground anchors set in huge blocks of poured concrete about a foot below ground. They all failed within ten years, due to corrosion in the steel anchor, between the concrete and lawn. That foot of soil was almost like acid eating into the 5/8ths galvanized steel. Surprisingly and luckily for me the trees remained standing, but were removed. Guying at ground level, particularly in high foot traffic area's never a good idea, for simple liability reasons. People walking into the cables and injuring themselves etc. I don't do it no more except under certain conditions that are very cost prohibitive, and even then the client must sign a lengthy and well worded disclaimer. Now temporary guying in storm damage until a removal crew shows? You betcha! Jomoco

Thanks Matt. Whatever it was, failed for many reasons. But in my opinion, due to the way it appears to have been rigged, and not let run by the groundie? That failure may have saved his life? This if nothing had failed except the base trunk taking that big a dynamic lateral hit! Glad he lived through his ordeal. I just hope he takes the hint and finds another line of work that'll be more conducive to him reaching retirement age? I think his catch anchor rigging failure may have saved his life! Araucaria columnaris, or Cook Island pines are very heavy as softwood pines go. Be interesting to watch it again in super slo-mo. Jomoco

I'd like to know what he was usin in place of a pulley block? Jomoco

Day two, BB prototype two! Weighing in at 1.5 lbs, an eccentric cam BB that really bounces while spinning!

Now the hard part will be driving a steel stake into the ground from which to measure the exact distance from it and the bottom of the branch, before hanging the BB from it. A month afterwards unhooked, and 6 months afterwards unhooked, and so on. If the Branch bouncer works? The limb should rise once the BB's removed?

Tree's a Chorisia speciosa, or Floss Silk tree, also known as a wife beater tree!

Blown over by the wind.

How to measure and confirm reaction wood growth that's artificially stimulated? Been playin about with methods of doing just that, at home, in me own tree. I needed a way to bounce a few pounds about on smaller laterals, just under 2 inches diameter, powered by the wind. One means of measurement would be the limb's height from the ground in a before and after sense. Slapping together a contraption that I'll call a wind powered branch bouncer that weighs only a tad over 2 lbs was easy. It works well at exaggerating the branch's movement in the wind. It's also ridiculously cheap and easy to build one. From thought to working prototype in a few hours today.

Trying to figure out what to call this system? Arboreal Reaction Wood Stimulation Harness? Symbiotic Integration Harness for Trees and Plants?

These 365's really are Special. Bought in 2000, original top end, still screams heartily on 100 octane racing fuel mixed with Stihl's silver bottled synthetic. Helluva mid size saw!

14 tons with a 120 ton hydrocrane. Took the whole euc tree in one pick. Big cranes are expensive, but mighty productive when lots of trees are within their reach. Jomoco

Anyone else watchin the bloody moon tonight?

But there's nothing abnormal about wind, even occasional high winds IMO. Ever notice how some hardwood and conifer branches of small diameter cannot be easily broken in a downward direction, but snap off quite readily when bent upwards? Jomoco

Running bowlines attaching 3/8ths pullies almost exclusively, with sufficient slack to accommodate an estimated 3-5 years of girth expansion. The nylon cordage I used is strong enough to lift a 200 lb man off the ground without snapping. Each plant weighs about 20 lbs, maybe 30 when watered. She throws an annual exotic plant club party. So simply showin up for some free food n drink makes annual inspections of my system a treat. The whole harness is noninvasive, and the plants do bounce about in the breeze quite dynamically. But it's an artificial cyclical branch burdening system. The exact opposite of the Cobra snake oil branch support systems. An extremely important and entirely pertinent distinction if your goal is strengthening a tree/branch rather than weakening it to the point it's dependent on that system's integrity for life? Jomoco

If holes enlarge, add more cables Guy? Kinda like a dog's been beat too often, and therefor cringes whenever opposing hands are raised. How does the cable mfr feel about you distorting their cable ends and squishing the galvanized coatings off each distorted and bent strand mate? Problems that need to be addressed prior to replacing a tried and true system with an excellent track record. Jomoco

Nah, you ain't missing nothin Jules. I met the client through an exotic plant society club many years ago, who upon learning I was an old arborist, asked me about cabling her Tipu? No structural defects to warrant cabling support. So I give it a lateral branch reduction prune, and set it up with a novel new lateral branch exercise harness with the express intention of strengthening the laterals supporting the plants. She says they dance together in the wind in an almost choreographed manner. The system's over a year old now, and has withstood 3 high wind events. The attraction of the system for the client is purely aesthetic. The ability to keep 12 types of beautifully flowering plants in hanging pots contrasted against the tree at the exact same, or varying heights. With say 36 hanging plants to choose from? She can use her tree as a living canvas to display her beautiful blooming exotic plants on. I first got the idea for this project from an old eccentric lady client of mine. Removed a strategic beetle kill euc over her house. While strolling about her hilltop property, I noticed a beautiful lemon euc that had lower laterals with bowling balls hung from them by trampoline springs! I was dumbfounded as I stood there transfixed by the beautifully bouncing balls in the afternoon wind. My curiosity as to whether that eccentric old lady was smarter than I thought got the best of me. Sure enough she laughed at me merrily sayin she exercised em in the spring and summer, and took em down in the fall. Her logic, but replacing the bowling balls with hanging plants n stuff was my idea I tell yu! Jomoco:biggrin: