Tom D

Just a thought Dean, I got a POV1 ther other day and I notice it comes with a mount for the barrel of a gun. Any chance of some "Barrel cam" shots soon?

You once posted a pic of hollyrood palace, I'd heard on the grapevine that you got that job. Have you allways worked there?

There's so much to learn and only experience can truly guide you. One thing I would say is dont work too cheap, its very tempting when you first start out. As far as Pikeys are concerned I think most of the people who we call pikeys are actually just dodgy workers and cowboys who live in houses like the rest of us.

They are from SG Baker in Angus. BTW do you work for Edinburgh Woodlands?

Done. From the desacription of his fall it sounds like a very easy thing to do, could have happened to anyone. Hope he recovers soon.

Ok the bgs are in, they are 90 x 90 x 97 cm and are between £2 and £3.50 depending on how many you order. Call Malcolm Scott on 01241 828 681

I'd say not, amarillia usually have a ring around the stem below the cap, Its the remnants from its attachment brfore it opened. Its hard to say from the pics but I cant see any on those. There is a ringless amarillia but I think its less harmful than melllea.

He can still claim on your insurance even if he trips over a twig on the floor, he does'nt have to be using ant tools at all, just working.

Exactly. Its madness.

As mesterh pointed out no one is going to say yes if you ask them, its a legal minefield so it realy comes down to should I do it or not. I watched that Griff rhys? Jones thing last night about Paris, there are guys who just take it upon themselves to fix things in the city. If that means breaking and entering then they do it, (these guys got in to Notre damme to watch the dawn) they have a much better attude to risk over there. Personally I think landowners here are backed into a corner by the ambulance chasers. It'd be nice to think you could go onto someones land without breaking anything or offending anyone and do whatever you like.

Should you be allowed to climb a tree if its not yours and without the owners permission? Lets say its in the middle of a forest not in a garden or house grounds. Lets also say you're not going to damage it in any way just climb it for fun. I'm pretty sure its illegal ( although under new access laws rock ckimbers can climb most things they want to I think ) however im just interested to know how many would do it.

I would'nt let a newbie anywhare near any big saw, too many teeth to sharpen when he blunts it. Sounds like another case of trying to run before you can walk.

Looks like fire damage to me, probably a bonfire a few years ago. Surely they'd have to give permision if you put in an application, on what grounds could they retain it? its fecked.

Just had to put a new carb on mine, same problem. Runs well now but a £100 repair for a 15 mnth old saw is poor in my book, apparently the replacement carbs are better, the dealer said he's done loads of them:thumbdown:

You certainly need some serious tonnage, I once tried tipping a big open grown douglas fir with an 8 ton bottle jack, it was very hard work. I think Ed's right, to get any serious tonnage you need a massive heavy ram. A tirfor winch or any winch for that matter would be far better, one ton at 50 foot is probably better than 20 ton at the bottom.

Most of the clinometers give you a percentage reading so you just measure from you to the tree and then take the indicated percentage of that measurement.

Very true IMO, I think you may think differently if you're a freelance climber as you work with more groundies of varying quality, but as part of a team who work together all the time a good groundie is priceless. Even better is one who climbs himself. There have been various threads along these lines on here, one started by me I think, but having been on here for a few months now and having heard many of the views and attitudes of fellow arborists I have now taken up the more cynical position of Skyhuck and others. Ie, more regulation is pointless, those who don't follow the regs we have now are hardly likely to follow any new ones. In fact without wanting to drift too far off topic If there was one law I could introduce it would be "no new laws untill we can properly enforce the ones we have already" e.g. they are apparently going to ban eating and drinking while at the wheel yet there are thousands of unliscenced and un-insured drivers out there. So I can't ear my lunch while driving between jobs but its ok to be burning round in an old Nova with no MOT no liscence and no insurance cos if you get caught you'll just get another fine which you wont pay and points on your non existent liscence.

Nice idea in theory, but the only way it would work is if you could only call yourself an "arborist" if you were one. Like you can only call yourself a doctor if you are one. The question is : what is an arborist?

If your ever in doubt about a leaning stem, dog tooth it, a barber chair is dangerous enough on the ground let alone up a tree. And learn to control your groundies, It does'nt matter who's in charge when you're on the ground but when your in the tree you call the shots.

Seen that in ASDA up here, best thing they sell.

What bothers me is suppose you or one of your your employees has an accident and the HSE turn up and say that you should have been in a mewp and give you agro. The fact that by the time you priced in the mewp and the traffic lights to go round it you would have been three times the price of everyone else probably would'nt bother them.

Tried the icicle for the last couple of weeks, back on the martin today, still the best if you like really short legs for minimal sitback. I find it needs 5 wraps with icetail but 4 with bail out.

Got a flyer for the guide yesterday, It says: "In selecting appropriate work equipment it is a requirement that collective measures to prevent falls (such as mewps ) must be considered beforeother measures which may only mitigate the distance and consequences of a fall ( such as fall protection systems )or which may only provide personal protection from a fall. So basicaly if you can use a MEWP then you should use a MEWP:scared:

I did a job in the centre of town earlier in the year, there were used needles all in the undergrowth under the trees. I only noticed them when we came to clear up, I stopped work and told the client that all the small brash and leaves that had falen into these areas would have to be left where it fell as we were'nt going to touch it. He said "oh yeah, we always get junkies in here":ohmy:.. Thanks for the warning mate!!! While we were working two plain clothes coppers chased a guy down the alley and nabbed him next to the chipper. This was just off the royal mile in Edinburgh, supposedly a world heritage site.

Got a call this afternoon, I asked how they heard about us; "we got a leaflet through the door last year, I kept it" If I was a plumber I'd use stickers instead of leaflets with simple instructions to stick on your boiler. When it breaks you'd go and look at it and there'd be my number.