Taupotreeman

Hama, the guy I did the conservation course with was Dr. Robert Widdcombe (Border Ecology). He was absolutely mad on conservation and we were out on the Wash at silly O'clock in the morning watching birds, out in the Riseholme woods watching badgers, checking out various carniverous bugs that could be used for pest control, dry stone walling and hedge laying. I always wish that I could have followed this side of things but in the end I needed to earn a dollar and the opportunites within conservation were few unless volunteer work was your thing. If this really is your thing I'm sure he would be more than willing to have a bit of a yarn with you. He's a hell of a nice guy and passionate.

I thought it looked like an ewok or something out of starwars. It's just how I remember a UK winter; dark, wet and miserble.

Interesting reading your post there Hama. I was taught at college (conservation at Riseholme) by a guy who started out as an arborist, turned lecturer in arb, turned lecturer in conservation and now runs his own outfit called Border ecology. I think he is now soley into preservation, conservation and enviromental stuff (stuff probably not being the optimum descriptive word to use) and provides councils etc with enviromentally sound planning etc. Is this more the kind of thing? He's a really nice guy to boot so might have a few pointers if that's your thing.

Funny, I had a lady email me the other day and told me she thought my price for clearing around the power lines was "a little dear" as the other company she had used for trimming a hedge was cheaper. This was after she had accepted the job. I decided to email back (if she refused to pay for the completed work) and outline my expenses. As I started working through the list I kept stumbling across another expense that I hadn't even taken into consideration such as retesting of insulated tools, first aid certs etc. Yaffle trees' post just reminded me of this. Sometimes we ourselves don't realise exactly how many expenses we have and the general public certainly don't. They seem to think it's just a man with a saw and a truck, all of which run for ever without fuelling, replacement or maintenance. Don't get me started on the time and costs involved in running around to look at work that I never get. My two closest towns are 50 and 80kms away respectively so to look at work can sometimes be a whole day job. Some people like to call be in for a "quote" only for me to find out they just want to know how to take the tree down themselves put pick my brains. That's fuel, time and money I could be earning elsewhere down the drain.

I agree with Tall Tree. I'm not trying to put you off but I'd hate for you to get a knot wrong and have it come loose on you while ascending or descending etc. Books are all well and good but they can't replace practical knowledge. See if you can get yourself booked on a course, even if it's just the basics.

Cheers xerxses but it was a long time ago now. Actually, WAY too long. I feel old all of a sudden. I don't do felling anymore for timber production so don't need to worry about the timber spltting but then since those trees I've never had timber split on me again. I actually tend to use the letterbox cut quite a bit on some of the gums here because that part of the tree seems to hold more on a big Euc. I only generally use a straight back cut on smaller trees otherwise it's an assortment of bore and plunge cuts depending on how adventurous I feel that day.

Brushcutter; funnily enough the Larch weren't that big but everyone of them were splitting up the stem, some of them had over a 10' split right through the centre of the stem. There was nothing wrong with the felling cuts as the other more experienced feller was having the same issues. In the end we lost so many butt ends the boss started chasing the hinges but even if you got half way through the hinge the butt would still tear. As for best practice; yeah, tell me about it. I lasted until the end of the job and that was it. Some scary stuff going on on that job I can tell you.

Join the club Butler. Never used a cambium saver in my life ( I presume I should duck for cover now?) because I got out of climbing for a while and when I got back in to it things had kinda overtaken me somewhat equipment wise. I do now use a hitch climber system which is most excellent for climbing but I can't really afford some of the other kit I would like so just make do. I seem to get on OK with the basics so if it does the job until I'm a little more flush then I don't have an issue with it.

Pretty much only Poplar when I was there. A few monster Beech trees too though one was ripped out at the front of the main house during a storm.

Haha you could tell the students it's felling and extraction practice for their forestry course.

Whip round the back of Riseholme with your saw one night when everyone's asleeps

I drive a V8, it costs me a fortune and I don't care cos it makes me smile everytime I start it up. It's what I chose to spend my money on rather than cigarettes or nights out on the lash. Hopefully I'll help empty the oil reserves just that bit quicker

Try your insurance company first mate. They might have a different view on it. Somebody elses operations endangering your property and their policy might not go down too well.

I had a closer look at mine today. Both the outer sheaths have a bit of wear and tear on them and in one place I can see the wire core with an outer plastic type sheath around it. I can't see any signs of rusting but I'd like someone to give me a definative answer on when a wire core should be retired. If you can see the wire through the outer sheath even though it is still in good nick? There seems to be no actual answer so far. There's the obvious ones such as when the outer sheath is badly damaged or after exposure to chemicals etc but how long should they be in use for and how much use before they are past the best before date. If one man has a strop 10 years old that is well looked after and comes out only on sunny days compared to the man that has one 5 years old but is used everyday in all conditions and under all conditions, which is the safer and less lilely to fail?

I think I might have that in pdf somewhere.

I posted this picture in another thread but this is what can happen when they are planted where they interupt a neighbours view. The tree is on Council land and had been the victim of a poisoning attempt. When this failed to kill the tree the local home owner decided to go to the next level. As far as I know the tree is still there waiting for consent to remove it.

I'd like to second that opinion although I'm worried I'm becoming a little addicted Congrats to you and the missus Frosty.

Wanted to work in Canada as a ranger so studied forestry and conservation at college. There was only volunteer work when I left in 1990 and I needed to pay off the student loan so got on board with a local tree surgeon to pay the bills and haven't looked back. It didn't get me to Canada but has got me to NZ. About 4 years ago I was made redundant (constructively dismissed) so rather than work in a dead end job I set up on my own for the short term just to get some money in. What the future holds for me? No idea, I try not to think that far ahead.

I use a bowline with mine and don't have any issues with the knot catching.

I was always taught to do the angle cut first in order to get the direction of fall correct and then the hoizontal. In NZ I've seen a lot of humbolt cuts but that may be because the fellers tend to leave a lot of stump rather than cutting low to the ground. One guy I worked with in a clear fell operation always had me wait until the tree was starting to fall (Larch) and then cut through the hinge to prevent it splitting up the stem and ruining valuable timber.

I would have thought that as the neighbour has now endangered your property by removing the root structure, he is now responsible for the cost of removing the hazard i.e. the tree. I would also suggest that, once you have contacted the council and had them look at it etc (not knowing all council TPO rules in the UK) you get the neighbour to get it down ASAP. I would also ring your insurance company and let them know as if you don't and the tree falls the insurance company might not cough up.

Eeeeeuuuuuwwww that looks real nasty. Don't think I'd want that tree overhanging my place with the roots having been hacked and left like that.

Can I ask you guys who do believe in a God, your thoughts on other religions beliefs and if you believe that they are all disillusioned and actually have no god or if it is one shared god (if that makes sense). Personally I don't believe. I believe the sun comes up and goes down and without it we are all dead. The whole topic is starting to get beyong my levels of either comprehension or intellect (being a bit thick I suppose) but I do think that religion should be a choice in schools not forced upon you. Not sure if things have changed these days but when I was at school we all had to sing hymns and say prayers. This included Muslims, Hindus etc. As far as the foster, adoptive parents go; If the kids are brought up in a loving family, taught morals and respect, I don't have an issue if they are gay, christian, muslim or hobbits. I saw an American program recently where the kids were brought up in a neo nazi household. THAT was worrying.

Hehe walked up to a tree once and couldn't figure out why my spikes wouldn't go in. Was still thinking about the good looking lass that had just run by. Long time ago now though.

Crikey, what size axe were you using just after you came out the womb